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Elon Musk

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

The #1 New York Times bestseller from the author of Steve Jobs—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
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Interview: Whether you love Elon Musk or hate him, Walter Isaacson wants us to be amazed

'You end up learning a lot more when you've got a living person who's willing to be transparent...'
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  • Elon Musk
  • 'You end up learning a lot more when you've got a living person who's willing to be transparent...'

What listeners say about Elon Musk

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Well Written Bio about an Awful Uncaring Man

Walter Isaacson is a brilliant writer who captures the rude, mean uncaring man who I thought I would like and admire. I don’t.
Musk hides behind his Asbergers syndrome, claiming that what he is doing is critical for mankind. It’s not, IF it means plowing over everyone around you including your wives and kids.
Elon became his father who was an ass-hole too. Surprisingly, what I learned from this well written biography is that the process of creating and building things is JUST AS IMPORTANT as the end result! It doesn’t matter if we get to Mars, for example, if we despise our traveling companions who we will be living with when we land. Musk does not understand or comprehend love and respect. So, he deserves neither. I was disappointed to learn this about him. He will die a very empty and lonely old man….like J. Paul Getty. Sad. 😔

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14 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Another Can't put it down Biography

This was as lively as the Steve Jobs biography, and I consumed it in 1 day, even though there was an Apple event that I wanted to see live this same day. This story explains the sometimes irrational behavior Elon Musk has, and his never ending search for the truth, and to be in total control of everything he does. After reading this biography, I respect Mr. Musk so much more and wish him the best on his future endeavors in Science, Technology, control of AI, and his journeys to Mars. His similarities to Steve Jobs is incredible.

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9 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A little too long

The Steve Jobs autobiography was better this was good but the timing of this book seems odd and premature to his FSD and robotaxi launches. Elon is a narcissist and this book was clearly his doing.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Long, not boring and not too technical

Well written and well narrated, this story provides an understanding of a brilliant and very complex man. He is a visionary driven to achieve his goals with little regard for risks. I had no difficulty listening to this book the very end because it was so interesting.

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1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Almost a Must Read

I think that it will be what you expected. It does portray a driven man, but no more than anyone else I've ever met. The amount of stress portrayed may be superhuman to some, but it's not. The story weaves the chances, risks, and opportunities very well and cites specifics that corroborate some of the most influential actions taken. There is a piece of the story that most should accept as doctrine: right place at the right time; just as Bill Gates had the opportunity out of millions of children to learn computers when they were super rare, Mr. Musk displayed an aptitude and foresight for growth opportunities in the early 2000's. It's that early strike that proves successful, yet there are failures to this day. I won't ruin the story, because if you really want to know what it takes; you should read / listen to the boom, but it is what you expect. Overall a 4.5 just because there is some truly long passages (interesting, but long) and I've given so many 5's that this 4.5 ought to make you think twice between this interesting read or a series you've been waiting to continue.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Isaacsson delivers another great biography on a worthy subject

Isaacson is one of the great biographers and his latest contribution is the best of his work I have read so far.

Elon Musk is someone we should all understand better. This is a fair and balanced glimpse into the personal, business and public life of a very complicated figure.

My one complaint is that I wish it had been longer.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A must read

The biography is solid, not shielding from Elon’s dark side. It left me inspired to do and be so much more.

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Decent Biography - reads more like a third-persin mrmoir

Isaacson seemed like an apologist in the beginning 1/3rd chapters. His biographies of Ben Franklin and Steve Jobs were far more interesting because of their depth. This felt more like a memoir in the third person where Isaacson channels the "hero” - artifice over objectivity.

I want to like Musk, but I never saw moments of warmth and fuzziness. Instead, He is a risk taker in steady ascendancy who remains, as yet, unaffected by calamitous falls. He’s a man driven by the desire to be in the limelight.

My takeaway? Elon Musk is undoubtedly bright, but he’s an a**hole - I won’t feel bad if/when he crashes, burns, or dies because of his heartless character.

Does he care about humanity? I doubt it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing book - great read

Absolutely incredible book, so many insightful details about Elon and his life. Worth the read, 12/10!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Outstanding audiobook

Great writing, great narrating. Fascinating biography on a complex, mercurial individual that occupies a truly pivotal place in history.

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