Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
by Ashlee Vance
Vance's 2015 biography, written before the later chaos: Zip2, PayPal, the near-death of both Tesla and SpaceX in 2008, and the work habits and risk appetite behind them. It is admiring but reported, and the 2008 chapters are the best account of a founder betting everything twice.
Read it if…
you want the earlier, more focused Musk story about building the two companies.
Skip it if…
you want the full picture through Twitter; see Isaacson.
Three things you will actually use
- Vertical integration can be a weapon when suppliers are slow.
- Risk tolerance is a trait and a choice.
- Deadlines that seem impossible move the possible.
Do this first
Read the 2008 chapter for what 'all in' actually looked like, then ask whether you would.
Our verdict
The founding of Tesla and SpaceX.
Compare with other Entrepreneurship books
Browse all Entrepreneurship book reviews or get the free Reality Code Cheat Sheet.
As an Amazon Associate, WisdomDeck earns from qualifying purchases. Links marked “Click to see” go to Amazon. We are not paid for opinions, prices and availability are not shown here and change on Amazon, and we never see your purchase details. Nothing here is medical, legal or financial advice.