Elon Musk

By: Walter Isaacson

Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb

Length: 20 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Epic feats. Epic failures. An epic story.

Walter Isaacson charts Elon Musk’s journey from humble beginnings to one of the wealthiest people on the planet – but is Musk a genius or a jerk?

From the author of Steve Jobs and other bestselling biographies, this is the astonishingly intimate story of Elon Musk, 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 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, Walter Isaacson had unprecedented access. He 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, UK

Entertaining and insightful

An entertaining and insightful look into one of the most influential, provocative and controversial person alive in this age and time. Well written, gripping and engaging story telling.

Excellent storytelling

This is clearly the story of a rabid narcissist who, with all his faults has made some truly amazing achievements but unfortunately, and unnecessarily, at the expense of many people’s hopes and dreams. Despite his maniacal attention to detail and deep knowledge of the subject matter of his many companies, he could not have achieved anything without the sacrifices made by the many heroes who worked for him over the years, most of whom barely got a mention or praise from Elon except his family members. These types of leaders and their leadership style is a sad indictment on the state of American corporate governance and sound management.

Inspiring

Full of tons of lessons about life, choices and wealth. Highly recommended for anyone looking for more from life

Great Book

I really enjoyed the book about the man behind such successful companies. He is an absolute genius. This book should become a must read for high school students. It will teach them that to be different is not an excuse to not thrive. That you have to work harder than anybody else. To take risks is essential for success. Failure is necessary for progress. And always question the rules.

inspirational

how one's clear vision ignores everything else. nothing will stop Elon to conquer Mars and FSD!

Edison of Our Time

I found Isaacson's portrayal to be well balanced and nuanced.

Even though I actively follow Elon Musk's activities, I learnt a great deal more about him and what happens behind the scenes. He is a complex and multi-dimensional character and Isaacson succeeded in covering all angles in the depth required.

I highly recommend the audiobook.

Fantastic insight into the mind of Elon Musk

Walter Isaacson’s "Elon Musk" is an incredible deep dive into the mind of a man accomplishing seemingly impossible tasks. The audiobook offers a fascinating look at Musk’s relentless drive and visionary mindset. Isaacson vividly portrays Musk's journey from his early days to his groundbreaking work with Tesla and SpaceX, highlighting the sheer willpower and innovation that define his success.

One of the most compelling aspects is how the book doesn't shy away from Musk’s darker side, particularly his "demon mode." While these toxic traits can be harsh, they often push towards extraordinary outcomes. Isaacson balances this by acknowledging the human cost and ethical implications, providing a well-rounded view of Musk's complex personality.

Overall, "Elon Musk" by Walter Isaacson is a must-listen for anyone interested in innovation and leadership. The audiobook’s engaging narration and insightful storytelling make it an enthralling experience, offering a profound understanding of how Musk’s unique blend of genius and relentless drive is shaping the future.

Fiercely driven

Loved it. Again Isaacson tells it warts and all with a healthy dose of insight. Musk is phenomenal, even if flawed. Deeply caring and passionate in a way that makes him show up like an asshole. The biography slumped a bit from 60% in to about 90%. Otherwise I would have rated 5 stars. Stunning piece of work.

The research was great

Great story telling by WI.
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Beyond leadership risk taking to the future

Elon Musk life offers more than leadership, strategy and risk taking. It brings to life the power of purpose and success that comes when you stop pleasing others and focus on the bigger picture

You cannot put this book down.

The haters will love it. And us who have come to love Elon Musk for his voice of reason and love for humanity could not have asked for a better gift.

The book is so well written and to me, it will remain as the book of the year 2023 and one of the best of all time.

Just get a copy and start listening. This book is outstanding.