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Reddit mentions of Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Sentiment score: 18
Reddit mentions: 55

We found 55 Reddit mentions of Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future. Here are the top ones.

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
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  • In Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, veteran technology journalist Ashlee Vance provides the first inside look into the extraordinary life and times of Silicon Valley's most audacious entrepreneur.
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Found 55 comments on Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future:

u/Exanime4ever · 58 pointsr/news

Well it's not like those conditions are state secret... You can read all about it in Elon's approved biography

Same old stuff... Incredibly long hours, having to put up with changing priorities in a whim, putting up with power trips, getting fired for typos, etc

u/varnell_hill · 51 pointsr/technology

False. Read up on Elon. He may not be bending the metal to build the rockets, or assembling the batteries that go into Teslas (what CEO does?), but he knows a great deal about the engineering behind all their products.

If you haven't already, I highly recommend you read this.

Jobs, OTOH, had no background in computer science or engineering and never claimed to. His thing was design, which he (obviously) did really well.

u/TheHoverslam · 45 pointsr/spacex

Elon Musk's [biography] (http://www.amazon.com/Elon-Musk-SpaceX-Fantastic-Future/dp/0062301233) if you don't own the book look [here] (http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=37839.0):

“And then one of the key questions is can you get to the surface of Mars and back to Earth on a single stage. The answer is yes, if you reduce the return payload to approximately one-quarter of the outbound payload, which I thought made sense because you are going to want to transport a lot more to Mars than you’d want to transfer from Mars to Earth. For the spacecraft, the heat shield, the life support system, and the legs will have to be very, very light."

By that point the MCT will have dropped off 100t of payload on Mars and it might not need to be fully fueled to return back to Earth.

u/spacegurl07 · 19 pointsr/space

Ask and you shall receive. If you don't wanna buy it, I highly recommend getting it from the library; it is a fantastic book that I had to force myself to put down.

u/larswo · 16 pointsr/wallstreetbets

>He was in the right place at the right time

Incorrect, read the book on him written by Ashlee Vance and you will understand that it was not just so.

u/elskertesla · 16 pointsr/teslamotors

It is well known that Tesla has a high turnover rate and that Elon is a tough boss. You should check out this book if you want to learn: http://www.amazon.com/Elon-Musk-SpaceX-Fantastic-Future/dp/0062301233

u/dcwj · 13 pointsr/BlackPeopleTwitter

What do you define as successful?

SpaceX has won contracts to resupply the ISS (not sure if they still do this or not)
and
also won a contract to bring US crews to and from the ISS
.


Not to mention their huge progress toward re-usable rockets. Fairly recently they landed a rocket on a platform after it had been launched into orbit. I can't really go into the science because I don't understand it, but I'm pretty sure that by almost all accounts, SpaceX has been VERY successful. They entered a "market" that had zero competition and were told by everyone that they'd fail.

Read the book about Elon Musk.

SpaceX is pretty lit.

u/iamthewhite · 13 pointsr/elonmusk

Definetly check out the book
https://www.amazon.com/Elon-Musk-SpaceX-Fantastic-Future/dp/0062301233


I went for the audio book on audible. Was a good commute listen. If Ashley Vance is actually a fan boy, he did a great job hiding it and I'd like to thank him for that.

Some Musk facts from the book:


-photographic memory


-intense, innate drive


-mastery of physics visualization


-loner through childhood


-rough paternal childhood


-future keystones, determined in college: internet, renewable energy, space


-thought both Tesla and SpaceX would fail


There's way more stuff, really consider the book. If there was a perfect person to become 'Elon Musk', it was Elon Musk. I'm glad we have him.

u/Quality_Bullshit · 10 pointsr/SpaceXLounge

It's from Ashlee Vance's biography link

u/OklaJosha · 9 pointsr/teslamotors

The one by Ashley Vance is great. I read it for a business entrepreneurship class.

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062301233/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_1t0TCbX2J50HJ

u/madplayshd · 8 pointsr/AskEngineers

This is just from me having read 20% of a biography about him. Note that this was not a biography by him and he originally did not even want to contribute to it. He did end up contributing, but the book is based upon interviews with hundreds of people and the writer makes very clear that it is not 'Musks truth'.

He made his own rockets during his childhood, including rocket fuel.

He coded a lot of stuff, releasing a video game at age 12

The only reason he ever studied anything is because he thought it was advantageous for him. He always visited the least amount of classes necessary, and only got good grades when he needed to. At first, he sucked at school. Then someone told him you need certain grades to advance. Next time he got the best grades possible. Other examples of this is him inquiring about the highest paying job possible and ending up shoveling out boilers in a hazmat suit for 18 dollars/hour. He was one of 3/18 to keep doing it after a week.

If he has a goal, he works until he reaches it, no matter what anyone tells him. There are plenty of examples were engineers told him something is impossible, and he then went ahead and fixed the code behind their backs. With his first startup he worked 16, 18 hours a day, sleeping in front of the computer, instructing employees to kick him awake when they arrived at the office.

He apparently takes active part in the design of SpaceX and Tesla components. As in, he actually stays up to date on everything and gives his input. He is definitely not just a CEO doing buisiness stuff in the background. Read his twitter and it will be apparent that he takes active part in the engineering side of things.

In fact, he can be considered a pretty bad manager. If someone is wrong about something, using wrong equations or whatever, he is very brusque about correcting them. He expects everyone else to work as hard as he does, and is not really a charming, social, outgoing guy. It seems like the only reason people work for him is that they share his vision (to colonize mars).

u/I_just_made · 7 pointsr/news

You should probably read the biography written a year or two ago about Musk. You tag him as rich, but the reality is that he put everything on the line multiple times to save his companies. No one man can accomplish what SpaceX and Tesla do, but it is clear that Musk is a leader in the tech industry. Those were all pipe dreams, but he had the thought to make dreams reality by bringing the right people together under the right conditions.

Link

u/throwawayland69 · 7 pointsr/Futurology

He's frequently thrown tons of his own money at his companies when they were in the early stages and struggling, even risking bankruptcy. Source: His biography.

u/mechakreidler · 7 pointsr/teslamotors

You might be interested in reading his biography :)

It's extremely well written, I highly recommend it

http://www.amazon.com/Elon-Musk-SpaceX-Fantastic-Future/dp/0062301233

u/Connguy · 6 pointsr/EngineeringStudents

Don't try to read any fundamental physics/engineering textbooks, they'll just bore you and you won't learn anything without also doing stuff like you would in a lab or for homework.

Instead read some books that inspire or entertain you. You won't have time or energy to read what you want once school starts. Here's some options:

u/craighamnett · 6 pointsr/teslamotors

That's great! What were your main points or most fascinating things about him that came up in your research? I've just finished the Ashlee Vance biography on Musk and it was a very intriguing read.

u/KickAClay · 6 pointsr/elonmusk

As of this post, Hardcover $10.00 $29.99

u/hexydes · 6 pointsr/technology

> Imagine SpaceX having 100 times larger budget... We probably would have already built a few bases on the Moon and flights to Mars every few months...

We tried that. It's called NASA and their machine of contractors. As it turns out, having 100 times larger budget just means you become a large political target, you get 10x increases in layers of bureaucracy, and your goals are written, changed, thrown away, and written over again every 4-8 years. In other words, if SpaceX had 100 times larger budget, it'd probably come from sources they don't control, and they'd end up getting controlled in the process.

There's a reason why Musk won't take SpaceX public, even though they'd probably receive a massive cash injection. He has a vision for SpaceX, and wants to control that vision with an iron fist. If you read the Ashlee Vance biography about Elon Musk, you'll know that he is regretful of having to take Tesla public, and the last year shows exactly why. When you're trying to change the future, you don't want to spend time, energy, and focus answering to shareholders wondering how you're going to get them a dividend in the next quarter.

u/Failflyer · 5 pointsr/starcitizen

I had to read this book for a management class and I actually included a mention of CR in my essay. The complaints, the complements, the strategies, and more of the two gave me deja vu. Musk actually began selling the Roadster during its development, similar to pledging in SC. He even made all the "backers" pony up an extra $17 grand for the car because he miscalculated the cost of production.

It makes you think about what Musk would have made if he stayed in game design, or what CR could have made if he chose a different path.

u/Windoge98 · 4 pointsr/space

http://www.amazon.com/Elon-Musk-SpaceX-Fantastic-Future/dp/0062301233

Absolutely astounding read. So much in there I didn't know about Musk and his companies. If you haven't read it yet, do it yesterday. If you're not already convinced he's the DaVinci of our time, this book will do it.

u/robertmassaioli · 3 pointsr/teslamotors

What would be a disaster for launch reliability. Have you read https://www.amazon.com/Elon-Musk-SpaceX-Fantastic-Future/dp/0062301233 ?

In that book the Shipping / Environmental harm caused to the rockets was very real.

u/JohnFitzgeraldSnow · 3 pointsr/teslamotors

Got the Elon bio from my wife (after putting it in the cart on Amazon).

u/gogogadgt · 3 pointsr/Nootropics

He doesn't have a book. Ashley Vance did a biography of sort (with interviews of him): http://www.amazon.com/Elon-Musk-SpaceX-Fantastic-Future/dp/0062301233

u/Retroceded · 3 pointsr/Overwatch

I read about it here, https://www.amazon.com/Elon-Musk-SpaceX-Fantastic-Future/dp/0062301233
They would play in the offices at space x, after pulling 12+ hour days

u/solaceinsleep · 2 pointsr/space

It's in his biography by Ashley Vance

I believe the author interviewed the two people who went with Musk on the trip

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062301233/

u/FourShotBR · 2 pointsr/2meirl4meirl

Highly recommend his biography! (Link)

u/AnOddOtter · 2 pointsr/getdisciplined

I'm reading Elon Musk's biography right now and think it might be helpful if you're talking about career success. The dude seems like a jerk but has an incredible work ethic and drive to succeed.

You can say pretty much the same exact thing about Augustus' biography.

Outliers really helped me a lot, because it made me realize talent wasn't nearly important as skill/effort. You put in the time and effort and you will develop your skills.

If you're an introvert like me these books helped me "fake it till I make it" or just want to be more socially capable: Charisma Myth, anything by Leil Lowndes, Make People Like You in 90 Seconds. Not a book but the Ted Talk about body language by Amy Cuddy

A book on leadership I always hear good things about but haven't read yet is Start With Why.

u/getzdegreez · 2 pointsr/funny

It's in this book

u/YugoReventlov · 2 pointsr/space

Have you read Ashlee Vance's biography of Musk? If you haven't, it's pretty interesting in this respect.

u/HopDavid · 2 pointsr/Futurology

Nice!

For Musk fans I highly recommend Ashley Vance's bio of Musk: Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future. I did a review of Vance's book.

u/WolfofAnarchy · 2 pointsr/technology

This one is a must-read

The rest was basically more factual stuff about how Tesla and SpaceX operate, how they get revenue, how they implement changes, what drives them, their marketing & PR, etc.

u/JohnnySkynets · 2 pointsr/starcitizen


>I had to read this book for a management class and I actually included a mention of CR in my essay. The complaints, the complements, the strategies, and more of the two gave me deja vu. Musk actually began selling the Roadster during its development, similar to pledging in SC. He even made all the "backers" pony up an extra $17 grand for the car because he miscalculated the cost of production.

>It makes you think about what Musk would have made if he stayed in game design, or what CR could have made if he chose a different path.

Oh wow. I wasn't aware of those things. I'm guessing Tesla didn't have a forum with goons stirring shit up! Yeah in an alternate reality Elon's space game is probably as close to a 1:1 space sim as a game can be and CR's rockets are more like fighter jet space shuttles!

u/flipsideCREATIONS · 1 pointr/Entrepreneur

For 2016 I am working on opening a second location for my IT services company in Detroit and growing my client base.

Here are a few books that I really enjoyed.


Without Their Permission by Alexis Ohanian

I found this book inspiring and really showed me the persistence that he has to keep going and the value of just reaching out to other business owners to get things going.


Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance

WOW, Elon is very driven, very focused and keeps his companies on the cutting edge by investing heavily on growth and innovation. He has a very clear vision for his companies with an exit strategy for himself that includes retirement on Mars. That sounds very far out but he has thought so far ahead and to calculate the launch schedules needed to make populating Mars viable.

Smarter Than You Think

This is a good book showcasing how technology is enabling those you who use it in new and creative ways to work and think more efficiently.


Screw Business as Usual

I am a big fan of Richard Branson and in this book he showcases how he has been disruptive to the establishment while at the same time being ethical and environmentally friendly. He touches on social issues and creative ways he has solved those issues.

The Go Giver
This short book by Bob Burg is a story driven book about a fictional character named Joe who is working hard to be more successful but seems to keep falling short. Joe is introduced to Pindar & he introduces Joe to a series of successful “go-givers”. This book showcases the power of connecting with other successful people and show their willingness to help.




I listen to a lot of podcasts mostly IT industry related but there are are good for business

The Art of Charm

They have some great topics on self growth or just ways to handle life situations. Their recent episode with Jay Samit was really good


Triangulation on Twit


I listen to this podcast based on who the guest is. Leo does a good job interviewing and keeping the conversation moving forward.

Entrepreneur on Fire

While I am not the biggest fan of the pumped up over the top style of this podcast they do have some great guests on here that share their failures and successes.

u/NewFolgers · 1 pointr/space

I don't know his reasons. Personally, I like to turn it around and consider that free markets are a pressure that causes a mad competitive rush in any 'healthy' industry, and that this hasn't been occurring in space. I've worked as part of that in console game development (is this worth 80-hour weeks?), and have known others with such workloads in advertising, to put that in some perspective.. and there are plenty more industries where you can find this behavior. The fact that it hasn't been occurring as much in space is an unfortunate consequence of tough barriers to entry, cronyism, a culture of irrational risk-aversion (I call it irrational because failure to get us living in space would eventually kill us all, there's sufficient reason to try and avoid failure anyway even if just looking at cost of rockets and cargo, and there are plenty of people who are willing to face much greater risk for a worthy cause), partisan politics and 4-year terms, and other reasons. Elon's been trying to bootstrap a proper competitive industry so that we can get a more appropriate amount of capital flowing into it so that we might get closer to achieving a rate of progress in this area that's more in line with humanity's capacity - something closer to the rate of progress that he has seen first-hand in software development (he's worked on console games too actually.. the high calibre of workers and the hours:value-to-humanity ratio gets one thinking..).. and that he had come to expect is achievable based on what he had witnessed in that field.

Aside from the waitbutwhy post I linked before, Elon Musk's biography seems to help explain his perspective as well (my understanding is that although not everything's entirely accurate, it's largely right overall): https://www.amazon.com/Elon-Musk-SpaceX-Fantastic-Future/dp/0062301233

u/filsdeBalkany · 1 pointr/france

Sa biographie d'Ashlee Vance : https://www.amazon.fr/Elon-Musk-SpaceX-Fantastic-Future/dp/0062301233. J'ai le livre à la maison, mais je t'avouerais que j'ai la flemme de chercher le numéro de la page ;)

u/lidsky · 1 pointr/elonmusk

Former Head of Talent acquisition at SpaceX Dolly Singh linked to this book. Available next year though.

u/Defenestresque · 1 pointr/teslamotors

Can you explain what you mean by 'get'? I bought the ebook from Amazon.ca a while ago so I feel like I must be misunderstanding you.

u/avocadoclock · 1 pointr/GetMotivated

I enjoyed the article, thanks for the link OP.

A lot of people are misreading into this or blowing it off as luck or circumstance. Even the article itself explains that it is his decisions that have been a major deciding factor in his life. Hard work and education can get results.

It looks like a lot of the article's source material is Ashlee Vance's biography on Elon. Looks like I'll go ahead and pick it up! link

u/American_potatoe · 1 pointr/politics

Firstly, how the hell do you "buy your way to riches"? That makes no sense.


Secondly, he has never written an autobiography that I am aware of. I. Referring to this book by Ashley Vance: Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062301233/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_snFACb7TPJPSK


Lastly, your info on his companies is garbage. Look up the Tesla model 3. And selling the one share you owned of tesla is meaningless. If you have no idea about a certain company nor its mission, dont buy its stock.

u/MisterPicklecopter · 1 pointr/Futurology

This book talks about it pretty extensively, absolutely incredible read, really helped me increase my respect for Musk tremendously:

https://www.amazon.com/Elon-Musk-SpaceX-Fantastic-Future/dp/0062301233

Of course, much of that could have changed since then. It looks like the glass door rating for SpaceX has climbed a point or so since I looked at it about a year ago, so maybe there's been some change. One of my favorite Musk passages from the book has Musk talking about how he was disappointed that barely anybody was coming into work on the weekends any longer.

u/ctjwa · 1 pointr/technology

You should read the Elon Musk book that just came out. It has some real fascinating stuff about his life, and the 3 companies he owns/started. The guy is amazing.

u/GreyGreenBrownOakova · 1 pointr/EnoughTrumpSpam

If you did some research, you'd see he's one of the most hands-on CEOs in industry. A rare example of both engineering and financial acumen.

u/Ephixia · 1 pointr/videos

South Africa not South America and he went to Canada specifically to make it easier to get into the U.S. (he had dual citizenship on his mother's side). If you read this biography about him Elon specifically talks about knowing he needed to get to America from a very young age.

u/squiddington · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

This one, the audiobook has great ratings too. I wonder if I called him to ask his opinion, /u/ElonMuskOfficial?

u/rockbottom11 · -1 pointsr/soccer

https://www.amazon.com/Elon-Musk-SpaceX-Fantastic-Future/dp/0062301233

This is the book I got as a gift. I only read the beginning when he was still working on PayPal. But it def reads like a autobiography because the "author" starts off the book with the beginning of his life.