Book Review: Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson

Elon Musk Isaacson

Walter Isaacson’s latest “genius” biography is not my first, but is set apart by being so current and so almost instantly out-of-date.

Elon Musk has led a fascinating life, touching industries such as cashless payments, electric vehicles, rockets, boring tunnels, brain chips, and social media. This particular biography leans heavily (almost half the book) on his acquisition of Twitter, since that coincides with the time Isaacson was shadowing Musk.

Isaacson couldn’t help but present as a less-than-impartial biographer when his subject was standing right in front of him. He seemed equal parts impressed and skeptical of Musk, whose unique style isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Still, when Musk dared greatly and achieved something seemingly impossible—such as landing a rocket booster—Isaacson gave him credit. Despite Isaacson’s overemphasis on Musk the man (in the sense specifically of what it would be like to work for him), he was able to get unprecedented access and bring forth many revelations when it came to his family life and inner circle. Yes, Walter, we know. Elon has a difficult personality which some are more adept at dealing with than others. But, you can’t deny his achievements.

The book itself read quickly despite its size and flowed between topics out of necessity (due to Elon’s wide-ranging companies and activities). Isaacson tended to editorialize specifically with the Twitter acquisition, inserting his left-leaning point of view at the most unwelcome of times. Still, despite everything Isaacson tried to do to mar the reader’s view of his subject, I ended up respecting the level of access given to him and the overall picture of Musk gleaned from the book.

Since the release of this book a lot has happened which renders this biography a footnote in Musk’s story. Just last week Musk caught a Starship booster using Mechazilla arms! Isaacson was memorably skeptical of this possibility in the book. Hell, I was skeptical it would happen on the first try. But, after watching Musk as long as I have, I’ve tried not to count him out of any possibility. His timelines might be notoriously off, but he eventually gets the job done.

Rating: 4.25 / 5 (less politically commentary by the author would have been appreciated)

Find Elon Musk on Amazon.

Note: Ashlee Vance’s Elon Musk biography isn’t bad either, though with how fast things are changing it’s more of an origin story at this point. If you’re a burgeoning fan boy it’s a great start though.

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