Elon Musk | Book Review

"A brilliant, penetrating examination of the roller-coaster life of Silicon Valley's most audacious businessman, sending shock waves throughout business and industry."

That's what's written on the back cover. That one sentence is a perfect ad for this book. Ashlee Vance spent more than two years writing this, and he did a splendid job.

Elon Musk is famous. He is a billionaire inventor/engineer/businessman and everyone knows him. But only recently I started to pay more attention to news about him. I watched couple of his interviews, and immediately went to a bookstore to buy this book. I bought the new updated edition one, hoping I could get a glimpse of what's inside Elon's brain.

I wasn't a big fan yet when I started reading it. It was just mere curiosity that I had to read his story. Well, it was a good decision. This book truly inspires me in many aspects. To learn what Elon had been thru, how he was around his employee, friends and family, had me--as an entrepreneur myself and a human being--feeling very enlightened. Unlike some other businessman biographies that I read which left me feeling a bit jealous wishing I had what they have, Elon Musk doesn't make me feel that way. Well, I might be wishing I was a code-prodigy or having photographic memory, but I wouldn't in million years thinking I should and could build a private rocket company, or electric car. Not only because it was way beyond my capacity, but I also don't think I have the mentality to get thru what Elon had been thru. And I don't think I want to make that much sacrifice as he did in order to make his dream came true. He is exceptional, no one can deny that.

Nonetheless, this book left me feeling very inspired and empowered knowing if Elon could built such crazy unthinkable companies while enduring so much stress from press and peers doubting that he'll ever succeed, why can't I with the small business that I'm running? It took Elon years--torturing years--to even see if his works had a chance to stay on business. He never gave up, why should I?

There is one particular thing about Elon that strikes me the most. He didn't know much about rocket science until he founded SpaceX. He graduated with physics and economy degrees, so it was pretty amazing how he learnt everything thru reading and asking people about rocket. Although degree in physics might help, still... It shows that you don't have to stick to your education background, or have to earn a college degree to do what you want. It doesn't matter what background you have, or whether you went to university or not. You can always learn.

I realized that Elon could probably did that because he's a genius. But what on earth makes you think you can't? Especially in this era where people give out free lectures thru media like YouTube. You can easily find any sorts of information on the internet. Read all the books that will help you understand.

As long as you're determined, you can do what ever the hell you want.

Here are some of many interesting points from this book that I highlighted (more about Elon rather than his businesses);

• Teenage Elon learned that the tough thing is figuring out what questions to ask. Once you figure out the question, the answer is relatively easy.
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• Farooq, Elon's roommate in college, said this, "When Elon gets into something, he develops just this different level of interest in it than other people. That is what differentiates Elon from the rest of humanity."
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• "Do or die but don't give up. That's Elon." - Ambras, the then vice president of engineering at Zip2.
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• "Even if they would like to behave like you, they don't necessarily have all the assumptions or information that you have in your mind.....You have to put yourself in a position where you say, 'Well, how would this sound to them, knowing what they know.'" - Elon on how he could've handled some of the situations with the employees at Zip2 better.
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• History has demonstrated that while Musk's goals can sound absurd in the moment, he certainly believes in them and, when given enough time, tends to achieve them. "He always works from a different understanding of reality than the rest of us." - Ankenbrandt.
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• "He's forward-moving, and I think it's a survival thing with him." - Justine Musk, Elon's ex-wife, on his defense mechanism in facing misery.
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• "He always communicated the importance of being lean and of success, but it was never 'if we fail, we're done for.' He was very optimistic." - Spikes talking about how Elon handled the series of failure during SpaceX early launch.
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• Musk is aggressive, but he would listen to a well-argued, analytical point and often change his mind if given a good enough reason.
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• "He listens, asks good questions, is fast on his feet, and gets to the bottom of things."
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• "He has the ability to work harder and endure more stress than anyone I've ever met.....He kept working and stayed focus."
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• "I thought at first that he was challenging me to see if I knew my stuff. Then I realized he was trying to learn things." - Kevin Brogan talking about his interview with Musk for SpaceX.
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• "He's authentically in hurry."
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• "One of my favorite things about Elon is his ability to make enormous decisions very quickly."
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• [Elon] is a physicist at heart and engineer by demeanor.
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• Musk's ultimate goal, though, remains turning humans into an interplanetary species.
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• Musk has the ability to find bright, ambitious people and lure them into his companies.
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• "When he feels something, he feels it so completely and purely." - Talulah Riley on Musk.
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• "Good ideas are always crazy until they're not."- Larry Page.
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• [Elon] feels that the suffering helped to make him who he is and gave him extra reserves of strength and will. 

Well, in conclusion, I would say I don't want to be married to someone like Elon nor do I want to be his employee (not that it's even remotely possible). But he has my full support in whatever he's doing. Because as far as I know, he is one of few people who are actually doing something for the future of human race. He's changing the game. He's the real Iron Man, for God's sake.

So, yeah, I'm a fan.

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Elon Musk ratings
Goodreads: 4,25/5
Book-bosomed: 4 stars out of 5