Joshua Rodgers

Excellent Tight Rope Walk

Reviewed: 06-09-21

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I felt it really provided a clear view of Musk and his businesses. Throughout however, you could see the delicate dance the author was performing to remain in his good graces. The book very often comes off as a fanboy tome, rather than a quasi-objective autobiography such as those of Steve Jobs and other tech heroes. This of course is fine and somewhat expected as Musk is a living public figure and the thoroughness of the book relied on his intimate involvement. It was simply a bit annoying at times as the author starts off with a story relating how he denied Musk’s request to add footnotes to the book; in some cases it’s as though the footnotes made it in anyway. Despite this, the end result is top notch reading/listening.

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Incredibly inspiring

Reviewed: 02-05-21

This book and performance are brilliant. I’ve listened to several chapters five or six times. So much creative inspiration here, though it does follow a sort of DnD theme, you can apply the worldbuilding concepts to any creative style.

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SciFi in its purest form

Reviewed: 09-20-20

I almost let the negative reviews regarding the narration stop me from buying this; that would’ve been an enormous mistake. It only took a few minutes to acclimate to the narrator’s style and now I couldn’t imagine anyone else performing it.

This book is the epitome of what I personally define as science fiction; I want to experience something that changes the way I see the ‘real world’. This title delivered in a way that I never expected. I am not the same for having experienced it.

If you enjoy thinking about the origins of the Universe, or the possibility of an afterlife and have a casual interest in computing or physics, you’ll love this. I emphasize the ‘casual’ interest qualification. If you have a physics degree or some advanced knowledge of the topics involved, there’s a slight chance you might find the story too fantastic to enjoy. I say ‘slight’ quite deliberately however as the author manages to utilize the futuristic setting very adeptly to create a very believable, immersive story; I almost feel like the story actually happened and I am simply recalling the events.

Five stars all around.

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Well researched, thorough, entertaining.

Reviewed: 11-07-19

This was an amazing book. the performance was excellent. As a computing professional, I love gaining knowledge of the history of the field. This book is as technical as I like yet simultaneously as entertaining. Loved it.

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1 person found this helpful

A Tech History Masterpiece

Reviewed: 10-28-19

This book and the audio performance of it were excellent. While the book is quite long, it is engaging. If you enjoy tech history, you will not be disappointed. it was wonderful to hear stories of tech pioneers you've never heard of before, rather than another volume of Who's Who in Silicon Valley.

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A New Classic

Reviewed: 10-12-19

This audiobook stands alone. I can only compare it to William Gibson's Neuromancer. It builds a futuristic world full of tech I've never imagined and thrills with a story that pulls you in whether you go willingly or not. The story is at times uncomfortable, but never lets you go, forcing you to deeply consider the characters and the future they occupy. The narrator's performance is impeccable, with a nearly mechanical style that suits the story and it's setting flawlessly, so much so that I feel I might not have enjoyed the book nearly as much had I only read it myself.

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A Personal Favorite

Reviewed: 10-12-19

I love this audiobook. I have listened to it at least five times. The performance is exquisite and fits the prose perfectly. Derman's life story and his relation of it follows the arc of my personal interests so precisely that this book feels strangely personal to me, almost as though I had imagined the story myself.

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