📚 5 Books mentioned in "Walter Isaacson: Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Einstein, Da Vinci & Ben Franklin | Lex Fridman Podcast #395" of Lex Fridman Podcast

Barack Obama wrote in his memoir, "Every successful man is either trying to live up to his father's expectations or live down his father's sins." This is especially relevant for Elon, who had a violent and troubled childhood, with a psychologically complex father.

Walter Isaacson refers to Barack Obama's memoir, which discusses the impact of fathers on success. He highlights a quote about how every successful man navigates his father's expectations or shortcomings, particularly in the context of Elon Musk's challenging relationship with his own father.

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And when she was going for tenure at the university, she wrote a biography of 'Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream.' They denied her tenure because it was beneath the dignity of the academy to write history through one person.

Walter Isaacson discusses Doris Kearns' biography, 'Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream,' highlighting its significance in the context of academic standards and the evolving nature of biographical storytelling.

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That's one of the reasons you write books about these people, so that if you're a young woman in a school where you're not being told to do science, and you read 'The Code Breaker' about Jennifer Doudna, you say, 'Okay, I can be that.'

Lex discusses how writing books about influential figures, like Jennifer Doudna in 'The Code Breaker', serves as inspiration for young women who may not see themselves in science. He highlights the importance of these narratives to encourage the next generation of innovators.

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One of my theories on Elon, a minor theory, is that he may have read 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' a few times too often. And as you know, there's a scene that says there's a theory about the universe that if anyone ever discovers the secret meanings of the universe, it will be replaced by an even more complex universe.

In a discussion about Elon Musk, Lex Fridman and Walter Isaacson explore the idea that Musk might have been influenced by the book 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.' Walter shares his 'minor theory' suggesting that there are parallels between the humor in the book and Musk's personality.

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In 'Innovators,' another book of yours that I love, you write about individuals and groups. One of the questions the book addresses is whether it is individuals or groups that turn the tides of history.

Lex Fridman refers to Walter Isaacson's book 'Innovators' to illustrate the debate about whether historical change is driven by individuals or groups, in the larger context of how figures like Elon Musk influence their environments.

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