Person
Every book Ashlee Vance recommended on podcasts
Ashlee Vance appeared on the Big Technology Podcast to discuss his book When the Heavens Went on Sale, providing insight into the modern space race and the efforts of capitalists to build an economy in low Earth orbit. Vance explained that the book focuses on thousands of satellites and various commercial uses for space, noting that outside of imaging and communications, the viability of other ventures remains uncertain. He pointed to SpaceX and its first successful Falcon 1 orbital launch in 2008 as a seminal moment for the industry, while also discussing the idealistic nature of the Planet founders and changes in the global aerospace landscape, including the decline of Russia's space business. Vance compared the narrative style and intended mainstream audience of his book to Tom Wolfe's classic work The Right Stuff, emphasizing that it was written as a compelling story about business and space rather than a dry technical manual. Additionally, he shared anecdotes about figures in the aerospace industry, such as Max and his vision for uniting the Ukrainian aerospace industry and its engine expertise.
Books recommended by Ashlee Vance
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When the Heavens Went on Sale
When the Heavens Went on Sale by Ashlee Vance is a non-fiction book that explores the modern commercial space race, focusing on entrepreneurs and capitalists attempting to build a thriving economy in low Earth orbit through thousands of satellites.
Discussed“And so, you know, the company starts around 2002 and then it takes them until 2008 to launch their first rocket, which was called the Falcon 1. And it took them four tries. But when that rocket reaches orbit, I argue in the book that it's this seminal moment”
Where to get it
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Elon Musk
Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance is a comprehensive biography examining the life, career, and turbulent relationships of the high-profile entrepreneur.
Discussed“I mean, you know, like when I wrote the book on Elon, some of my favorite stuff was like the early days of space X, um, which I didn't get to live through myself. I just had to hear all these stories”
Where to get it
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The Right Stuff
The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe is a classic account documenting the early days of the United States space program and the test pilots turned astronauts of the Mercury project.
Discussed“I mean, yes, there are things in this book that are about business and space, but I mean, this is really meant to be more of a narrative, a story more than anything else. You know, it's kind of written for a mainstream audience, sort of like the, the right stuff”
Where to get it
Books Ashlee Vance wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modern Space Race + State of Elon Musk — With Ashlee Vance | Big Technology Podcast | 2023-05-09 | 15 |
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“It's just like, I was, I felt like I had done so much SpaceX and Tesla stuff and was doing the new book. And, uh, and so I don't know. I got my first big Neuralink piece coming here soon.”