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Top reviews from India
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Reviewed in India on 3 May 2018
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Five Stars
By Hulu Das on 3 May 2018
So good to have this book, if u wanna buy go for it
By Hulu Das on 3 May 2018
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Reviewed in India on 30 September 2018
elon-musk-coverMusk’s family history is generation after generation of adventurous, risk-taking and highly intelligent people. As a child, he devoured all books in sight and resorted to reading through two sets of encyclopedias as well. “Vacuuming books into his brain,” he was considered a “fact factory,” with a “photographic memory.” Author Vance notes that not all of Musk’s childhood acquaintances appreciated his gifted mind, and some saw him as a target for bullying. As a teen, Musk left South Africa without his parents; first moving to Canada and then to his ultimate destination – the United States.
In the United States, one of his first business developments included an early internet mapping & directory system which Compaq purchased and merged into their AltaVista web-search engine. With cash-in-hand, Musk next envisioned online banking in an internet world where people still feared such a thing. That dream became PayPal which soon developed the methods used for fighting online fraud, and formed the basis of software used by the world’s largest banks, the CIA and the FBI. The young innovators making this possible later became known as the “PayPal Mafia” and “Silicon Valley Royalty” with Musk its “most famous and successful member.”
spacex_defaultIn the years to come, Musk developed, invested in, and expanded SpaceX, Tesla Motors, SolarCity and more. The author delves into the very interesting histories of each of these companies, including the plunges that almost led to bankruptcies. Musk’s companies re-imaged business and what could be accomplished. The aerospace industry/government contractors with their cumbersome, bureaucratic, and wasteful spending models have felt the quakes brought about by Musk’s paradigm shift. His efficiency has enabled Space-X to drastically reduce the cost of launching experiments and satellites into orbit, making Space-X became the first private company to dock with the International Space Station (ISS).
Tesla Motors is also discussed at length in this biography, but I find the SpaceX portions really reflect Musk’s innovative spirit. There were many years of failed rocket-launch attempts, but there was always the push forward through adversity. The launches into space and missions to the ISS are the beginning phases with the ultimate goal of colonizing Mars! When I worked on the ISS program, ideas like that seemed very overreaching, audacious and even laughable to me, but reading this biography, if anyone can get that started, it would be Musk. The wild promises, one by one, keep unfolding into reality. Musk does not see a depressed, dystopian future for humans he imagines us as a multi-planetary species. Instead, his vision is of saving mankind, not simply creating another product for consumption. Yes, it is far out there, but it is always the big thinkers that push the boundaries.
This is such an inspirational book that I recommended it to my husband and son so they are starting on it. I know my son is interested that many consider Musk the real-life embodiment of Iron-Man’s Tony Stark. To me, one of the great sides to America is that boundaries get pushed and success breaks through in spite of outside interference that tries to tamp it down. The accomplishments of Elon Musk and the teams he pulls together to make things happen truly seem unreal and almost science fiction. I highly recommend this very readable and enjoyable book!
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Loved it!!!!
By Anand on 30 September 2018
This fascinating biography, Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance, lights up the resilient American spirit in its portrayal of an ambitious visionary, an inspiring dreamer, and a persistent doer and innovator. Elon Musk, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur (to say the least), has the indomitable will to carry off what most others deem impossible while at the same time receiving negative bashings in the media – through failures and successes. Musk, born in South Africa, is a personality that was destined to thrive in America. He created a uniquely American story like nothing else.By Anand on 30 September 2018
elon-musk-coverMusk’s family history is generation after generation of adventurous, risk-taking and highly intelligent people. As a child, he devoured all books in sight and resorted to reading through two sets of encyclopedias as well. “Vacuuming books into his brain,” he was considered a “fact factory,” with a “photographic memory.” Author Vance notes that not all of Musk’s childhood acquaintances appreciated his gifted mind, and some saw him as a target for bullying. As a teen, Musk left South Africa without his parents; first moving to Canada and then to his ultimate destination – the United States.
In the United States, one of his first business developments included an early internet mapping & directory system which Compaq purchased and merged into their AltaVista web-search engine. With cash-in-hand, Musk next envisioned online banking in an internet world where people still feared such a thing. That dream became PayPal which soon developed the methods used for fighting online fraud, and formed the basis of software used by the world’s largest banks, the CIA and the FBI. The young innovators making this possible later became known as the “PayPal Mafia” and “Silicon Valley Royalty” with Musk its “most famous and successful member.”
spacex_defaultIn the years to come, Musk developed, invested in, and expanded SpaceX, Tesla Motors, SolarCity and more. The author delves into the very interesting histories of each of these companies, including the plunges that almost led to bankruptcies. Musk’s companies re-imaged business and what could be accomplished. The aerospace industry/government contractors with their cumbersome, bureaucratic, and wasteful spending models have felt the quakes brought about by Musk’s paradigm shift. His efficiency has enabled Space-X to drastically reduce the cost of launching experiments and satellites into orbit, making Space-X became the first private company to dock with the International Space Station (ISS).
Tesla Motors is also discussed at length in this biography, but I find the SpaceX portions really reflect Musk’s innovative spirit. There were many years of failed rocket-launch attempts, but there was always the push forward through adversity. The launches into space and missions to the ISS are the beginning phases with the ultimate goal of colonizing Mars! When I worked on the ISS program, ideas like that seemed very overreaching, audacious and even laughable to me, but reading this biography, if anyone can get that started, it would be Musk. The wild promises, one by one, keep unfolding into reality. Musk does not see a depressed, dystopian future for humans he imagines us as a multi-planetary species. Instead, his vision is of saving mankind, not simply creating another product for consumption. Yes, it is far out there, but it is always the big thinkers that push the boundaries.
This is such an inspirational book that I recommended it to my husband and son so they are starting on it. I know my son is interested that many consider Musk the real-life embodiment of Iron-Man’s Tony Stark. To me, one of the great sides to America is that boundaries get pushed and success breaks through in spite of outside interference that tries to tamp it down. The accomplishments of Elon Musk and the teams he pulls together to make things happen truly seem unreal and almost science fiction. I highly recommend this very readable and enjoyable book!
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A view of what tomorrow might bring
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