Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance
My partner bought this book at a shelf in Dubai and I happily took it and read it first. I’m so glad that I did. This book is a biography by Ashlee Vance and since reading it, I’ve come to understand just a small fraction of what Musk’s life is about and now I cannot help but root for him. He is the embodiment of the human spirit and one of the biggest change makers in 21st century. We’ve all heard Tesla, SpaceX, PayPal and maybe even SolarCity, Hyperloop and the Boring Company. The book is a sneak peak into the brains and grit behind these companies.
Musk is an inventor, visionary, entrepreneur, engineer, physicist and above all a risk taker. His objective is for interplanetary colonisation. He believes that his work is necessary and does not care that people may think that what he is doing is absurd. Often he stumbles over words, yet he has a charisma and unwavering vision that forces people to listen.
All his ambitions make sense to me. What doesn’t make sense is how he is able to do all of these things to make his ambitions a reality. What makes him so confident about himself? Everyone has dreams and ambitions. How has he been able to execute and gain momentum like no one else in history? He took a look at the NASA website and was disappointed to see that there were no plans for planetary exploration. He then went to Russia and found that rockets were too expensive to purchase and has since decided to manufacture and launch his own rockets. WHAT. AMAZING.
Tesla. I am a big fan of the idea of electric cars and solar technology to combat global warming. The company isn’t doing so well due to the amount of call backs, uncertainties and delays in production. Just another one of the many challenges faced by Musk. Yet, he persists. He understands the environment to be a high priority concern for all people and, from my understanding, would be thrilled with increased competition in the electric automotive industry as it means that more companies are working towards his vision. This in itself speaks highly to his character and reflects his discipline and will.
A delightful book to read. It is exciting and dramatic and will surely leave a musk on you.
