Separating the design of a product from its engineering was a recipe for dysfunction. Designers had to feel the immediate pain if something they devised was hard to engineer.

I didn’t initially want to review this book, mostly because I had already read the Ashlee Vance book written a while back and I found the cover to be absolutely terrifying (look it up). Despite these reasons, I recently found out about Spotify’s audiobook program, and took it upon myself to listen to this book pretty much exclusively at the gym and on my bike rides to work. In this review, I’ll cover Walter Isaacson’s recent biography Elon Musk.

The book is essentially what you’d anticipate from Walter Isaacson throughout his career. It adheres to a chronological storyline, chronicling Elon Musk’s early years in South Africa, Canada, and, significantly, his journey in Silicon Valley. Isaacson portrays Musk as a fearless leader in the battlefield of innovation, tirelessly fighting for the greater good of humanity.

From this book, it’s evident that money doesn’t fuel Elon Musk in the same way it does for many others. Even after his initial cash out, he could have opted for the easier path. Yet, he barrels forward, pushing the boundaries of his employees and fixating his gaze on larger missions. He invests his stake from PayPal into ventures like Tesla and SpaceX, defying all odds to emerge successfully. Through his experiences he develops a framework for designing and manufacturing.

Step one should be to question the requirements,” he says. “Make them less wrong and dumb, because all requirements are somewhat wrong and dumb. And then delete, delete, delete.

While Isaacson maintains a fair tone for most of the book, there were moments that left me somewhat irked. One notable instance is his tendency to let Musk off the hook for a couple of controversial moves, like Elon’s stance on crypto, despite leveraging it for substantial financial gains. Additionally, the omission of a detailed exploration of the Hyperloop is notable, especially considering the significant amount of tax money invested in a project that could have otherwise been directed toward more progressive public transit initiatives.

Furthermore, Isaacson seems to gloss over some of the more intriguing perspectives put forth by Musk, such as his assertion that Mars is the only viable option for humanity’s survival. It’s an undeniably unconventional take, yet Isaacson doesn’t delve into it as much as one might expect, given his thorough investigative approach in other aspects of the book.

Considering the dynamic nature of Musk’s life, Isaacson adeptly portrays him in his current state. The exploration of Musk’s Twitter acquisition is particularly engaging, shedding light on his destructive tendencies. Musk’s behavior becomes evident — oscillating from reasonable to what Isaacson aptly terms as ‘demon mode.’ It’s a fascinating section, despite being one that seems slightly tilted in Musk’s favor. While Elon Musk may not be as inherently captivating as Steve Jobs, Isaacson manages to do what he does best in navigate the complexities of capturing Musk’s polarizing personality.

Overall Rating: 7/10