Usually Reticent, Steve Jobs OKs Official Biography

After a raft of unauthorized biographies that supremely irked Steve Jobs, the Apple honcho is finally cooperating on an account of his life, starting when he was a wee Steve Jobs. Sources say that former Time managing editor and accomplished biographer Walter Isaacson will pen the book, and the New York Times reports that Jobs has already invited the scribe to tour his childhood home in Silicon Valley.

In the past, Jobs has retaliated quickly against unauthorized accounts, punishing publishers by pulling other offerings from Apple stores. The decision to cooperate might well indicate that the 55-year-old CEO’s health problems have motivated him to take an active hand in shaping his legacy. According to the sources, planning for the book has just begun. (More Steve Jobs biography stories.)