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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
medium-paced
A fascinating read, but definitely written by a man.
I definitely learned more about Elon from this book. Not all of it positive, but still I appreciated the insight into the life of such a transformative man. He doesn't sound like a great boss the way he does not seem to value loyalty. Some say he is not as mean as Steve Jobs was, and I can see how at a lot of the comments that were said by Elon could be interpreted as mostly straight unfiltered feedback rather than personal attacks, although if he really thought you a fool then all bets are off in that regard.
Also, although many comparisons are made to iron man, I do agree with some of his critics that a lot of what he has accomplished is not truly inventive but more iterative refinement of already contemplated ideas. However, truly new ideas that can change the world are less and less likely as more is invented and that should not take away from the monumental achievement of successfully (thus far) managing two or three (with Solar City if you can count his involvement here). Not only were the odds of success greatly stacked against Tesla and Space X on their own, but the level of minute details that he has been involved with for each company is impressive.
Also, although many comparisons are made to iron man, I do agree with some of his critics that a lot of what he has accomplished is not truly inventive but more iterative refinement of already contemplated ideas. However, truly new ideas that can change the world are less and less likely as more is invented and that should not take away from the monumental achievement of successfully (thus far) managing two or three (with Solar City if you can count his involvement here). Not only were the odds of success greatly stacked against Tesla and Space X on their own, but the level of minute details that he has been involved with for each company is impressive.
Nobody would've expect that Elon Musk would be the richest person in the world in just a year. Although, many people like me expect that he'll be but not that fast. This biography clearly describe how someone like Musk have gotten to where he is right now. Hard work and passion is what Musk got there (luck also play a part but still). This is an amazing book for people who wants to be inspired in business, success and life. All that said, I like the way Ashlee Vance gave an unbiased autobiography of Musk.
It's not often that a book exceeds my expectations, but Musk's biography blew me away. I almost didn't read this because I've already heard a lot from both the pro- and anti-Musk camps, but I'm incredibly glad I picked it up. He's determined, driven, lucky?, and successful - and it's been a roller coaster of a life. Looking forward to what SpaceX and Tesla do next!
Read this to know about the power of dreaming big, conviction in self, challenge the norms , how not be as a manager , for the question - do successful entrepreneurs need to be brutal?
It will surely open your mind and inspire you to dream
It will surely open your mind and inspire you to dream
Brilliant what Elon is doing in this world. Crazy big thinker
Elon Musk is a business and technology revolutionary. Ashlee Vance details his rise to power in Silicon Valley, showing how Musk's tough upbringing, odd personality, and high level of intelligence took him on a path toward achieving what others thought was impossible. Musk is making space travel and transport, electric cars, and solar power accessible and affordable. Musk has done this with an impressive comprehension of physics and mastery of engineering and computer programming, but he has also taken unique approaches to the organization of his businesses. Vance shows how Musk has been able to pursue some of humanity's most expensive and ambitious endeavors at a small fraction of the price that other companies are charging for them. Vance addresses Musk's critics, including his ex-wife, former business partners who have been fired, quit, and/or sued him, journalists and competitors who have spoken out against him, and even the idiots on forums who tell everyone to short Tesla's stock. While Vance reveres Musk, he does not hold back from giving a voice to his critics and reporting the full story in a fair manner. This is an excellent biography that is culturally interesting and useful for any reader interested in business, science, and technology.
Una biografía que narra la vida de Elon y del comienzo de dos empresas que serán claves para el futuro de la humanidad.
Por una parte es emocionante seguir el desarrollo de los eventos que debieron suceder para llegar a donde Elon Musk ha puesto a Tesla y SpaceX. Por otro lado, es duro ver el costo humano y personal de quienes han sido parte de esos proyectos.
A diferencia de otras biografías tiene la característica de poder seguir (casi en tiempo real) los avances de estas compañías y la vida de Elon que han tenido lugar después de la edición del libro.
Por una parte es emocionante seguir el desarrollo de los eventos que debieron suceder para llegar a donde Elon Musk ha puesto a Tesla y SpaceX. Por otro lado, es duro ver el costo humano y personal de quienes han sido parte de esos proyectos.
A diferencia de otras biografías tiene la característica de poder seguir (casi en tiempo real) los avances de estas compañías y la vida de Elon que han tenido lugar después de la edición del libro.
I wasn't really familiar with Elon Musk when I started this book: he came up in conversation with a friend, I said I didn't know his work well, and then my friend pulled the book from his bag, put it on the table in front of me, and told me to read the first chapter and get back to him with what I thought.
At about 400 pages, it's definitely a comprehensive look at Musk's life - it covers from birth to 2015 (the year this was published), and nearly every event in between. There are interviews and quotes from Musk and countless people in his life, and it's hard to imagine that there's another biography that covers the depth of Musk's life like Vance does.
And while I don't agree with Musk on all of his philosophies (especially in the ways that he treats others), it's hard to walk away from the book without a sense of respect for him. He has tackled projects that many people could only dream of doing, and he's made so much progress for the respective industries that he works in. He's a big dreamer who's said "yes we can" when others challenged his ideas. The book definitely communicates how rare that can be, and the impact of Musk's work on the world today.
One nit-picky thing, as others have noted, is that while the book does a pretty good job of showing Musk as a complex person, the narrative does get a little heavy-handed in its praise at times. Musk is deserving of praise, as we have seen from his numerous accomplishments, but he's definitely no messiah. You kind of have to note that as you're reading, that there's a bit of fan-worship going on from the author's part.
Overall, I did enjoy the book, and now know way more about Elon Musk than I did a few months ago. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone interested in Musk himself, or just in the Silicon Valley/STEM area (since he's such a notable part of the industry).
At about 400 pages, it's definitely a comprehensive look at Musk's life - it covers from birth to 2015 (the year this was published), and nearly every event in between. There are interviews and quotes from Musk and countless people in his life, and it's hard to imagine that there's another biography that covers the depth of Musk's life like Vance does.
And while I don't agree with Musk on all of his philosophies (especially in the ways that he treats others), it's hard to walk away from the book without a sense of respect for him. He has tackled projects that many people could only dream of doing, and he's made so much progress for the respective industries that he works in. He's a big dreamer who's said "yes we can" when others challenged his ideas. The book definitely communicates how rare that can be, and the impact of Musk's work on the world today.
One nit-picky thing, as others have noted, is that while the book does a pretty good job of showing Musk as a complex person, the narrative does get a little heavy-handed in its praise at times. Musk is deserving of praise, as we have seen from his numerous accomplishments, but he's definitely no messiah. You kind of have to note that as you're reading, that there's a bit of fan-worship going on from the author's part.
Overall, I did enjoy the book, and now know way more about Elon Musk than I did a few months ago. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone interested in Musk himself, or just in the Silicon Valley/STEM area (since he's such a notable part of the industry).