Steve's Reviews > Elon Musk

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"Elon Musk" is Walter Isaacson's long-anticipated biography of the mercurial entrepreneur behind SpaceX, Tesla and, most recently, the website formerly known as Twitter.  Isaacson is an author, journalist and professor at Tulane University who has written popular biographies of Ben Franklin, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs and Leonardo da Vinci.

Despite my bias against biographies of people whose lives are still unfolding, Isaacson's biography of Elon Musk's life proved irresistibly tempting. I was lured by my experience with two of his previous books, the prospect of gaining insight into Musk's entrepreneurial magic and by the possibility of understanding what makes this volatile visionary tick.

But for all the potential this biography seems to offer - the world's richest man allowed Isaacson to shadow him for more than two years - the 615-page narrative leaves me feeling deeply ambivalent. The fact this is not a "traditional" biography is not surprising. Nor is Isaacson's attraction to a controversial figure like Musk. But the fact this biography often reads like a breezy, over-simplified exposè is decidedly disappointing.

Readers hoping to encounter a dispassionate examination of Musk's strengths and weaknesses will be disappointed. Rather than exploring his subject's most notorious flaws within the context of his trailblazing successes, Isaacson seems to have lost himself in the hyper-reality bubble surrounding Musk. A biographer is normally expected to be an impartial observer reporting history without leaving footprints, but Isaacson's role here seems to have evolved into part-time friend, confidante and therapist.

While guiding the reader through Musk's various achievements, near-misses and interpersonal schisms, Isaacson often refers back to one of his earlier biographical subjects: Steve Jobs. These comparisons, along with accounts of Musk's relationships with Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and other successful entrepreneurs and investors, are quite interesting. But Isaacson avoids the real work of digging deeply to determine whether Musk's frequently callous treatment of people is a requirement for his success...or an unfortunate byproduct of his process for creative disruption.

And while Isaacson diligently documents much of the individual damage resulting from Musk's impetuous behavior, he almost completely ignores alleged larger-scale issues such as an apparent disregard for highway traffic safety laws, widespread allegations of consumer fraud, a tolerance of toxic behavior on his social networking site and a disregard for laws designed to ensure financial market transparency and fairness.

Finally, Isaacson's writing style is unusually informal and lacks an eloquent literary voice. His narrative is essentially a stitched-together collection of reminiscences, clichés and revealing fly-on-the-wall observations which seems to have been designed for fast, effortless consumption by the reader.

But despite its flaws, there is much to enjoy in this dissection of Musks's conspicuously captivating life. Isaacson does a nice job reviewing Musk's troubled childhood, his turbulent relationship with his father (whose own list of foibles is remarkable) and his inability to foster healthy long-term relationships. And the list of people Isaacson managed to interview "on the record" is impressive.

Musk's persistent desire to challenge conventional wisdom in the face of long odds and entrenched interests is a recurring theme and Isaacson never misses an opportunity to demonstrate Musk's intuitive sense for when and where to test boundaries and spark long-needed change. This window into Musk's relentless drive, particularly in the electric vehicle and space industries, may be the most compelling aspect of the book.

In addition, although the narrative proves far too casual and carefree for literary connoisseurs, one of its strengths is undoubtedly its accessibility. No reader will get lost in a maze of confusing engineering syntax, complex financial jargon or tedious corporate history. Isaacson clearly intended this book to provide its audience with an easy, uncluttered reading experience. And one thing is certain: "Elon Musk" is never dull.

Overall, Walter Isaacson's hot-off-the-press biography provides readers with a fast-paced, interesting and marvelously revealing look at Elon Musk - the genius and the jerk. Nevertheless, the book's shortcomings are both conspicuous and unfortunate. And Isaacson's and willingness to rationalize or excuse his subject's most profound flaws limits this book's efficacy as a biography.

Overall rating: 3 stars