Review by Booklist Review
I would like to die thinking that humanity has a bright future. Elon Musk's view on the world is unlike many others, and this version of the best-selling adult biography cites influences in Musk's life that led to his work-centered, risk-laden, yet unparalleled success in the fields of space exploration, electric cars, and clean energy. Influences range from his mother's father, an adventuresome pilot, to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Musk's childhood featured plenty of reading and dreaming (and the occasional round of Dungeons & Dragons), but also its share of strife: his parents' divorce; his father's bullying, which often led to injuries and even hospitalization; and a personality and intellectual gift few truly understood. Today, Musk still deals with people's skepticism, but his success supersedes his aloof personality and unprecedented ideas. As Vance reports, It's Elon's world, and the rest of us live in it. An informative and easy-to-follow biography of one of today's top innovators for young readers.--Oppelt, Meghan Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up-This biography of Musk, one of the most important figures in modern technological advancement, aims to communicate the excitement and promise of the work that he and his companies-Space X, Tesla, and Solar City-are doing in the fields of aerospace, automotive transportation, and alternative energy. The book is organized around Musk's self-proclaimed quest to "guard man's fate in the universe" by "turning humans into space colonizers" and the varied paths that he has taken to achieve this end. The bulk of the narrative is focused on Musk's work with Space X and Tesla since the 2000s, with few details on his early life in South Africa. Vance creates a "you are there" feeling as he describes the early test launches of Space X rockets and the development of the revolutionary electric cars produced by Tesla. Musk and his friends and associates cooperated with the creation of the New York Times best-selling adult version of this biography, and that deep access to information shines through in this edition for young readers as well. The volume's more than 250 pages are crammed with details of the inner workings of Musk's companies, and the discussions on buyouts, venture capitalism, and initial public offerings may overwhelm those drawn to the title out of a more personal interest in Musk. Still, Vance maintains a lively pace and explains the groundbreaking technology in a way that is accessible and exciting. VERDICT Highly recommended for high school and ambitious middle school readers for its insights into Musk, technology, and venture capitalism.-Kelly Kingrey-Edwards, Blinn Junior College, Brenham, TX © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Vance slims down his 2015 portrait of an entrepreneur who has made and spent several eye-watering fortunes on the way to restarting our country's space program and possibly revolutionizing the auto industry.In Vance's view, Musk, afflicted with that vision thing, has always had his eyes on the prizenot of making bazillions but of providing humanity with the means to move beyond our confinement on a single, fragile planet. He has made bazillions nonetheless. Noting the big payoffs as well as his propensity to follow up compelling promises with scandalously late delivery dates, Vance takes readers through his booms and busts with several enterprisesnotably PayPal, Tesla Motors, SolarCity, and what has the potential to shape up to be his grandest triumph of all, SpaceX. Along with views of youth and early geekdom ("It's remarkable how many things you can get to explode," Musk recalls), he relates suspenseful accounts of technical and financial crises, conducts tours of Musk's factories (which are, pointedly, all in the U.S.), and brings his story up to early 2016. Overall, the author offers a picture of a brilliant, driven man: "He almost hypnotizes you," says an associate. "He gives you the crazy eye, and it's like, yes, we can get to Mars." Illustrated with small, rare, dispensable photos. A modern American success story, neither overly earnest nor unreservedly adulatory. (timeline) (Biography. 11-14) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
