Episode · Lex Fridman Podcast · 2023-09-10
Lex Fridman & Walter Isaacson: books mentioned on Lex Fridman Podcast #395
#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.
Lex Fridman recommended Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson, and discussed The Innovators by Walter Isaacson. Walter Isaacson recommended The Double Helix by James D. Watson, and discussed Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama, The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson and others, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare, and Lyndon Johnson and the American dream by Doris Kearns Goodwin and others.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
-
Dreams from My Father
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
-
The Code Breaker
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
-
The Double Helix
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
-
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
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
-
Measure for Measure
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
-
The Innovators
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
-
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
