96 Elon Musk Recommended Books
Elon Musk is a business magnate, investor, and engineer. He is the founder and CEO of SpaceX, co-founder of Tesla Motors and PayPal, and the chairman of Solar City. Musk's goals include reducing global warming through sustainable energy production and consumption, as well as reducing the risk of human extinction by establishing a human colony on Mars.
96 Books recommended by Elon Musk
The Big Picture
On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself
Author :Sean Carroll
- Elon Musk"Highly recommend." - Elon Musk [Source]
The Life of Greece
The Story of Civilization, Book 2
Author :Will & Ariel Durant
- Elon Musk"Rereading [this book]." - Elon Musk [Source]
Catherine the Great
Portrait of a Woman
Author :Robert K. Massie
- Elon Musk"I know what you're probably thinking ... did she really f* a horse?" - Elon Musk [Source]
Superintelligence
Paths, Dangers, Strategies
Author :Nick Bostrom
- Elon Musk"Worth reading [this book]. We need to be super careful with AI. Potentially more dangerous than nukes." - Elon Musk [Source]
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
Author :Robert A. Heinlein
- Elon MuskOne of Elon Musk's favorite books about space. [Source]
Merchants of Doubt
How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming
Author :Naomi Oreskes
- Elon Musk"Worth reading [this book]. Same who tried to deny smoking deaths are denying climate change." - Elon Musk [Source]
Stranger in a Strange Land
Author :Robert A. Heinlein
- Elon Musk"I like [this book], although it kind of goes off the rails at the end." - Elon Musk [Source]
Deep Learning
Author :Ian Goodfellow
- Elon Musk"Written by three experts in the field, [this book] is the only comprehensive book on the subject." - Elon Musk [Source]
Atlas Shrugged
Author :Ayn Rand
- Elon Musk"A counterpoint to communism and useful as such, but should be tempered with kindness." - Elon Musk [Source]
Modern Engineering for Design of Liquid Propellant Rocket Engines
Author :Dieter K Huzel
- Elon MuskOne of Elon Musk's favorite books about space. [Source]
Screw Business As Usual
Turning Capitalism into a Force for Good
Author :Richard Branson
- Elon Musk"This approach should be taken to heart by all, as it really is the smart move." - Elon Musk [Source]
The Selfish Gene
Author :Richard Dawkins
- Elon Musk"Most people don't realize that the origin of the word 'meme' is [this book]." - Elon Musk [Source]
Waiting for Godot
A Tragicomedy in Two Acts
Author :Samuel Beckett
- Elon Musk"Have recently come to appreciate the awesome, absurdist humor of [this book]." - Elon Musk [Source]
What We Owe the Future
Author :William MacAskill
- Elon Musk"Worth reading. This is a close match for my philosophy." - Elon Musk [Source]
Structures
Or Why Things Don't Fall Down
Author :J. E. Gordon
- Elon Musk"Really, really good if you want a primer on structural design." - Elon Musk [Source]
Benjamin Franklin
An American Life
Author :Walter Isaacson
- Elon Musk"A great biography. [...] Highly recommended." - Elon Musk [Source]
Twelve Against the Gods
The Story of Adventure
Author :William Bolitho
- Elon Musk"It's really quite good." - Elon Musk [Source]
Not Much of an Engineer
Author :Sir Stanley Hooker
- Elon MuskElon Musk recommended this book on Twitter. [Source]
Acts of Love
Author :Talulah Riley
- Elon Musk"All characters – even those based on real people – are entirely fictional..." - Elon Musk [Source]
Zero to One
Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future
Author :Peter Thiel
- Elon Musk"[This author] has built multiple breakthrough companies, and [this book] shows how." - Elon Musk [Source]
Also Recommended by
If the Universe Is Teeming with Aliens ... Where is Everybody?
Seventy-Five Solutions to the Fermi Paradox and the Problem of Extraterrestrial Life
Author :Stephen Webb
- Elon Musk"Great book. Read it when it came out." - Elon Musk [Source]
The Age of Napoleon
The Story of Civilization, Book 11
Author :Will & Ariel Durant
- Elon Musk"An amazing book." - Elon Musk [Source]
What's Our Problem?
A Self-Help Book for Societies
Author :Tim Urban
- Elon Musk"Worth reading." - Elon Musk [Source]
Masters of Doom
How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture
Author :David Kushner
- Elon Musk"A great book." - Elon Musk [Source]
A Woman Makes a Plan
Advice for a Lifetime of Adventure, Beauty, and Success
Author :Maye Musk
- Elon Musk"My Mom wrote a book ❤️." - Elon Musk [Source]
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Author :Benjamin Franklin
- Elon Musk"Really good." - Elon Musk [Source]
The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe
How to Know What's Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake
Author :Steven Novella
- Elon Musk"[This] book is 👍" - Elon Musk [Source]
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Author :Douglas Adams
- Elon Musk"A book of philosophy disguised as a silly humor book." - Elon Musk [Source]
Howard Hughes
His Life and Madness
Author :Donald L. Barlett
- Elon Musk"A cautionary tale." - Elon Musk [Source]
Our Final Invention
Artificial Intelligence and the End of the Human Era
Author :James Barrat
- Elon Musk"Worth reading." - Elon Musk [Source]
The Wages of Destruction
The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy
Author :Adam Tooze
- Elon MuskElon Musk recommended this book on Twitter. [Source]
American Caesar
Douglas MacArthur 1880 - 1964
Author :William Manchester
- Elon MuskElon Musk recommended this book on Twitter. [Source]
Explore/Create
My Life in Pursuit of New Frontiers, Hidden Worlds, and the Creative Spark
Author :Richard Garriott
- Elon Musk"A chronicle of wonder, and the many wondrous things the future may hold." - Elon Musk [Source]
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
Author :Edward Gibbon
- Elon Musk"[The author]'s famous book." - Elon Musk [Source]
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Author :Britannica Editors
- Elon Musk"Read through [this book]. I'd recommend that." - Elon Musk [Source]
The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World
From Marathon to Waterloo
Author :Edward Shepherd Creasy
- Elon Musk"Insightful analysis, ensconced in eloquent prose." - Elon Musk [Source]
Das Kapital
A Critique of Political Economy
Author :Karl Marx
- Elon Musk"Read [this book] when I was 14." - Elon Musk [Source]
Human Compatible
Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control
Author :Stuart Russell
- Elon Musk"Worth reading." - Elon Musk [Source]
The Fault in Our Stars
Author :John Green
- Elon Musk"Must admit to liking [this book]. Sad, romantic and beautifully named." - Elon Musk [Source]
FAQs
Q1: What books has Elon Musk recommended?
Elon Musk has recommended the following books: 'Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down' by J.E. Gordon, 'Zero to One' by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters, 'Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies' by Nick Bostrom, 'The Fontainebleu Ethnicity' by Claude Levi-Strauss, and 'The Foundation Trilogy' by Isaac Asimov.
Q2: What are the topics covered by the books?
Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down looks at why structures stand strong and what makes them fail. Zero to One focuses on the task of creating and learning from startups. Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies explores the potential consequences and applications of artificial intelligence. The Fontainebleu Ethnicity looks at the different cultures and aspects of anthropology. And the Foundation Trilogy is a science fiction classic which delves into the origins of a galactic empire.
Q3: How have these books been chosen by Elon Musk?
Elon Musk has expressed a fondness for books which discuss the way technology, science, and society develop and interact. As a result, the books he recommends are primarily focused on these areas.
Q4: What is Elon Musk's opinion on the books?
Elon Musk has been quoted as saying that the books he recommends are "interesting if you're trying to understand a path forward for humanity and technology". He has also expressed that his interest lies primarily in developing new technologies, and these books can help inform those efforts.
Q5: What other books have Elon Musk recommended?
In addition to the five books mentioned, Elon Musk has also recommended ‘The Meaning of Human Existence’ by E.O. Wilson, ‘Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid’ by Douglas Hofstadter, and ‘The Phantom Tollbooth’ by Norton Juster.
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