Written April 9, 2024 by Richard Zell Donovan

The Musk biography is very well written, highly readable and moves fast. It is a long at 688 pages, and presents the complex, often times perplexing and confounding dynamics of Elon Musk the person. It covers his life up until late 2022-early 2023, and includes coverage from of business ventures from Paypal to Neurosciene (his latest business), including Space X, Tesla (cars and energy), Starlink, and X (formerly Twitter). If you go online you can also find an interesting podcast where Isaacson is interviewed on the process of writing the book – 4 forty-five minute sessions that was definitely worth listening.

As a 1-year owner of a Tesla Model Y, whose use has exceeded our expectations as car owners (yes, our first electric vehicle, a Model Y that our granddaughter Kaedyn named “Edna”), has provoked many conversations with others about Musk. As a person, as mentioned above, he confounds, provokes, and makes it hard to be nonjudgmental about him. He loves drama, is constantly “urgent” in his various businesses and innovation, and all too often doesn’t put a filter on his public perspectives or management of peers and employees. I found Isaacson’s writing to be history driven and non-judgmental, which personally was appreciated. Not because I wanted a rosy or favorable picture – I didn’t want that and I didn’t get it from Isaacson.

At times I just wish Musk would “hush up” and focus on his work, but that isn’t who he is. His personal life, with multiple partners and many children, is not something I can relate to at all and certainly don’t recommend or wish to emulate. Being his employee has got to be a supreme challenge, but contradictory because he is clearly a “driven” man and innovator whose is committed to sustainability and creating a better world, but whose personality and way of behaving detract. Previously I read Isaacson’s bio of Steve Jobs – also excellent, and I would say the Musk book reads even better. Now reading his biography of Leonardo DaVinci. I recommend the Musk biography by Isaacson book to get a detailed picture of an important figure of our time.