Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
dark
funny
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Reading this didn't change my opinion of Musk too much, but it gave a lot more nuance to understanding why he does some of what he does.
I am not a big fan of Elon Musk. However, after reading Walter Isaacson’s biography, I have a greater appreciation for what drives Elon and how his goals for humanity will change our world. The latter part of that sentence sounds lofty. Goals for humanity, who does he think he is?
Isaacson spend two years immersing himself in Elon’s life: attending meetings, interviewing anyone with a connection to Elon, flying with him, shadowing social events, and researching his companies. Elon gave him incredible access. The result is a revealing picture of very complicated person.
Elon’s life work is to save human consciousness from ourselves, through creating alternative systems that combat climate change (e.g., electric cars or solar panels), and from technology, by creating safeguards around artificial intelligence. His rockets at SpaceX are a step towards developing a human colony on Mars so that the human species can exist if earth is no longer habitable. He feels an urgency to this work that explains the way he drives himself and anyone who works for him to take unimaginable risks and work exhausting schedules to meet seemingly unattainable deadlines.
But, in my mind, that doesn’t explain or excuse his callous, rude, and often offensive behavior.
So, while I am still not a big fan, I do have a new-found appreciation for what he wants to accomplish with his life. He has had a transformative impact on electric vehicles, rocket manufacturing, and artificial learning/intelligence. Although his purchase and restructuring of Twitter has been constant chaos, he believes that free speech is critical to his overarching goal of saving human consciousness. (Many arguments could be made that he is achieving that goal or damaging it at Twitter.)
I recommend this book even if you have little interest in the man Elon Musk. I gained a greater appreciation for how his companies will transform our world and our children’s world. Whether it is electric vehicles transporting people and product, rockets exploring Mars and the universe, or AI solutions for work and the home, Musk is molding these technologies as you read this review.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
This is undoubtedly a one-sided, flattering portrait of Elon Musk but it was worthwhile to focus on the positive features of such a successful and groundbreaking entrepreneur. It is interesting that some people latch onto the false stories that Elon was bootstrapped into success by his father. Elon has obviously had a lot of luck, but his appetite for risk and his drive and tenacity are second-to-none and it was motivating to hear the stories of his accomplishments.
Two stars for a below average biography from Isaacson, who could have done better by a mile and a half, not even/actually for Musk himself.
i kept seeing this book on the bestseller shelf at the library, but never really had a desire to read it since i thought it would be too tech-y - thankfully, it was not and i have a new appreciation for the work elon does and how he is moving us forward as a society (but he seems to not have a filter like kanye)
His contributions are so immensely important to technology and growth. It was fun to get an insider look about how he thinks and works. The writing didn't capture the impact of his bad behavior on his family or coworkers. It was pretty one dimensional to say that he was a brilliant man with a dark side so let's move on. Also the book read like a dear diary towards the end.
dark
informative
inspiring
slow-paced