What an epic, epic biography.

It’s hard to read this book and not be inspired by Musk’s way of being. My only highlight in the book, a quote from Yoni Roth, describes this sentiment best:

“People want me to say I hate him, but it’s much more complicated, which, I suppose, is what makes him interesting. He’s a bit of an idealist, right? He has a set of grand visions, whether it’s multiplanetary humanity or renewable energy and even free speech. And he has constructed for himself a moral and ethical universe that is focused on the delivery of those big goals. I think that makes it hard to villanize him.” (509)

Often times, these idealistic goals suffer from a lack of execution. I unfortunately suffer from that disease, and so do many others. But this biography is a tale of someone who is fearless in execution. I have to reiterate, it is very difficult not to be inspired. There were many moments in the book where I would think to myself, what if I 1. did everything always with a maniacal sense of urgency, 2. ruthlessly reduce until there is only the bare minimum of what is needed, 3. read a whole bunch of science fiction novels and be inspired by them in my research… the list goes on. But the annoying thing about reading biographies is that I will never be Elon Musk, and Elon Musk is the only person capable of being Elon Musk.

That makes it hard for me to formulate a takeaway. And I don’t necessarily think this is a book that deserves one. Just the amount of amusement, humor, and entertainment that this book has given me is more than enough to justify the existence of this book. But I can’t really help myself try to think about what wisdom Musk and Isaacson has imparted on my reading of this book.

First is that I probably shouldn’t doubt how much I care about intrinsic motivation. I’ve been taught from many figures just to do it, and just work hard. There wouldn’t be anything more torturous for me to do than that. I believe I have been gifted with an unending desire for intrinsic motivation, and the more I have of it, I believe the more good I will do for society.

Second is that sometimes I need to be crazy. Musk would not have been able to accomplish a single great feat if he weren’t fearless. This links to a sense of intuition and taste that Musk seems to cherish, which I believe I do as well. Even if my intuitions might be a little bit abrasive, it might be worth giving it the benefit of the doubt. Who knows the answer to a question before it is tested?

Third is that I should be me. Musk seems to be uninterested in facades, which are often closely associated with figures of power and influence like Musk. He seems to be unafraid in honestly expressing himself, evident in how intimate the stories in this book are. This level of intimacy, though I have to take into consideration that the author will always be biased, is something that is rare to have even with a close friend. Through the intimacy I felt a deep sense of integrity, which is something I admire about Musk. This also makes it so that I prove to myself, I really can’t be Elon Musk.

It’s late at night and my thoughts are a little scattered, but I would recommend this book to anyone who has a vision for humanity’s future.