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廿賷賱賵賳 賲丕爻賰: 卮乇賰鬲丕 鬲賷爻賱丕貙 爻亘賷爻 丕賰爻 賵 丕賱鬲胤賱毓 賱賲爻鬲賯亘賱 乇丕卅毓
欧宝娱乐 Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Science & Technology (2015)賴賳丕賰 丕賱賯賱賷賱 賲賳 乇噩丕賱 丕賱氐賳丕毓丞 賮賷 丕賱鬲丕乇賷禺 丕賱匕賷賳 丕爻鬲胤丕毓賵丕 賲囟丕賴丕丞 丿丕賮毓 賲丕爻賰 丕賱匕賷 賱丕 賷賱賷賳 賵乇丐賷鬲賴 丕賱廿亘丿丕毓賷丞. 廿賳賴 賲夭賷噩 丨丿賷孬 賲賳 鬲賵賲丕爻 廿丿賷爻賵賳 賵賴賳乇賷 賮賵乇丿 賵賴丕賵丕乇丿 賴賷賵夭 賵爻鬲賷賮 噩賵亘夭. 賲丕爻賰 賴賵 丕賱乇噩賱 丕賱匕賷 賵乇丕亍 卮乇賰丕鬲 亘丕賷 亘丕賱 賵鬲賷爻賱丕 賲賵鬲賵乇夭 賵爻亘賷爻 廿賰爻 賵爻賵賱丕乇 爻賷鬲賷貙 賵丕賱鬲賷 兀孬丕乇鬲 賰賱 賲賳賴丕 丕賱丕賳亘賴丕乇 賮賷 噩賲賷毓 兀賳丨丕亍 賲噩丕賱 丕賱兀毓賲丕賱 賵丕賱氐賳丕毓丞 丕賱兀賲乇賷賰賷. 賵兀賰孬乇 賲賳 兀賷 鬲賳賮賷匕賷 丌禺乇 丕賱賷賵賲貙 賰乇爻 賲丕爻賰 胤丕賯丕鬲賴 賵孬乇賵鬲賴 丕賱胤丕卅賱丞 賱丕亘鬲賰丕乇 賲爻鬲賯亘賱 孬乇賷 賵胤賵賷賱 丕賱兀孬乇 賲孬賱 鬲氐賵乇 丕賱禺賷丕賱 丕賱毓賱賲賷.
賮賷 賴匕賴 丕賱賯氐丞 丕賱賲乇丨丞 賵丕賱丕爻鬲賯氐丕卅賷丞貙 賷賯丿賲 丌卮賱賷 賮丕賷賳爻 - 丕賱氐丨賮賷 丕賱賲禺囟乇賲 賮賷 賲噩丕賱 丕賱鬲賰賳賵賱賵噩賷丕 - 賳馗乇丞 睾賷乇 賲爻亘賵賯丞 賮賷 丕賱丨賷丕丞 賵丕賱兀賵賯丕鬲 丕賱乇丕卅毓丞 賱兀賰孬乇 乇噩丕賱 兀毓賲丕賱 賵丕丿賷 丕賱爻賷賱賷賰賵賳 噩乇兀丞.
賵賱兀賳 賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賯丕卅賲 毓賱賶 鬲賵丕氐賱 丨氐乇賷 賲毓 賲丕爻賰 賵毓丕卅賱鬲賴 賵兀氐丿賯丕卅賴貙 賮廿賳賴 賷鬲鬲亘毓 乇丨賱鬲賴 賲賳 賳卮兀鬲賴 丕賱氐毓亘丞 賮賷 噩賳賵亘 兀賮乇賷賯賷丕 廿賱賶 氐毓賵丿賴 廿賱賶 賯賲丞 毓丕賱賲 廿丿丕乇丞 丕賱兀毓賲丕賱 丕賱丿賵賱賷丞. 兀賲囟賶 賮丕賷賳爻 兀賰孬乇 賲賳 禺賲爻賷賳 爻丕毓丞 賮賷 丕賱賳賯丕卮 賲毓 賲丕爻賰 賵兀噩乇賶 賲賯丕亘賱丕鬲 卮禺氐賷丞 賲毓 賲丕 賷賯乇亘 賲賳 300 卮禺氐 賱爻乇丿 丕賱賯氐氐 丕賱氐丕禺亘丞 賱卮乇賰丕鬲 賲丕爻賰 丕賱賲睾賷乇丞 賱賱毓丕賱賲 賵乇爻賲 氐賵乇丞 乇噩賱 睾丕賲囟 噩丿丿 丕賱氐賳丕毓丞 丕賱兀賲乇賷賰賷丞 賵兀孬丕乇 賲爻鬲賵賷丕鬲 噩丿賷丿丞 賲賳 丕賱丕亘鬲賰丕乇 鈥� 賰賱 匕賱賰 賮賷 兀孬賳丕亍 賲賵丕噩賴丞 丕賱毓丿賷丿 賲賳 丕賱兀毓丿丕亍 毓賱賶 胤賵賱 丕賱胤乇賷賯.
賮賷 賴匕賴 丕賱賯氐丞 丕賱賲乇丨丞 賵丕賱丕爻鬲賯氐丕卅賷丞貙 賷賯丿賲 丌卮賱賷 賮丕賷賳爻 - 丕賱氐丨賮賷 丕賱賲禺囟乇賲 賮賷 賲噩丕賱 丕賱鬲賰賳賵賱賵噩賷丕 - 賳馗乇丞 睾賷乇 賲爻亘賵賯丞 賮賷 丕賱丨賷丕丞 賵丕賱兀賵賯丕鬲 丕賱乇丕卅毓丞 賱兀賰孬乇 乇噩丕賱 兀毓賲丕賱 賵丕丿賷 丕賱爻賷賱賷賰賵賳 噩乇兀丞.
賵賱兀賳 賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賯丕卅賲 毓賱賶 鬲賵丕氐賱 丨氐乇賷 賲毓 賲丕爻賰 賵毓丕卅賱鬲賴 賵兀氐丿賯丕卅賴貙 賮廿賳賴 賷鬲鬲亘毓 乇丨賱鬲賴 賲賳 賳卮兀鬲賴 丕賱氐毓亘丞 賮賷 噩賳賵亘 兀賮乇賷賯賷丕 廿賱賶 氐毓賵丿賴 廿賱賶 賯賲丞 毓丕賱賲 廿丿丕乇丞 丕賱兀毓賲丕賱 丕賱丿賵賱賷丞. 兀賲囟賶 賮丕賷賳爻 兀賰孬乇 賲賳 禺賲爻賷賳 爻丕毓丞 賮賷 丕賱賳賯丕卮 賲毓 賲丕爻賰 賵兀噩乇賶 賲賯丕亘賱丕鬲 卮禺氐賷丞 賲毓 賲丕 賷賯乇亘 賲賳 300 卮禺氐 賱爻乇丿 丕賱賯氐氐 丕賱氐丕禺亘丞 賱卮乇賰丕鬲 賲丕爻賰 丕賱賲睾賷乇丞 賱賱毓丕賱賲 賵乇爻賲 氐賵乇丞 乇噩賱 睾丕賲囟 噩丿丿 丕賱氐賳丕毓丞 丕賱兀賲乇賷賰賷丞 賵兀孬丕乇 賲爻鬲賵賷丕鬲 噩丿賷丿丞 賲賳 丕賱丕亘鬲賰丕乇 鈥� 賰賱 匕賱賰 賮賷 兀孬賳丕亍 賲賵丕噩賴丞 丕賱毓丿賷丿 賲賳 丕賱兀毓丿丕亍 毓賱賶 胤賵賱 丕賱胤乇賷賯.
391 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 3, 2015
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567031 people want to read
About the author
Ashlee Vance
12听books1,773听followersAshlee Vance is an award winning feature writer for Bloomberg Businessweek magazine. Vance is also the host of the "Hello World" TV show. Previously, he worked for The New York Times and The Register.
Vance was born in South Africa, grew up in Texas and attended Pomona College. He has spent more than a decade covering the technology industry from San Francisco and is a noted Silicon Valley historian.
Vance was born in South Africa, grew up in Texas and attended Pomona College. He has spent more than a decade covering the technology industry from San Francisco and is a noted Silicon Valley historian.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 12,515 reviews
August 16, 2023
Elon Musk is not exactly a name that rolls easily off the tongue, like say Tony Stark, the fictional person to whom he is most often compared, or even Steve Jobs, a real-world visionary, whose mantle Musk now wears. There is no question that Musk is a special individual, someone with BIG dreams and the drive, talent, and money to make them happen. But, like Jobs, and Stark for that matter, he might be an acquired taste on a personal level. In Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future biographer Ashlee Vance gives us a picture of both the dreams and the man, peering back to where Musk began, describing his journey from then to now, looking at how he is impacting the world today, and gazing ahead to where he wants to go. It is a pretty impressive vista. Here is what it says on the SpaceX website
Ashlee Vance - from HarperCollins
Vance take us from his adolescence as a computer geek, bullied at school, through his arrival in Canada, cold-calling to get work, putting together his first dot.com startup, and using the money from that to invest in a banking-oriented company that would become PayPal. It was the mega-bucks from the sale of PayPal that would allow him to begin realizing his big dreams. In 2003, Musk bought into Tesla, then a struggling startup. The company took the early knowledge that lithium ion batteries had gotten pretty good, added some top level engineering, design and programming talent, and, after plenty of mis-steps and struggles, brought the remarkable all-electric Tesla Roadster to the market in 2008. Tesla followed this with the Model S in 2012. Not only did Consumer reports call this a great car, it named both the 2014 and 2015 versions the best overall cars of their years, and the best car they had ever tested. The last time an auto startup succeeded in the USA was Chrysler, in the 1920s. But this is not about simply making a buck on a new car. The long term goal is to shift our petrochemical auto industry to renewable power, and the Tesla is a nifty start. Not only is the car amazing, the company has constructed a nationwide series of charging stations where Tesla owners can recharge their vehicles鈥or free. Tesla currently (August 2019) reports 1,604 such stations nationwide, with many more planned. Tesla is involved in building battery production factories, hoping to help support a growing electric-car auto-economy.
Inside the Tesla Model S - from Tesla Motors
But this was not the only big notion that drove Musk. A parallel effort was to develop a solar power business. And with the help of a couple of enterprising cousins, he did just that. SolarCity provides the solar arrays that provide power to the Tesla charging stations, but it has also become one of the largest solar utilities in the nation, installing, maintaining a third of the nation鈥檚 solar panel systems. There is obvious benefit to both Tesla and Solar City in sharing gains in battery and other technology. But I expect the third jewel in Musk鈥檚 crown is his favorite, SpaceX.
Falcon 9 first stage attempting a controlled landing - from Wikimedia
Musk doesn鈥檛 have much going on here, nothing major, only an ardent desire to colonize Mars. But it takes the establishment of an infrastructure in order to be get from point E to point M. Musk saw an opening in the market for satellite launch vehicles. Existing rockets blast things up into orbit and then burn up on their way back down. His idea was to design a rocket that could make its way back to earth in one piece, to be reused. And he has. SpaceX is nearing its goal of launching at least one rocket a month. The manifest available on SpaceX.com lists missions to date. The company also designed a capsule called the Dragon that can be used for cargo, but also for astronauts. The cost of launching a satellite using a Falcon is a fraction of what other options charge. The next step is a larger launch vehicle. Space X has begun launching the Falcon Heavy rocket, offering the biggest load capacity since the Saturn V was last used in 1973. And, while this is definitely good for business in the relatively short term, one must always keep in mind that this is a stage in a bigger plan for Musk. Once the launch infrastructure is established, plans can begin to move forward to put together Mars missions. Not go, look, and explore sorts of adventures, but establishing a colony, a permanent human presence on the red planet.
The Dragon Capsule, attached to the ISS - from Musk鈥檚 Twitter page
Of course when one has one鈥檚 eyes fixed on the stars (yes, Mars is a planet, I know, Geez), there is a large inclination to lose touch with earth-bound reality. In the movie, then play, then movie The Producers Max Bialystock, in order to cope with the absurd success of a play that was designed to fail, suggests to his partner, Leo Bloom, that one solution would be to do away with the cast. "You can't kill the actors, Max! They're human beings," Leo says. "Human beings? Have you ever seen them eat?" Max replies. I suspect that there are more than a few folks who feel about Elon Musk the way Max felt about the actors. He is rather notorious for his insensitivity to anyone not living inside his head. For example, here is what potential recruits are told to expect when they meet with Musk.
Ego is certainly a big piece of the picture here. But I guess if you can do it, it ain鈥檛 bragging. Elon Musk is a larger than life figure, a computer geek, an engineer, an entrepreneur, and a dreamer, in addition to being a walking IED as someone to work for. He is one of the inspirations for Robert Downey鈥榮 portrayal of Tony Stark in sundry Marvel Universe films. In fact, Downey came to visit Musk, specifically to get a taste of what a real billionaire techno-industrialist was like. Downey insisted on having a Tesla Roaster on the set of Iron Man, saying, 鈥滶lon was someone Tony probably hung out with and partied with or more likely they went on some weird jungle trek together to drink concoctions with the shamans.鈥� Musk even had a cameo in Iron Man II. The resulting publicity from this connection did little to diminish Musk鈥檚 view of himself. Living the high-life in Tinseltown, hanging with, social, economic and media A-listers added more gas to the bag. Part of his ego issue is that he tends to take internal company timetables and announce them to the world as promises (I can see his entire staff jointly rolling their eyes, clutching palms to temples and issuing choruses of 鈥淥h my god鈥� and 鈥淲TF鈥� as they spin in place), then holds his employees to those unreasonable schedules. Of course this results in many missed deadlines, much ingestion of antacid and probably the odd nervous breakdown or two.
Musk, in an Iron Man II cameo - fromWired
Musk is the sort of guy who shows up with some regularity in science fiction novels, a genre trope, like the researcher who has exactly the sort of experience and insight the President/PM/Chairman/Secretary General needs in order to stave off global catastrophe. He鈥檚 the guy who has been secretly building the arc that the world needs to stave off extinction. In this case he is doing it publicly. Of course this raises some issues. Do we as a country, as a planet, really want to be reliant on private companies for our space exploration? Do we want a possible colony on Mars to be a privately held branch of Musk Industries? There are only a gazillion questions that are raised by the privatization of space. What鈥檚 good for the bottom line at SpaceX may or may not be good for humanity. We have certainly seen how a reliance on the inherent civic-mindedness and good will of corporations has worked on this planet. Musk is a dreamer, for sure, and I expect his dream of making a better world through the use of renewable energy and his hopes of establishing a human outpost on Mars are pure ideals. But the devil is always in the details, and what would happen should Musk be infected by another virulent strain of malaria and not escape with a near miss, as he did in 2001? Would the replacement CEO share his ideals? Would a replacement CEO be willing to take big risks to support those ideals? Would a replacement CEO look to sell Tesla off to GM to make a few quick billion? One person can move the world, but it takes more than a start to keep things rolling. We could certainly use plenty more people with the sort of drive and ambition that Elon Musk embodies. Innovation is a rare resource and must be cherished. But like any powerful force, it must be, if not tethered, at least monitored, to make certain that it does not run amok.
Ashlee Vance has done an amazing job of telling not only Musk鈥檚 story, but of making the life history of the several companies with which Musk has been involved fascinating reading. I did get the sense that Vance was, from all the time he spent with Musk, smitten with his subject. While his portrait of Musk is hardly a zit-free one, I got the feeling that there might be a few more skeletons safely tucked away in closets, a few more bodies buried in basements. Nevertheless, Elon Musk is a powerful, entertaining and informative look at one of the most important people of our time. Your personal vision of the future should certainly include checking out this book.
Review first posted - August 2015
=================EXTRA STUFF has been moved to comment #1
SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2002 to revolutionize space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.It might have seemed like visiting another planet when Musk split his home country of South Africa as a teen and headed to North America, anything to get away from an abusive upbringing. He seemed to have been blessed not only with exceptional analytical capabilities, and probably an eidetic memory, but an impressively immense set of cojones. He was able to talk his way into whatever he needed and deftly talk his way out of trouble as well. Sometimes that entailed a bit of truth-bending, but whatever.
Ashlee Vance - from HarperCollins
Vance take us from his adolescence as a computer geek, bullied at school, through his arrival in Canada, cold-calling to get work, putting together his first dot.com startup, and using the money from that to invest in a banking-oriented company that would become PayPal. It was the mega-bucks from the sale of PayPal that would allow him to begin realizing his big dreams. In 2003, Musk bought into Tesla, then a struggling startup. The company took the early knowledge that lithium ion batteries had gotten pretty good, added some top level engineering, design and programming talent, and, after plenty of mis-steps and struggles, brought the remarkable all-electric Tesla Roadster to the market in 2008. Tesla followed this with the Model S in 2012. Not only did Consumer reports call this a great car, it named both the 2014 and 2015 versions the best overall cars of their years, and the best car they had ever tested. The last time an auto startup succeeded in the USA was Chrysler, in the 1920s. But this is not about simply making a buck on a new car. The long term goal is to shift our petrochemical auto industry to renewable power, and the Tesla is a nifty start. Not only is the car amazing, the company has constructed a nationwide series of charging stations where Tesla owners can recharge their vehicles鈥or free. Tesla currently (August 2019) reports 1,604 such stations nationwide, with many more planned. Tesla is involved in building battery production factories, hoping to help support a growing electric-car auto-economy.
Inside the Tesla Model S - from Tesla Motors
But this was not the only big notion that drove Musk. A parallel effort was to develop a solar power business. And with the help of a couple of enterprising cousins, he did just that. SolarCity provides the solar arrays that provide power to the Tesla charging stations, but it has also become one of the largest solar utilities in the nation, installing, maintaining a third of the nation鈥檚 solar panel systems. There is obvious benefit to both Tesla and Solar City in sharing gains in battery and other technology. But I expect the third jewel in Musk鈥檚 crown is his favorite, SpaceX.
Falcon 9 first stage attempting a controlled landing - from Wikimedia
Musk doesn鈥檛 have much going on here, nothing major, only an ardent desire to colonize Mars. But it takes the establishment of an infrastructure in order to be get from point E to point M. Musk saw an opening in the market for satellite launch vehicles. Existing rockets blast things up into orbit and then burn up on their way back down. His idea was to design a rocket that could make its way back to earth in one piece, to be reused. And he has. SpaceX is nearing its goal of launching at least one rocket a month. The manifest available on SpaceX.com lists missions to date. The company also designed a capsule called the Dragon that can be used for cargo, but also for astronauts. The cost of launching a satellite using a Falcon is a fraction of what other options charge. The next step is a larger launch vehicle. Space X has begun launching the Falcon Heavy rocket, offering the biggest load capacity since the Saturn V was last used in 1973. And, while this is definitely good for business in the relatively short term, one must always keep in mind that this is a stage in a bigger plan for Musk. Once the launch infrastructure is established, plans can begin to move forward to put together Mars missions. Not go, look, and explore sorts of adventures, but establishing a colony, a permanent human presence on the red planet.
The Dragon Capsule, attached to the ISS - from Musk鈥檚 Twitter page
Of course when one has one鈥檚 eyes fixed on the stars (yes, Mars is a planet, I know, Geez), there is a large inclination to lose touch with earth-bound reality. In the movie, then play, then movie The Producers Max Bialystock, in order to cope with the absurd success of a play that was designed to fail, suggests to his partner, Leo Bloom, that one solution would be to do away with the cast. "You can't kill the actors, Max! They're human beings," Leo says. "Human beings? Have you ever seen them eat?" Max replies. I suspect that there are more than a few folks who feel about Elon Musk the way Max felt about the actors. He is rather notorious for his insensitivity to anyone not living inside his head. For example, here is what potential recruits are told to expect when they meet with Musk.
The interview, he or she is told, could last anywhere from thirty seconds to fifteen minutes. Elon will likely keep on writing e-mails and working during the initial part of the interview and not speak much. Don鈥檛 panic. That鈥檚 normal. Eventually, he will turn around in his chair to face you. Even then, though, he might not make actual eye contact with you or fully acknowledge your presence. Don鈥檛 panic. That鈥檚 normal. In due course, he will speak to you.Musk has an amazing capacity for work, putting in monstrous hours as a matter of course. But then he expects the same from those who work for him.
The rank and file employees鈥evere his drive and respect how demanding he can be. They also think he can be hard to the point of mean and come off as capricious. The employees want to be close to Musk, but they also fear that he鈥檒l suddenly change his mind about something and that every interaction with him is an opportunity to be fired. 鈥淓lon鈥檚 worst trait by far, in my opinion, is a complete lack of loyalty or human connection,鈥� said one former employee. 鈥淢any of us worked tirelessly for him for years and were tossed to the curb like a piece of litter without a second thought. Maybe it was calculated to keep the rest of the workforce on their toes and scared: maybe he was just able to detach from human connection to a remarkable degree. What was clear is that people who worked for him were like ammunition: used for a specific purpose until exhausted and discarded.鈥�Musk even fired his loyal assistant, Mary Beth Brown, who had been with him for twelve years, after she asked for a raise. What a guy.
Ego is certainly a big piece of the picture here. But I guess if you can do it, it ain鈥檛 bragging. Elon Musk is a larger than life figure, a computer geek, an engineer, an entrepreneur, and a dreamer, in addition to being a walking IED as someone to work for. He is one of the inspirations for Robert Downey鈥榮 portrayal of Tony Stark in sundry Marvel Universe films. In fact, Downey came to visit Musk, specifically to get a taste of what a real billionaire techno-industrialist was like. Downey insisted on having a Tesla Roaster on the set of Iron Man, saying, 鈥滶lon was someone Tony probably hung out with and partied with or more likely they went on some weird jungle trek together to drink concoctions with the shamans.鈥� Musk even had a cameo in Iron Man II. The resulting publicity from this connection did little to diminish Musk鈥檚 view of himself. Living the high-life in Tinseltown, hanging with, social, economic and media A-listers added more gas to the bag. Part of his ego issue is that he tends to take internal company timetables and announce them to the world as promises (I can see his entire staff jointly rolling their eyes, clutching palms to temples and issuing choruses of 鈥淥h my god鈥� and 鈥淲TF鈥� as they spin in place), then holds his employees to those unreasonable schedules. Of course this results in many missed deadlines, much ingestion of antacid and probably the odd nervous breakdown or two.
Musk, in an Iron Man II cameo - fromWired
Musk is the sort of guy who shows up with some regularity in science fiction novels, a genre trope, like the researcher who has exactly the sort of experience and insight the President/PM/Chairman/Secretary General needs in order to stave off global catastrophe. He鈥檚 the guy who has been secretly building the arc that the world needs to stave off extinction. In this case he is doing it publicly. Of course this raises some issues. Do we as a country, as a planet, really want to be reliant on private companies for our space exploration? Do we want a possible colony on Mars to be a privately held branch of Musk Industries? There are only a gazillion questions that are raised by the privatization of space. What鈥檚 good for the bottom line at SpaceX may or may not be good for humanity. We have certainly seen how a reliance on the inherent civic-mindedness and good will of corporations has worked on this planet. Musk is a dreamer, for sure, and I expect his dream of making a better world through the use of renewable energy and his hopes of establishing a human outpost on Mars are pure ideals. But the devil is always in the details, and what would happen should Musk be infected by another virulent strain of malaria and not escape with a near miss, as he did in 2001? Would the replacement CEO share his ideals? Would a replacement CEO be willing to take big risks to support those ideals? Would a replacement CEO look to sell Tesla off to GM to make a few quick billion? One person can move the world, but it takes more than a start to keep things rolling. We could certainly use plenty more people with the sort of drive and ambition that Elon Musk embodies. Innovation is a rare resource and must be cherished. But like any powerful force, it must be, if not tethered, at least monitored, to make certain that it does not run amok.
Ashlee Vance has done an amazing job of telling not only Musk鈥檚 story, but of making the life history of the several companies with which Musk has been involved fascinating reading. I did get the sense that Vance was, from all the time he spent with Musk, smitten with his subject. While his portrait of Musk is hardly a zit-free one, I got the feeling that there might be a few more skeletons safely tucked away in closets, a few more bodies buried in basements. Nevertheless, Elon Musk is a powerful, entertaining and informative look at one of the most important people of our time. Your personal vision of the future should certainly include checking out this book.
Review first posted - August 2015
=================EXTRA STUFF has been moved to comment #1
June 10, 2015
3.5 Stars
I like the can-do attitude Vance took with hounding Musk and wearing him down till he agreed to cooperate with this biography. I also appreciated all the "Holy crap, Musk is CRAZY. CRAZY like a fox," moments I had while reading this. The only thing that keeps this from being a 4-star book is that the reporting and writing leans too heavily on idolatry. There were passages where I literally cringed at how much of a fanboy Vance sounded like.
I like the can-do attitude Vance took with hounding Musk and wearing him down till he agreed to cooperate with this biography. I also appreciated all the "Holy crap, Musk is CRAZY. CRAZY like a fox," moments I had while reading this. The only thing that keeps this from being a 4-star book is that the reporting and writing leans too heavily on idolatry. There were passages where I literally cringed at how much of a fanboy Vance sounded like.
December 2, 2022
Elon Musk is considered as a cross-pollination of Thomas Edison and Tony Stark. SpaceX, Tesla, Paypal, SolarCity are some of the few companies started by him. The above names are more than enough to understand Musk's potential.
Ashlee Vance shows us the not-so-famous childhood of Musk in South Africa. He compares and contrasts Musk's entrepreneurial brilliance to Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and his Scientific prowess to Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. His role in preventing global warming is ubiquitous. The EV's produced by his company Tesla is helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to a large extend. Musk is even donating $100 million for a competition to find better methods to remove carbon from the air or water. The race for this price will start on 22nd April 2021 (earth day) and goes on till 2025.
His courage to invest in ventures with no empirical evidence and make them successful by his confidence and hard work is truly astounding. His enigmatic enthusiasm to get up from failures, again and again, to become successful is very well conveyed in this book and will be truly inspirational for the future generation. Elon Musk is not an ephemeral phenomenon guilty of hyperbole which will be evanescent soon. This name is that of an erudite maverick going to be discussed for a long, long time one way or the other.
What I learned from this book
1) Never ever give up
When Falcon 1 failed continuously three times, Musk was nearly bankrupt, and the whole world was making fun of his ideas. But he didn't give up and tried for the fourth time, and the rest is history.
鈥淕ood ideas are always crazy until they鈥檙e not.鈥�
2) What makes Musk different from other Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and CEOs?
Working more than 16 hours a day, making quick decisions, and achieving impossible targets are common to silicon valley entrepreneurs. But Musk is still entirely different compared to them
"What Musk has developed that so many of the entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley lack is a meaningful worldview. He's the possessed genius on the grandest quest anyone has ever concocted. He's less a CEO chasing riches than a general marshaling troops to secure victory. Where Mark Zuckerberg wants to help you share baby photos, Musk wants to . . . well . . . save the human race from self-imposed or accidental annihilation."
"Elon is the shining example of how Silicon Valley might be able to reinvent itself and be more relevant than chasing these quick IPOs and focusing on getting incremental products out,"
3) Understanding human nature
It is Musks's ability to cognize human nature which made him successful. He exactly knows what humans want and has the motivation to work hard to deliver it quickly even before his competitors started thinking about its possibility
"He would bring standard financial instruments online and then modernize the industry with a host of new concepts. He exhibited a deep insight into human nature that helped his companies pull out exceptional marketing technology and financial feeds. Musk was already playing the entrepreneur game at the highest level and working at the press and the investors like few others could."
My favourite three lines from this book
鈥淓verything he does is fast,鈥� Brogan said. 鈥淗e pees fast. It鈥檚 like a fire hose鈥攖hree seconds and out. He鈥檚 authentically in a hurry.鈥�
鈥淭here needs to be a reason for a grade. I'd rather play video games, write software, and read books than try and get an A if there's no point in getting an A."
鈥淭he company would pick a plan of attack, and when it failed at something, it failed fast and then tried a new approach.鈥�
What could have been better?
If you are a person working under Musk and have a different wavelength compared to him, then there is a high probability that his extreme obsession with his work will feel like a toxic one to you. The extra working hours and unrealistic deadlines will be difficult to handle for ordinary people. He might be a maverick, but we still wish he should have been a little bit more kind to his workers when they fall short of deadlines. But Musk tackled this problem by only appointing extraordinary people who always think like him and apt for their designations as his workers. This ability of Musk to convert his foibles to positives is one of the secrets of his success. Musk was involved in many controversies like the rift with few other tech firms, Hollywood actors, Thai cave rescue, and overvaluing Tesla stocks which were unfortunately totally ignored in this book.
Rating
4/5 I have seen very few biographies like this, which will evoke interest in people from extremely different society sections. It is due to Musk's eclectic knowledge and ability to use it in the best way possible in different spheres of life. If you are a car enthusiast or an EV owner or plans to buy an EV in the future or an aeronautical engineer or astrophysicist or banking professional or software engineer or an entrepreneur or a student who wants to build a successful career, this is a must-read book.
May 25, 2015
Excellent and inspiring. This book brought up one key question: do you have to be a bit reckless to be good? Musk was reckless in two areas: in the risks he took, and the way that he manages his companies.
As for the first, the number of near-death experiences that Tesla, SpaceX and earlier companies went through is almost a running joke throughout this story. The Falcon 1 failed three times, exhausting the company's funds, before achieving a successful fourth flight. Tesla avoided bankruptcy by taking on a NASA-approved loan from SpaceX plus a last-minute acquisition of a company Musk invested in pulled through, and avoided being derailed by a predatory investor by a bluff on the order of $40 million. Combine these with the many situations where it didn't look like Tesla was going to build anything substantial, plus the negative media attention鈥攖he fact that Musk continued to persevere and pull through at times where most normal people would have given up is crazy.
This risk undoubtedly took a toll on his life and relationships, through three divorces and the insane sleep deprivation he and the others on the team go through. It brings up the question鈥攚hen you're doing things as big as this, how reckless do you have to be? Should you have a breaking point? Does the sustainable, get-eight-hours-of-sleep-and-exercise approach really work? Or is the right thing to do actually to push through, get four hours of sleep, and get shit done? Are those that prefer the 'sustainable' option the ones that don't succeed as much, and the reckless ones the ones that actually make progress?
As for the second, the way that he manages his companies, he was reckless in what he demanded from people. The most notable story is of SpaceX, where employees worked on a crappy atoll in the Marshall Islands for months to deliver the Falcon 1 rocket launches. In a Jobs-like fashion, his outward personality is cold, demanding, and fearful: employees are on edge all the time and have to have answers. If someone is the bottleneck on a project, there's immense pressure on them to deliver. And you never want to be the deliverer of bad news鈥攁nd if you are, you better have a solution to back it up:
And while that is actually a good way to work鈥攖o have everything lined up鈥攊s Musk's approach the right way to manage a company? Is it the only way to be successful on incredibly difficult things? Or are Tesla and SpaceX successful in spite of this way of working鈥攖hat it actually holds people back?
Other than those questions, this is a very good overview of Musk's life and personality, and the trials and tribulations he went through to be successful鈥攁 path beset by an immense number of setbacks and late deliveries.
What comes through clearly is how much of a genius this guy was. To get a sense of what this guy is like, consider that in his childhood, he ran out of books to read at the local library and the school library, and sometimes would read for ten hours a day. Dude also has a memory that's not only photographic, but he can wrangle images and numbers and relationships between them in his head. Insane. His ability to ingest and retain information, and his approach to knowledge, is nuts:
What also comes across was how much Musk believes in the technological future and how much he as done to restore that promise to humanity. It's clear that he is one of the top people pushing technology and humanity forward, and that's incredibly inspiring.
What I found a bit lacking in this book, which would have made this an excellent book, was more about Musk's inner life. Vance hypothesizes that Musk seems cold and non-emotional because he has a different sort of empathy than others: he emphasizes with the entire human species, and wants to do the most he can for them, but that makes him forget the individuals in front of him. But what does Musk think about this? How does Musk characterize his own values and experiences? Of course, this is something that few biographies do anyway, but for someone as dynamic as Musk, it would have been a welcome addition to the surface-level 'what he did' information.
The guy's a genius, and this book, I think, represents that well. The inside look into Musk's life and work from the mid-2000s is thorough and really gives you a fantastic backstory into Musk's experience with Tesla and SpaceX. showing he did to make them successful, making this into an endlessly inspiring biography.
FIVE STARS 鈥� Changed how I see things
As for the first, the number of near-death experiences that Tesla, SpaceX and earlier companies went through is almost a running joke throughout this story. The Falcon 1 failed three times, exhausting the company's funds, before achieving a successful fourth flight. Tesla avoided bankruptcy by taking on a NASA-approved loan from SpaceX plus a last-minute acquisition of a company Musk invested in pulled through, and avoided being derailed by a predatory investor by a bluff on the order of $40 million. Combine these with the many situations where it didn't look like Tesla was going to build anything substantial, plus the negative media attention鈥攖he fact that Musk continued to persevere and pull through at times where most normal people would have given up is crazy.
This risk undoubtedly took a toll on his life and relationships, through three divorces and the insane sleep deprivation he and the others on the team go through. It brings up the question鈥攚hen you're doing things as big as this, how reckless do you have to be? Should you have a breaking point? Does the sustainable, get-eight-hours-of-sleep-and-exercise approach really work? Or is the right thing to do actually to push through, get four hours of sleep, and get shit done? Are those that prefer the 'sustainable' option the ones that don't succeed as much, and the reckless ones the ones that actually make progress?
As for the second, the way that he manages his companies, he was reckless in what he demanded from people. The most notable story is of SpaceX, where employees worked on a crappy atoll in the Marshall Islands for months to deliver the Falcon 1 rocket launches. In a Jobs-like fashion, his outward personality is cold, demanding, and fearful: employees are on edge all the time and have to have answers. If someone is the bottleneck on a project, there's immense pressure on them to deliver. And you never want to be the deliverer of bad news鈥攁nd if you are, you better have a solution to back it up:
The savvy engineers knew better than to go into a meeting and deliver bad news without some sort of alternative plan at the ready. 鈥淥ne of the scariest meetings was when we needed to ask Elon for an extra two weeks and more money to build out another version of the Model S,鈥� Javidan said. 鈥淲e put together a plan, stating how long things would take and what they would cost. We told him that if he wanted the car in thirty days it would require hiring some new people, and we presented him with a stack of resumes. You don鈥檛 tell Elon you can鈥檛 do something. That will get you kicked out of the room. You need everything lined up. (Loc 4277)
And while that is actually a good way to work鈥攖o have everything lined up鈥攊s Musk's approach the right way to manage a company? Is it the only way to be successful on incredibly difficult things? Or are Tesla and SpaceX successful in spite of this way of working鈥攖hat it actually holds people back?
Other than those questions, this is a very good overview of Musk's life and personality, and the trials and tribulations he went through to be successful鈥攁 path beset by an immense number of setbacks and late deliveries.
What comes through clearly is how much of a genius this guy was. To get a sense of what this guy is like, consider that in his childhood, he ran out of books to read at the local library and the school library, and sometimes would read for ten hours a day. Dude also has a memory that's not only photographic, but he can wrangle images and numbers and relationships between them in his head. Insane. His ability to ingest and retain information, and his approach to knowledge, is nuts:
People who have spent significant time with Musk will attest to his abilities to absorb incredible quantities of information with near-flawless recall. It鈥檚 one of his most impressive and intimidating skills and seems to work just as well in the present day as it did when he was a child vacuuming books into his brain. After a couple of years running SpaceX, Musk had turned into an aerospace expert on a level that few technology CEOs ever approach in their respective fields. (Loc 3421)
What also comes across was how much Musk believes in the technological future and how much he as done to restore that promise to humanity. It's clear that he is one of the top people pushing technology and humanity forward, and that's incredibly inspiring.
What I found a bit lacking in this book, which would have made this an excellent book, was more about Musk's inner life. Vance hypothesizes that Musk seems cold and non-emotional because he has a different sort of empathy than others: he emphasizes with the entire human species, and wants to do the most he can for them, but that makes him forget the individuals in front of him. But what does Musk think about this? How does Musk characterize his own values and experiences? Of course, this is something that few biographies do anyway, but for someone as dynamic as Musk, it would have been a welcome addition to the surface-level 'what he did' information.
The guy's a genius, and this book, I think, represents that well. The inside look into Musk's life and work from the mid-2000s is thorough and really gives you a fantastic backstory into Musk's experience with Tesla and SpaceX. showing he did to make them successful, making this into an endlessly inspiring biography.
FIVE STARS 鈥� Changed how I see things
June 13, 2021
Pretty good and interesting. Not life-changing but certainly gives a nice insight into the various Musk-related businesses + early life, which is interesting and most of it was new to me.
Read
July 17, 2019I found the tale of Elon Musk's childhood all the way through Zip, Paypal, Solar City, SpaceX and Tesla fascinating and inspiring. One thing in particular stood out. He's not motivated by greed. I've met my share of entrepreneurs and there are countless motivations that power these people. Some are narcissists, some like the idea of being in charge (ego), some are battling the demons of their parents (Musk most likely has a piece of this in his psyche), but the best ones are compulsive problem solvers. I liked the quote that Justine Musk mentioned when she said something to the effect: "He's not trying to make money, it just happens for him."
Also, I'm no Elon Musk but I share his loathing of acronyms. They are blockers of communication. As an editor and a writer, clarity is key. Why lose someone in a meeting when they could be participating and applying to their brainpower to a problem?
Also, I'm no Elon Musk but I share his loathing of acronyms. They are blockers of communication. As an editor and a writer, clarity is key. Why lose someone in a meeting when they could be participating and applying to their brainpower to a problem?
April 11, 2023
4.5 stars
Billionaire Elon Musk is a businessman, engineer, and inventor with a radical vision for the future of mankind. In fact Musk wants nothing less than to establish a human colony on Mars.....with a view toward exploring Jupiter's moon Europa someday.
Jupiter and Europa
Musk fears there will be another mass extinction event - like the asteroid that destroyed 75% of Earth's species at the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary 65 million years ago - and he wants people to have somewhere to go.
I agree with Musk that Earth is likely to become inhospitable to humans someday, but I fear we'll ruin the planet ourselves - with over-exploitation, pollution, war, and disease. (And then we'd probably do the same thing to Mars. I'm a skeptic.)
In any case, Musk puts his money where his mouth is. In 2002 the audacious entrepeneur founded the rocket company SpaceX. SpaceX is already launching satellites for several countries, and carrying supplies to the International Space Station.
SpaceX
In the future, Musk wants rockets to bring people, equipment, and provisions to the red planet.....ideally in the next 50 to 100 years.
SpaceX is just one of Musk's far-sighted enterprises. In this book Ashlee Vance explores Musk's various business ventures, and provides insight into the developer's character and personal life.
Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1971.
He had a difficult childhood, being viciously bullied at school and tormented by his father, Errol. The book has few details about Errol's behavior (no one will talk about it), but it's revealing that grandpa Musk isn't allowed to meet Elon's five sons.
Elon Musk's father Errol
As a youngster Elon devoured books, and - with his photographic memory - recalled everything he read. Elon was also an inventive child who built rockets and created video games.
Little Elon Musk
When he was 17-years-old Elon moved to his mother's home country, Canada.....and the penniless teen bunked with relatives, did odd jobs, and went to school.
Young Elon Musk
Eventually, Elon ended up at the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in economics and physics. Musk then moved to California and entered the business world.
Vance did extensive research and describes Musk's business projects in elaborate detail, including: how they started; financing; development; failures; successes; leadership; personnel; buy-outs; etc. Musk's trajectory didn't go straight from start-up to billionaire. Far from it. In fact the developer nearly went bankrupt several times....to the glee of naysayers and jealous rivals. Musk carried on, though, and was successul in the end. (So yay Elon!....and pooh on the guys who tried to take him down!)
In this brief review I'll just provide a quick summary of Musk's business activities. For a full picture, you'll have to read the book.
Musk's first venture after college was Zip2 - a kind of online Yellow Pages/Mapquest that allowed users to find businesses and get directions. When Zip2 was sold, Musk founded an internet banking venture that became PayPal. These were profitable pursuits that provided money for additional investments.
Musk founded SpaceX - the aforementioned rocket company in 2002, and co-founded Tesla Motors - which manufactures environmentally friendly electric cars in 2003. Then, in 2006, Musk helped his cousins launch SolarCity - a company that fabricates, markets, and installs solar panels.
Among other things, Tesla and SolarCity are meant to reduce the use of fossil fuels and lower carbon pollution....which would help preserve the Earth and its inhabitants. In this vein, Musk also hopes to build 'hyperloops' - high speed trains that travel on a loop between major cities like New York and Washington DC; and Los Angeles and San Francisco. President Obama is said to be a fan of this project.
Hyperloop
Musk's various ventures require smart, capable personnel and the developer was (and is) always on the lookout for the brightest students, the best engineers, the most foreward-thinking inventors, and so on.
Elon Musk giving commencement address
Caltech students
Musk is notoriously difficult to work for and - when he wants something done - refuses to hear "I can't do it." If you really can't do it, Musk is likely to let you go and do it himself. Musk expects employees to work long hours without complaint.....and has a reputation for upbraiding and firing personnel. Thus, he's quite ruthless on a business level.
Elon Musk is notoriously hard to work with
In private life, though, Musk is said to be a fun guy who likes to make jokes; laugh; attend costume parties; play video games with his kids; and generally have a good time. Musk has five sons - twins and triplets - from his first marriage to Justine Musk and is now wed to the actress Tallulah Riley. The entrepeneur has a brutal work schedule - he often works 100 or more hours per week - but takes his sons all over the world with him. Musk is also close to his brother and cousins, and often collaborates with them on business projects.
Elon Musk's first wife Justine Musk
Elon Musk with his second wife Tallulah Riley
Elon Musk with his sons
In addition to influencing national and international corporations, Musk has impacted popular culture. After the actor, Robert Downey Jr., visited the SpaceX factory, he modeled aspects of his character 'Tony Stark' (Iron Man) on the billionaire entrepreneur. And Musk guest starred on an episode of 'The Simpsons' called 'The Musk Who Fell to Earth.' The Simpsons segment is hilarious and gives a cartoonish - but probably accurate....picture of the entrepreneur as an imaginative inventor and concerned citizen of the Earth. (The episode is available on YouTube.)
Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark (Iron Man)
Elon Musk on The Simpsons
Vance's discussions of the ups and downs of Musk's businesses are especially well-researched and interesting. The author explains how Tesla ultimately built an electric roadster that's beautiful, comfortable, kid-seat friendly, and (more or less) reasonably-priced (if you're rich); and how a rocket was finally launched after heartbreaking failures due to mechanical errors, sloshing fuel, and other hard-to-foresee factors.
Vance also discusses the problems involved when private companies - like Musk's enterprises - compete with established (though inferior) businesses that have government support. Some corporations are beloved by politicians because of monetary contributions, lobbyists, factories in their districts; etc. It's hard to compete with such companies, and they caused massive headaches for Musk. But, of course, he prevailed in the end.
I admire Musk for his brilliance and accomplishments, and I like this book. I'd recommend the book to readers interested in Elon Musk; his far-reaching business ventures; and the future of the planet.
You can follow my reviews at
November 6, 2023
(2015 review)
Let me offer this thought: SpaceX is the coolest and most exciting company in the world at this moment in time.
Yes, Tesla is also extremely cool. And inspiring. But nothing can beat that feeling of power, wonder and deep inspiration that SpaceX will give you as soon as you start to understand what that company is actually doing.
As Vance says, "SpaceX IS Elon Musk".
So who is this man? How is it humanly possible to achieve what he has achieved? What else can he achieve in the future? Will he become the richest man on Earth? Or on Mars?
Not only this book is written in a very passionate and engaging way. I also find that it is a very important book for anyone who is at least a little curious about our present and our future.
In fact, I believe Ashlee Vance鈥檚 portrait of Elon Musk is a necessary read for anyone, because of the effect that his companies are having on the automotive, the clean energy, and the space industries. If these companies are not changing the future, at the very least they are accelerating our pace towards it.
Vance starts out in a ballsy way, stating that he won't budge: he will write whatever he wants, however he wants it. As I got to the end of the book, I had a strong feeling that this is not exactly the case, and that a lot has been left out. However, the information that is in the book is absolutely fascinating. It is the first biography I've ever read that I would categorize as a real "page-turner".
The "missing facts" that stand out the most in my opinion are:
1) Childhood troubles. Musk keeps referring to a very painful and troubled childhood, but in the book all we get is some bullying and social awkwardness. Plus, a father who was "psychologically" abusive. There are many unanswered questions there, and I think Vance chose to be respectful and not dig too deeply. Or he just didn鈥檛 get anything about that out of Musk.
2) The miraculous last-minute save of both Tesla and SpaceX in 2008: not enough details. Something crucial seems to be missing. Whether it is a few private donors who poured in extra millions, or some other turn of fate. I don't know if Vance knows what is missing there, but something is missing.
Overall, Elon Musk comes across as a normal human being with exceptional ambition, exceptional luck, exceptional physical energy, exceptional intelligence and exceptional confidence in his vision.
He is an inspiration for many, and beyond Elon Musk, his companies and his vision are a huge inspiration.
Did you notice how the most popular fictional depictions of the future (YA, etc.) in this day and age are pessimistic, dystopian, self-hating like teenagers? Well, Elon Musk is offering us a window into a future that is the exact opposite of that. Very similar to Arthur Clarke, my favorite author, another optimistic visionary. Musk's vision of the future is so bright that reminds me of the golden age of science fiction, when Clarke and Asimov were writing, when people had the courage to dream beautiful, positive dreams about the future.
It sounds like an advertisement for a soap, but yes ----- with Musk, the future is bright again.
Finally, I have a comment about "being a nerd": in the first part of the book, the kid Elon Musk is called a "nerd" about a million times. Why is it that in America (and in South Africa, as it seems) a very smart kid who is into reading a lot instead of playing sports, invariably, is called a "nerd"? The fact that this word DOES NOT EXIST and cannot be translated into many European languages tells us something about America. I think Isaac Asimov was onto somehting when he said: "The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.鈥�
-----------------------
Btw, great to find out that Robert Zubrin was a big influence on Musk. He is the head of the Mars Society, a man who has been thinking about going to Mars for much longer than Elon Musk has. I read Zubrin's "The case for Mars" many years ago, and I was utterly fascinated by it.
Let me offer this thought: SpaceX is the coolest and most exciting company in the world at this moment in time.
Yes, Tesla is also extremely cool. And inspiring. But nothing can beat that feeling of power, wonder and deep inspiration that SpaceX will give you as soon as you start to understand what that company is actually doing.
As Vance says, "SpaceX IS Elon Musk".
So who is this man? How is it humanly possible to achieve what he has achieved? What else can he achieve in the future? Will he become the richest man on Earth? Or on Mars?
Not only this book is written in a very passionate and engaging way. I also find that it is a very important book for anyone who is at least a little curious about our present and our future.
In fact, I believe Ashlee Vance鈥檚 portrait of Elon Musk is a necessary read for anyone, because of the effect that his companies are having on the automotive, the clean energy, and the space industries. If these companies are not changing the future, at the very least they are accelerating our pace towards it.
Vance starts out in a ballsy way, stating that he won't budge: he will write whatever he wants, however he wants it. As I got to the end of the book, I had a strong feeling that this is not exactly the case, and that a lot has been left out. However, the information that is in the book is absolutely fascinating. It is the first biography I've ever read that I would categorize as a real "page-turner".
The "missing facts" that stand out the most in my opinion are:
1) Childhood troubles. Musk keeps referring to a very painful and troubled childhood, but in the book all we get is some bullying and social awkwardness. Plus, a father who was "psychologically" abusive. There are many unanswered questions there, and I think Vance chose to be respectful and not dig too deeply. Or he just didn鈥檛 get anything about that out of Musk.
2) The miraculous last-minute save of both Tesla and SpaceX in 2008: not enough details. Something crucial seems to be missing. Whether it is a few private donors who poured in extra millions, or some other turn of fate. I don't know if Vance knows what is missing there, but something is missing.
Overall, Elon Musk comes across as a normal human being with exceptional ambition, exceptional luck, exceptional physical energy, exceptional intelligence and exceptional confidence in his vision.
He is an inspiration for many, and beyond Elon Musk, his companies and his vision are a huge inspiration.
Did you notice how the most popular fictional depictions of the future (YA, etc.) in this day and age are pessimistic, dystopian, self-hating like teenagers? Well, Elon Musk is offering us a window into a future that is the exact opposite of that. Very similar to Arthur Clarke, my favorite author, another optimistic visionary. Musk's vision of the future is so bright that reminds me of the golden age of science fiction, when Clarke and Asimov were writing, when people had the courage to dream beautiful, positive dreams about the future.
It sounds like an advertisement for a soap, but yes ----- with Musk, the future is bright again.
Finally, I have a comment about "being a nerd": in the first part of the book, the kid Elon Musk is called a "nerd" about a million times. Why is it that in America (and in South Africa, as it seems) a very smart kid who is into reading a lot instead of playing sports, invariably, is called a "nerd"? The fact that this word DOES NOT EXIST and cannot be translated into many European languages tells us something about America. I think Isaac Asimov was onto somehting when he said: "The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.鈥�
-----------------------
Btw, great to find out that Robert Zubrin was a big influence on Musk. He is the head of the Mars Society, a man who has been thinking about going to Mars for much longer than Elon Musk has. I read Zubrin's "The case for Mars" many years ago, and I was utterly fascinated by it.
January 4, 2018
Space. Renewable Energy. Internet.
This is a man after my own heart. Out of all the super entrepreneurs and technological legends of the modern era, Musk ticks all the boxes on my dreams and passions, particularly space. Space has always been the frontier that intrigues me the most; for a single man to dream of colonising Mars and actually doing all he can to make that a reality is just simply astounding.
And then of course, there is Tesla. Aside from the clean energy technology which I am a huge proponent of, how an electric car can become one of the most desirable and good-looking cars in the world is another example of the visionary genius that Musk is.
As with all ideas that are so progressive in nature, the trials and tribulations faced by Musk were so daunting that most would've called it quits. His indomitable will and spirit, however, sets him apart from the ordinary. He is very demanding on himself, being extremely hands-on, and also of his employees. Then again, how else are you going to change the world by compromising on the high standards that one sets for oneself.
Notwithstanding his crazy but awesome ideas (first, the Hyperloop and now, Neuralink) the one thing that differentiates him from most current entrepreneurs is that he really seeks to change the world. He is not in it just for short term gain, which is what a lot of businesses are doing right now. A simple case in point is Tesla's open source patent.
I'll stop gushing about Musk now and talk a bit about the biography itself. The conversational tone employed by the author translated well into audio, and the narrator did a good enough job that it didn't sound monotonous. The biography was written from extensive interviews conducted with a plethora of his ex-employees, and the people closest to Musk. This enabled a more independent and less biased insight from one which was self-penned (not that I believe Musk will ever have the time to do so). The biography was also quite educational; while I still do not know how to build a rocket or an electric car now I've gained a better understanding of certain technical aspects of these items and how they work.
Whether you're a fan of Musk, or just intrigued by his ideas and achievements, or even if you only just desired the Tesla badly, this is a recommended read.
This review can also be found at
This is a man after my own heart. Out of all the super entrepreneurs and technological legends of the modern era, Musk ticks all the boxes on my dreams and passions, particularly space. Space has always been the frontier that intrigues me the most; for a single man to dream of colonising Mars and actually doing all he can to make that a reality is just simply astounding.
And then of course, there is Tesla. Aside from the clean energy technology which I am a huge proponent of, how an electric car can become one of the most desirable and good-looking cars in the world is another example of the visionary genius that Musk is.
As with all ideas that are so progressive in nature, the trials and tribulations faced by Musk were so daunting that most would've called it quits. His indomitable will and spirit, however, sets him apart from the ordinary. He is very demanding on himself, being extremely hands-on, and also of his employees. Then again, how else are you going to change the world by compromising on the high standards that one sets for oneself.
Notwithstanding his crazy but awesome ideas (first, the Hyperloop and now, Neuralink) the one thing that differentiates him from most current entrepreneurs is that he really seeks to change the world. He is not in it just for short term gain, which is what a lot of businesses are doing right now. A simple case in point is Tesla's open source patent.
I'll stop gushing about Musk now and talk a bit about the biography itself. The conversational tone employed by the author translated well into audio, and the narrator did a good enough job that it didn't sound monotonous. The biography was written from extensive interviews conducted with a plethora of his ex-employees, and the people closest to Musk. This enabled a more independent and less biased insight from one which was self-penned (not that I believe Musk will ever have the time to do so). The biography was also quite educational; while I still do not know how to build a rocket or an electric car now I've gained a better understanding of certain technical aspects of these items and how they work.
Whether you're a fan of Musk, or just intrigued by his ideas and achievements, or even if you only just desired the Tesla badly, this is a recommended read.
This review can also be found at
March 24, 2018
There are few people outside of the fiction world that I truly admire, but barring some unseen or future tragedy, I think Musk might well be on the way to becoming my hero.
If I didn't know any better, I might be looking at all his stated claims and seeing all the echoes of Asimov and Heinlein being dragged out of the page and brought to life.
Skip the whole Iron Man image for a second.
Let's talk about Ayn Rand.
Musk is John Galt. As in Atlas Shrugged.
Sure, he's also Dagney, too, or perhaps more like Dagney in that he's unwilling to let humanity roll around in the mud despite all the backstabbing and idiocracy, in that he hasn't said, "enough is enough". But the day is young. Wait until we get to Mars. Wait until we really take the man of genius and effort for granted. And THEN we'll see what we'll miss once it is taken away.
Ahhh, I don't want to see this man out of classic SF heroes become anything other than his stated goals.
I'll be honest here. He's giving me real hope for humanity. Maybe optimism *isn't* unfounded after all.
This biography tells me one hell of a great narrative. Is it life imitating art? The best ideals from the grandmasters? Who knows. But right now, I have real hope. I'm holding on to it for my very soul. :)
Let's MAKE the future we wanted. Let's NOT let anything stand in our way!
HELL YAH!
If I didn't know any better, I might be looking at all his stated claims and seeing all the echoes of Asimov and Heinlein being dragged out of the page and brought to life.
Skip the whole Iron Man image for a second.
Let's talk about Ayn Rand.
Musk is John Galt. As in Atlas Shrugged.
Sure, he's also Dagney, too, or perhaps more like Dagney in that he's unwilling to let humanity roll around in the mud despite all the backstabbing and idiocracy, in that he hasn't said, "enough is enough". But the day is young. Wait until we get to Mars. Wait until we really take the man of genius and effort for granted. And THEN we'll see what we'll miss once it is taken away.
Ahhh, I don't want to see this man out of classic SF heroes become anything other than his stated goals.
I'll be honest here. He's giving me real hope for humanity. Maybe optimism *isn't* unfounded after all.
This biography tells me one hell of a great narrative. Is it life imitating art? The best ideals from the grandmasters? Who knows. But right now, I have real hope. I'm holding on to it for my very soul. :)
Let's MAKE the future we wanted. Let's NOT let anything stand in our way!
HELL YAH!
November 17, 2022
鈥淚t鈥檚 nuts that people would want to vilify Elon. He might say some things that rub people the wrong way, but at some point, the being nice to everyone thing doesn鈥檛 work.鈥�
Elon Musk is fascinating. I could simply tick off some biographical points such as him having been married twice and having five children with his first wife (a set of twins and a set of triplets), but that is not why I read biographies and, in fact, why I dislike most of them. Either the people the biographies are about aren鈥檛 really interesting (actors barely in their 30s for example) or it really is just a list of facts that I could read on Wikipedia as well.
This biography about Elon Musk is different. He is different. He鈥檚 only 47 but has lived through and accomplished more than other people could in 3 lifetimes.
He grew up during a very violent period in South Africa. Granted, he鈥檚 white and the family was never truly poor, but it was still dangerous. He was also bullied in school (like, beaten bloody) and suffered the intense mind games of his father. Later, he went to Stanford university for only one day before leaving again.
He, his way of life, his ideas and his ambition are very unconventional.
From what I understand, he is still the little boy reading comics and dreaming of humanity conquering and colonizing the stars. And that is his mission in life that he has dedicated everything to. Some might call this silly but great minds like Stephen Hawking agree(d) with Musk that it鈥檚 the only way humanity will have a future and we do need a champion that is driving us, giving us a chance at survival. Once upon a time, we all had this dream of reaching the stars, but it has since dwindled thanks mostly to politics and peoples' tendency to give up when something is hard.
Musk knows that getting humanity to Mars and beyond also means creating technology that will automatically enhance and better life here on Earth. There are many who can influence consumers and create new trends, but Musk isn鈥檛 here for exploiting a moment and getting rich - he鈥檚 poured ALL of his money, time and time again, into his businesses when they were in trouble and went much farther than any 鈥瀍xpert鈥� thought sane, just to reach his ultimate goal (a colony on Mars).
Simply put: he has proven that he鈥檚 not afraid to give up or at least risk everything, unlike most entrepreneurs. It鈥檚 no surprise, then, that his three main businesses are Tesla (electric cars), SolarCity (renewable energy), and SpaceX (aerospace industry).
Before getting to create the above mentioned companies, he founded zip2, which became part of AltaVista eventually, as well as X.com of PayPal fame, but was forced out. I won鈥檛 go into detail but it seems kind of a trend that people get enthused by Musk, get rich by his skills - and then force him out because they simply wish to cash in and don鈥檛 share his vision. Backstabbing galore throughout his career. It鈥檚 sickening.
I admit that it sounds as if he was a very difficult man to work with but that is no excuse for such behaviour and his success shows that his way of doing things works! Every time he has an idea, people say he鈥檚 nuts and that it cannot work - and then he proves them wrong.
鈥濭ood ideas are always crazy - until they鈥檙e not.鈥� Larry Page, Google co-founder.
Short-term, inconsequential goals are trending nowadays from normal people to the highest politicians. In this environment, a radical visionary like Musk steps on many toes and quite often, too.
It can鈥檛 be easy to be ridiculed and stabbed in the back all the time. However, he thinks that that plus his childhood suffering actually helped him to become who he is today. And I see what makes him think so. Without adversity, there is no challenge to overcome the danger/problem so you stagnate. It sounds a bit like Darwin鈥檚 theory of evolution.
鈥濫lon is one of the few people that I feel is more accomplished than I am.鈥� Craig Venture, the man who de-coded the human genome and went on to create synthetic lifeforms.
Radical. Visionary. Musk has haters and fans alike. He was even called the real-life Iron Man (albeit an Iron Man who sacked his Pepper Potts).
His life goals certainly are very compelling if you care about the future at all and refuse to be tied down by the comfortable excuse of it being hard or costly. If you look at historical visionaries that have catapulted humanity forward, I鈥檇 say they were all more or less 鈥瀌ifficult鈥� people and especially after seeing the Heavy Falcon rocket being operated successfully only recently (a fact that sadly didn鈥檛 make it into this biography as it was published earlier), I believe he can pull it off and certainly hope he can.
I, personally, like how well-read Musk is, that he seems to be a technological allrounder, that he is right there in the factories working at least as many hours as he expects from everybody else and getting his hands dirty like any other worker (often ruining expensive Italian leather shoes to the horror of the people around him), that he has such an unbendable will (though I'm sorry it has cost him so much already), that he is playing video games in his spare time when he's not taking care of his kids (because he seems to be quite a good father as well), and that he is a big nerd and geek.
As can be seen by him not only shooting one of his sports cars into space, that gets "steered" by a "space man" (Bowie reference) recently or by him storing a very nice collection of scifi literature onto the car's bord computer, but also by him programming said bord computer to display Douglas Adams' immortal words.
This biography was written in a very compelling way by a man with an apparent vast knowledge of the history and inner workings of various industries (the author has worked for several well-known business papers for many years). The book also shows a great deal of research. Some authors manage to bore me even when talking about interesting people but Ashlee Vance has a unique style and I like the red thread throughout the book and that he doesn鈥檛 shy away from also showing the more problematic sides of Musk鈥檚 character.
Edit:
I won't downrate the book because it is still very well written and the points made remain coherent and true. However, looking at recent events, I'm sorry to say that I am sorely disappointed in Musk. He must be suffering a 100% breakdown complete with megalomaniac re-build-up afterwards.
If you want to see the true measure of a man, watch how he treats his inferiors, not his equals. --- Harry Potter
Evil begins when you begin to treat people as things. --- I Shall Wear Midnight
To think that I believed in him (his vision and him being able to achieve it) once ...
December 14, 2017
袠谢芯薪 袦褗褋泻 械 褏芯屑褍薪泻褍谢褍褋. 袠蟹胁褗薪蟹械屑薪懈褌械 屑褍 (斜褍泻胁邪谢薪芯) 懈写械懈 褌械 泻邪褉邪褌 写邪 褋懈 屑懈褋谢懈褕, 褔械 褋懈 锌芯锌邪写薪邪谢 胁 薪褟泻芯褟 褎褍褌褍褉懈褋褌懈褔薪邪 邪谢褌械褉薪邪褌懈胁薪邪 胁褋械谢械薪邪 懈 锌褉芯褋褌芯 斜褗写械褖械褌芯 械 小袝袚袗. 袣邪褌芯 谐懈谐邪薪褌褋泻懈 褋泻芯泻 胁褗胁 胁褉械屑械褌芯. 小褟泻邪褕 谢械褌懈褕 薪邪 薪械褖芯 褋褗褋 space warp 写胁懈谐邪褌械谢.
袙懈薪邪谐懈 褋褗屑 褋械 锌懈褌邪谢邪 泻邪泻胁芯 芯褌谢懈褔邪胁邪 褍褋锌械褕薪懈褌械 懈写械懈 芯褌 锌芯-屑邪谢泻芯 褍褋锌械褕薪懈褌械. 袙褗胁 胁褋褟泻邪 芯斜谢邪褋褌 鈥� 懈蟹泻褍褋褌胁芯, 泻懈薪芯, 谢懈褌械褉邪褌褍褉邪鈥� 褉邪泻械褌懈, 械谢械泻褌褉懈褔械褋泻懈 泻芯谢懈. 袛芯斜褉械, 锌褉懈蟹薪邪胁邪屑, 褔械 蟹邪 锌芯褋谢械写薪懈褌械 薪械 褋褗屑 褋械 蟹邪屑懈褋谢褟谢邪 芯褋芯斜械薪芯, 薪芯 褔褍写械薪械褌芯 屑懈 械 斜懈谢芯 锌褉懈薪褑懈锌薪芯. 袣邪泻 褋褌邪胁邪 褌邪泻邪, 褔械 懈屑邪 懈写械懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 写芯褋褌邪 斜褗褉蟹芯 褋械 褋褉懈胁邪褌 懈 锌芯褌褗胁邪褌 胁 蟹邪斜胁械薪懈械 (懈 褋泻械锌褌懈褑懈褌械 械褏懈写薪懈褔邪褌), 邪 懈屑邪 写褉褍谐懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 褋械 薪邪褋褌邪薪褟胁邪褌 胁褗胁 胁褗芯斜褉邪卸械薪懈械褌芯 懈 泻邪褉邪褌 屑芯蟹褗泻邪 写邪 褖褉邪泻邪 写芯 胁褗蟹锌邪谢械薪懈械. 袟薪邪械褌械, 芯薪芯胁邪 褍褋械褖邪薪械, 泻芯谐邪褌芯 屑懈褋谢懈褕 褌芯谢泻芯胁邪 屑薪芯谐芯, 褔械 懈屑邪褕 褔褍胁褋褌胁芯褌芯, 褔械 谐谢邪胁邪褌邪 褌懈 谐芯褉懈 芯褌胁褗褌褉械. 袩芯薪褟泻芯谐邪 褋褗屑 褋屑褟褌邪谢邪, 褔械 褋褌邪胁邪 褌邪泻邪 锌褉芯褋褌芯 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 械 蟹邪谢芯卸械薪芯 薪邪 褏芯褉邪褌邪 懈薪褋褌懈薪泻褌懈胁薪芯 写邪 褉邪蟹锌芯蟹薪邪胁邪褌 懈褋褌懈薪褋泻懈 写芯斜褉懈褌械 懈写械懈 懈 写邪 懈屑 芯褌写邪胁邪褌 蟹邪褋谢褍卸械薪芯褌芯. 袛邪 锌芯蟹薪邪胁邪褌, 褔械 锌芯 薪褟泻邪泻褗胁 薪邪褔懈薪 锌褉懈写胁懈卸胁邪褌 褔芯胁械褔械褋褌胁芯褌芯 薪邪锌褉械写. 袠褋褌芯褉懈褟褌邪 薪邪 袦褗褋泻 懈 薪械谐芯胁懈褌械 械写薪芯, 写胁械, 褌褉懈鈥� 啸 薪邪褔懈薪邪薪懈褟 褋邪 锌褉懈屑械褉 蟹邪 芯斜褉邪褌薪芯褌芯. 袟邪 褌芯胁邪 泻邪泻 泻邪褌芯 胁褟褉胁邪褕 胁 薪械褖芯 懈 懈屑邪褕 褑械谢, 褌褉褟斜胁邪 写邪 褟 褋谢械写胁邪褕, 写芯褉懈 写邪 蟹薪邪械褕, 褔械 褕邪薪褋芯胁械褌械 蟹邪 褍褋锌械褏 褋邪 屑懈薪懈屑邪谢薪懈 (蟹胁褍褔懈 斜械蟹褍屑薪芯 泻谢懈褕懈褉邪薪芯, 薪芯 屑芯卸械 斜懈 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 械 懈褋褌懈薪邪. 袣邪泻胁芯 锌芯-谐芯谢褟屑芯 泻谢懈褕械 芯褌 懈褋褌懈薪邪褌邪). 袗, 懈 写邪 褋懈 屑邪谢泻芯 褋屑邪褏薪邪褌.
袠谢芯薪 袦褗褋泻 胁褟褉胁邪 胁 褉邪蟹薪懈 薪械褖邪. 袙褟褉胁邪, 褔械 褉械褋褍褉褋懈褌械 薪邪 袟械屑褟褌邪 褋邪 薪邪 锌褉懈胁褗褉褕胁邪薪械 懈 械写懈薪 写械薪 褔芯胁械褔械褋褌胁芯褌芯 褌褉褟斜胁邪 写邪 褋懈 褌褗褉褋懈 写褉褍谐芯 屑褟褋褌芯 蟹邪 卸懈胁械械薪械. 袩褗褉胁芯 褋懈 屑懈褋谢懈, 褔械 械写薪懈 屑懈褕泻懈 薪邪 袦邪褉褋 薪械 褋邪 谢芯褕懈 蟹邪 薪邪褔邪谢芯, 锌芯褋谢械 写芯褋褌懈谐邪 写芯 懈写械褟褌邪, 褔械 褖械 褋械 薪邪谢芯卸懈 褏芯褉邪褌邪 写邪 褋械 锌褉械胁褗褉薪邪褌 胁 屑械卸写褍锌谢邪薪械褌邪褉械薪 胁懈写, 蟹邪 写邪 谐懈 (薪懈) 懈屑邪 懈蟹芯斜褖芯. 孝褗泄 褔械 袠谢芯薪 褋械 蟹邪谢邪胁褟 写邪 褋褌褉芯懈 褉邪泻械褌懈. 袧懈泻芯泄 薪械 屑褍 胁褟褉胁邪 懈 胁褋懈褔泻懈 褋屑褟褌邪褌, 褔械 械 谢褍写. 袠谢芯薪 懈蟹褋褌褉械谢胁邪 锌褗褉胁懈褌械 褋懈 褌褉懈 褉邪泻械褌懈 懈 褌械 谐褉褗屑胁邪褌. 袙褋懈褔泻懈 褋械 锌芯写褏懈谢泻胁邪褌, 褔械 薪褟泻邪泻褗胁 褋懈 屑懈谢懈芯薪械褉 芯褌 小懈谢懈褑懈械胁邪褌邪 写芯谢懈薪邪 薪械 屑芯卸械 写邪 褋械 蟹邪械屑邪 褋 薪邪褔懈薪邪薪懈褟, 写械褌芯 锌褉邪胁懈褌械谢褋褌胁邪褌邪 谐懈 褍屑械褟褌 薪邪 褌胁褗褉写械 胁懈褋芯泻懈 褑械薪懈 懈 褌胁褗褉写械 薪械械褎械泻褌懈胁薪芯 芯褌 谐芯写懈薪懈. 效械褌胁褗褉褌邪褌邪 褉邪泻械褌邪 薪邪 袠谢芯薪 薪械 懈蟹斜褍褏胁邪. 袙械褔械 薪懈泻芯泄 薪械 屑褍 褋械 褋屑械械. SpaceX 锌芯薪邪褌褉懈谢邪 薪芯褋芯胁械 懈 懈蟹谢械褌褟谢邪.
袧邪 薪褟泻邪泻褗胁 泻褍锌芯薪 泻邪褌芯 屑谢邪写 袠谢芯薪 褋械 蟹邪锌芯蟹薪邪谢 褋 屑芯屑懈褔械 懈 锌褗褉胁芯褌芯, 泻芯械褌芯 褲 泻邪蟹邪谢, 斜懈谢芯 鈥炐愋� 褔械褋褌芯 屑懈褋谢褟 蟹邪 械谢械泻褌褉懈褔械褋泻懈 泻芯谢懈. 孝懈 屑懈褋谢懈褕 谢懈 蟹邪 械谢械泻褌褉懈褔械褋泻懈 泻芯谢懈?鈥� 袠 锌芯薪械卸械 袠谢芯薪 褌褗泄 懈 薪械 褋锌褉褟谢 写邪 屑懈褋谢懈 蟹邪 械谢械泻褌褉懈褔械褋泻懈 泻芯谢懈, 褉械褕懈谢 写邪 蟹邪锌芯褔薪械 褋邪屑 写邪 褋懈 谐懈 锌褉芯懈蟹胁械卸写邪. 袩邪泻 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 胁褟褉胁邪谢 鈥� 褔械 褋邪 锌芯-械褎械泻褌懈胁薪懈, 褔械 褋 褌褟褏 薪械 褋械 褏邪褉褔懈 谐芯褉懈胁芯, 泻芯械褌芯 懈 斜械蟹 褌芯胁邪 械写懈薪 写械薪 褖械 谐芯 薪褟屑邪 懈 屑邪屑泻邪 屑褍, 褌芯谐邪胁邪 胁械褔械 褖械 械 屑邪谢泻芯 泻褗褋薪芯 写邪 褋械 褔褍写懈屑 泻邪泻胁芯 写邪 锌褉邪胁懈屑. Tesla Motors 胁写懈谐薪邪谢邪 锌芯褔褌懈 100 泻屑/褔 (蟹邪 2,5 褋械泻褍薪写懈 胁锌褉芯褔械屑) 懈 芯褋褌邪胁懈谢邪 写邪 褲 写懈褕邪褌 锌褉邪褏邪.
袠谢芯薪 褋屑褟褌邪 懈 褔械 械 褏褍斜邪胁芯 写邪 褋械 锌芯谢蟹胁邪 械薪械褉谐懈褟褌邪 薪邪 褋谢褗薪褑械褌芯, 泻芯褟褌芯 械 芯谐褉芯屑薪邪 懈 蟹邪谢懈胁邪 袟械屑褟褌邪, 芯褔械胁懈写薪芯 薪邪褏邪谢芯褋褌. 袩芯褉邪写懈 褌邪蟹懈 锌褉懈褔懈薪邪 褉邪斜芯褌懈 懈 褋褗褋 SolarCity (泻芯褟褌芯 屑械卸写褍 写褉褍谐芯褌芯 械 褋褗蟹写邪写械薪邪 芯褌 斜褉邪褌芯胁褔械写懈褌械 屑褍 鈥� the Force is strong with this family). 袠谢芯薪 褋褗褖芯 褌邪泻邪 胁褟褉胁邪 懈 胁 写褉褍谐懈 薪械褖邪 鈥� 泻邪褌芯 薪邪锌褉懈屑械褉 锌褗褌褍胁邪薪械 薪邪 谐芯谢械屑懈 褉邪蟹褋褌芯褟薪懈褟 褋 芯谐褉芯屑薪邪 褋泻芯褉芯褋褌 胁褗胁 胁邪泻褍褍屑薪邪 褌褉褗斜邪, 鈥炐盒狙佇夹秆囆笛佇盒� 懈薪褌械褉薪械褌鈥� 懈 锌褉懈褟褌械谢褋泻懈 薪邪褋褌褉芯械薪 懈蟹泻褍褋褌胁械薪 懈薪褌械谢械泻褌, 泻芯泄褌芯 薪械 械 褋锌芯褋芯斜械薪 写邪 薪邪胁褉械写懈 薪邪 褏芯褉邪褌邪.
袟邪写 胁褋懈褔泻懈 褌械蟹懈 薪械褖邪 鈥� 薪褟泻芯懈 懈蟹泻谢褞褔懈褌械谢薪芯 褍褋锌械褕薪懈, 薪褟泻芯懈 胁 蟹邪褉芯写懈褕, 懈屑邪 屑邪谢泻芯 锌芯胁械褔械 芯褌 屑械写懈械薪 褕褍屑 懈 褔懈褋褌 泻褗褋屑械褌. 袦芯卸械 斜懈 锌褉芯褋褌芯 谐械薪械褌懈褔薪懈褟褌 泻芯写 薪邪 袠谢芯薪 袦褗褋泻 械 薪邪锌懈褋邪薪 褌邪泻邪, 褔械 写邪 锌褉懈褌械卸邪胁邪 薪械 褋邪屑芯 薪褍卸薪懈褌械 褍屑械薪懈褟 懈 懈薪褌械谢械泻褌, 薪芯 懈 卸械谢褟蟹薪邪 褉褗泻邪, 胁懈褋芯泻 锌褉邪谐 薪邪 械屑芯褑懈芯薪邪谢薪邪 斜芯谢泻邪, 屑褍谢械褕泻芯 褍锌芯褉褋褌胁芯 懈 褋锌芯褋芯斜薪芯褋褌 写邪 褋械 写懈褋褌邪薪褑懈褉邪 芯褌 芯褌写械谢薪懈褌械 懈薪写懈胁懈写懈, 泻芯谐邪褌芯 薪邪 泻邪褉褌邪 械 褋褗写斜邪褌邪 薪邪 褑褟谢芯褌芯 褔芯胁械褔械褋褌胁芯. 小谢械写 锌褉芯褔懈褌邪 薪邪 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪 懈蟹谐谢械写邪褏 薪褟泻芯谢泻芯 懈薪褌械褉胁褞褌邪 褋 薪械谐芯. 袙 械写薪芯 谐芯 锌懈褌邪褌 泻邪泻胁芯 褌芯谢泻芯胁邪 懈屑邪 胁 薪械谐芯, 褔械 械 褍褋锌褟谢 薪邪 褌邪泻邪 屑薪芯谐芯 褎褉芯薪褌芯胁械. 孝芯泄 谢械泻芯 锌褉懈褌械褋薪械薪芯 懈 锌芯褔褌懈 懈蟹胁懈薪懈褌械谢薪芯 褋屑芯褌芯谢械胁懈 鈥榃ell, I work a lot鈥�. 袙 写褉褍谐芯 懈薪褌械褉胁褞 芯斜褟褋薪褟胁邪 泻邪泻 褋械 械 薪邪谢邪谐邪谢芯 写邪 褉邪斜芯褌懈 锌芯 80-100 褔邪褋邪 薪邪 褋械写屑懈褑邪, 胁褋械泻懈 写械薪. 袟薪邪械褌械 谢懈 泻芯谢泻芯 械 褌芯胁邪? 袩芯 11-14 褔邪褋邪 褉邪斜芯褌邪 薪邪 写械薪. 袙 械写薪芯 芯褌 懈薪褌械褉胁褞褌邪褌邪 褏谢邪锌械褌芯, 泻芯械褌芯 蟹邪写邪胁邪褕械 胁褗锌褉芯褋懈褌械, 谐芯 谐谢械写邪褕械 谢械泻芯 蟹褟锌薪邪谢芯 懈 胁褋械 蟹邪斜褉邪胁褟褕械 写邪 褋懈 蟹邪褌胁芯褉懈 褍褋褌邪褌邪. 袦邪泄 懈 邪蟹 斜褟褏 褌邪泻邪.
效械褋褌薪芯 泻邪蟹邪薪芯, 锌褉械写懈 写邪 蟹邪锌芯褔薪邪 写邪 褔械褌邪 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪 薪邪 袗褕谢懈 袙邪薪褋, 薪械 斜褟褏 褔褍胁邪谢邪 蟹邪 薪懈泻邪泻褗胁 袠谢芯薪 袦褗褋泻. 袩芯 胁褉械屑械 薪邪 褑械谢懈褟 锌褉芯褔懈褌 芯斜邪褔械 芯斜褟褋薪褟胁邪褏 薪邪 泻芯泄褌芯 懈屑邪褕械 卸械谢邪薪懈械 写邪 屑械 褋谢褍褕邪 泻褗写械 械 褌械褋褌芯胁邪褌邪 锌谢芯褖邪写泻邪 蟹邪 懈蟹褋褌褉械谢胁邪薪械 薪邪 SpaceX, 褔械 褋械 褉邪斜芯褌懈 胁褗褉褏褍 褉邪泻械褌懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 褖械 褋械 胁褉褗褖邪褌 芯斜褉邪褌薪芯 薪邪 袟械屑褟褌邪 懈 褖械 泻邪褑邪褌, 胁屑械褋褌芯 写邪 褋械 懈蟹谐褍斜胁邪褌 懈蟹 泻芯褋屑芯褋邪 懈谢懈 泻褗写械 械 褉邪蟹锌芯谢芯卸械薪 谢懈褌懈械胁芯-泄芯薪薪懈褟褌 邪泻褍屑褍谢邪褌芯褉 薪邪 Tesla 褉芯褍写褋褌褗褉邪. 袪邪蟹斜懈褉邪屑 蟹邪褖芯 蟹邪 屑薪芯谐芯 褏芯褉邪 袦褗褋泻 械 薪械褖芯 泻邪褌芯 斜芯谐. 袧械 蟹薪邪屑 写邪谢懈 褋泻芯褉芯 褖械 泻芯谢芯薪懈蟹懈褉邪屑械 袦邪褉褋 懈 写邪谢懈 胁褗芯斜褖械 褌褉褟斜胁邪 懈谢懈 械 褏褍斜邪胁芯 写邪 褋械 芯锌懈褌邪屑械 写邪 褋懈 褋锌邪褋懈屑 袟械屑褟褌邪, 薪芯 芯锌褉械写械谢械薪芯 袠谢芯薪 袦褗褋泻 屑械 胁写褗褏薪芯胁懈 写邪 屑懈褋谢褟 锌芯-屑邪褖邪斜薪芯. 袝写懈薪 屑邪谢褗泻 Falcon 蟹邪 袦褗褋泻, 械写懈薪 谐芯谢褟屑 锌褉懈屑械褉 蟹邪 褔芯胁械褔械褋褌胁芯褌芯.
袙懈薪邪谐懈 褋褗屑 褋械 锌懈褌邪谢邪 泻邪泻胁芯 芯褌谢懈褔邪胁邪 褍褋锌械褕薪懈褌械 懈写械懈 芯褌 锌芯-屑邪谢泻芯 褍褋锌械褕薪懈褌械. 袙褗胁 胁褋褟泻邪 芯斜谢邪褋褌 鈥� 懈蟹泻褍褋褌胁芯, 泻懈薪芯, 谢懈褌械褉邪褌褍褉邪鈥� 褉邪泻械褌懈, 械谢械泻褌褉懈褔械褋泻懈 泻芯谢懈. 袛芯斜褉械, 锌褉懈蟹薪邪胁邪屑, 褔械 蟹邪 锌芯褋谢械写薪懈褌械 薪械 褋褗屑 褋械 蟹邪屑懈褋谢褟谢邪 芯褋芯斜械薪芯, 薪芯 褔褍写械薪械褌芯 屑懈 械 斜懈谢芯 锌褉懈薪褑懈锌薪芯. 袣邪泻 褋褌邪胁邪 褌邪泻邪, 褔械 懈屑邪 懈写械懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 写芯褋褌邪 斜褗褉蟹芯 褋械 褋褉懈胁邪褌 懈 锌芯褌褗胁邪褌 胁 蟹邪斜胁械薪懈械 (懈 褋泻械锌褌懈褑懈褌械 械褏懈写薪懈褔邪褌), 邪 懈屑邪 写褉褍谐懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 褋械 薪邪褋褌邪薪褟胁邪褌 胁褗胁 胁褗芯斜褉邪卸械薪懈械褌芯 懈 泻邪褉邪褌 屑芯蟹褗泻邪 写邪 褖褉邪泻邪 写芯 胁褗蟹锌邪谢械薪懈械. 袟薪邪械褌械, 芯薪芯胁邪 褍褋械褖邪薪械, 泻芯谐邪褌芯 屑懈褋谢懈褕 褌芯谢泻芯胁邪 屑薪芯谐芯, 褔械 懈屑邪褕 褔褍胁褋褌胁芯褌芯, 褔械 谐谢邪胁邪褌邪 褌懈 谐芯褉懈 芯褌胁褗褌褉械. 袩芯薪褟泻芯谐邪 褋褗屑 褋屑褟褌邪谢邪, 褔械 褋褌邪胁邪 褌邪泻邪 锌褉芯褋褌芯 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 械 蟹邪谢芯卸械薪芯 薪邪 褏芯褉邪褌邪 懈薪褋褌懈薪泻褌懈胁薪芯 写邪 褉邪蟹锌芯蟹薪邪胁邪褌 懈褋褌懈薪褋泻懈 写芯斜褉懈褌械 懈写械懈 懈 写邪 懈屑 芯褌写邪胁邪褌 蟹邪褋谢褍卸械薪芯褌芯. 袛邪 锌芯蟹薪邪胁邪褌, 褔械 锌芯 薪褟泻邪泻褗胁 薪邪褔懈薪 锌褉懈写胁懈卸胁邪褌 褔芯胁械褔械褋褌胁芯褌芯 薪邪锌褉械写. 袠褋褌芯褉懈褟褌邪 薪邪 袦褗褋泻 懈 薪械谐芯胁懈褌械 械写薪芯, 写胁械, 褌褉懈鈥� 啸 薪邪褔懈薪邪薪懈褟 褋邪 锌褉懈屑械褉 蟹邪 芯斜褉邪褌薪芯褌芯. 袟邪 褌芯胁邪 泻邪泻 泻邪褌芯 胁褟褉胁邪褕 胁 薪械褖芯 懈 懈屑邪褕 褑械谢, 褌褉褟斜胁邪 写邪 褟 褋谢械写胁邪褕, 写芯褉懈 写邪 蟹薪邪械褕, 褔械 褕邪薪褋芯胁械褌械 蟹邪 褍褋锌械褏 褋邪 屑懈薪懈屑邪谢薪懈 (蟹胁褍褔懈 斜械蟹褍屑薪芯 泻谢懈褕懈褉邪薪芯, 薪芯 屑芯卸械 斜懈 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 械 懈褋褌懈薪邪. 袣邪泻胁芯 锌芯-谐芯谢褟屑芯 泻谢懈褕械 芯褌 懈褋褌懈薪邪褌邪). 袗, 懈 写邪 褋懈 屑邪谢泻芯 褋屑邪褏薪邪褌.
袠谢芯薪 袦褗褋泻 胁褟褉胁邪 胁 褉邪蟹薪懈 薪械褖邪. 袙褟褉胁邪, 褔械 褉械褋褍褉褋懈褌械 薪邪 袟械屑褟褌邪 褋邪 薪邪 锌褉懈胁褗褉褕胁邪薪械 懈 械写懈薪 写械薪 褔芯胁械褔械褋褌胁芯褌芯 褌褉褟斜胁邪 写邪 褋懈 褌褗褉褋懈 写褉褍谐芯 屑褟褋褌芯 蟹邪 卸懈胁械械薪械. 袩褗褉胁芯 褋懈 屑懈褋谢懈, 褔械 械写薪懈 屑懈褕泻懈 薪邪 袦邪褉褋 薪械 褋邪 谢芯褕懈 蟹邪 薪邪褔邪谢芯, 锌芯褋谢械 写芯褋褌懈谐邪 写芯 懈写械褟褌邪, 褔械 褖械 褋械 薪邪谢芯卸懈 褏芯褉邪褌邪 写邪 褋械 锌褉械胁褗褉薪邪褌 胁 屑械卸写褍锌谢邪薪械褌邪褉械薪 胁懈写, 蟹邪 写邪 谐懈 (薪懈) 懈屑邪 懈蟹芯斜褖芯. 孝褗泄 褔械 袠谢芯薪 褋械 蟹邪谢邪胁褟 写邪 褋褌褉芯懈 褉邪泻械褌懈. 袧懈泻芯泄 薪械 屑褍 胁褟褉胁邪 懈 胁褋懈褔泻懈 褋屑褟褌邪褌, 褔械 械 谢褍写. 袠谢芯薪 懈蟹褋褌褉械谢胁邪 锌褗褉胁懈褌械 褋懈 褌褉懈 褉邪泻械褌懈 懈 褌械 谐褉褗屑胁邪褌. 袙褋懈褔泻懈 褋械 锌芯写褏懈谢泻胁邪褌, 褔械 薪褟泻邪泻褗胁 褋懈 屑懈谢懈芯薪械褉 芯褌 小懈谢懈褑懈械胁邪褌邪 写芯谢懈薪邪 薪械 屑芯卸械 写邪 褋械 蟹邪械屑邪 褋 薪邪褔懈薪邪薪懈褟, 写械褌芯 锌褉邪胁懈褌械谢褋褌胁邪褌邪 谐懈 褍屑械褟褌 薪邪 褌胁褗褉写械 胁懈褋芯泻懈 褑械薪懈 懈 褌胁褗褉写械 薪械械褎械泻褌懈胁薪芯 芯褌 谐芯写懈薪懈. 效械褌胁褗褉褌邪褌邪 褉邪泻械褌邪 薪邪 袠谢芯薪 薪械 懈蟹斜褍褏胁邪. 袙械褔械 薪懈泻芯泄 薪械 屑褍 褋械 褋屑械械. SpaceX 锌芯薪邪褌褉懈谢邪 薪芯褋芯胁械 懈 懈蟹谢械褌褟谢邪.
袧邪 薪褟泻邪泻褗胁 泻褍锌芯薪 泻邪褌芯 屑谢邪写 袠谢芯薪 褋械 蟹邪锌芯蟹薪邪谢 褋 屑芯屑懈褔械 懈 锌褗褉胁芯褌芯, 泻芯械褌芯 褲 泻邪蟹邪谢, 斜懈谢芯 鈥炐愋� 褔械褋褌芯 屑懈褋谢褟 蟹邪 械谢械泻褌褉懈褔械褋泻懈 泻芯谢懈. 孝懈 屑懈褋谢懈褕 谢懈 蟹邪 械谢械泻褌褉懈褔械褋泻懈 泻芯谢懈?鈥� 袠 锌芯薪械卸械 袠谢芯薪 褌褗泄 懈 薪械 褋锌褉褟谢 写邪 屑懈褋谢懈 蟹邪 械谢械泻褌褉懈褔械褋泻懈 泻芯谢懈, 褉械褕懈谢 写邪 蟹邪锌芯褔薪械 褋邪屑 写邪 褋懈 谐懈 锌褉芯懈蟹胁械卸写邪. 袩邪泻 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 胁褟褉胁邪谢 鈥� 褔械 褋邪 锌芯-械褎械泻褌懈胁薪懈, 褔械 褋 褌褟褏 薪械 褋械 褏邪褉褔懈 谐芯褉懈胁芯, 泻芯械褌芯 懈 斜械蟹 褌芯胁邪 械写懈薪 写械薪 褖械 谐芯 薪褟屑邪 懈 屑邪屑泻邪 屑褍, 褌芯谐邪胁邪 胁械褔械 褖械 械 屑邪谢泻芯 泻褗褋薪芯 写邪 褋械 褔褍写懈屑 泻邪泻胁芯 写邪 锌褉邪胁懈屑. Tesla Motors 胁写懈谐薪邪谢邪 锌芯褔褌懈 100 泻屑/褔 (蟹邪 2,5 褋械泻褍薪写懈 胁锌褉芯褔械屑) 懈 芯褋褌邪胁懈谢邪 写邪 褲 写懈褕邪褌 锌褉邪褏邪.
袠谢芯薪 褋屑褟褌邪 懈 褔械 械 褏褍斜邪胁芯 写邪 褋械 锌芯谢蟹胁邪 械薪械褉谐懈褟褌邪 薪邪 褋谢褗薪褑械褌芯, 泻芯褟褌芯 械 芯谐褉芯屑薪邪 懈 蟹邪谢懈胁邪 袟械屑褟褌邪, 芯褔械胁懈写薪芯 薪邪褏邪谢芯褋褌. 袩芯褉邪写懈 褌邪蟹懈 锌褉懈褔懈薪邪 褉邪斜芯褌懈 懈 褋褗褋 SolarCity (泻芯褟褌芯 屑械卸写褍 写褉褍谐芯褌芯 械 褋褗蟹写邪写械薪邪 芯褌 斜褉邪褌芯胁褔械写懈褌械 屑褍 鈥� the Force is strong with this family). 袠谢芯薪 褋褗褖芯 褌邪泻邪 胁褟褉胁邪 懈 胁 写褉褍谐懈 薪械褖邪 鈥� 泻邪褌芯 薪邪锌褉懈屑械褉 锌褗褌褍胁邪薪械 薪邪 谐芯谢械屑懈 褉邪蟹褋褌芯褟薪懈褟 褋 芯谐褉芯屑薪邪 褋泻芯褉芯褋褌 胁褗胁 胁邪泻褍褍屑薪邪 褌褉褗斜邪, 鈥炐盒狙佇夹秆囆笛佇盒� 懈薪褌械褉薪械褌鈥� 懈 锌褉懈褟褌械谢褋泻懈 薪邪褋褌褉芯械薪 懈蟹泻褍褋褌胁械薪 懈薪褌械谢械泻褌, 泻芯泄褌芯 薪械 械 褋锌芯褋芯斜械薪 写邪 薪邪胁褉械写懈 薪邪 褏芯褉邪褌邪.
袟邪写 胁褋懈褔泻懈 褌械蟹懈 薪械褖邪 鈥� 薪褟泻芯懈 懈蟹泻谢褞褔懈褌械谢薪芯 褍褋锌械褕薪懈, 薪褟泻芯懈 胁 蟹邪褉芯写懈褕, 懈屑邪 屑邪谢泻芯 锌芯胁械褔械 芯褌 屑械写懈械薪 褕褍屑 懈 褔懈褋褌 泻褗褋屑械褌. 袦芯卸械 斜懈 锌褉芯褋褌芯 谐械薪械褌懈褔薪懈褟褌 泻芯写 薪邪 袠谢芯薪 袦褗褋泻 械 薪邪锌懈褋邪薪 褌邪泻邪, 褔械 写邪 锌褉懈褌械卸邪胁邪 薪械 褋邪屑芯 薪褍卸薪懈褌械 褍屑械薪懈褟 懈 懈薪褌械谢械泻褌, 薪芯 懈 卸械谢褟蟹薪邪 褉褗泻邪, 胁懈褋芯泻 锌褉邪谐 薪邪 械屑芯褑懈芯薪邪谢薪邪 斜芯谢泻邪, 屑褍谢械褕泻芯 褍锌芯褉褋褌胁芯 懈 褋锌芯褋芯斜薪芯褋褌 写邪 褋械 写懈褋褌邪薪褑懈褉邪 芯褌 芯褌写械谢薪懈褌械 懈薪写懈胁懈写懈, 泻芯谐邪褌芯 薪邪 泻邪褉褌邪 械 褋褗写斜邪褌邪 薪邪 褑褟谢芯褌芯 褔芯胁械褔械褋褌胁芯. 小谢械写 锌褉芯褔懈褌邪 薪邪 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪 懈蟹谐谢械写邪褏 薪褟泻芯谢泻芯 懈薪褌械褉胁褞褌邪 褋 薪械谐芯. 袙 械写薪芯 谐芯 锌懈褌邪褌 泻邪泻胁芯 褌芯谢泻芯胁邪 懈屑邪 胁 薪械谐芯, 褔械 械 褍褋锌褟谢 薪邪 褌邪泻邪 屑薪芯谐芯 褎褉芯薪褌芯胁械. 孝芯泄 谢械泻芯 锌褉懈褌械褋薪械薪芯 懈 锌芯褔褌懈 懈蟹胁懈薪懈褌械谢薪芯 褋屑芯褌芯谢械胁懈 鈥榃ell, I work a lot鈥�. 袙 写褉褍谐芯 懈薪褌械褉胁褞 芯斜褟褋薪褟胁邪 泻邪泻 褋械 械 薪邪谢邪谐邪谢芯 写邪 褉邪斜芯褌懈 锌芯 80-100 褔邪褋邪 薪邪 褋械写屑懈褑邪, 胁褋械泻懈 写械薪. 袟薪邪械褌械 谢懈 泻芯谢泻芯 械 褌芯胁邪? 袩芯 11-14 褔邪褋邪 褉邪斜芯褌邪 薪邪 写械薪. 袙 械写薪芯 芯褌 懈薪褌械褉胁褞褌邪褌邪 褏谢邪锌械褌芯, 泻芯械褌芯 蟹邪写邪胁邪褕械 胁褗锌褉芯褋懈褌械, 谐芯 谐谢械写邪褕械 谢械泻芯 蟹褟锌薪邪谢芯 懈 胁褋械 蟹邪斜褉邪胁褟褕械 写邪 褋懈 蟹邪褌胁芯褉懈 褍褋褌邪褌邪. 袦邪泄 懈 邪蟹 斜褟褏 褌邪泻邪.
效械褋褌薪芯 泻邪蟹邪薪芯, 锌褉械写懈 写邪 蟹邪锌芯褔薪邪 写邪 褔械褌邪 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪 薪邪 袗褕谢懈 袙邪薪褋, 薪械 斜褟褏 褔褍胁邪谢邪 蟹邪 薪懈泻邪泻褗胁 袠谢芯薪 袦褗褋泻. 袩芯 胁褉械屑械 薪邪 褑械谢懈褟 锌褉芯褔懈褌 芯斜邪褔械 芯斜褟褋薪褟胁邪褏 薪邪 泻芯泄褌芯 懈屑邪褕械 卸械谢邪薪懈械 写邪 屑械 褋谢褍褕邪 泻褗写械 械 褌械褋褌芯胁邪褌邪 锌谢芯褖邪写泻邪 蟹邪 懈蟹褋褌褉械谢胁邪薪械 薪邪 SpaceX, 褔械 褋械 褉邪斜芯褌懈 胁褗褉褏褍 褉邪泻械褌懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 褖械 褋械 胁褉褗褖邪褌 芯斜褉邪褌薪芯 薪邪 袟械屑褟褌邪 懈 褖械 泻邪褑邪褌, 胁屑械褋褌芯 写邪 褋械 懈蟹谐褍斜胁邪褌 懈蟹 泻芯褋屑芯褋邪 懈谢懈 泻褗写械 械 褉邪蟹锌芯谢芯卸械薪 谢懈褌懈械胁芯-泄芯薪薪懈褟褌 邪泻褍屑褍谢邪褌芯褉 薪邪 Tesla 褉芯褍写褋褌褗褉邪. 袪邪蟹斜懈褉邪屑 蟹邪褖芯 蟹邪 屑薪芯谐芯 褏芯褉邪 袦褗褋泻 械 薪械褖芯 泻邪褌芯 斜芯谐. 袧械 蟹薪邪屑 写邪谢懈 褋泻芯褉芯 褖械 泻芯谢芯薪懈蟹懈褉邪屑械 袦邪褉褋 懈 写邪谢懈 胁褗芯斜褖械 褌褉褟斜胁邪 懈谢懈 械 褏褍斜邪胁芯 写邪 褋械 芯锌懈褌邪屑械 写邪 褋懈 褋锌邪褋懈屑 袟械屑褟褌邪, 薪芯 芯锌褉械写械谢械薪芯 袠谢芯薪 袦褗褋泻 屑械 胁写褗褏薪芯胁懈 写邪 屑懈褋谢褟 锌芯-屑邪褖邪斜薪芯. 袝写懈薪 屑邪谢褗泻 Falcon 蟹邪 袦褗褋泻, 械写懈薪 谐芯谢褟屑 锌褉懈屑械褉 蟹邪 褔芯胁械褔械褋褌胁芯褌芯.
May 8, 2025
I鈥檓 gonna be brief. I鈥檓 not a huge fan of Elon Musk, but, this was an interesting way to take a peek into his life and everything he鈥檚 created or developed. Yes, he鈥檚 got tons of money and is intelligent but I personally don鈥檛 see him as the type of genius he claims to be. And not necessarily basing myself on his level of intelligence.
Otherwise, this was a great compilation by the author himself and I give him lots of respect, praise and credit for it!
This took me quite longer to read than expected and I wasn鈥檛 precisely invested so that also explains my rating. Otherwise, I truly hope that whoever decides to read this and give it a try, enjoys it more.
Otherwise, this was a great compilation by the author himself and I give him lots of respect, praise and credit for it!
This took me quite longer to read than expected and I wasn鈥檛 precisely invested so that also explains my rating. Otherwise, I truly hope that whoever decides to read this and give it a try, enjoys it more.
July 27, 2015
I wish I could rate this book 2.5 stars. It's a great long read Atlantic or Wired piece about a visionary person with an interesting childhood that is at the forefront of a technology shift and an unsuccessful emotional biography. There are a ton of details about Elon's upbringing, especially about his father and brother, who always felt like a mystery to me. I got a good understanding of how Elon's early mentor, a Canadian banking executive, gave him some insights towards starting X.com, a service I had dearly loved but didn't seem to jive with his later projects. There were interesting details on the mind boggling progress SpaceX made when building their initial Falcon rockets. In short I learned a lot about the progress of Elon's companies, but very little about what motivated him to start them or continue after making his first billion.
It's hard not to compare this book to Walter Isaacson's 'Jobs, not only because the structure of the book is similar but Vance seems to reach for the same informal and intimate tone. Isaacson was able to give us a real glimpse into Jobs's growth as a person and a real insight into Steve's thinking. Vance gives us a chronology of Elon's life, a superficial overview of the technology that anyone with more than a layman's interest already knows, and adds his own often peremptory commentary on Musk's motivations and accomplishments. It straddles a funny line between objective reporting and jokey insider tell-all. I think it falls on both fronts as Vance does a very skin deep overview of the technology that SpaceX and Tesla have pioneered and a lot of the jokey comments come off as non-sequitor. In a way I learn more about him than Elon.
Elon's companies are important enough to our future than any new information about him and his motivations is well worth a read. I hope someone else takes on the topic with a little more depth and a little less personality.
It's hard not to compare this book to Walter Isaacson's 'Jobs, not only because the structure of the book is similar but Vance seems to reach for the same informal and intimate tone. Isaacson was able to give us a real glimpse into Jobs's growth as a person and a real insight into Steve's thinking. Vance gives us a chronology of Elon's life, a superficial overview of the technology that anyone with more than a layman's interest already knows, and adds his own often peremptory commentary on Musk's motivations and accomplishments. It straddles a funny line between objective reporting and jokey insider tell-all. I think it falls on both fronts as Vance does a very skin deep overview of the technology that SpaceX and Tesla have pioneered and a lot of the jokey comments come off as non-sequitor. In a way I learn more about him than Elon.
Elon's companies are important enough to our future than any new information about him and his motivations is well worth a read. I hope someone else takes on the topic with a little more depth and a little less personality.
January 9, 2019
Whether you follow him or his companies/works, Elon Musk is an important innovator of our times, and I would suggest everyone to read this book to get inspired or experience another world.
I really admire how Vance captured his biography, which is not an easy thing to do. If you read a little bit, you'll understand Musk is not the most easy going person in the world. The author opens the book in a very intriguing way starting from why Musk allowed him to write his biography, which starts to shed some light into his character.
It was really interesting to read about how SpaceX, Tesla and all his other success stories started, how he jumped from one ambition to another, and how he runs his companies. Obviously, Musk is no normal person. He runs after his heart, and his dreams. He's not only after making a lot of money, but he wishes a self-sufficient world before he leaves it himself. I do admire how he uses his intellect, his efforts and resources to do innovations that would be good for the earth. Clean technology, colonisation in Mars, solar power, etc.
He's probably one of the most persistent person I've ever read about. All the difficulties he's thrown at would make any one of us to give up, but he still goes after his dreams. He's tough, both on himself and his employees. It's not easy to work for him. But, yet again, it's also not easy to aim to change how the world operates. So, we can't expect ordinary from him.
All in all, I would really suggest this book to anybody. It's interesting, fascinating, very well captured inner world of this genius I truly admired even more than before I read this book.
Thanks a lot to NetGalley and the publisher for granting a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
I really admire how Vance captured his biography, which is not an easy thing to do. If you read a little bit, you'll understand Musk is not the most easy going person in the world. The author opens the book in a very intriguing way starting from why Musk allowed him to write his biography, which starts to shed some light into his character.
It was really interesting to read about how SpaceX, Tesla and all his other success stories started, how he jumped from one ambition to another, and how he runs his companies. Obviously, Musk is no normal person. He runs after his heart, and his dreams. He's not only after making a lot of money, but he wishes a self-sufficient world before he leaves it himself. I do admire how he uses his intellect, his efforts and resources to do innovations that would be good for the earth. Clean technology, colonisation in Mars, solar power, etc.
He's probably one of the most persistent person I've ever read about. All the difficulties he's thrown at would make any one of us to give up, but he still goes after his dreams. He's tough, both on himself and his employees. It's not easy to work for him. But, yet again, it's also not easy to aim to change how the world operates. So, we can't expect ordinary from him.
All in all, I would really suggest this book to anybody. It's interesting, fascinating, very well captured inner world of this genius I truly admired even more than before I read this book.
Thanks a lot to NetGalley and the publisher for granting a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 7, 2023
Not long ago I was glued to my television set as SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket, carrying two astronauts on their journey to the International Space Station. The launch was followed shortly thereafter by the amazing spectacle of seeing the main body of the rocket separate before flipping and completing a descent, culminating in a vertical landing on an autonomous drone ship. This still feels to me like something out of a sci-fi movie 鈥� I鈥檓 hardly able to believe what I鈥檓 seeing! A few days later Audible offered up a cheapie listen to this bio of the company鈥檚 founder and driving force, Elon Musk. And, of course, not only is Musk the man behind America鈥檚 return to manned space travel he also runs Tesla, a company producing high-end electric cars. Oh, and let鈥檚 not forget SolarCity, a subsidiary of Tesla that specialises in providing solar energy services. That鈥檚 quite a collection.
Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1971 and from an early age he demonstrated an ability to absorb and retain a huge volume of information. A prodigious reader, he regularly immersed himself in books for up to ten hours a day. As a young boy he wasn鈥檛 considered hugely sociable and his habit of routinely correcting other children was hardly going to help him develop an extensive group of school friends. He developed into a geeky adolescent who enjoyed science fiction and fantasy stories. Shortly before his 18th birthday he set off for Canada on his own and from there made his way to America. After obtaining degrees in physics and economics and completing two internships in Silicon Valley he toyed with the idea of beginning doctorate studies before giving that up to launch a web software company called Zip2, in 1995.
After pocketing $10 million from the sale of Zip2 he co-founded an online financial services and email payment company (X.com) which through a merger acquired a money-transfer service called PayPal. A couple of years later Musk was ousted as CEO but in the shakeout he received circa $165 million. This was to be his set-up money for SpaceX and Tesla. Musk had developed into a visionary who believed that to safeguard the human race it would be necessary to build a multi-planetary society 鈥� his planet of choice being Mars. Furthermore, he was enthused by the idea building an electric car after test driving a handmade electric sports car. The makers had no interest in mass producing the car but Musk believed in the concept of a future in which cars were no longer powered by petrol or diesel.
This book walks us through Elon鈥檚 involvement in both companies, and to a lesser extent the development of SolarCity too. Not surprisingly, he comes across as daring and hugely driven. He rates high on his ability to maximise output from his teams 鈥� he recruits highly skilled people, expects them to work long days and accepts no resistance to his lofty targets and goals. But he can be harsh in dealing with his employees and it seems that though almost all respect (and often revere) their boss, it doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean they like him. As a leader he is adept at developing a big picture strategy but, unusual for high flying CEO鈥檚, he鈥檚 also totally comfortable delving into the fine detail. And there are quite a few examples here describing how Musk uses his photographic memory to the consternation of those around him: in one example he provided feedback on a prototype car, listing around 80 elements requiring attention 鈥� all without having taken any notes.
The book was published in 2015, so it doesn鈥檛 cover elements that have made the news in the past few years. But what is clear here is just how daring the man is. He is not afraid to go 鈥榓ll in鈥� when investing in his companies, though this nearly cost him dear in 2008 when both SpaceX and Tesla were on the verge of financial collapse. He has also managed to augment his skills as a physicist and an engineer with an eye for design. He鈥檚 a man with a big ego and this can sometimes get in the way but his drive and focus ensure that his eyes (and those of his team) are always firmly set on the prize. It鈥檚 a fascinating story and sits beside those featuring the likes of Steve Jobs and Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin as another testament to the bright, insightful entrepreneurs Silicon Valley has produced.
Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1971 and from an early age he demonstrated an ability to absorb and retain a huge volume of information. A prodigious reader, he regularly immersed himself in books for up to ten hours a day. As a young boy he wasn鈥檛 considered hugely sociable and his habit of routinely correcting other children was hardly going to help him develop an extensive group of school friends. He developed into a geeky adolescent who enjoyed science fiction and fantasy stories. Shortly before his 18th birthday he set off for Canada on his own and from there made his way to America. After obtaining degrees in physics and economics and completing two internships in Silicon Valley he toyed with the idea of beginning doctorate studies before giving that up to launch a web software company called Zip2, in 1995.
After pocketing $10 million from the sale of Zip2 he co-founded an online financial services and email payment company (X.com) which through a merger acquired a money-transfer service called PayPal. A couple of years later Musk was ousted as CEO but in the shakeout he received circa $165 million. This was to be his set-up money for SpaceX and Tesla. Musk had developed into a visionary who believed that to safeguard the human race it would be necessary to build a multi-planetary society 鈥� his planet of choice being Mars. Furthermore, he was enthused by the idea building an electric car after test driving a handmade electric sports car. The makers had no interest in mass producing the car but Musk believed in the concept of a future in which cars were no longer powered by petrol or diesel.
This book walks us through Elon鈥檚 involvement in both companies, and to a lesser extent the development of SolarCity too. Not surprisingly, he comes across as daring and hugely driven. He rates high on his ability to maximise output from his teams 鈥� he recruits highly skilled people, expects them to work long days and accepts no resistance to his lofty targets and goals. But he can be harsh in dealing with his employees and it seems that though almost all respect (and often revere) their boss, it doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean they like him. As a leader he is adept at developing a big picture strategy but, unusual for high flying CEO鈥檚, he鈥檚 also totally comfortable delving into the fine detail. And there are quite a few examples here describing how Musk uses his photographic memory to the consternation of those around him: in one example he provided feedback on a prototype car, listing around 80 elements requiring attention 鈥� all without having taken any notes.
The book was published in 2015, so it doesn鈥檛 cover elements that have made the news in the past few years. But what is clear here is just how daring the man is. He is not afraid to go 鈥榓ll in鈥� when investing in his companies, though this nearly cost him dear in 2008 when both SpaceX and Tesla were on the verge of financial collapse. He has also managed to augment his skills as a physicist and an engineer with an eye for design. He鈥檚 a man with a big ego and this can sometimes get in the way but his drive and focus ensure that his eyes (and those of his team) are always firmly set on the prize. It鈥檚 a fascinating story and sits beside those featuring the likes of Steve Jobs and Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin as another testament to the bright, insightful entrepreneurs Silicon Valley has produced.
June 15, 2016
袩褉械写褍锌褉械卸写邪胁邪屑, 褔械 褌芯胁邪 褉械胁褞 褖械 斜褗写械 谢懈褔薪芯 懈 写芯褋褌邪 写褗谢谐芯, 蟹邪 泻芯械褌芯 薪械 褋械 懈蟹胁懈薪褟胁邪屑. 袩褉芯褋褌芯 懈薪褎芯褉屑懈褉邪屑. 袟邪 写邪 褉邪蟹斜械褉械褌械 胁褋械锌芯谐谢褗褖邪褖邪褌邪 屑懈 胁褗蟹褏懈褌邪 泻褗屑 谢懈褔薪芯褋褌褌邪 薪邪 袠谢褗薪 袦褗褋泻 褋械 薪邪谢邪谐邪 写邪 胁泻邪褉邪屑 锌芯薪械 屑邪谢泻芯 泻芯薪褌械泻褋褌 锌褉械写懈 写邪 锌褉懈褋褌褗锌褟 泻褗屑 邪薪邪谢懈蟹 薪邪 斜械蟹褋锌芯褉薪懈褌械 写芯褋褌芯泄薪褋褌胁邪 薪邪 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪. 袣芯谐邪褌芯 斜褟褏 屑邪谢泻邪 薪械 屑械褔褌邪械褏 写邪 斜褗写邪 锌褉懈薪褑械褋邪, 斜邪谢械褉懈薪邪, 锌械胁懈褑邪 懈谢懈 薪褟泻邪泻胁邪 写褉褍谐邪 锌芯写芯斜薪邪 袛懈褋薪懈 谢懈谐邪胁褖懈薪邪. 袠褋泻邪褏 写邪 锌褉邪胁褟 泻芯屑锌褞褌褗褉薪懈 懈谐褉懈. 袠 褏懈褔 薪械 屑械 懈薪褌械褉械褋褍胁邪褕械 泻芯谢泻芯 褋谢芯卸薪芯 褉械邪谢薪芯 械 褌芯胁邪. 袧邪 锌芯-泻褗褋械薪 械褌邪锌 锌褗褌懈褖邪褌邪 屑懈 褋 褌邪蟹懈 屑械褔褌邪 褋械 褉邪蟹写械谢懈褏邪, 褋谢械写 泻邪褌芯 褏胁褗褉谢懈褏 锌芯谐谢械写 薪邪 褍褔械斜薪懈褑懈褌械 锌芯 胁懈褋褕邪 屑邪褌械屑邪褌懈泻邪 懈 芯褋薪芯胁懈 薪邪 锌褉芯谐褉邪屑懈褉邪薪械褌芯, 薪芯 褌芯胁邪 薪械 屑懈 锌褉械褔懈 懈 写芯 写薪械褋 写邪 斜褗写邪 蟹邪锌谢械薪械薪邪 芯褌 褋胁械褌邪 薪邪 懈薪褎芯褉屑邪褑懈芯薪薪懈褌械 褌械褏薪芯谢芯谐懈懈 懈 懈薪芯胁邪褑懈懈褌械, 泻芯懈褌芯 锌褉芯屑械薪褟褌 褋胁械褌邪 斜褍泻胁邪谢薪芯 胁褋械泻懈 写械薪.
校卸邪褋薪芯 芯斜懈褔邪屑 写邪 褔械褌邪 斜懈芯谐褉邪褎懈懈 薪邪 谢褍写懈 褍褔械薪懈, 邪斜褋芯谢褞褌薪懈 懈薪芯胁邪褌芯褉懈 懈 懈蟹芯斜褖芯 褏芯褉邪, 泻芯懈褌芯 懈屑邪褌 芯褌泻邪褔械薪懈 懈写械懈 懈 薪械 褋械 褋褌褉邪褏褍胁邪褌 写邪 谐懈 锌褉械褋谢械写胁邪褌 写芯 泻褉邪泄, 薪械蟹邪胁懈褋懈屑芯 芯褌 锌褉械锌褟褌褋褌胁懈褟褌邪 锌芯 锌褗褌褟 懈 锌褉懈褋屑械褏邪 薪邪 芯斜懈泻薪芯胁械薪懈褌械 褏芯褉邪. 袩褗褉胁邪褌邪 屑懈 褋褉械褖邪 褋 锌芯写芯斜薪邪 泻薪懈谐邪 斜械褕械 邪胁褌芯斜懈芯谐褉邪褎懈褟褌邪 薪邪 袪懈褔邪褉写 袘褉邪薪褋褗薪 "". 些械 褋懈 锌褉懈蟹薪邪褟, 褔械 写芯 芯薪蟹懈 屑芯屑械薪褌 薪械 斜褟褏 褔褍胁邪谢邪 邪斜褋芯谢褞褌薪芯 薪懈褖芯 蟹邪 薪械谐芯, 薪芯 褋谢械写 泻邪褌芯 蟹邪褌胁芯褉懈褏 锌芯褋谢械写薪邪褌邪 褋褌褉邪薪懈褑邪 胁械褔械 屑褍 斜褟褏 斜械蟹锌邪屑械褌械薪 褎械薪 懈 屑芯谐邪 写邪 谐芯胁芯褉褟 锌芯 褌械屑邪褌邪 褋 褔邪褋芯胁械. 孝芯褔薪芯 泻邪褌芯 袦褗褋泻 袘褉邪薪褋褗薪 薪邪胁谢懈蟹邪 斜械蟹 泻芯谢械斜邪薪懈械 胁 屑芯褖薪懈 懈 蟹邪泻芯褋褌械薪械谢懈 懈薪写褍褋褌褉懈懈 泻邪褌芯 谐褉邪卸写邪薪褋泻邪 邪胁懈邪褑懈褟, 卸械谢械蟹芯锌褗褌械薪 褌褉邪薪褋锌芯褉褌 懈 泻芯褋屑懈褔械褋泻懈 锌芯谢械褌懈, 懈蟹锌褉邪胁褟泄泻懈 褋械 褋褉械褖褍 屑芯薪芯锌芯谢懈褋褌懈褌械 胁 斜褉邪薪褕邪 懈 褉械胁芯谢褞褑懈芯薪邪谢懈蟹懈褉邪泄泻懈 褑械谢懈褟 芯褌褉邪褋褗谢 斜械蟹 写邪 屑褍 屑懈谐薪械 芯泻芯褌芯.
袠褋褌懈薪褋泻邪褌邪 屑懈 褋褌褉邪褋褌 芯斜邪褔械 褋懈 芯褋褌邪胁邪褏邪 锌褉械写锌褉懈械屑邪褔懈褌械 芯褌 小懈谢懈褑懈械胁邪褌邪 写芯谢懈薪邪 (泻芯屑锌褞褌褗褉薪懈褌械 懈谐褉懈, 薪邪谢懈 锌芯屑薪懈褌械?), 薪芯 懈褋泻邪褏 写邪 薪邪褍褔邪 锌芯胁械褔械 蟹邪 懈屑械薪邪 褉邪蟹谢懈褔薪懈 芯褌 懈蟹褌褗褉泻邪薪懈褌械 芯褌 褍锌芯褌褉械斜邪 懈泻芯薪懈 小褌懈胁 袛卸芯斜褋 懈 袘懈谢 袚械泄褌褋. 袝褌芯 蟹邪褖芯 斜褟褏 懈蟹泻谢褞褔懈褌械谢薪芯 褉邪蟹胁褗谢薪褍胁邪薪邪, 褔械 芯褌泻褉懈褏 懈 锌褉械胁械写芯褏 (褋褗胁褋械屑 斜褍泻胁邪谢薪芯) 锌芯 褑械谢懈褟 锌褗褌 写芯 懈蟹写邪胁邪薪械褌芯 屑褍 褋斜芯褉薪懈泻邪 褋褌邪褌懈懈 薪邪 "肖芯褉斜褋" 蟹邪 褌褉械褌邪褌邪 胁褗谢薪邪 懈薪褌械褉薪械褌 屑懈谢懈邪褉写械褉懈 "". 小懈薪褌械蟹懈褉邪薪懈褌械 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈 薪邪 褍褋锌械褏邪 薪邪 褋褗蟹写邪褌械谢懈褌械 薪邪 Napster, Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram, PayPal, Tesla Motors 懈 屑薪芯谐芯 写褉褍谐懈 褋邪屑芯 懈蟹芯褋褌褉懈褏邪 邪锌械褌懈褌邪 屑懈 泻褗屑 锌芯写芯斜械薪 褉芯写 胁写褗褏薪芯胁褟胁邪褖懈 褔械褌懈胁邪. 袦褗褋泻 斜械褕械 褋褉械写 褌械蟹懈 褋褍锌械褉谐械褉芯懈 薪邪 薪芯胁芯褌芯 胁褉械屑械, 薪芯 20-褌懈薪邪 褋褌褉邪薪懈褑懈 薪褟屑邪 泻邪泻 写邪 芯斜褏胁邪薪邪褌 写芯褉懈 械写薪邪 屑懈泻褉芯褋泻芯锌懈褔薪邪 褔邪褋褌 芯褌 薪械谐芯胁懈褟 薪械薪芯褉屑邪谢薪芯 褟泻 卸懈胁芯褌, 写械谢芯 懈 谢懈褔薪芯褋褌. 袗锌械褌邪泄蟹褗褉褗褌 斜械褕械 锌褉械胁褗蟹褏芯写械薪 懈 泻褉邪褔泻邪褌邪 写芯 芯褋薪芯胁薪芯褌芯 斜谢褞写芯 褋械 芯泻邪蟹邪 薪械懈蟹斜械卸薪邪.
袠蟹泻谢褞褔懈褌械谢薪芯 褋褗屑 褖邪褋褌谢懈胁邪, 褔械 斜懈芯谐褉邪褎懈褟褌邪 薪邪 袠谢褗薪 袦褗褋泻 械 薪邪 斜褗谢谐邪褉褋泻懈褟 锌邪蟹邪褉, 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 褏芯褉邪 泻邪褌芯 薪械谐芯 褋械 褉邪卸写邪褌 屑薪芯谐芯 褉褟写泻芯 懈 械 邪斜褋芯谢褞褌薪芯 蟹邪写褗谢卸懈褌械谢薪芯 写邪 斜褗写邪褌 锌芯蟹薪邪褌懈 薪邪 胁褗蟹屑芯卸薪芯 薪邪泄-褕懈褉芯泻 泻褉褗谐 褔懈褌邪褌械谢懈. 袧褟屑邪 写邪 锌褉械褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪屑 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪, 褌褟 锌褉芯褋褌芯 褌褉褟斜胁邪 写邪 褋械 锌褉芯褔械褌械, 薪芯 褖械 胁懈 写邪屑 屑邪谢泻芯 屑芯褌懈胁邪褑懈褟 写邪 锌芯褋械谐薪械褌械 泻褗屑 薪械褟, 胁 褋谢褍褔邪泄 褔械 薪械 褋褌械 邪斜褋芯谢褞褌械薪 袦褗褋泻 褍谢褌褉邪褋, 泻邪泻褗胁褌芯 褋褗屑 邪蟹. 孝芯泄 械 褔芯胁械泻褗褌, 泻芯泄褌芯 芯褖械 薪邪 10-褌懈薪邪 谐芯写懈褕薪邪 胁褗蟹褉邪褋褌 械 锌褉芯褔械谢 锌褗谢薪芯褌芯 懈蟹写邪薪懈械 薪邪 械薪褑懈泻谢芯锌械写懈褟 "袘褉懈褌邪薪懈泻邪" 懈 屑芯卸械 写邪 褑懈褌懈褉邪 胁褋褟泻邪泻胁懈 褎邪泻褌懈 芯褌 薪械谐芯 薪邪懈蟹褍褋褌. 孝芯泄 械 械写懈薪 芯褌 芯褋薪芯胁邪褌械谢懈褌械 薪邪 "懈薪褌械褉薪械褌 斜邪薪泻邪褌邪" PayPal, 斜谢邪谐芯写邪褉械薪懈械 薪邪 泻芯褟褌芯 胁 屑芯屑械薪褌邪 屑懈谢懈芯薪懈 褏芯褉邪 懈蟹胁褗褉褕胁邪褌 芯薪谢邪泄薪 锌谢邪褖邪薪懈褟 蟹邪 褋械泻褍薪写懈 锌褉懈 屑邪泻褋懈屑邪谢薪芯 薪懈胁芯 薪邪 褋懈谐褍褉薪芯褋褌. 孝芯泄 械 胁懈蟹懈芯薪械褉褗褌, 泻芯泄褌芯 褋懈 械 锌芯褋褌邪胁懈谢 蟹邪 褑械谢 写邪 芯褋胁芯斜芯写懈 褏芯褉邪褌邪 芯褌 褌械卸泻邪褌邪 锌械褌褉芯谢薪邪 蟹邪胁懈褋懈屑芯褋褌 懈 褖械 胁泻邪褉邪 械谢械泻褌褉芯屑芯斜懈谢邪 胁 屑邪褋芯胁芯 锌褉芯懈蟹胁芯写褋褌胁芯 泻邪褌芯 谐芯 薪邪锌褉邪胁懈 褋褗褖械胁褉械屑械薪薪芯 褋懈谐褍褉薪邪 懈 薪械胁械褉芯褟褌薪芯 褋械泻褋懈 泻芯谢邪. 袧械 胁褟褉胁邪褌械? 袝褌芯 胁懈 褋薪懈屑泻邪 薪邪 Tesla Roadster, 泻芯泄褌芯 胁械褔械 械 胁 锌褉芯写邪卸斜邪 懈 褋械 械 锌褉械胁褗褉薪邪谢 胁 褋懈屑胁芯谢 薪邪 褋褌懈谢, 胁懈褋芯泻 芯斜褖械褋褌胁械薪 褋褌邪褌褍褋 懈 谐褉懈卸邪 蟹邪 芯锌邪蟹胁邪薪械 薪邪 锌褉懈褉芯写邪褌邪.
袦褗褋泻 薪械 褋锌懈褉邪 写芯 褌褍泻. 袧械谐芯胁邪褌邪 屑懈褋懈褟 胁 卸懈胁芯褌邪 械 写邪 芯褋懈谐褍褉懈 薪邪 褔芯胁械褔械褋褌胁芯褌芯 胁褗蟹屑芯卸薪芯褋褌 写邪 泻芯谢芯薪懈蟹懈褉邪 写褉褍谐懈 锌谢邪薪械褌懈, 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 械 褍斜械写械薪, 褔械 褉械褋褍褉褋懈褌械 薪邪 袟械屑褟褌邪 褋械 懈蟹褔械褉锌胁邪褌 褋 斜褟褋薪芯 褌械屑锌芯 懈 械写懈薪 写械薪 芯褑械谢褟胁邪薪械褌芯 薪邪 薪邪褕邪褌邪 褉邪褋邪 褖械 蟹邪胁懈褋懈 芯褌 褋锌芯褋芯斜薪芯褋褌褌邪 薪懈 写邪 卸懈胁械械屑 薪邪 袦邪褉褋. 袟胁褍褔懈 胁懈 泻邪褌芯 薪邪褍褔薪邪 褎邪薪褌邪褋褌懈泻邪? 些械 胁懈 褋锌芯写械谢褟 褋邪屑芯, 褔械 薪械谐芯胁邪褌邪 泻芯屑锌邪薪懈褟 SpaceX 械 锌褗褉胁邪褌邪 褔邪褋褌薪邪 泻芯褉锌芯褉邪褑懈褟, 泻芯褟褌芯 械 芯褎懈褑懈邪谢械薪 写芯褋褌邪胁褔懈泻 薪邪 袧袗小袗 懈 械 芯褋褗褖械褋褌胁懈谢邪 褋泻邪褔胁邪薪械 褋 屑械卸写褍薪邪褉芯写薪邪褌邪 泻芯褋屑懈褔械褋泻邪 褋褌邪薪褑懈褟. SpaceX 褉邪斜芯褌懈 褍褋懈谢械薪芯 薪邪写 褋褗蟹写邪胁邪薪械褌芯 薪邪 褉邪泻械褌懈 蟹邪 屑薪芯谐芯泻褉邪褌薪邪 褍锌芯褌褉械斜邪. 袩褉械写褋褌邪胁械褌械 褋懈 泻邪泻胁邪 褉械胁芯谢褞褑懈褟 蟹邪 泻芯褋屑懈褔械锟斤拷泻懈褟 斜懈蟹薪械褋 斜懈 斜懈谢芯 锌芯写芯斜薪芯 锌芯褋褌懈卸械薪懈械! 孝芯 褖械 写芯胁械写械 写芯 写褉邪褋褌懈褔薪芯 薪邪屑邪谢褟胁邪薪械 薪邪 褑械薪懈褌械 薪邪 泻芯褋屑懈褔械褋泻懈褌械 锌芯谢械褌懈, 锌械褋褌械薪械 薪邪 褉械褋褍褉褋懈 懈 胁褉械屑械, 泻邪泻褌芯 懈 褔邪褋褌懈褔薪芯 褉械褕械薪懈械 薪邪 薪械屑邪谢泻懈褟 锌褉芯斜谢械屑 褋 泻芯褋屑懈褔械褋泻懈褟 斜芯泻谢褍泻.
袠 褌芯胁邪 薪械 械 胁褋懈褔泻芯. 袦褗褋泻 械 械写懈薪 芯褌 芯褋薪芯胁薪懈褌械 懈薪胁械褋褌懈褌芯褉懈 胁 泻芯屑锌邪薪懈褟褌邪 蟹邪 褋芯谢邪褉薪懈 锌邪薪械谢懈 SolarCity, 泻邪泻褌芯 懈 胁 芯褖械 薪褟泻芯谢泻芯 薪邪褔懈薪邪薪懈褟, 蟹邪 泻芯懈褌芯 写芯褉懈 薪褟屑邪 写邪 蟹邪锌芯褔薪邪 写邪 胁懈 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪屑. 小邪屑邪褌邪 屑褍 谢懈褔薪芯褋褌 械 械泻褋褌褉械屑薪邪, 斜褉褍褌邪谢薪芯 褌胁褗褉写邪 懈 斜械蟹泻芯屑锌褉芯屑懈褋薪邪, 薪芯 褌邪泻褗胁 褌褉褟斜胁邪 写邪 斜褗写械褕, 蟹邪 写邪 蟹邪胁械写械褕 械写薪邪 褑褟谢邪 褉邪褋邪 薪邪 写褉褍谐邪 锌谢邪薪械褌邪. 袝写懈薪 芯褌 薪邪泄-斜谢懈蟹泻懈褌械 褋褗褌褉褍写薪懈褑懈 薪邪 袦褗褋泻 褋锌芯写械谢褟 胁 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪, 褔械 褌芯泄 懈屑邪谢 薪邪胁懈泻邪 写邪 褌懈 芯褌锌褉邪胁褟 械写懈薪 懈薪褌械薪懈蟹胁械薪, 谢械泻芯 薪邪谢褍写薪懈褔邪胁 锌芯谐谢械写, 褋谢械写 泻芯泄褌芯 邪斜褋芯谢褞褌薪芯 胁褟褉胁邪褕, 褔械 械泄 褋械谐邪 褖械 褋褌褗锌懈屑 薪邪 袦邪褉褋. 袗蟹 胁褟褉胁邪屑, 邪 胁懈械?
校卸邪褋薪芯 芯斜懈褔邪屑 写邪 褔械褌邪 斜懈芯谐褉邪褎懈懈 薪邪 谢褍写懈 褍褔械薪懈, 邪斜褋芯谢褞褌薪懈 懈薪芯胁邪褌芯褉懈 懈 懈蟹芯斜褖芯 褏芯褉邪, 泻芯懈褌芯 懈屑邪褌 芯褌泻邪褔械薪懈 懈写械懈 懈 薪械 褋械 褋褌褉邪褏褍胁邪褌 写邪 谐懈 锌褉械褋谢械写胁邪褌 写芯 泻褉邪泄, 薪械蟹邪胁懈褋懈屑芯 芯褌 锌褉械锌褟褌褋褌胁懈褟褌邪 锌芯 锌褗褌褟 懈 锌褉懈褋屑械褏邪 薪邪 芯斜懈泻薪芯胁械薪懈褌械 褏芯褉邪. 袩褗褉胁邪褌邪 屑懈 褋褉械褖邪 褋 锌芯写芯斜薪邪 泻薪懈谐邪 斜械褕械 邪胁褌芯斜懈芯谐褉邪褎懈褟褌邪 薪邪 袪懈褔邪褉写 袘褉邪薪褋褗薪 "". 些械 褋懈 锌褉懈蟹薪邪褟, 褔械 写芯 芯薪蟹懈 屑芯屑械薪褌 薪械 斜褟褏 褔褍胁邪谢邪 邪斜褋芯谢褞褌薪芯 薪懈褖芯 蟹邪 薪械谐芯, 薪芯 褋谢械写 泻邪褌芯 蟹邪褌胁芯褉懈褏 锌芯褋谢械写薪邪褌邪 褋褌褉邪薪懈褑邪 胁械褔械 屑褍 斜褟褏 斜械蟹锌邪屑械褌械薪 褎械薪 懈 屑芯谐邪 写邪 谐芯胁芯褉褟 锌芯 褌械屑邪褌邪 褋 褔邪褋芯胁械. 孝芯褔薪芯 泻邪褌芯 袦褗褋泻 袘褉邪薪褋褗薪 薪邪胁谢懈蟹邪 斜械蟹 泻芯谢械斜邪薪懈械 胁 屑芯褖薪懈 懈 蟹邪泻芯褋褌械薪械谢懈 懈薪写褍褋褌褉懈懈 泻邪褌芯 谐褉邪卸写邪薪褋泻邪 邪胁懈邪褑懈褟, 卸械谢械蟹芯锌褗褌械薪 褌褉邪薪褋锌芯褉褌 懈 泻芯褋屑懈褔械褋泻懈 锌芯谢械褌懈, 懈蟹锌褉邪胁褟泄泻懈 褋械 褋褉械褖褍 屑芯薪芯锌芯谢懈褋褌懈褌械 胁 斜褉邪薪褕邪 懈 褉械胁芯谢褞褑懈芯薪邪谢懈蟹懈褉邪泄泻懈 褑械谢懈褟 芯褌褉邪褋褗谢 斜械蟹 写邪 屑褍 屑懈谐薪械 芯泻芯褌芯.
袠褋褌懈薪褋泻邪褌邪 屑懈 褋褌褉邪褋褌 芯斜邪褔械 褋懈 芯褋褌邪胁邪褏邪 锌褉械写锌褉懈械屑邪褔懈褌械 芯褌 小懈谢懈褑懈械胁邪褌邪 写芯谢懈薪邪 (泻芯屑锌褞褌褗褉薪懈褌械 懈谐褉懈, 薪邪谢懈 锌芯屑薪懈褌械?), 薪芯 懈褋泻邪褏 写邪 薪邪褍褔邪 锌芯胁械褔械 蟹邪 懈屑械薪邪 褉邪蟹谢懈褔薪懈 芯褌 懈蟹褌褗褉泻邪薪懈褌械 芯褌 褍锌芯褌褉械斜邪 懈泻芯薪懈 小褌懈胁 袛卸芯斜褋 懈 袘懈谢 袚械泄褌褋. 袝褌芯 蟹邪褖芯 斜褟褏 懈蟹泻谢褞褔懈褌械谢薪芯 褉邪蟹胁褗谢薪褍胁邪薪邪, 褔械 芯褌泻褉懈褏 懈 锌褉械胁械写芯褏 (褋褗胁褋械屑 斜褍泻胁邪谢薪芯) 锌芯 褑械谢懈褟 锌褗褌 写芯 懈蟹写邪胁邪薪械褌芯 屑褍 褋斜芯褉薪懈泻邪 褋褌邪褌懈懈 薪邪 "肖芯褉斜褋" 蟹邪 褌褉械褌邪褌邪 胁褗谢薪邪 懈薪褌械褉薪械褌 屑懈谢懈邪褉写械褉懈 "". 小懈薪褌械蟹懈褉邪薪懈褌械 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈 薪邪 褍褋锌械褏邪 薪邪 褋褗蟹写邪褌械谢懈褌械 薪邪 Napster, Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram, PayPal, Tesla Motors 懈 屑薪芯谐芯 写褉褍谐懈 褋邪屑芯 懈蟹芯褋褌褉懈褏邪 邪锌械褌懈褌邪 屑懈 泻褗屑 锌芯写芯斜械薪 褉芯写 胁写褗褏薪芯胁褟胁邪褖懈 褔械褌懈胁邪. 袦褗褋泻 斜械褕械 褋褉械写 褌械蟹懈 褋褍锌械褉谐械褉芯懈 薪邪 薪芯胁芯褌芯 胁褉械屑械, 薪芯 20-褌懈薪邪 褋褌褉邪薪懈褑懈 薪褟屑邪 泻邪泻 写邪 芯斜褏胁邪薪邪褌 写芯褉懈 械写薪邪 屑懈泻褉芯褋泻芯锌懈褔薪邪 褔邪褋褌 芯褌 薪械谐芯胁懈褟 薪械薪芯褉屑邪谢薪芯 褟泻 卸懈胁芯褌, 写械谢芯 懈 谢懈褔薪芯褋褌. 袗锌械褌邪泄蟹褗褉褗褌 斜械褕械 锌褉械胁褗蟹褏芯写械薪 懈 泻褉邪褔泻邪褌邪 写芯 芯褋薪芯胁薪芯褌芯 斜谢褞写芯 褋械 芯泻邪蟹邪 薪械懈蟹斜械卸薪邪.
袠蟹泻谢褞褔懈褌械谢薪芯 褋褗屑 褖邪褋褌谢懈胁邪, 褔械 斜懈芯谐褉邪褎懈褟褌邪 薪邪 袠谢褗薪 袦褗褋泻 械 薪邪 斜褗谢谐邪褉褋泻懈褟 锌邪蟹邪褉, 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 褏芯褉邪 泻邪褌芯 薪械谐芯 褋械 褉邪卸写邪褌 屑薪芯谐芯 褉褟写泻芯 懈 械 邪斜褋芯谢褞褌薪芯 蟹邪写褗谢卸懈褌械谢薪芯 写邪 斜褗写邪褌 锌芯蟹薪邪褌懈 薪邪 胁褗蟹屑芯卸薪芯 薪邪泄-褕懈褉芯泻 泻褉褗谐 褔懈褌邪褌械谢懈. 袧褟屑邪 写邪 锌褉械褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪屑 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪, 褌褟 锌褉芯褋褌芯 褌褉褟斜胁邪 写邪 褋械 锌褉芯褔械褌械, 薪芯 褖械 胁懈 写邪屑 屑邪谢泻芯 屑芯褌懈胁邪褑懈褟 写邪 锌芯褋械谐薪械褌械 泻褗屑 薪械褟, 胁 褋谢褍褔邪泄 褔械 薪械 褋褌械 邪斜褋芯谢褞褌械薪 袦褗褋泻 褍谢褌褉邪褋, 泻邪泻褗胁褌芯 褋褗屑 邪蟹. 孝芯泄 械 褔芯胁械泻褗褌, 泻芯泄褌芯 芯褖械 薪邪 10-褌懈薪邪 谐芯写懈褕薪邪 胁褗蟹褉邪褋褌 械 锌褉芯褔械谢 锌褗谢薪芯褌芯 懈蟹写邪薪懈械 薪邪 械薪褑懈泻谢芯锌械写懈褟 "袘褉懈褌邪薪懈泻邪" 懈 屑芯卸械 写邪 褑懈褌懈褉邪 胁褋褟泻邪泻胁懈 褎邪泻褌懈 芯褌 薪械谐芯 薪邪懈蟹褍褋褌. 孝芯泄 械 械写懈薪 芯褌 芯褋薪芯胁邪褌械谢懈褌械 薪邪 "懈薪褌械褉薪械褌 斜邪薪泻邪褌邪" PayPal, 斜谢邪谐芯写邪褉械薪懈械 薪邪 泻芯褟褌芯 胁 屑芯屑械薪褌邪 屑懈谢懈芯薪懈 褏芯褉邪 懈蟹胁褗褉褕胁邪褌 芯薪谢邪泄薪 锌谢邪褖邪薪懈褟 蟹邪 褋械泻褍薪写懈 锌褉懈 屑邪泻褋懈屑邪谢薪芯 薪懈胁芯 薪邪 褋懈谐褍褉薪芯褋褌. 孝芯泄 械 胁懈蟹懈芯薪械褉褗褌, 泻芯泄褌芯 褋懈 械 锌芯褋褌邪胁懈谢 蟹邪 褑械谢 写邪 芯褋胁芯斜芯写懈 褏芯褉邪褌邪 芯褌 褌械卸泻邪褌邪 锌械褌褉芯谢薪邪 蟹邪胁懈褋懈屑芯褋褌 懈 褖械 胁泻邪褉邪 械谢械泻褌褉芯屑芯斜懈谢邪 胁 屑邪褋芯胁芯 锌褉芯懈蟹胁芯写褋褌胁芯 泻邪褌芯 谐芯 薪邪锌褉邪胁懈 褋褗褖械胁褉械屑械薪薪芯 褋懈谐褍褉薪邪 懈 薪械胁械褉芯褟褌薪芯 褋械泻褋懈 泻芯谢邪. 袧械 胁褟褉胁邪褌械? 袝褌芯 胁懈 褋薪懈屑泻邪 薪邪 Tesla Roadster, 泻芯泄褌芯 胁械褔械 械 胁 锌褉芯写邪卸斜邪 懈 褋械 械 锌褉械胁褗褉薪邪谢 胁 褋懈屑胁芯谢 薪邪 褋褌懈谢, 胁懈褋芯泻 芯斜褖械褋褌胁械薪 褋褌邪褌褍褋 懈 谐褉懈卸邪 蟹邪 芯锌邪蟹胁邪薪械 薪邪 锌褉懈褉芯写邪褌邪.
袦褗褋泻 薪械 褋锌懈褉邪 写芯 褌褍泻. 袧械谐芯胁邪褌邪 屑懈褋懈褟 胁 卸懈胁芯褌邪 械 写邪 芯褋懈谐褍褉懈 薪邪 褔芯胁械褔械褋褌胁芯褌芯 胁褗蟹屑芯卸薪芯褋褌 写邪 泻芯谢芯薪懈蟹懈褉邪 写褉褍谐懈 锌谢邪薪械褌懈, 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 械 褍斜械写械薪, 褔械 褉械褋褍褉褋懈褌械 薪邪 袟械屑褟褌邪 褋械 懈蟹褔械褉锌胁邪褌 褋 斜褟褋薪芯 褌械屑锌芯 懈 械写懈薪 写械薪 芯褑械谢褟胁邪薪械褌芯 薪邪 薪邪褕邪褌邪 褉邪褋邪 褖械 蟹邪胁懈褋懈 芯褌 褋锌芯褋芯斜薪芯褋褌褌邪 薪懈 写邪 卸懈胁械械屑 薪邪 袦邪褉褋. 袟胁褍褔懈 胁懈 泻邪褌芯 薪邪褍褔薪邪 褎邪薪褌邪褋褌懈泻邪? 些械 胁懈 褋锌芯写械谢褟 褋邪屑芯, 褔械 薪械谐芯胁邪褌邪 泻芯屑锌邪薪懈褟 SpaceX 械 锌褗褉胁邪褌邪 褔邪褋褌薪邪 泻芯褉锌芯褉邪褑懈褟, 泻芯褟褌芯 械 芯褎懈褑懈邪谢械薪 写芯褋褌邪胁褔懈泻 薪邪 袧袗小袗 懈 械 芯褋褗褖械褋褌胁懈谢邪 褋泻邪褔胁邪薪械 褋 屑械卸写褍薪邪褉芯写薪邪褌邪 泻芯褋屑懈褔械褋泻邪 褋褌邪薪褑懈褟. SpaceX 褉邪斜芯褌懈 褍褋懈谢械薪芯 薪邪写 褋褗蟹写邪胁邪薪械褌芯 薪邪 褉邪泻械褌懈 蟹邪 屑薪芯谐芯泻褉邪褌薪邪 褍锌芯褌褉械斜邪. 袩褉械写褋褌邪胁械褌械 褋懈 泻邪泻胁邪 褉械胁芯谢褞褑懈褟 蟹邪 泻芯褋屑懈褔械锟斤拷泻懈褟 斜懈蟹薪械褋 斜懈 斜懈谢芯 锌芯写芯斜薪芯 锌芯褋褌懈卸械薪懈械! 孝芯 褖械 写芯胁械写械 写芯 写褉邪褋褌懈褔薪芯 薪邪屑邪谢褟胁邪薪械 薪邪 褑械薪懈褌械 薪邪 泻芯褋屑懈褔械褋泻懈褌械 锌芯谢械褌懈, 锌械褋褌械薪械 薪邪 褉械褋褍褉褋懈 懈 胁褉械屑械, 泻邪泻褌芯 懈 褔邪褋褌懈褔薪芯 褉械褕械薪懈械 薪邪 薪械屑邪谢泻懈褟 锌褉芯斜谢械屑 褋 泻芯褋屑懈褔械褋泻懈褟 斜芯泻谢褍泻.
袠 褌芯胁邪 薪械 械 胁褋懈褔泻芯. 袦褗褋泻 械 械写懈薪 芯褌 芯褋薪芯胁薪懈褌械 懈薪胁械褋褌懈褌芯褉懈 胁 泻芯屑锌邪薪懈褟褌邪 蟹邪 褋芯谢邪褉薪懈 锌邪薪械谢懈 SolarCity, 泻邪泻褌芯 懈 胁 芯褖械 薪褟泻芯谢泻芯 薪邪褔懈薪邪薪懈褟, 蟹邪 泻芯懈褌芯 写芯褉懈 薪褟屑邪 写邪 蟹邪锌芯褔薪邪 写邪 胁懈 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪屑. 小邪屑邪褌邪 屑褍 谢懈褔薪芯褋褌 械 械泻褋褌褉械屑薪邪, 斜褉褍褌邪谢薪芯 褌胁褗褉写邪 懈 斜械蟹泻芯屑锌褉芯屑懈褋薪邪, 薪芯 褌邪泻褗胁 褌褉褟斜胁邪 写邪 斜褗写械褕, 蟹邪 写邪 蟹邪胁械写械褕 械写薪邪 褑褟谢邪 褉邪褋邪 薪邪 写褉褍谐邪 锌谢邪薪械褌邪. 袝写懈薪 芯褌 薪邪泄-斜谢懈蟹泻懈褌械 褋褗褌褉褍写薪懈褑懈 薪邪 袦褗褋泻 褋锌芯写械谢褟 胁 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪, 褔械 褌芯泄 懈屑邪谢 薪邪胁懈泻邪 写邪 褌懈 芯褌锌褉邪胁褟 械写懈薪 懈薪褌械薪懈蟹胁械薪, 谢械泻芯 薪邪谢褍写薪懈褔邪胁 锌芯谐谢械写, 褋谢械写 泻芯泄褌芯 邪斜褋芯谢褞褌薪芯 胁褟褉胁邪褕, 褔械 械泄 褋械谐邪 褖械 褋褌褗锌懈屑 薪邪 袦邪褉褋. 袗蟹 胁褟褉胁邪屑, 邪 胁懈械?
June 19, 2015
I can't believe how many good reviews this book has. It's absolutely terrible. The initial chapters are so contrived it's unbelievable, they're one liner interviews from Musk's schoolmates and they say things like 'Musk was sat on the step questioning whether banks would ever be paperless.' Lo and behold he then goes to co-found PayPal. There's pretty much the exact same situation when he meets his first girlfriend - 'The first thing Musk said to me was that he though a lot about electric cars.
Come on.
Come on.
October 11, 2021
Elon Musk is a revolutionary entrepreneur of the 21st century. His life was full of struggles whether it's a family affair or a professional one. He has witnessed a long list of hardships in his life but he never scummed to those. The book by Ashlee Vance has wonderfully written those pieces of information that will be very delightful for the readers to read.
He was thrown out of Paypal, multiple failures of SpaceX and many more came in his life. He took lessons from his failures and never stopped there. Now, we all know who is Mr Elon Musk.
He was thrown out of Paypal, multiple failures of SpaceX and many more came in his life. He took lessons from his failures and never stopped there. Now, we all know who is Mr Elon Musk.
March 28, 2025
Think Elon Musk and the first few words that would come to mind would be brilliant, innovative, passionate, successful, rich, famous, and so on. But hardly anyone would think eccentric or rude or arrogant. "Elon Musk: SpaceX, Tesla and the Quest for a Fantastic Future" reveals the true Elon Musk like nothing else.
I've admired Elon Musk since a long time, for his brains and lateral ideas vis-脿-vis his plans for Mars travel and electric cars. Thus it was not a difficult decision to go for this book. And what an enjoyable ride it has been! I'm more in awe of the man now, though I have also come to realise that I could never work under a boss such as him.
"Elon Musk: SpaceX, Tesla and the Quest for a Fantastic Future" covers the extraordinary life of this talented inventor-cum-businessman in great detail. From his childhood pains to his troubled marriages, from his early ventures to his plans for the future, from his tragedies to his triumphs, nothing has been left unturned. You get a complete inside picture into the story of a man who has achieved such tremendous success with a bit of luck and a whole lot of hard work & sacrifice, and with no compromise on his dreams and beliefs.
Ashlee Vance does a splendid job of uncovering the man behind the myth. As a true biographer should, he has made this book totally unbiased and thoroughly researched. A spade has been called a spade without any sycophantic attitude. And that's what takes this book even further up a notch.
For anyone who enjoys biographies, for anyone who loves business books, for anyone who admires lateral thinking, for anyone who wants to see the private battles fought by the publicly successful, and for anyone who is a fan of Elon Musk, this book is a must.
The only downside of the book has been this creation of a strangely unnatural craving in my heart to own a Tesla car. I have never ever been a car person but the way the Model S has been described in the book, oh my! Hope this idiotic desire dies soon. I really can't afford a Tesla! 馃槀馃槀
Disclaimer: In my defence, I read this in 2019, much before I discovered that Elon Musk is a nutcase. I still have good feelings for the book and author Ashlee Vance (I admire his lack of bias in this book even more now. He truly gauged Musk's autocratic behaviour well before the world did!), but all the positive adjectives next to Musk's name have flown away with the little Tweetie bird. Currently, he is just 'X' to me.
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I've admired Elon Musk since a long time, for his brains and lateral ideas vis-脿-vis his plans for Mars travel and electric cars. Thus it was not a difficult decision to go for this book. And what an enjoyable ride it has been! I'm more in awe of the man now, though I have also come to realise that I could never work under a boss such as him.
"Elon Musk: SpaceX, Tesla and the Quest for a Fantastic Future" covers the extraordinary life of this talented inventor-cum-businessman in great detail. From his childhood pains to his troubled marriages, from his early ventures to his plans for the future, from his tragedies to his triumphs, nothing has been left unturned. You get a complete inside picture into the story of a man who has achieved such tremendous success with a bit of luck and a whole lot of hard work & sacrifice, and with no compromise on his dreams and beliefs.
Ashlee Vance does a splendid job of uncovering the man behind the myth. As a true biographer should, he has made this book totally unbiased and thoroughly researched. A spade has been called a spade without any sycophantic attitude. And that's what takes this book even further up a notch.
For anyone who enjoys biographies, for anyone who loves business books, for anyone who admires lateral thinking, for anyone who wants to see the private battles fought by the publicly successful, and for anyone who is a fan of Elon Musk, this book is a must.
The only downside of the book has been this creation of a strangely unnatural craving in my heart to own a Tesla car. I have never ever been a car person but the way the Model S has been described in the book, oh my! Hope this idiotic desire dies soon. I really can't afford a Tesla! 馃槀馃槀
Disclaimer: In my defence, I read this in 2019, much before I discovered that Elon Musk is a nutcase. I still have good feelings for the book and author Ashlee Vance (I admire his lack of bias in this book even more now. He truly gauged Musk's autocratic behaviour well before the world did!), but all the positive adjectives next to Musk's name have flown away with the little Tweetie bird. Currently, he is just 'X' to me.
****
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September 14, 2016
Really enjoying this book, but I'm struck by how Musk, like Jobs and Bezos, is a total asshole. A Space-X employee missed a work event to witness his child's birth, and Musk calls him on the carpet for it. He expects his employees to have no life and discards people as soon as they're no longer useful. Just a nightmare boss. Not somebody I'd ever want to work with. Apparently I'm not the only one who had this thought. From NY Times:
All three of these dudes are clearly geniuses who have advanced the state of the art and changed the world. iPhone, amazon, ehhhh tesla (jury's out). But I have to believe you could get there without treating your employees like shit.
Is it a patriarchy/male thing? Who knows. Maybe female billionaire tycoons are all assholes too.
Kudos to the first self-made billionaire who manages to change the game multiple times (at the level of iphone/pixar, tesla/space x, amazon/kindle) WITHOUT abusing employees and trampling people's lives. It has to be possible
As I was reading Ashlee Vance鈥檚 鈥淓lon Musk: Tesla, Space X and the Quest for a Fantastic Future,鈥� I was alternately awed and disheartened, almost exactly the same ambivalence I felt after reading Walter Isaacson鈥檚 鈥淪teve Jobs鈥� and Brad Stone鈥檚 鈥淭he Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon.鈥�
The three leaders are arguably the most extraordinary business visionaries of our times. Each of them has introduced unique products that changed 鈥� or in Mr. Musk鈥檚 case, have huge potential to change 鈥� the way we live.
I was awed by the innovative, courageous, persistent and creative ways all three built their businesses. I also love their products. I own a Mac Pro and an iPhone, and I have been a loyal customer of Apple for 20 years. I buy many books and other products on Amazon, lured by a blend of low prices, ease of purchase and reliably quick delivery. The Tesla Model S is hands down the best car I have ever driven, and it鈥檚 all electric, rechargeable in your garage.
Plainly, I have bought in to what these guys are selling.
What disheartens me is how little care and appreciation any of them give (or in Mr. Jobs鈥檚 case, gave) to hard-working and loyal employees, and how unnecessarily cruel and demeaning they could be to the people who helped make their dreams come true.
All three of these dudes are clearly geniuses who have advanced the state of the art and changed the world. iPhone, amazon, ehhhh tesla (jury's out). But I have to believe you could get there without treating your employees like shit.
Is it a patriarchy/male thing? Who knows. Maybe female billionaire tycoons are all assholes too.
Kudos to the first self-made billionaire who manages to change the game multiple times (at the level of iphone/pixar, tesla/space x, amazon/kindle) WITHOUT abusing employees and trampling people's lives. It has to be possible
July 22, 2015
I鈥檓 super interested in Elon Musk and this book provided me insight into the way he thinks, what drives him, how he gets things done, etc.
Some small criticisms--
There were times I noticed information that was being repeated, which made it feel like Vance may have written each chapter separately or without certainty of what order the chapters would be included in the book. Also, while I liked the conversational tone of the writing, it was not what I鈥檓 used to from biographies.
A larger criticism鈥�
I don鈥檛 know if Vance intended to write this book as a disinterested third party, but it was evident to me that by the end, he was too close to his subject to do so. Musk鈥檚 鈥渇ailures鈥濃€攈is cold dealings with people, his tendency to lose the trees in the forest (which is 100% not how that saying goes), his ruthlessness with people who have sacrificed a great deal for his business and his dreams鈥攁re treated as necessary (and therefore forgivable) for the incredibly amazing things Musk has decided to do with his life and money. And while I think I agree, I鈥檓 not sure that I wanted the biographer to make that decision for me.
After reading this book, it鈥檚 easy for me to forgive all of Musk鈥檚 interpersonal failures because I鈥檓 inspired by the things he dreams up, the way he pursues the 鈥渋mpossible鈥� things, and the fact that he has found a purpose in life and doesn鈥檛 let things like money and celebrity distract him from that purpose. However, I鈥檓 not a casualty of these failures and can鈥檛 imagine that I鈥檇 like to be written off so easily if I was.
Okay, this hasn鈥檛 sounded like a 4-star review so far, but let me assure you that this book is interesting, well researched, has insight that I presume only Silicon Valley insiders had before, and is incredibly inspiring.
Some small criticisms--
There were times I noticed information that was being repeated, which made it feel like Vance may have written each chapter separately or without certainty of what order the chapters would be included in the book. Also, while I liked the conversational tone of the writing, it was not what I鈥檓 used to from biographies.
A larger criticism鈥�
I don鈥檛 know if Vance intended to write this book as a disinterested third party, but it was evident to me that by the end, he was too close to his subject to do so. Musk鈥檚 鈥渇ailures鈥濃€攈is cold dealings with people, his tendency to lose the trees in the forest (which is 100% not how that saying goes), his ruthlessness with people who have sacrificed a great deal for his business and his dreams鈥攁re treated as necessary (and therefore forgivable) for the incredibly amazing things Musk has decided to do with his life and money. And while I think I agree, I鈥檓 not sure that I wanted the biographer to make that decision for me.
After reading this book, it鈥檚 easy for me to forgive all of Musk鈥檚 interpersonal failures because I鈥檓 inspired by the things he dreams up, the way he pursues the 鈥渋mpossible鈥� things, and the fact that he has found a purpose in life and doesn鈥檛 let things like money and celebrity distract him from that purpose. However, I鈥檓 not a casualty of these failures and can鈥檛 imagine that I鈥檇 like to be written off so easily if I was.
Okay, this hasn鈥檛 sounded like a 4-star review so far, but let me assure you that this book is interesting, well researched, has insight that I presume only Silicon Valley insiders had before, and is incredibly inspiring.
May 7, 2017
At first, the idea of reading 380-page autobiography about a technology-savvy made me downhearted. However, eventually I extremely relish this book that I cannot put it down.
Takeaways:
1. There is nothing wrong about being an introvert and enjoying reading books. You will find a lot of inspirations for your career. Don't give up your childhood dream.
2. Working hard is the only way that lead to success. I vividly remember that he has to take about 170 flights a year. Thanks for his hard work, he contributes tremendously to our modern world. Musk is the founder of SpaceX, co-founder of Zip 2, Paypal, Tesla and SolarCity.
3. Always seek to minimize monopoly in every industry. SpaceX helps US government save a lot of money to lauch satellites, instead of relying on Russian providers.
Takeaways:
1. There is nothing wrong about being an introvert and enjoying reading books. You will find a lot of inspirations for your career. Don't give up your childhood dream.
2. Working hard is the only way that lead to success. I vividly remember that he has to take about 170 flights a year. Thanks for his hard work, he contributes tremendously to our modern world. Musk is the founder of SpaceX, co-founder of Zip 2, Paypal, Tesla and SolarCity.
3. Always seek to minimize monopoly in every industry. SpaceX helps US government save a lot of money to lauch satellites, instead of relying on Russian providers.
June 30, 2016
This is an incredibly inspiring book, a important look into a game-changing worldview, and a valuable lesson to the world. As Musk says, "If something is important enough, even if the odds are against you, you should still do it."
Strangely enough, I've followed Space X' and Tesla's progress for a very long time, but I never actually read many things about the person behind them. I still cannot believe what a visionary Elon Musk is, and how persistent he's about anything he does. He is a mad scientist, inventor, business mogul and visionary all at the same time, and all these play equally important role in his life. For obvious reasons, his - let's say - philanthropy strikes the most sensitive chord in anyone who's even remotely troubled by what's going on on this planet. His philanthropic vision though does not consist in giving his billions away, but in trying to make his businesses succeed in order to save humanity from itself, before the planet we live on collapses.
鈥淗e鈥檚 the possessed genius on the grandest quest anyone has ever concocted. He鈥檚 less a C.E.O. chasing riches than a general marshaling troops to secure victory. Where Mark Zuckerberg wants to help you share baby photos, Musk wants to ... well ... save the human race from self-imposed or accidental annihilation."
Mr. Vance curbs his enthusiasm and delivers a well-calibrated portrait of Mr. Musk. The best thing about the book is that it tells Elon Musk鈥檚 story simply and well. It鈥檚 the story of an intelligent man, for sure. But more so it is the story of a determined one. The insights into the respective industries are truly compelling - Mr. Vance brings us up to date on the states of green energy and space launches. He also veers away from his subject just often enough, offering profiles of the frequently brilliant people who work alongside Mr. Musk.
I'm so very pleased that many of the things discussed in the book as future plans are already happening (safely reusing rockets is one step nearer after the successful landing of Falcon 9 in April, while the first affordable electric car that's more attractive than the best sport cars was unveiled in March, and it has a price tag of 35 000 USD).
I'm too old to hang a poster of Musk in my bedroom, but I've found a new crush, and I'll continue to follow his progress in awe and admiration. Humanity may still have a chance.
Strangely enough, I've followed Space X' and Tesla's progress for a very long time, but I never actually read many things about the person behind them. I still cannot believe what a visionary Elon Musk is, and how persistent he's about anything he does. He is a mad scientist, inventor, business mogul and visionary all at the same time, and all these play equally important role in his life. For obvious reasons, his - let's say - philanthropy strikes the most sensitive chord in anyone who's even remotely troubled by what's going on on this planet. His philanthropic vision though does not consist in giving his billions away, but in trying to make his businesses succeed in order to save humanity from itself, before the planet we live on collapses.
鈥淗e鈥檚 the possessed genius on the grandest quest anyone has ever concocted. He鈥檚 less a C.E.O. chasing riches than a general marshaling troops to secure victory. Where Mark Zuckerberg wants to help you share baby photos, Musk wants to ... well ... save the human race from self-imposed or accidental annihilation."
Mr. Vance curbs his enthusiasm and delivers a well-calibrated portrait of Mr. Musk. The best thing about the book is that it tells Elon Musk鈥檚 story simply and well. It鈥檚 the story of an intelligent man, for sure. But more so it is the story of a determined one. The insights into the respective industries are truly compelling - Mr. Vance brings us up to date on the states of green energy and space launches. He also veers away from his subject just often enough, offering profiles of the frequently brilliant people who work alongside Mr. Musk.
I'm so very pleased that many of the things discussed in the book as future plans are already happening (safely reusing rockets is one step nearer after the successful landing of Falcon 9 in April, while the first affordable electric car that's more attractive than the best sport cars was unveiled in March, and it has a price tag of 35 000 USD).
I'm too old to hang a poster of Musk in my bedroom, but I've found a new crush, and I'll continue to follow his progress in awe and admiration. Humanity may still have a chance.
January 12, 2020
Really Interesting.
Want to read
August 14, 2020amzin
November 11, 2015
Google鈥檚 Larry Page says that 鈥橤ood ideas are always crazy until they are not鈥� and this is a statement of truth. If before 2007, someone were audacious enough to tell you that a mobile phone made in the US will turn the industry on its head then you would have called that a crazy notion. If prior to 1998, someone would have said that a website will come along and would grow beyond its role as a search engine into a part of life itself that would have been called crazy too. Every other thing from a light bulb to a movie to a car to sliced bread were all crazy ideas at one time. It only took an individual or a group to persist through this period of ridicule and name calling to finally make these crazy notions come to life .Then there is this man : Elon Musk .His dreams of cheaper space travel, sustainable and clean energy and electric cars were laughed off as the dreams of just another batshit crazy Silicon Valley entrepreneur. Elon founded one company, took over another and invested in a third all three of which were called epic fails by the industry pundits. Time however proved Elon right and all three companies (SpaceX, Tesla and Solar City)are now stuff of lore. How did these companies manage to break through against all these odds and how did Elon manage to drive them to achieve more and more- this is the crux of this book.
To me this book was more about SpaceX and Tesla than Elon鈥檚 biography. I did come across a lot of articles that detailed his management style, the apparent lack of empathy and of pushing people to the last shreds of their performance but the ultimate vision that these companies embody might not be compatible to a softer management style. Take SpaceX, whose stated vision is to make human beings as a multiplanetary race in the days to come. This is one of the grandest, loftiest visions a company can have as its raison d'锚tre . Now this is a binary vision as in you either make it to space and colonize or you fail as a company. The objective is monstrously big and for a company striving to reach it there can be no excuses or compromises. Everybody breaks their back working to get human beings to space. Elon, who heads the company and who formulated the vision then works double hard and puts in twice more than any other employee to move closer to realizing that vision. Slips in performance from individuals or teams will not be tolerated and Musk & Co burn through employees like firewood. You can look at it from the perspective of a conventional organization and say that such a methodology is bad for you but then there are loads of talented people waiting in line to be hired into SpaceX or Tesla to get their hands on these projects. This by no means is a justification for abrasive management practices from Musk or for the gruelling work hours of these firms. But truth be told complacency was what unseated the competitors for both these organizations. Ashlee Vance makes an analogy by comparing the industry placidity that surrounded iPhones. When the iPhone came out, everyone called it an overpriced rich man鈥檚 toy and were quick to downcast it. But then it blazed ahead and disrupted the entire mobile phone industry. Even with an iPhone in hand, companies like HTC and Samsung took years to come close to a comparable design or user interface. Now use this perspective in SpaceX and you see Musk & Co. shaking up years of bureaucratic dust when they cut the cost of commercial space flight to a fraction of what it was before and Tesla blows competition out of the water with their automobile design and efficiency.
Elon Musk鈥檚 ideas for a better future of mankind is cleaner, effective and makes abundant use of technology. Therein also lies its biggest impediment for almost all of it hinges on this one man alone. Musk is not immortal and we really cannot predict what the companies policies might evolve into post his time. They already employ an army of workers and hence bring in tremendous clout in the US but it remains to be seen what these organizations will stand for in the years to come. Humanity is too large and too volatile to be bracketed into users and non-users of these commodities alone.
The book is highly readable especially since Elon is enjoying the status of a rock star celebrity at the moment. Vance writes in a way which tries to capture the essence of this man while not sounding like a sycophant. It is only towards the end that I felt Vance tries his hands at speculating as to why Elon is not empathetic and his explanation did not appear all too convincing to me. I suppose a few prejudices of the man himself rubbed off on the author with a most notable case being references to Jeff Bezos. There is no love lost between Musk and Bezos with the end result being that the book does not have a great deal of good to talk about Bezos. It is also very inspiring to know about a man who overcame such huge odds to survive and single-mindedly pursue an objective relentlessly.
Recommended.
To me this book was more about SpaceX and Tesla than Elon鈥檚 biography. I did come across a lot of articles that detailed his management style, the apparent lack of empathy and of pushing people to the last shreds of their performance but the ultimate vision that these companies embody might not be compatible to a softer management style. Take SpaceX, whose stated vision is to make human beings as a multiplanetary race in the days to come. This is one of the grandest, loftiest visions a company can have as its raison d'锚tre . Now this is a binary vision as in you either make it to space and colonize or you fail as a company. The objective is monstrously big and for a company striving to reach it there can be no excuses or compromises. Everybody breaks their back working to get human beings to space. Elon, who heads the company and who formulated the vision then works double hard and puts in twice more than any other employee to move closer to realizing that vision. Slips in performance from individuals or teams will not be tolerated and Musk & Co burn through employees like firewood. You can look at it from the perspective of a conventional organization and say that such a methodology is bad for you but then there are loads of talented people waiting in line to be hired into SpaceX or Tesla to get their hands on these projects. This by no means is a justification for abrasive management practices from Musk or for the gruelling work hours of these firms. But truth be told complacency was what unseated the competitors for both these organizations. Ashlee Vance makes an analogy by comparing the industry placidity that surrounded iPhones. When the iPhone came out, everyone called it an overpriced rich man鈥檚 toy and were quick to downcast it. But then it blazed ahead and disrupted the entire mobile phone industry. Even with an iPhone in hand, companies like HTC and Samsung took years to come close to a comparable design or user interface. Now use this perspective in SpaceX and you see Musk & Co. shaking up years of bureaucratic dust when they cut the cost of commercial space flight to a fraction of what it was before and Tesla blows competition out of the water with their automobile design and efficiency.
Elon Musk鈥檚 ideas for a better future of mankind is cleaner, effective and makes abundant use of technology. Therein also lies its biggest impediment for almost all of it hinges on this one man alone. Musk is not immortal and we really cannot predict what the companies policies might evolve into post his time. They already employ an army of workers and hence bring in tremendous clout in the US but it remains to be seen what these organizations will stand for in the years to come. Humanity is too large and too volatile to be bracketed into users and non-users of these commodities alone.
The book is highly readable especially since Elon is enjoying the status of a rock star celebrity at the moment. Vance writes in a way which tries to capture the essence of this man while not sounding like a sycophant. It is only towards the end that I felt Vance tries his hands at speculating as to why Elon is not empathetic and his explanation did not appear all too convincing to me. I suppose a few prejudices of the man himself rubbed off on the author with a most notable case being references to Jeff Bezos. There is no love lost between Musk and Bezos with the end result being that the book does not have a great deal of good to talk about Bezos. It is also very inspiring to know about a man who overcame such huge odds to survive and single-mindedly pursue an objective relentlessly.
Recommended.
January 6, 2018
Ironically, one of the quotes that made the biggest impression on me in Elon Musk: Inventing the Future didn't come from Musk, but from data scientist Jeffrey Hammerbacher: "The best minds of my generation are thinking about how to make people click ads."
I mean, da-amn. This is so true. (And it stung even more because I'm a marketer.) Where have we gone wrong as a generation? Where is the passion and quest for knowledge? What is the real purpose of innovation? To improve mankind or to become wealthy? Can we have both?
I've long been a fan of Musk; his name comes up quite a bit in my geeky circle and is always spoken with reverence: from Tesla, SpaceX, PayPal, Solar City, The Boring Company... this is a techno-utopian fellow who wants to affect real change in the world. Despite any character flaws (and the book points out many), it's real hard not to respect the guy.
I listened to the audiobook, and even at 392 pages unabridged, this super-accessible biography felt too short. I couldn't wait to go on my lunchtime walks and weekend drives so I could hear what Crazy Elon was up to next. My biggest issue was how out-of-date the book--published in 2015--already is (gotta be hard keeping up with Musk!). Among my beef: 1) Author Ashlee Vance talks only briefly about Musk's desire to build pod-like vehicles to propel through reduced-pressure tubes (Hyperloop); 2) He doesn't mention The Boring Company (his tunnel-digging company) at all, and 3) Perhaps the most egregious, there is a blue-sky conversation about Musk's desire to reuse rockets (this was done to great fanfare in March of this year), as well as to land these rockets with accuracy on floating launch pads (droneships)... SpaceX has now performed this feat multiple times.
This minor annoyance can't really be helped, though. I'd much rather read about Musk now as opposed to waiting until he's done inventing.
I'm not even going to attempt to summarize Musk's life or the book - it's a captivating read, and one I'd recommend to anyone interested in Musk, electric cars, space travel and/or colonizing Mars. I've noted some interesting tidbits below (please let me know if there are any inaccuracies; I didn't catch all of the details from the audio):
Musk was and still is an avid reader. Among his childhood favorites: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Foundation, and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
Musk doesn't characterize himself as an investor; he's interested in making technologies he thinks are important and will change the world in some way. For instance, he seriously considered going into game design and programming, but didn't think the cause was noble enough or that it would help change the world. He's also long been interested in the internet, solar energy and space: he didn't just stumble upon the fields as the "next hot thing."
His big takeaway from his stint as a banker, pre PayPal: Bankers "are rich and dumb."
He's demanding and difficult to work with: there's a long line of people who will go on record to say they hate him, and those who will follow him anywhere.
He requires little sleep and has an undisputed work ethic. After a particularly grueling period at Tesla, engineers were told by Musk to rework a design yet again, sacrificing their weekends and sleeping under their desks if necessary. An employee pushed back and asked when they would be allowed to see their families. Musk's answer: "They鈥檒l get to see their families a lot... when we go bankrupt."
Tesla's Model S stereo volume goes to 11: a nod to This is Spinal Tap.
He's not a fan of Amazon's Jeff Bezos and scoffed at his secretive Blue Origin space program, particularly irked by Bezos's desire to patent everything under the sun. In summation. "He's just not a fun guy."
He'd like to spend his final days on Mars and not come back: "If my wife and I had a bunch of kids, she would probably stay with them on Earth." (!!!)
The retirement of our space shuttle has made us reliant on Russia, who (as of 2015), charge us $70 million per person for the trip to the International Space Station.
Musk went to Russia multiple times, looking to buy rockets for SpaceX. When he was repeatedly quoted astronomical (heh) figures, he decided to build his own.
He refuses to take SpaceX public until a viable plan to go to Mars (his ultimate goal) is secure.
The early engineers of SpaceX were rock stars. They flew to Kwaj (Kwajalein Island, in the Marshall Islands), and were tasked with building a launch site. The early days were likened to Gilligan's Island... with rockets. Musk would agree or refuse essential material requests from the U.S.: one denied request was a paved area that would allow engineers to transport the rocket to the launch site more easily. Engineers were instead forced to go the way of the ancient Egyptians, laying boards down, and wheeling the rocket on top of it, with the last board moved to the front, and then the last board moved to the front again, and so on and so on.
United Launch Alliance (ULA), a 50-50 joint venture by Lockheed Martin and Boeing (who joined forces because they thought there wasn't enough government work to go around), is pretty much an embarrassment to the U.S. During a 2015 Congressional hearing, Musk claimed ULA charged $380 million per rocket launch. ...with SpaceX charging a mere $90 million ($30 million more than they would typically charge due to strict government protocol).
I mean, da-amn. This is so true. (And it stung even more because I'm a marketer.) Where have we gone wrong as a generation? Where is the passion and quest for knowledge? What is the real purpose of innovation? To improve mankind or to become wealthy? Can we have both?
I've long been a fan of Musk; his name comes up quite a bit in my geeky circle and is always spoken with reverence: from Tesla, SpaceX, PayPal, Solar City, The Boring Company... this is a techno-utopian fellow who wants to affect real change in the world. Despite any character flaws (and the book points out many), it's real hard not to respect the guy.
I listened to the audiobook, and even at 392 pages unabridged, this super-accessible biography felt too short. I couldn't wait to go on my lunchtime walks and weekend drives so I could hear what Crazy Elon was up to next. My biggest issue was how out-of-date the book--published in 2015--already is (gotta be hard keeping up with Musk!). Among my beef: 1) Author Ashlee Vance talks only briefly about Musk's desire to build pod-like vehicles to propel through reduced-pressure tubes (Hyperloop); 2) He doesn't mention The Boring Company (his tunnel-digging company) at all, and 3) Perhaps the most egregious, there is a blue-sky conversation about Musk's desire to reuse rockets (this was done to great fanfare in March of this year), as well as to land these rockets with accuracy on floating launch pads (droneships)... SpaceX has now performed this feat multiple times.
This minor annoyance can't really be helped, though. I'd much rather read about Musk now as opposed to waiting until he's done inventing.
I'm not even going to attempt to summarize Musk's life or the book - it's a captivating read, and one I'd recommend to anyone interested in Musk, electric cars, space travel and/or colonizing Mars. I've noted some interesting tidbits below (please let me know if there are any inaccuracies; I didn't catch all of the details from the audio):
Musk was and still is an avid reader. Among his childhood favorites: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Foundation, and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
Musk doesn't characterize himself as an investor; he's interested in making technologies he thinks are important and will change the world in some way. For instance, he seriously considered going into game design and programming, but didn't think the cause was noble enough or that it would help change the world. He's also long been interested in the internet, solar energy and space: he didn't just stumble upon the fields as the "next hot thing."
His big takeaway from his stint as a banker, pre PayPal: Bankers "are rich and dumb."
He's demanding and difficult to work with: there's a long line of people who will go on record to say they hate him, and those who will follow him anywhere.
He requires little sleep and has an undisputed work ethic. After a particularly grueling period at Tesla, engineers were told by Musk to rework a design yet again, sacrificing their weekends and sleeping under their desks if necessary. An employee pushed back and asked when they would be allowed to see their families. Musk's answer: "They鈥檒l get to see their families a lot... when we go bankrupt."
Tesla's Model S stereo volume goes to 11: a nod to This is Spinal Tap.
He's not a fan of Amazon's Jeff Bezos and scoffed at his secretive Blue Origin space program, particularly irked by Bezos's desire to patent everything under the sun. In summation. "He's just not a fun guy."
He'd like to spend his final days on Mars and not come back: "If my wife and I had a bunch of kids, she would probably stay with them on Earth." (!!!)
The retirement of our space shuttle has made us reliant on Russia, who (as of 2015), charge us $70 million per person for the trip to the International Space Station.
Musk went to Russia multiple times, looking to buy rockets for SpaceX. When he was repeatedly quoted astronomical (heh) figures, he decided to build his own.
He refuses to take SpaceX public until a viable plan to go to Mars (his ultimate goal) is secure.
The early engineers of SpaceX were rock stars. They flew to Kwaj (Kwajalein Island, in the Marshall Islands), and were tasked with building a launch site. The early days were likened to Gilligan's Island... with rockets. Musk would agree or refuse essential material requests from the U.S.: one denied request was a paved area that would allow engineers to transport the rocket to the launch site more easily. Engineers were instead forced to go the way of the ancient Egyptians, laying boards down, and wheeling the rocket on top of it, with the last board moved to the front, and then the last board moved to the front again, and so on and so on.
United Launch Alliance (ULA), a 50-50 joint venture by Lockheed Martin and Boeing (who joined forces because they thought there wasn't enough government work to go around), is pretty much an embarrassment to the U.S. During a 2015 Congressional hearing, Musk claimed ULA charged $380 million per rocket launch. ...with SpaceX charging a mere $90 million ($30 million more than they would typically charge due to strict government protocol).
July 8, 2015
Amazing book, if you liked the biography of Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos this book is a must-read! I found it very inspiring and motivational, Elon Musk has the potential to change the world we live in forever. His vision and commitment to make the world a better place through is mind-blowing. Reading this book really helped me push myself past limits and work even harder. It's not hard when your know there's someone like Elon putting everything he's got into his big vision, working 16 hours a day for weeks with no breaks and no holidays. I was especially impressed how he kept his composure to rescue his companies facing multiple bankruptcies and never lost faith in the projects. Highly recommended book if you want to glance into the harsh reality of a man who will stop at nothing to change the world for better and the sacrifices he made along the way to his success.
September 14, 2024
Ok. First of all I'm not a huge fan of biographies, autobiographies yes, but not biographies. They usually feel bias. Such as this one did.
I'm sure that Musk is eccentric but he often comes across as nuts.
I'm sure that the writer does a great job as a reporter, but I'm not keen on an article in novel form. That's what this felt like, a really long magazine article. And don't even get me started on the audio. Avoid it at all costs. The guys voice just drones on.
I'm sure that Musk is eccentric but he often comes across as nuts.
I'm sure that the writer does a great job as a reporter, but I'm not keen on an article in novel form. That's what this felt like, a really long magazine article. And don't even get me started on the audio. Avoid it at all costs. The guys voice just drones on.
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