EVENT OVERVIEW: Walter Isaacson will discuss his New Biography Hardcover Elon Musk In Conversation with David Von Drehle of The Washington Post on Monday, September 25, 2023, at 7:00 PM. The World's leading Biographer reveals the world's richest man, Elon Musk. This Author & Book Event is Presented by Rainy Day Books, Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering & Technology, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, and made possible through the generosity of Yé Basham Group of Baird Private Wealth Management.
ABOUT THE NEW BOOK: From Walter Isaacson, the World's leading Biographer & Author of Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs, Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Jennifer Doudna, and other Bestselling Biographies, this is the astonishingly intimate story of the most fascinating and controversial innovator of our era, a rule-breaking visionary who helped to lead the world into the era of electric vehicles, private space exploration, and artificial intelligence. Oh, and took over Twitter (Now named "X").
When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist.
His father’s impact on his psyche would linger. He developed into a tough yet vulnerable man-child, prone to abrupt Jekyll-and-Hyde mood swings, with an exceedingly high tolerance for risk, a craving for drama, an epic sense of mission, and a maniacal intensity that was callous and at times destructive.
At the beginning of 2022, after a year marked by SpaceX launching 31 Rockets into orbit, Tesla selling a Million cars, and him becoming the richest man on earth, Elon Musk spoke ruefully about his compulsion to stir up dramas. “I need to shift my mindset away from being in crisis mode, which it has been for about 14 Years now, or arguably most of my life,” he said.
It was a wistful comment, not a New Year’s resolution. Even as he said it, he was secretly buying up shares of Twitter (Now named "X"), the world’s ultimate playground. Over the years, whenever he was in a dark place, his mind went back to being bullied on the playground. Now he had the chance to own the playground.
For 2 Years, Walter Isaacson shadowed Elon Musk, attended his meetings, walked his factories with him, and spent hours interviewing him, his family, friends, coworkers, and adversaries. The result is the revealing inside story, filled with amazing tales of triumphs and turmoil, that addresses the question: are the demons that drive Elon also what it takes to drive innovation and progress?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Walter Isaacson is the Bestselling Author of Biographies of Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs, Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, and Jennifer Doudna. He is a Professor of History at Tulane University and was CEO of The Aspen Institute, Chair of CNN and Editor of TIME Magazine. He was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2023. Learn more about Walter at Isaacson.Tulane.edu
DATE & TIME: Monday, September 25, 2023, at 7:00 PM
EVENT LOCATION: A Rainy Day Books Event at Kauffman Center for The Performing Arts, Muriel McBrien Kauffman Theatre, 1601 Broadway, Kansas City, Missouri 64108
EVENT FORMAT: Walter Isaacson will discuss his New Biography Hardcover Elon Musk In Conversation with David Von Drehle of The Washington Post. Each paid Patron will receive an Author Autographed Hardcover of Elon Musk as they arrive.
ORDER TICKETS HERE: https://Tickets.KauffmanCenter.org/Isaacson
DISCLAIMER: All Author Event Sales are final and non-refundable.