Elon Musk

The author is well-respected for his ability to dig deeply, and spent two years shadowing Musk in order to write this book. Whether you like or dislike Musk, he is an intriguing figure, but for me, I wanted to better understand this man and his motives. I read this book before he took a role in Trump’s administration. Musk is on the autism spectrum—which often explains his rants of frustration, his moments of brilliance, and his many times of defeat. When I read this book, he was running six businesses—he often spent time flying from business to business. His drive was predicated on two beliefs: we needed to eventually be able to move to Mars as our planet collapses, and he felt humans were not repopulating enough to sustain human life. This is what created his space business. Once he was successful in sending flights to the space station to resupply the astronauts there, he developed a lucrative contract with the U.S. to be the primary resupplier. He also designed his own factory for designing and building space rockets. He tested many types of materials, and found that stainless steel seemed to handle the variances of temperatures. In any of his factories, he put the designers desks on the same floor as product being produced—-his thinking was that if a problem arose with manufacturing, the designers could experience the problem first hand, and make the needed adjustments. Musk often worked well late into the night and early mornings—when he was tired, he slept on the floor under his desk. His belief in repopulation meant that he aligned himself with many willing women, and at my last count, had 14 children. He is an intriguing, very complex person whose beliefs drive his actions. I keep wondering why, with all his resources, he does not assist with keeping this planet, Earth, in better health, and advocate for it instead of putting so much effort in trying to colonize Mars. If you want to better understand this man, I found the author did a wonderful job in researching Musk, shadowing him, and spending time with other people who play important roles in his life. Assimilating all this data had to be challenging for this writer, but I think he painted a picture for the reader that helps unravel some of Musk’s complexity.

Here the author is writing in the first person after a two-year stint with Elon Musk which provides a very interesting view into the richest man's life from birth to the present day. Isaacson performs a similar feat to the bibliography he previously printed for Steve Jobs (in fact Musk is occasionally compared to Jobs). The product is designed to my liking with short chapters in a chronological order allowing the reader to transverse swiftly through the manuscript. Even though the book is an easy read, it is difficult in one sitting. With this structure Isaacson rivets the reader to the story by moving back and forth thru the many business ventures and personal issues in the Musk life. Here he has interviewed most of the individuals that have touched on Elon Musk's life with many in direct quotes. The piece is a long "beach read" for it spans the initiation and development of: Tesla, Space X, The Boring Company, Neurolink, and recently Twitter all in the pursuit of a Mars landing and colonization. Throughout the book the reader will be treated to inside matters of Musk's decisions regarding the above companies and his personal life. What is very noteworthy is in Chapters 80-83 how Musk takes over Twitter and later how he culls the employee force by 75% with the company still functioning. This may be a preview of how DOGE will be recommending the modification of the US civil service workforce. As with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic America has not seen anyone the likes of Elon Musk since "Mr. Fix-It," Herbert Hoover, also an engineer by training. Fortunately, Musk is not able to be president of the USA. This book portrays a forward looking visionary similar to the Portuguese "Henry the Navigator" with the persistence and determination of General George Patton. This vison coupled with determination will lead mankind off our planet where your grandchildren will be mining asteroids in the future. The product is well structured with a table of contents bearing ninety-five chapters with references and notes. It has a very helpful index, and black and white photos accompany each chapter. The timeline ends in April 2023 after the SpaceX Starship launch. Purchase this if you desire to view the American Dream!

first, i'm an elon fan. not blindly, i realize the guy has faults, but holistically i think the guy is a great asset to humanity. ** my real gripes at end of this review. ** the average sentiment for elon in my social circle is negative. one time i had an acquaintance ask me three times in a row if i was being serious about liking elon. i must have been joking. i was not. there were also these things people would repeat about elon that i suspected were false. for example, he came from money, his father was a rich emerald mine owner (which conjures up ideas about south African blood diamonds) or that his success is from taking credit rather than merit or that his views have become extreme right/conspiratorial. i wanted to dig in and separate the truth from the noise so i looked at several elon books and decided on this one. it's a good read imo. a page turner. overall i'd say it's a study of character rather than a cut and dry accounting of what elon has done. no regrets reading it. i might read it again some day as it's packed with rockets, people, kids, wives, and electric cars. i like the way it's organized into bite sized chunks that focus on one story rather than try and tell the multitude of stories that are happening simultaneously. sometimes the author will repeat a bit already covered which is useful for the reader to get full context of what's going on. for a hypothetical example, there might be a section that focuses on a rocket launch. then later a section that focuses on a falling out with his father that was simultaneous. my biggest complaint and the reason for 4 stars is i feel the author might be a little out of touch, making judgement calls when he should just be making observations. I also think the author is too trusting of corporate media outlets and does not entertain the possibility that elon is actually right on certain topics. instead he makes a character judgement. here are some examples: "musk was cursed with a conspiratorial mindset" this is in reference to musk thinking his negative press was coming from hidden agendas. i find it hard to believe the negative sentiment for elon is just from offensive tweets and interviews. i've never seen a billionaire who has done so much (electric cars alone) and at the same time is so disliked. not gates, not bezos, no one i can think of. but what elon has done is challenge power. he questioned PCR tests, he fought lock downs at teslsa, he was honest about vaccine injuries in his circle of friends and his own bad experience. this is a sure fire way to get your reputation attacked. we are simply not allowed to have honest conversations about anything vaccine or lock down related. but elon did. his brutal honesty in a world where our leaders and institutions routinely lie, is imo, what people like about him. the author also believes the tweet "my pronouns are prosecute/fauci" "made little sense, wasn't funny, and managed, in just 5 words, to mock transgender people, conjure up conspiracies about the 81 year old...." i disagree. the fact that the author dismisses this as conspiracy theory tells me he is out of touch. funding from NIAID (Fauci's organization) did go to the Wuhan Lab, they did do gain of function research, and had in the past done gain of function research on bat corona viruses. Fauci has lies about this while testifying to Rand Paul. meanwhile the lab leak has gone from a conspiracy theory to a credible explanation. even former FDA head Robert Redfield has said he believes it came from a lab. History is going to confirm that elon was ahead on this rather than conspiratorial. also it was hilarious. in 5 words elon exposed the corruption of Fauci while pointing out the insane amount of personal pronounces currently recognized. lgbtqnation.com lists 17 on it's "incomplete" list. "he (elon) retweeted comments by robert kennedy jr, a fervent antivaxxer who alleged that the CIA killed his uncle the president..." . as a person who is very familiar with Kennedy's positions i'll say that the antivax pejorative is one of the biggest lies against RFK jr. it's very misleading. and the author is just repeating what corporate media has been saying for 20 years. RFK's position is that the safety testing is not adequate for vaccines. He is fully vaxxed (except covid) and so are his kids. the antivax pejorative is used to stop him from asking questions about vaccine safety. As for the CIA assassinating JFK it is a very old idea and RFK is not the only one who believes it. RFK jr's case for it is compelling. "he (elon) was skittering at times on the edges of the rabbit holes of conspiracy theories about sinister global elite forces." this author seems to be unaware of things like the WEF pandemic treaty, or the gates funded pandemic simulations that were in part focused on censorship to quell "disinformation". i could go on but won't. i think history will show elon was dialed in to better information sources rather than conspiratorial. instead of characterizing him as conspiratorial it would have better to be nuetral. what i see as a net positive (the ability of elon to think independent of corporate media narratives) the author sees as a bit cray cray. on a positive note, i came away with (i think) a far better understanding of who elon is emotionally and his management style. i did not expect him to be super chill to work with. that's an understatement. he seems every bit as harsh as the steve jobs stories i heard from my friend at apple. one of the central questions in the book seems to be can you accomplish the near impossible and be easy to work with? is accomplishment and a-hole-ishness a package deal? maybe. overall i'd recommend.

Walter Isaacson’s narrative on Elon Musk is nothing short of a masterful voyage through the labyrinth of one of the most iconic innovators of our age. The book is a meticulously crafted narrative, weaving the intricacies of Musk’s remarkable journey with a depth that leaves the reader both inspired and enlightened. It’s a comprehensive expedition into the life and mind of Elon Musk (EM), displaying an exquisite balance of awe-inspiring moments coupled with a grounded critique that keeps the narrative tethered to a realm of practicality. The section that notably stands out is the exploration into EM’s management mantras. The unraveling of 'The Algorithm,' a term synonymous with Musk’s methodical approach towards problem-solving, and the traits he values in his team - Excellence, Trust, and Discipline, are not merely discussed but dissected. This portion of the book is a well of insights for anyone eager to decode the enigmatic leadership style of EM. Isaacson, with his seasoned narrative prowess, doesn’t merely tell a story; he takes you on an intellectual expedition, unveiling layers of EM’s persona and managerial acumen. The critique embedded within the narrative ensures the reader doesn’t get lost in the glorification but stays grounded, appreciating the practical implications and the tangible takeaways from Musk’s journey. A unique charm of Isaacson’s writing is his ability to delve deep into the subject while maintaining a broader perspective. The wish for his next venture to contrast the geniuses he’s chronicled is palpable. One can only anticipate the richness such a narrative would entail, juxtaposing the different shades of brilliance that have shaped the modern technological epoch. In conclusion, this book isn’t just a biography; it’s a meticulously crafted lens through which one can appreciate the genius of Elon Musk, rendered with a level of finesse and understanding that is quintessentially Isaacson. It’s not just a read, but an experience, that leaves you with a profound understanding and a lingering curiosity for the boundless realm of innovation.

I love this book. It's addicting from the beginning and proves that one must believe in themselves regardless of what others think. Persistence, due diligence and the fearlessness to grow and try new things at great risks is the only way to epitomize success. Real leaders like Elon are very hard to find because people can't afford to or are not willing to take such risk. I love this man with all my heart and will until the day I die.

This book is very likely Isaacson's best. One, he got almost unlimited access to Elon and team for two years. Two, Elon! Three, a fascinating case of embracing Risk-with-capital-R as not something to avoid ("do no harm"), not something to optimize (risk-reward analysis) but something to warmly embrace and overcome with will, "surge" and first-principle driven engineering. The book has essentially three broad parallel themes often intertwined in narratives - Relationship -- Family and friends - relationship and evolution of it with Elon's parents, grandparents of both sides, kids, spouses/SOs, siblings - especially Kimbal, cousins and a handful of business friends including some employees in both Tesla and SpaceX. Results -- Zip2/Paypal, EVs, SolarRoof, Rockets/NASA, Neuralink, Hyperloop, Twitter - workspaces where Elon ventured and revolutionized them. Regulating Principles - This is where Isaacson has done a masterful job. He observed, probed and eked out a set of rules that Elon follows - with himself, with how he gets work done, with other people. As someone who's worked ("hardcore"ly, if I may) in Tesla during famed "Production Hell" and was lucky to witness several of the events mentioned - e.g., 5000th car of the week, a black Model 3, coming out of factory on June 30, 2018 at 2 AM-ish - Isaacson's description of Tesla, and its mission-driven culture, is accurate, though as a genuine believer in that mission, seemed awfully short. Some of Elon's brilliant "management emails" deserved a mention - e.g., how not/to communicate (no abbreviations; hierarchy agnostic), how to/not meet (get out if you are adding no value), how to set goals (Hofstadder's law - set it so ambitious that even missing it by 50% would still get it done twice as fast had it not been set so) etc. Plus, Elon is always highly readable, and short. To bridge to standard practices of management, as it is followed in most western world today, the author follows up with most people after they had "interesting pushbacks" from Elon, mostly when they either did not have an answer and did not say they did not know, or when - simply - Elon was thinking far ahead of them, and thinking multi-threaded to not offer much of "contextual relevance". The emphasis on "small teams with right individuals will always outcompete large teams" is spot on and is essentially why Autopilot is successful with 150 engineers and Twitter was awfully slow moving with few thousands. Last third of the book was often observed and written in first person. The author was present in many of those events. But that takes a little bit away from the velocity of the book and perhaps adds 50-60 more pages that merely repeat the themes already established, with apt narratives, earlier in the book. Moving Twitter's 5000 servers from Sacramento data center to Portland - first thought to take months till Elon diverted his jet, landed in Sacramento, opened an air vent with a (borrowed) utility knife, went underneath the rack and essentially did a "POC" - is one such example. It was an intersting read, especially for an engineer, irrespective. No single individual in last 100 years, perhaps, did change things more for "humanity as a macro". "Elon Musk" is the best way to understand him and is a brilliant, captivating read. The grand theme of the book, to me, was as Elon was quoted - "This is how civilizations decline. They quit taking risks. And when they quit taking risks, their arteries harden. Every year there are more referees and fewer doers." This is not just a book on Elon Musk. This is a book to look at risk with a fundamentally different world-, or should I say 'cosmic-', view.

I picked up this book because, like many, I had seen Elon Musk in the headlines for years—Tesla, SpaceX, X—and I realised I didn’t really know what drives him. Isaacson does a remarkable job of pulling back the curtain on that. He shows how Musk thrives on chaos, pursues grand visions, and wrestles with his own demons.

As interesting a biography as I've ever read and by an author of so many great ones. Einstein, Jobs, Kissiniger, et al. But this one is about a man of our times -- changing the world via leading-edge technology that will separate America from the rest of the world and fuel our economic and military superiority. Musk's genius is unquestioned. His ability to set and achieve near imposible goals for himself, his companies and his team is mind-boggling. His personal life is constantly in shambles: an abusive father in South Africa; multiple marriages; children from several ladies; ever-increasing personal responsibilities while driving more and more corporations; to become today's globe trotting 'world's richest man' which opens every door with a simple phone call. He thrives on chaos. His surges and problem solving ideas are legendary. He doesn't accept no -- even if it turns out not to be right. Break it and build it back up (Kipling's 'IF'). Take 2500 engineers at Twitter and reduce that number to 150 in sixty days. Take a $1500 NASA spacecraft valve and replace it with one that cost $30. Eliminate 'cost-plus' sourcing by NASA and upend its entire cost structure. It's focus on steroids, and when he is infrequently silent with a far-off stare that can sometimes last minutes -- shut up and listen, because a decision is about to be communicated and then, (most importantly) executed. Risk is not an enemy, but a motivator to succeed or fail quickly. I cannot recommend this book too much. For although Steve Jobs (whom I knew) displayed similar product genius while sharing Elon's few interpersonal skills, Steve had no idea how to actually produce the end result. Elon not only creates unbelievable ideas, he sleeps on the shop floors alongside his team as he makes it happen. Musk nightly roams the shop -- workstation to workstation examining procedures and making changes on the fly to maximize efficiency and reduce costs. There's little wonder that Trump selected Musk to initiate draining the swamp in Washington as he cannot tolerate waste and inefficiency. And little wonder why he was happy to escape that feckless group of status quo politicians and do-nothing bureaucrats after launching D.O.G.E. Stay tuned -- I doubt it will be his last assignment. From rockets (SpaceX) to Satellites to Starlink, to Starship, to EVs, to Neualink, to Full Self-Driving (FSD), Elon Musk is the perfect technology genius for today's America as we transition to a new world order. His imperfections as a human (Asperger's, Bi-polar, mood swings, even destructive behaviors/tweets), along with his abrasive, crisis-driven managment style will clearly not appeal to everyone. Many could not work for the man. But those who can have already accomplished much for America and humankind. All Americans should thank him for his bold vision and ability to bring those dreams to reality. It's an extremely rare talent. I wish him many more years of exceptional accomplishments. Now...On to Mars!