I am not a big fan of Elon Musk. However, after reading Walter Isaacson’s biography, I have a greater appreciation for what drives Elon and how his goals for humanity will change our world. The latter part of that sentence sounds lofty. Goals for humanity, who does he think he is?
Isaacson spend two years immersing himself in Elon’s life: attending meetings, interviewing anyone with a connection to Elon, flying with him, shadowing social events, and researching his companies. Elon gave him incredible access. The result is a revealing picture of very complicated person.
Elon’s life work is to save human consciousness from ourselves, through creating alternative systems that combat climate change (e.g., electric cars or solar panels), and from technology, by creating safeguards around artificial intelligence. His rockets at SpaceX are a step towards developing a human colony on Mars so that the human species can exist if earth is no longer habitable. He feels an urgency to this work that explains the way he drives himself and anyone who works for him to take unimaginable risks and work exhausting schedules to meet seemingly unattainable deadlines.
But, in my mind, that doesn’t explain or excuse his callous, rude, and often offensive behavior.
So, while I am still not a big fan, I do have a new-found appreciation for what he wants to accomplish with his life. He has had a transformative impact on electric vehicles, rocket manufacturing, and artificial learning/intelligence. Although his purchase and restructuring of Twitter has been constant chaos, he believes that free speech is critical to his overarching goal of saving human consciousness. (Many arguments could be made that he is achieving that goal or damaging it at Twitter.)
I recommend this book even if you have little interest in the man Elon Musk. I gained a greater appreciation for how his companies will transform our world and our children’s world. Whether it is electric vehicles transporting people and product, rockets exploring Mars and the universe, or AI solutions for work and the home, Musk is molding these technologies as you read this review.
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