Elon Musk
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Elon Musk
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Narrated by:
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Jeremy Bobb
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By:
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Walter Isaacson
About this listen
#2 Sunday Times non-fiction bestseller
SHORTLISTED FOR THE FINANCIAL TIMES BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD
CHOSEN AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY APPLE, AMAZON, THE TIMES AND FINANCIAL TIMES
Epic feats. Epic failures. An epic story.
Walter Isaacson charts Elon Musk’s journey from humble beginnings to one of the wealthiest people on the planet – but is Musk a genius or a jerk?
From the author of Steve Jobs and other bestselling biographies, this is the astonishingly intimate story of Elon Musk, 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 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, Walter Isaacson had unprecedented access. He 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, UK
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What listeners say about Elon Musk
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Arman
- 15-09-23
Amazing and non-biased!
Non biased look at the man who is changing the world at this very moment!
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Allan Hviid Jensen
- 17-09-23
Interesting but repetitive
Too long with over emphasis on Twitter and recent events. Nevertheless insightful and interesting, I certainly don’t finish all books I purchase but here I listened to almost all chapters in full.
The story of Musk still has many chapters to come
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 20-09-23
A masterclass in getting shit done !
Absolutely insane, you forget how much Elon has achieved.
I thought Walter Isaacson done a great job telling both sides with his achievements, showing his human side and demonstrating his will to win; whilst also addressing his demons, showing his sometimes lack of empathy and poor judgment at times.
Elon may be the most important person alive today in terms of pushing the limits of what is possible. A must read !
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Paul W
- 13-10-23
An enlightened and perceptive view of Elon Musk
I found the early background of Elon Musk and the progress through successful businesses invaluable in understanding Elon Musk
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Louise Temlett
- 29-09-23
Instinct for better or worse
What stands out in this epic listen is the intertwining of relationships, yet the somewhat clear cut nature of Elon makes it plain sailing. It all makes logical sense, reflecting values and intent.
Troublingly the impact of instinct in certain circumstances makes for choppy waters.
A worthwhile listen. 🙏🏼
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- mr m l s c porteous
- 26-09-23
Brilliant
Thank you, Walter Isaacson, for your insightful Elon Musk biography. Your work has given us a deeper understanding of this visionary entrepreneur’s life and achievements.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- david wild
- 27-09-23
I love Elon
Elon is the pioneer of our age. What he is doing for humanity is both inspiring and scary. This book is an incredible story about the journey Elon has undertook to get to where he is now. I look forward to the second book in 20 years and learning about FSD and colonies on Mars
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- agb
- 27-09-23
It’s not easy being a genius
This is a must read for Musk critics, but beware there is a risk that you will be converted into a fanboy once you understand his background and modus operandi. It is almost shocking to realise that Musk is a human being with flaws and worries. Thank you Mr Isaacson for helping us understand possibly the greatest genius of our time.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- George N
- 29-09-23
Amazing tale of the life of a real-life Tony Stark
Despite numerous personality defects, Musk continues to drive humanity forward. A life well lived!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Steve Johns
- 13-10-23
Throughly enjoyable insight of a great man.
An intriguing man perfectly explained. Couldn’t put it down if that is possible with an audible book. Loved it.
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