7 Books Elon Musk Thinks Everyone Should Read
If you’re reading this, I assume you’ve got a pretty good idea of who Elon Musk is. But if you don’t, here’s a quick rundown: He’s the founder and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and the Boring Company; he’s also the co-founder of PayPal and SpaceX. He’s a superhero to some (maybe because he gets around in a car that looks like a rocket ship), but he also has his fair share of haters (one of which is Bill Gates). And he seems to be pretty dang smart — he has degrees from Stanford, Wharton, and Cambridge University.
The man knows his stuff — but does he have time for all those books? That depends on how much time you think you can spare him.
This is a list of books Elon Musk thinks everyone should read. These are all books that have impacted him in some way, and he also recommends them to others.
- Foundation — Isaac Asimov
- The Lord of the Rings — J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy — Douglas Adams
- The Great Gatsby — F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Merlin’s Shadow — Robert Treskillard
- Art of War — Sun Tzu
- Zero to One — Peter Thiel
Foundation (Isaac Asimov)
This is the first book I ever read when I was younger. It’s a science fiction novel about forming and developing a galactic empire called Foundation. It also introduces one of my favorite themes: “psychohistory,” science-based on predicting how people will behave based on their past actions and experiences.
The Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien)
I’ve always been fascinated with books like The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings because they’re so beautifully written and set in such an enchanting world where any kind of magic is possible. I remember reading this book when I was in high school, and it blew my mind away — Tolkien’s description of Middle Earth is so vivid that you can see it in your mind’s eye!
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
This novel is one of my favorite sci-fi books ever.” It follows Arthur Dent as he travels across time and space with his best friend Ford Prefect on their quest to save Earth from destruction at the hands of aliens who want nothing more than to see humanity wiped out so they can take over the universe!
The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
The novel tells the story of Jay Gatsby’s life after World War I when he was still an obscure bootlegger who had risen from nothing to become one of New York’s most powerful tycoons. In this novel, he longs for the good old days when people were more honest, and business was conducted with less corruption. It’s a classic American novel about wealth, deception, and love.
Merlin’s Shadow (Robert Treskillard)
Merlin was Britain’s greatest king before Arthur and even had his own legend written about him by Malory in Le Morte d’Arthur. Merlin is not just another mythological figure in Arthurian literature; he is a real person who lived during Roman times and even went on to become king himself. This book tells his story through the eyes of Merlin’s son, Taliesin.
Art of War (Sun Tzu)
Sun Tzu’s Art of War gives you a great perspective on how to win any battle or war if you’re leading an army or group against another group. This book will be helpful for anyone who is leading an army or group against another group because it gives them insight into how others have done things in past battles and wars so they can do things better themselves!
Zero to One (Peter Thiel)
Peter Thiel’s Zero to One: Notes on Startups, Or How Companies Learn to Be Great by Peter Thiel was published in July 2016, which makes it one of Musk’s favorites too. He says that he has “learned so much from Peter Thiel.”
Wrapping Up!
The conclusion — books are still relevant today. Everyone can read them; they will teach you much more than Instagram. And even though Elon Musk is not the best author, he works in the business environment, and it’s literally his job to have a well-rounded knowledge head on his shoulders (ok so he dropped out of a college, but that doesn’t mean he’s not well read!).
