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on May 24, 2015
I was anticipating this book's release since the now infamous Washington-Post article released; Like many other young enthusiastic entrepreneur, I am enamored by the things Elon Musk has accomplished, and wanted to get a deeper understanding into how he thinks, makes decisions, behaves; What he values, what "rules" he lives his life by, his "philosophy," etc. This book does a decent job at revealing that information. I say that only because, a lot of the topics which the book seems to cover seem unnecessary to me. If you have been following Elon Musk for the past two or three years, you already have an idea of the major accomplishments his companies have achieved. This book spends a lot of time talking about those accomplishments, but does little to actually delve deep into what Elon was thinking during those times, why he made certain decisions that he made, etc etc; Towards the end, the book articles a few emails that Musk sent to his staff at SpaceX. These emails are exactly the type of content I personally was looking for in this book, information that reveals on a deeper level how Must thinks, what he values, etc;
That being said, the book still does a great job to dig deeper into Musk's life than any other source available. There are many things I learned about Musk from this book, all of which helped me understand how space-x and tesla are what they are today. Overall, I give the book 4 out of 5 stars because it is a fantastic, inspiring account of a man determined to "get sh** done." I neg 1 star for not digging deeper into the mind of Musk.
That being said, the book still does a great job to dig deeper into Musk's life than any other source available. There are many things I learned about Musk from this book, all of which helped me understand how space-x and tesla are what they are today. Overall, I give the book 4 out of 5 stars because it is a fantastic, inspiring account of a man determined to "get sh** done." I neg 1 star for not digging deeper into the mind of Musk.
on January 27, 2017
I've been inspired by Elon Musk for a while. His accomplishments are legendary and I wanted to know more about the men behind them. This book doesn't disappoint. We see both the amazing drive and unstoppable vision as well as the ongoing challenges Musk has had working with people who are inevitably either not as smart, but as driven or more likely, both. Few had the fortitude to stick with him and the ones that do are fiercely loyal.
What I love most about Elon's story is how powerfully he deals with every obstacle thrown into his path. Literally nothing could stop him. Not looming bankruptcy or bad press or any of dozens of other issues that would have stopped most of us. I hope to find 5% of that drive in myself after reading this book.
What I love most about Elon's story is how powerfully he deals with every obstacle thrown into his path. Literally nothing could stop him. Not looming bankruptcy or bad press or any of dozens of other issues that would have stopped most of us. I hope to find 5% of that drive in myself after reading this book.
on June 18, 2015
I found the subject fascinating and the book well written. I enjoyed getting a better understanding of the man and the achievements.
Achievers are by definition "different" and often difficult, occupying their own universe. They are not afraid to fail and perhaps the thought of failure occurs to them less often than the rest of us.
The strength of will, tenacity, intelligence and work ethic is truly impressive. America would be much better off with more achievers. We have few in private industry and apparently none in leadership positions in government.
Without Musk, Anerica would be dependent on Russian rocket engines or the "pogo stick" Putin recommended we use for access to space.
Where will Musk take us in 10 years? And whoever thought an electric car would be something to lust after as a performance car and status symbol?
Achievers are by definition "different" and often difficult, occupying their own universe. They are not afraid to fail and perhaps the thought of failure occurs to them less often than the rest of us.
The strength of will, tenacity, intelligence and work ethic is truly impressive. America would be much better off with more achievers. We have few in private industry and apparently none in leadership positions in government.
Without Musk, Anerica would be dependent on Russian rocket engines or the "pogo stick" Putin recommended we use for access to space.
Where will Musk take us in 10 years? And whoever thought an electric car would be something to lust after as a performance car and status symbol?
on October 31, 2015
Surprising facts. Elon is a narcissistic, driven brilliant leader who drives relentlessly towards his goals and is willing to go all in to achieve them. This willingness to commit all his resources, sacrificing family time, risking bankruptcy is the necessary driver to striking it rich and making a lasting mark on history. You must be willing to risk it all for the big returns. Nasa's contracts to SpaceX provides the funds to bail out Tesla when on the verge of losing it all. He is lucky, but only after guts, brilliance and hard work have positioned him to take advantage of opportunities.
Elon has a reputation as a technical genius. But his true gift is shown in recognizing future trends, motivating people to work like slaves and like Steve Jobs a fanatical attention to detail and making the little things better. He is the type of leader who will either succeed beyond anyone's dreams or lead his company to self destruct when he gambles wrong. Diversification may save him when one of his companies does inevitably collapse.
An interesting person I would not want to work for. Fairly interesting book, well researched and appears balanced in its perspective.
Elon has a reputation as a technical genius. But his true gift is shown in recognizing future trends, motivating people to work like slaves and like Steve Jobs a fanatical attention to detail and making the little things better. He is the type of leader who will either succeed beyond anyone's dreams or lead his company to self destruct when he gambles wrong. Diversification may save him when one of his companies does inevitably collapse.
An interesting person I would not want to work for. Fairly interesting book, well researched and appears balanced in its perspective.
on June 19, 2015
This book is written for college-age and younger men and boys who want to reinforce their hope that they can become great men and change the world. There are no big words to break their concentration, or insights into social behavior to challenge them. War and Peace it is not.
Nevertheless, the book is entertaining and provides the reader with an overview of Elon’s world. Details about Elon’s personal life, his marriages and upbringing are touched on, but not elaborated. Brief sketches of some of his friends are provided, but left this reader wanting much more.
The book does provide plenty of names of players in the high risk world of electric cars, space exploration and alternative energy. But the explanation of the details, motivations, conflicts and resolutions of a mix of highly motivated men and some women in and out of the Elon organizational charts was not satisfying, at least to me.
I was disappointed by the lack of technical information about the underlying technologies of SpaceX, Tesla and Solar City. What technical information there was seemed to ring true, at least to this former machine-designer. I wanted more, but probably most readers who aren’t engineers and technicians won’t miss it.
For what it was, I think Ashlee Vance did a heck of a job. He made many observations about Elon, the man, which I found interesting though not profound. The book was mostly a history of Elon and his quest to put humans on Mars while providing green energy and green transportation alternatives to those left behind on the Earth.
Sometimes the book had a gushy feel to it that bordered on hagiography, but Ashlee deserves a lot of credit for getting close enough to Elon that he could snatch the information he did from this alert and calculating man-on-mission.
Nevertheless, the book is entertaining and provides the reader with an overview of Elon’s world. Details about Elon’s personal life, his marriages and upbringing are touched on, but not elaborated. Brief sketches of some of his friends are provided, but left this reader wanting much more.
The book does provide plenty of names of players in the high risk world of electric cars, space exploration and alternative energy. But the explanation of the details, motivations, conflicts and resolutions of a mix of highly motivated men and some women in and out of the Elon organizational charts was not satisfying, at least to me.
I was disappointed by the lack of technical information about the underlying technologies of SpaceX, Tesla and Solar City. What technical information there was seemed to ring true, at least to this former machine-designer. I wanted more, but probably most readers who aren’t engineers and technicians won’t miss it.
For what it was, I think Ashlee Vance did a heck of a job. He made many observations about Elon, the man, which I found interesting though not profound. The book was mostly a history of Elon and his quest to put humans on Mars while providing green energy and green transportation alternatives to those left behind on the Earth.
Sometimes the book had a gushy feel to it that bordered on hagiography, but Ashlee deserves a lot of credit for getting close enough to Elon that he could snatch the information he did from this alert and calculating man-on-mission.
on June 15, 2015
This book delivers what it promises -- in excellent detail, with a healthy dose of Musk's complex personality and world view. Musk has brought Silicon Valley IT sensibilities to now-breaking green tech industry, and it works. I have an aviation invention for electrical aircraft patent filed for, and this book gave me a clear path and the inspiration to get the intellectual property out there in front of venturists -- money is how we are going to save our planet, or else green tech innovators will wither on the vine. The book makes me wish Musk could be a little more sensitive to fellow human beings, because, like race horses, some will respond well to repeated whoopings with a crop, while others will cringe and not be able to give their best. The book made me want to read a sequel in 10 years -- I'm sure Musk will have sent rockets to Mars and back, and since that is the fuel that drives him, he may mellow after that accomplishment
The book, if any flaws need to be mentioned, glosses over the fact that components are 'made in Asia', while at the same time boasting that SpaceX and Tesla are American to the core. This is a fact of the world economy now, but hopefully China will not be as attractive an option for manufacturers in the near future as their workers demand a bigger piece of the pie. Another question the book does not address -- what is the carbon footprint of Musk's enterprises compared to their positive affect on the environment? And isn't all that space junk going to be a problem the next time George Clooney and Sandra Bullock get up there? (George surely found a way to survive). Still in all, this is the only work of non-fiction I could not put down. I have recommended it to all of my colleagues and hope it will jump start them to push harder.
The book, if any flaws need to be mentioned, glosses over the fact that components are 'made in Asia', while at the same time boasting that SpaceX and Tesla are American to the core. This is a fact of the world economy now, but hopefully China will not be as attractive an option for manufacturers in the near future as their workers demand a bigger piece of the pie. Another question the book does not address -- what is the carbon footprint of Musk's enterprises compared to their positive affect on the environment? And isn't all that space junk going to be a problem the next time George Clooney and Sandra Bullock get up there? (George surely found a way to survive). Still in all, this is the only work of non-fiction I could not put down. I have recommended it to all of my colleagues and hope it will jump start them to push harder.
on September 5, 2016
Elon Musk is a good book, often times inspiring, but also it reads in parts like an infomercial for Elon Musk and his companies. Musk has done a lot of amazing things, and taken great risks to reach his goals, and he deserves credit for that. But it seems a bit premature to write a biography like this. Yeah, it is interesting and Musk is a passionate visionary, but time will tell whether he will have the impact that this book seems to sell the reader on. He has accomplished a lot, no doubt, but in just the past couple days SpaceX had a rocket crash and both Solar City and Tesla (which are set to merge) are set to lose $1 billion dollars this year. Time will tell whether all of this is hype or whether these companies will be sustainable.
on April 16, 2016
After reading Ashlee Vance's Elon Musk, it dawned upon me how critical simple sentences are. This book is about 350+ pages. No funny sentences, the words simply.... flowed. High readable index. Finished it very quickly without missing a word. Overall, a solid book delivering insights of Elon's psyche. Tonight will be one of the nights where I can fall asleep feeling accomplished and fulfilled.
Like how SpaceX designed most of its rocket's components, it gave them an extreme competitive advantage of processing quick changes to the overall systems. Develop your capabilities in-house. Do not outsource. It allowed SpaceX's engineers to change their configurations and parts quickly since they have direct ownership and control in their supply chain. Their competitors have over 1,000 suppliers and they can't change the size / colour of each part without spending months for approvals. SpaceX did not have to wait for weeks in between before they launched another test launch, sometimes, Elon pushed for 2 or 3 test launches in a day. The speed and spirit of a Silicon Valley start-up.
Never say certain things are impossible because it has never done before. Push through your ideas with every fibre of your being. Never lose the hungry start-up mentality. That will be another competitive advantage, move fast, nimble. Execution, fail, move on to the next methods. Most big organisations tend to be so bloated in paperwork and approvals that it just sucks the creativity out.
Elon dares to dream BIG and WILD. He has the incredible talk is to sell to his employees a vision so grand and so real without fluff. It attracts the brightest people and ignited them to work extremely hard for a cause. Not profit-driven, it is mission-driven. He knows the right people to hire, and when to let them go.
As odd as it sounds, everyone should desire to go through hardships to build the steel within them. It will prove to be an invaluable advantage for us to overcome several seemingly insurmountable challenges in later parts of our lives.
Elon is certainly a crazy and incredibly intelligent. I would regard Elon as one of the brightest star we have on earth. He is not motivated by money at all, in a way, he believes money is always there. He pushes ahead with his idea that humans can be multi-planetary.
Like how SpaceX designed most of its rocket's components, it gave them an extreme competitive advantage of processing quick changes to the overall systems. Develop your capabilities in-house. Do not outsource. It allowed SpaceX's engineers to change their configurations and parts quickly since they have direct ownership and control in their supply chain. Their competitors have over 1,000 suppliers and they can't change the size / colour of each part without spending months for approvals. SpaceX did not have to wait for weeks in between before they launched another test launch, sometimes, Elon pushed for 2 or 3 test launches in a day. The speed and spirit of a Silicon Valley start-up.
Never say certain things are impossible because it has never done before. Push through your ideas with every fibre of your being. Never lose the hungry start-up mentality. That will be another competitive advantage, move fast, nimble. Execution, fail, move on to the next methods. Most big organisations tend to be so bloated in paperwork and approvals that it just sucks the creativity out.
Elon dares to dream BIG and WILD. He has the incredible talk is to sell to his employees a vision so grand and so real without fluff. It attracts the brightest people and ignited them to work extremely hard for a cause. Not profit-driven, it is mission-driven. He knows the right people to hire, and when to let them go.
As odd as it sounds, everyone should desire to go through hardships to build the steel within them. It will prove to be an invaluable advantage for us to overcome several seemingly insurmountable challenges in later parts of our lives.
Elon is certainly a crazy and incredibly intelligent. I would regard Elon as one of the brightest star we have on earth. He is not motivated by money at all, in a way, he believes money is always there. He pushes ahead with his idea that humans can be multi-planetary.
on August 3, 2015
I read this book hoping for some insight into not just the mid of Elon, but the heart as well. The book balances historical family drama and technical struggles in equal measure. I think the challenges he has made for himself are incredible, and that he has pushed himself this far is amazing. After reading the book I had to ask myself if I would want to actually meet this person or work for him- and as excited as I am about his accomplishments, I find myself saying "no". Or at least "not now". He is enviable, pitiable, but not very likable as he is shown in the book.
I could easily see myself as one of the people who hoped to be a part of something great just brutalized out of it for not giving more than everything I could give to the team, from someone else's perspective ( and not even necessarily his-- just someone trying to keep on his good side). Capitalism is hard. Creating something lasting using capitalism is even harder.
That all said, the book was worth the read, especially for those interested in the 'big picture' technological achievements of our time.
I could easily see myself as one of the people who hoped to be a part of something great just brutalized out of it for not giving more than everything I could give to the team, from someone else's perspective ( and not even necessarily his-- just someone trying to keep on his good side). Capitalism is hard. Creating something lasting using capitalism is even harder.
That all said, the book was worth the read, especially for those interested in the 'big picture' technological achievements of our time.
