Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

For those of us familiar with the work of Ashlee Vance, it will come as no surprise that this is one incredibly well-written book. His pieces for Bloomberg Businessweek and the New York Times were always well thought out and thoroughly researched - and, like Elon, Ashlee was born in South Africa so it came as no surprise that his biography of Musk is very engaging and provides an in-depth view into his business methodologies and companies. Vance writes about Musk in an objective way that is straightforward and educational. I was hooked from the first page through the last - I could not put the book down! The book begins by covering the early years of Musk’s life. He does not spend too much time delving into his childhood but just enough for the reader to understand how these first critical years shaped Musk to become the driven man he is today. He discusses his upbringing in South Africa (which I assume he can somewhat relate to), followed by his time in Canada ultimately how he made it to the United States. A majority of the book covers his time in the United States because the book mostly discusses the creation of his companies. That said, one of the main reasons I enjoyed this book so much is because Vance writes as much about Elon Musk as a person as he does Musk the inventor and entrepreneur. While most things that I have read about Elon Musk focus on his businesses acumen, very few sources shine a light on him as a human being, which I think is important. The parts about his relationships past and present were discussed with open honesty and make him somewhat relatable - a difficult feat in this age of "celebrity" idolization. When I have discussed people like Elon with my son, I remind him that we are all human beings, and humans being, and it is important to focus on the hard work and dedication instead of the celebrity. I feel like this book helps manage peoples' expectations around what it actually takes to be successful. Vance does an excellent job of covering the beginning of Musk’s career including his companies Zip2 and Paypal. Vance then covers the history of Tesla and SpaceX and the hard work and determination (and dare I say some luck?) that it took for those companies to reach success. The book discusses the complexities of Musk’s companies and his unique thought process that helped make these companies the powerhouses they are today. Vance delves into the inventive mind of Musk and writes about it in a way that is inspiring for those looking to pursue their own dreams and aspirations. Before I bought this book, I read a review that stated that the reviewer was disappointed that Vance didn’t discuss in-depth details of the technology behind Musk’s companies. I believe that is actually a good thing. It makes the book easy to read for those who aren’t technologically savvy and helps protect what I assume are trade secrets. This book is for anyone who is interested in learning more about Elon Musk or anyone who is interested in learning about what it takes to run a very successful company or in Musk’s case, numerous successful companies. This is not a puff piece but more an honest, nonbiased biography about one of the world’s most interesting people. I have already recommended it to a few friends who are both fans of Elon's and those who are focused on business as a career. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Elon Musk is an incredible guy. Elon, if you are reading this, you should hire me to help build your digital infrastructure but I doubt you need me, you can probably ask one of your thousands of staff to get that done for you. But really, this book was balanced in its presentation, fair about how Elon was presented and presents a unique person framed in the light of an extraordinary man. I WILL one day own a Tesla, not today but soon. It will change driving and I believe Elon is here to change the world. Yes, he's compared to Steve Jobs but Steve was "just" a visionary and an eccentric leader. Elon is a visionary, yes. Elon is an eccentric leader, of course. But he's a technical powerhouse and a walking sponge when it comes to the information he is interested in. Would I like to work for him? Maybe but I won't hold up to his work ethic, I don't do 16 hours a day anymore. But his ability to inspire his work force while shielding them from the financial problems and issues over the years, is admirable. Wait a minute, this is a review of the book. So let's get back to that. The book is short enough and interesting enough to read quickly. It explores his flaws as a human being while the author clearly admires his business prowess. Yet the book falls short in really explaining the psyche of the man. Yes, there are hints, there are a few of his actions which demonstrate his inability to bond with his loyal, long time employees but I was hoping to find out more about what drives this man. What are his demons? Is he autistic as it's been hinted, based on the way he seems to treat long time, loyal people? Can he bond with anyone long term? His wives will attest to that ability or lack thereof, so WHY is this the case. I was left wanting more, wanting to know more about the person. The technology was covered, his work history was pretty much covered, his flaws were pretty much revealed (hey! We all have flaws) so what makes this guy tick? More importantly, where are the clues that we are not-Elon can use to be more like him, raise our kids with more of his better qualities and overall what are the lessons? That's where, in my opinion, the book could have done a better job. I am sure the author, Ashlee Vance tried his best, mostly limited to peripheral interviews and somewhat 3rd hand knowledge but I hoped for more of the real Elon. More of the driving forces, not the obvious ones - i.e. change the world, bla, bla, bla. The real fears that drive him, the personality of this incredible guy. I know it's hard when your subject dodges your request for interviews and I realize you finally had the time with him and that shows. I would have loved more of him. Not his stuff or his deeds. Make sense? Just one note; We don't get much insight from the press into Elon other than those minor (and sometimes major) issues with a car recall or a rocket exploding. This book does provide the best insight I've had yet into Elon. For that and for the background, it really is a great read. Also, Ashee Vance writes well, writes with clarity and with focus. Never was I distracted (as I am sometimes with other authors) by odd language or grammatical forms. The best job an author can do when writing an autobiography is to disappear and leave only his subject as the center of attention. Thank you Ashlee for that, very appreciated and very professional. I highly recommend you buy and read this book because Elon Musk is going to change this world we live in. Wouldn't you like a little more insight into him other than the PR that's out there?

Voilà un innovateur au parcours décoiffant ! Passionné de jeux et développeur talentueux, Elon Musk se refuse d’abord à créer des jeux, considérant que cette activité ne lui permettra pas d’avoir un impact sur l’humanité. De fait, son rêve ultime est de coloniser Mars. En attendant d’y parvenir, il est capable de complètement révolutionner des secteurs d’activité auxquels il ne connaît rien de prime abord. Alors que l’industrie automobile était moribonde aux États-Unis, il conçoit une voiture de sport puis une berline électriques au design révolutionnaire et aux performances inédites. Les premières voitures se sont vendues 100 000 $ avant même d’être construites ! En parallèle, pour contribuer à son rêve ultime, il s’attaque à l’aérospatiale et se donne comme objectif de devenir le premier lanceur low cost de satellites de taille moyenne. Il ne parvient pas à négocier l’achat de fusées aux Russes et conçoit sa première fusée dans le vol de retour de Moscou, après avoir lu un manuel technique. En 2012, il réussit à envoyer un ravitaillement à la station en orbite ISS et à faire revenir la fusée sur terre. Son dernier projet consiste à créer l’Hyperloop, une sorte de tube électromagnétique qui permettrait de relier Los Angeles et San Francisco en 30 minutes. Il pourrait bien y parvenir ! Elon Musk s’avère attachant par sa capacité à innover de façon radicale dans des secteurs qui ne connaissaient plus que des améliorations marginales. Mais la biographie est également très transparente sur son exigence hors pair qui le rend tyrannique avec ses collaborateurs. Ne lisez pas cet ouvrage comme un manuel de management, mais plutôt comme un stimulant à l’innovation si vous avez le sentiment d’avoir fait le tour de votre secteur d’activité !

This book provides excellent insight into the mind of a genius. He is one of the greatest minds of my time, and this book allowed me to observe his thought process for a few minutes. I love it.

Auch wenn das Buch mehr die Unternehmen Tesla und SpaceX beschreibt, so kann man dennoch einen guten Einblick in die Welt Elons gewinnen. Angefangen bei seinem Leben in Südafrika und seinem ersten Startup in Amerika merkt man recht schnell, dass dieser Mensch immer Großes vor hat und nicht aufgibt, bis er diese Dinge erreicht. Stets angetrieben durch die Frage "Wie kann ich das Leben der Menschen verbessern? Wie kann ich dafür Sorgen, dass die Menschen auch noch lange bestehen bleiben?" macht er sich daran, Alternativen für die endlichen, fossilen Energieträger salonfähig zu machen, sowie die Raumfahrt mit einem typischen Startup-Approach völlig umzukrempeln und neu zu erfinden. Er ist meiner Meinung nach einer der wenigen Menschen, die kurzfristige und persönliche Profite völlig vernachlässigen (Er hat seine vielen hundert Mio. bis zum Bankrott in seine eigenen Firmen gesteckt und verloren), um langfristig das Leben der Menschen nachhaltig und für immer zu verbessern- das zeigt, wie ernst er es mit seinem Vorhaben meint, die Welt zu verändern. Er hat nicht nur die Raumfahrt schon jetzt komplett verändert, sondern auch die Art Elektrofahrzeuge zu bauen- auch wenn Elon Tesla nicht gegründet hat, so ist es ihm zu verdanken, dass Tesla überhaupt erst so groß und verbreitet wie heute ist. Dieser Mann hat keine Angst vor großen Ideen und scheut vor nichts zurück, um diese umzusetzen- Auch wenn er dabei soweit geht, dass er sein Leben und das seiner Mitmenschen diesen Ideen unterordnet. Selten habe ich mich so klein, unbedeutend und unwichtig gefühlt, wie nach diesem Buch. Dieser Mann hingegen erschafft gerade Dinge, die die Welt für immer verändern und gehört für mich zu den wichtigsten Menschen unserer Zeit und dieses Jahrhunderts. ...Man kann nur hoffen, dass er nicht zu früh aufgrund eines Herzinfarkts stirbt.

I ordered this book as I had an interest in Tesla and SpaceX, but knew little more than that covered by mainstream news columns. This book has now turned that interest in to an obsession, and has genuinely made me excited about the future of technology and the human race. I found Vance's writing style extremely engaging, and finished the book in a week - including reading all appendices and notes - something I have never done before. As other reviewers have stated the content gives a very thorough account of Musk's personal life and his approach to business, including the clinical manner in which he squeezes every drop of talent from his employees - and discards them if they don't perform. Not all aspects of Musk will be to everyones tastes, and I found myself intrigued by the obvious truths surrounding his strive for perfection. I think this is the most fascinating aspect of Musk and it's obvious that he innately pursues every goal with a "definite major purpose" whatever the cost (socially and financially), whilst pushing for "constant improvement" and perfection; you just can't fault the guy - he delivers what global superpowers and large corporations simply can't or won't do. After finishing the book I feel like my eyes have been opened to what is possible and what is being achieved right now. If Musk delivers on his long term goal of a unified field theory our future is very bright indeed. Buy this book.

Nice book cover. Nice feel. good read