NOVEMBER SELECTION: Elon by Walter Isaacson

A warts-and-all portrait of the famed techno-entrepreneur—and the warts are nearly beyond counting.

To call Elon Musk (b. 1971) “mercurial” is to undervalue the term; to call him a genius is incorrect. Instead, Musk has a gift for leveraging the genius of others in order to make things work. When they don’t, writes eminent biographer Isaacson, it’s because the notoriously headstrong Musk is so sure of himself that he charges ahead against the advice of others: “He does not like to share power.” In this sharp-edged biography, the author likens Musk to an earlier biographical subject, Steve Jobs. Given Musk’s recent political turn, born of the me-first libertarianism of the very rich, however, Henry Ford also comes to mind. What emerges clearly is that Musk, who may or may not have Asperger’s syndrome (“Empathy did not come naturally”), has nurtured several obsessions for years, apart from a passion for the letter X as both a brand and personal name. He firmly believes that “all requirements should be treated as recommendations”; that it is his destiny to make humankind a multi-planetary civilization through innovations in space travel; that government is generally an impediment and that “the thought police are gaining power”; and that “a maniacal sense of urgency” should guide his businesses. That need for speed has led to undeniable successes in beating schedules and competitors, but it has also wrought disaster: One of the most telling anecdotes in the book concerns Musk’s “demon mode” order to relocate thousands of Twitter servers from Sacramento to Portland at breakneck speed, which trashed big parts of the system for months. To judge by Isaacson’s account, that may have been by design, for Musk’s idea of creative destruction seems to mean mostly chaos.

Alternately admiring and critical, unvarnished, and a closely detailed account of a troubled innovator.

Reading interests: We read and discuss books written from diverse perspectives. Most selections are contemporary non-fiction and memoirs.

How to get the print book: Use the Interlibrary system to gather titles for group. We have limited copies of monthly titles.

How to get the e-book or digital audiobook: This month's book is available as an e-book and digital audiobook through the Libby app.

How to register: Registration is encouraged. A reminder is sent to all registered participants less than week before the event.

Past selections have included HEAVY by Kiese Laymon, THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE by Eric Larson, JUST MERCY by Bryan Stevenson, DOPESICK by Beth Macy, LEADERSHIP by Doris Kearns Goodwin, HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD by Robert Koller.

Discussions are led by Adult Services Librarian Kathleen Fieffe. For more information or questions, email Kathleen at kfieffe@trumbull-ct.gov