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Elon Musk

By: Walter Isaacson
Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb, Walter Isaacson
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Publisher's Summary

From the author of Steve Jobs and other bestselling biographies, this is the astonishingly intimate story of the most fascinating and controversial innovator of our era—a rule-breaking visionary who helped to lead the world into the era of electric vehicles, private space exploration, and artificial intelligence. Oh, and took over Twitter.

When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist.

His father’s impact on his psyche would linger. He developed into a tough yet vulnerable man-child, prone to abrupt Jekyll-and-Hyde mood swings, with an exceedingly high tolerance for risk, a craving for drama, an epic sense of mission, and a maniacal intensity that was callous and at times destructive.

At the beginning of 2022—after a year marked by SpaceX launching thirty-one rockets into orbit, Tesla selling a million cars, and him becoming the richest man on earth—Musk spoke ruefully about his compulsion to stir up dramas. “I need to shift my mindset away from being in crisis mode, which it has been for about fourteen years now, or arguably most of my life,” he said.

It was a wistful comment, not a New Year’s resolution. Even as he said it, he was secretly buying up shares of Twitter, the world’s ultimate playground. Over the years, whenever he was in a dark place, his mind went back to being bullied on the playground. Now he had the chance to own the playground.

For two years, Isaacson shadowed Musk, attended his meetings, walked his factories with him, and spent hours interviewing him, his family, friends, coworkers, and adversaries. The result is the revealing inside story, filled with amazing tales of triumphs and turmoil, that addresses the question: are the demons that drive Musk also what it takes to drive innovation and progress?

©2023 Walter Isaacson (P)2023 Simon & Schuster Audio

Critic Reviews

"One of the greatest biographers in America has written a massive book about the richest man in the world. This fast-paced biography, based on more than a hundred interviews ... [is] a head-spinning tale about a vain, brilliant, sometimes cruel figure whose ambitions are actively shaping the future of human life." (Ron Charles on CBS Sunday Morning)

What listeners say about Elon Musk

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An insightful look into history in the making

Thoroughly enjoyable and well written. A timely insight into our rapidly changing times and a candid and remarkably personal view of Elon's genius, shortcomings and incredible drive.

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In Elon We Trust

Assuming we as a species do not completely obliterate ourselves, there will be a time in the future where we erect statues of Musk in appreciation for not only getting us through this period of seemingly manufactured dark ages 2.0, but for saving humanity as a whole.

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Looking forward to reading this one again…

Listened to it the day it came out and still talking about this enigmatic human, several weeks later.

Elon is clearly on the autism spectrum; it frustrates me how people can’t see that’s where many of his unusual behaviours come from.
This biography posits that so much of what we know of Mr Musk is highly contrived rubbish. He’s actually a generous man, with a troubled upbringing, who has the Human Race’s best interests at heart. He is highly misunderstood.

We need more risk-takers like this in our world. It’s the only way to advance humankind. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t like to be one of his employees! :-))

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Great book

Very interesting book and well written. Only downside is the book felt more like a first volume than a concluded story.

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X

I’m convinced now, he is a alien 😀. X x x x x x x X

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Couldn’t stop listening

My only critique would be the ‘conspiracy’ label used by the author. Isaac would typically provides his own commentary after when using this label, written as if he knows the truth and Musk just bought into a loony tunes idea (sometime true). I loved the story, the writing the everything - but I found myself somewhat cringing when Isaac would do this. Overall a phenomenal work - and a motivator fo me.

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Fantastic

What a story! Go Elon, take us to Mars and beyond and beyond and beyond!

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Brilliant

Going in, I had honestly expected a great read having previously enjoyed Walter’s other books, but wow was I surprised. The book dives deep into the childhood & personal traumas that built the man that often gets demonised as the ‘boss from hell’. Not only did it give me a renewed appreciation for his journey but also a deeper understanding of the thought processes that drive his ambitions and desires. Definitely worth a read!

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Great story

A unique individual who, apart from his scientific, intellectual and innovative talents, aims at what is GOOD for humanity. What a scarce resource in our present lifetime.
May he live to realise his dreams!

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The man with the vision into the future

A amazing man can’t wait for the movie if it is like the book it will be amazing.

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