Episode · Lex Fridman Podcast · 2023-09-10
Books mentioned on #395 – Walter Isaacson: Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Einstein, Da Vinci & Ben Franklin
Walter Isaacson is an author of biographies on Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Leonardo da Vinci, and many others. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: – MasterClass: https://masterclass.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Elon Musk
Walter Isaacson's biography of tech and automotive entrepreneur Elon Musk explores the life and career of one of the world's most high-profile innovators.
Recommended“I highly recommend people read his new book on Elon.”
Where to get it
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Dreams from My Father
Dreams from My Father is a powerful memoir by Barack Obama that recounts his early life, family roots, and journey toward self-discovery.
Discussed“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.”
Where to get it
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The Code Breaker
The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson is a biographical account of CRISPR pioneer Jennifer Doudna and the revolutionary gene-editing technology that transformed modern biology.
Discussed“Jennifer Doudna of the gene editing pioneer who helps discover CRISPR gene editing tool, which my book, "The Code Breaker," she grew up feeling like a misfit, you know, in Hawaii...”
Where to get it
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The Double Helix
The Double Helix by James D.
Recommended“So her father drops a book on her bed called the "Double Helix," the book by James Watson on the discovery of the structure of DNA...”
Where to get it
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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams is a celebrated comedic science fiction novel that blends absurd interstellar adventures with deep philosophical inquiry.
Discussed“One of my theories on Elon, a minor theory, is that he read "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" once too often.”
Where to get it
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Measure for Measure
Measure for Measure is a complex Shakespearean problem play that navigates themes of justice, morality, mercy, and human hypocrisy in the city of Vienna.
Discussed“You want to take away his phone so he doesn't tweet at 3:00 a.m. You want to say, "Quit being so crazy." But then you realize there's a wonderful line of Shakespeare in "Measure for Measure" at the very end.”
Where to get it
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The Innovators
The Innovators by Walter Isaacson is a comprehensive chronicle of the digital revolution, exploring the collaborative groups and brilliant minds behind the creation of computers and the internet.
Discussed“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.”
Where to get it
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Lyndon Johnson and the American dream
Discussed“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.”
Where to get it
