Vijaya Ramnath

Suited and booted, sporting my helmet and visor, I squirm in my sizeable space suit. I pinch myself. Ouch! Am I dreaming? Indeed! Isn’t it awesome to find a book that is so mesmerising? Young Musk was a loner throughout grade school who suffered for years, at the hands of bullies. A bookworm with an ability to absorb volumes of information made him a fact factory. Ashlee Vance’s book traces the incredible journey of this reserved personality with a geeky disposition into a confident, successful inventor and industrialist. A physicist at heart, engineer by demeanour, with grit and chutzpah against all odds, Musk is the brain behind Zip2, PayPal, Tesla, SpaceX and SolarCity. The harmonious melding of software, electronics, advance materials and computing horsepower appears to be Musk’s special gift. Musk’s raison d’être remains turning humans into an inter-planetary species. Creating technology to establish life in Mars is his momentous mission. Perhaps, this stems from a life richly influenced by sci-fi and technology. “I’m not an investor. I like to make technologies real that are important for the future and useful in some way” says Musk. Hence he pursued projects in internet, renewable energy and space. Some of his feats have elevated him to the rarest heights amongst business titans. viz., SolarCity with its solar panels and roofs, Tesla Motors manufacturing ultra-safe aerodynamic electric cars that people lust after and SpaceX, manufacturing and launching advanced rockets and spacecraft. Will the human race inhabit Mars in Musk’s life-time? The world waits with bated breath.... “My mentality is that of a Samurai. I would rather commit seppuku than fail”, proclaims Musk. He has hardly lucked into his successes. Perpetually optimistic, he has driven these with his blood, sweat and tears, to pursue his vision with total commitment. In his endeavour of economical in-house manufacturing, he was supported by a set of energetic geeks, who set out to do the borderline impossible. He mastered the art of getting the most from his employees with blunt criticism and incessant work demands. Musk’s worst trait by far is a complete lack of loyalty or human connection. Many who worked tirelessly for him were tossed to the kerb like a piece of litter. A case in point is Mary Beth Brown, his Executive Assistant of 12 years, whom he let go unceremoniously. Musk is a man of inconsistencies. For instance, his engineers were baffled by his refusal to spend small amounts to get critical equipment, while at the same time splurging on painting the factory floor to make it look nice. Vance comes through as a maestro, who parcels off information in a loveable lucid style. His portrayal of Musk and his adventures generously interspersed with anecdotal evidence is delightful. One of my favourites is the occasion when, on his birthday, Musk donned a blindfold and held balloons in each hand and another between his legs, while the knife thrower went to work. The onlookers were stunned and frightened for his safety, but Musk believed in the ‘science of things’! Bizarre but gutsy, I felt. You may glorify him or mock at him, adore him or despise him, you cannot ignore him. This book is a must read, whether you are a techie or not.