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I am writing an Elon Musk biography

leanpub.com

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Re: I am writing an Elon Musk biography

#41

Post by scott_s »

vertr07 wrote: post #35
nonchalance wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Going into a biography, most of us have a basic understanding of core life events. We read biographies because we are interested in unique insights that (hopefully) biographers can provide. The only real way to do that is by interviewing people and drawing out interesting details that haven't been published yet (for a dead person, you might draw from a recently-discovered journal) In this case, the author did neither…

Since when did the market price for books reflect the effort put in by the author?

He's not arguing that the value is reflected by the effort put in by the author, but the insight gained by the reader.

Re: I am writing an Elon Musk biography

#42

Post by pit »

mbesto wrote: post #19

Slightly meta - Just a recommendation on your "pitch". When you are trying to get someone to buy something using the word "try" makes you sound less serious. I understand you're trying to be humble, but confidence in your work will get you more book sales. Be confident and people will take you more seriously. That being said...the book looks interesting! Grattis for shipping.

Come on, mods! Won't you change it for him?

Re: I am writing an Elon Musk biography

#45

Post by scheff »

This is what I have been asking for - the Elon Musk biography.

However, the one thing that I'm after, and the only thing I would be willing to buy it for, is answer to the question - "How did surmount his challenges?" He must have faced a thousand naysayers, both at the business level and at the technical level. People who he had to convince to make his successes happen. What is it that he has that enables him to overcome these challenges and succeed? It's probably not any one thing, but whatever it is, he has it in spades.

I would like to know if/how this book addresses that. Thanks.

Re: I am writing an Elon Musk biography

#48

Post by moocowduckquack »

"Maybe the best comparable person is Christopher Columbus"

Columbus was a religious extremist who thought the world was egg shaped and that he had landed in India rather than the Bahamas, even after it became increasingly clear that he hadn't, and who thought that his own travels were to do with the bringing about of the end times according to Christian prophecy. I am not sure he is necessarily the best person to use as a comparison.

Re: I am writing an Elon Musk biography

#49

Post by InclinedPlane »

moocowduckquack wrote: post #48

" Maybe the best comparable person is Christopher Columbus" Columbus was a religious extremist who thought the world was egg shaped and that he had landed in India rather than the Bahamas, even after it became increasingly clear that he hadn't, and who thought that his own travels were to do with the bringing about of the end times according to Christian prophecy. I am not sure he is necessarily the best person to us…

All of that is eccentricity compared to Columbus' very real crimes against humanity that he committed during his voyages. He enslaved huge numbers of people and put them to work in forced labor under brutal conditions. It was so egregious that the Spanish had to remove him from his governorship. He should rightly be one of the most controversial figures in history. Comparing him to anyone in modern history (except maybe Stalin or Hitler) is at best an insult.

There are plenty of other people who are comparable to Musk, obviously not the same in every way, but similar in certain respects. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates come to mind, Jobs more than Gates. Henry Ford. Andrew Carnegie. In an odd way, Ray Jardine. Nikola Tesla.

Re: I am writing an Elon Musk biography

#50

Post by SuperChihuahua »

InclinedPlane wrote: post #49
moocowduckquack wrote: post #48

" Maybe the best comparable person is Christopher Columbus" Columbus was a religious extremist who thought the world was egg shaped and that he had landed in India rather than the Bahamas, even after it became increasingly clear that he hadn't, and who thought that his own travels were to do with the bringing about of the end times according to Christian prophecy. I am not sure he is necessarily the best person to us…

All of that is eccentricity compared to Columbus' very real crimes against humanity that he committed during his voyages. He enslaved huge numbers of people and put them to work in forced labor under brutal conditions. It was so egregious that the Spanish had to remove him from his governorship. He should rightly be one of the most controversial figures in history. Comparing him to anyone in modern history (except ma…

Thanks for the input. I didn't know that it was wrong to compare Elon with Columbus. Others have complained about it as well, so I will probably find a another explorer.
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