If you’re a fan of Elon Musk, and his work in a variety of fields, you might be interested in the books he’s read and recommends. In this article, we’re going to share a list of the top Elon Musk book recommendations – those books that he’s mentioned the most, be it on social media or elsewhere. Where there’s an existing tweet, we’re include his Twitter recommendations here. So if you’re looking for Elon Musk books, we have just the list for you! Whether you’re looking for a relaxed nighttime read, or something more academic, we have a whole goldmine of knowledge to share! All Elon Musk recommended. Elon Musk Recommended Books Let’s take a look at the books Elon Musk has read and loved. Elon Musk Best Books Science / Technology Ignition: An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants Ignition by John Clarke, Huzel & Wang book on propulsion, Asimov's Foundation, Heinlein's MiaHM @WHester #APSpaceChat — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 3, 2012 “Ignition by John Clarke, Huzel & Wang book on propulsion, Asimov’s Foundation, Heinlein’s MiaHM.” Sale Ignition!: An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants (Rutgers University Press Classics) John Drury Clark Publisher: Rutgers University Press Classics Edition no. 0 (05/23/2018) Paperback: 302 pages $24.95 - $2.50 $22.45 Buy on Amazon Elements of Propulsion: Gas Turbines and Rockets “Cantrell tells us that he soon discovered that he and Musk shared an affinity for applied knowledge, and he loaned him some textbooks to study (they “were never returned, by the way!” Cantrell says). The books were “Rocket Propulsion Elements,” “Aerothermodynamics of Gas Turbine and Rocket Propulsion,” “Fundamentals of Astrodynamics,” and the “International Reference Guide to Space Launch Systems.” Sale Elements of Propulsion: Gas Turbines and Rockets, Second Edition (Aiaa Education) Jack D. Mattingly and Keith M. Boyer Publisher: Amer Inst of Aeronautics Edition no. 2 (06/15/2016) Hardcover: 960 pages $119.95 - $54.95 $65.00 Buy on Amazon Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies Worth reading Superintelligence by Bostrom. We need to be super careful with AI. Potentially more dangerous than nukes. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 3, 2014 “Worth reading Superintelligence by Bostrom. We need to be super careful with AI. Potentially more dangerous than nukes.” Sale Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies Oxford University Press Nick Bostrom Publisher: Oxford University Press Edition no. 0 (05/01/2016) Paperback: 390 pages $15.95 - $9.44 $6.51 Buy on Amazon Our Final Invention While on the subject of AI risk, Our Final Invention by @jrbarrat is also worth reading — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 3, 2014 “While on the subject of AI risk, Our Final Invention by @jrbarrat is also worth reading.” Sale Our Final Invention: Artificial Intelligence and the End of the Human Era Our Final Invention Artificial Intelligence and the End of the Human Era James Barrat Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin Edition no. 0 (02/17/2015) Paperback: 336 pages $17.99 - $8.20 $9.79 Buy on Amazon Rocket Propulsion Elements Sale Rocket Propulsion Elements Wiley George P. Sutton, Oscar Biblarz Publisher: Wiley Edition no. 9 (12/27/2016) Hardcover: 792 pages $150.00 - $50.90 $99.10 Buy on Amazon This Is Rocket Science Sale This Is Rocket Science: True Stories of the Risk-taking Scientists who Figure Out Ways to Explore Beyond Earth Gloria Skurzynski Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books Hardcover: 80 pages $18.95 - $14.95 $4.00 Buy on Amazon The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself Highly recommend anything by Sean Carroll https://t.co/yVbceZm0Io — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 12, 2016 “Highly recommend anything by Sean Carroll.” Sale The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself Sean Carroll Publisher: Dutton Edition no. 0 (05/16/2017) Paperback: 480 pages $17.00 - $5.47 $11.53 Buy on Amazon Fundamentals of Astrodynamics Sale Fundamentals of Astrodynamics (Dover Books on Aeronautical Engineering) Dover Publications Roger R. Bate, Donald D. Mueller, Jerry E. White Publisher: Dover Publications Edition no. 0 (06/01/1971) Paperback: 480 pages $18.95 - $0.95 $18.00 Buy on Amazon Structures: Or Why Things Don’t Fall Down Sale Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down Da Capo Press J. E. Gordon Publisher: Da Capo Press Edition no. 1 (07/10/2003) Paperback: 421 pages $19.99 - $6.40 $13.59 Buy on Amazon If the Universe Is Teeming with Aliens … WHERE IS EVERYBODY? Great book. Read it when it came out. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 29, 2018 “Great book. Read it when it came out.” Sale If the Universe Is Teeming with Aliens . . . WHERE IS EVERYBODY?: Seventy-Five Solutions to the Fermi Paradox and the Problem of Extraterrestrial Life (Science and Fiction) Stephen Webb Publisher: Springer Edition no. 22015 (05/20/2015) Paperback: 452 pages $29.99 - $6.30 $23.69 Buy on Amazon Modern Engineering for Design of Liquid-Propellant Rocket Engines Ignition by John Clarke, Huzel & Wang book on propulsion, Asimov's Foundation, Heinlein's MiaHM @WHester #APSpaceChat — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 3, 2012 “Ignition by John Clarke, Huzel & Wang book on propulsion, Asimov’s Foundation, Heinlein’s MiaHM.” Sale Modern Engineering for Design of Liquid-Propellant Rocket Engines (Progress in Astronautics & Aeronautics) Dieter K. Huzel, David H. Huang Publisher: Amer Inst of Aeronautics & Edition no. 0 (11/01/1992) Hardcover: 431 pages $124.95 - $14.76 $110.19 Buy on Amazon Aerothermodynamics of Gas Turbine and Rocket Propulsion Sale Aerothermodynamics of Gas Turbine and Rocket Propulsion G. Oates Publisher: AIAA Edition no. 3 (01/01/1997) Hardcover: 452 pages $84.95 - $10.20 $74.75 Buy on Amazon Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Worth reading Life 3.0 by @Tegmark. AI will be the best or worst thing ever for humanity, so let’s get it right.https://t.co/lT0uMH3ujZ — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 29, 2017 “Worth reading Life 3.0 by @Tegmark. AI will be the best or worst thing ever for humanity, so let’s get it right.” Sale Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Max Tegmark Publisher: Vintage Edition no. 0 (07/31/2018) Paperback: 384 pages $17.00 - $3.20 $13.80 Buy on Amazon International Reference Guide to Space Launch Systems International Reference Guide to Space Launch Systems (Library of Flight) Used Book in Good Condition S. Isakowitz, J. Hopkins, J. Hopkins Jr. Publisher: AIAA Edition no. 4 (09/02/2004) Paperback: 550 pages $74.95 Buy on Amazon Deep Learning Sale Deep Learning (Adaptive Computation and Machine Learning series) deep learning adaptive computation and machine learning series deep learning adaptive computation and machine learning Ian Goodfellow, Yoshua Bengio, Aaron Courville Publisher: The MIT Press Hardcover: 775 pages $80.00 - $52.03 $27.97 Buy on Amazon History Twelve Against the Gods: The Story of Adventure Sale Twelve Against the Gods: The Story of Adventure William Bolitho Publisher: Diversion Books Paperback: 302 pages $18.99 - $6.21 $12.78 Buy on Amazon Merchants of Doubt Sale Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Naomi Oreskes, Erik M. Conway Publisher: Bloomsbury Press Edition no. 0 (05/31/2011) Paperback: 368 pages $19.00 - $1.90 $17.10 Buy on Amazon The Wealth of Nations Read Das Kapital when I was 14, incl cross-checking English translation of original German. Adam Smith FTW obv. Ironically, future automation will naturally lead to greater equality of consumption. Monopolies are true enemy of people. Competing to serve is good. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 16, 2018 “Read Das Kapital when I was 14, incl cross-checking English translation of original German. Adam Smith FTW obv. Ironically, future automation will naturally lead to greater equality of consumption. Monopolies are true enemy of people. Competing to serve is good.” Sale The Wealth of Nations Adam Smith Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform Paperback: 524 pages $18.99 - $1.90 $17.09 Buy on Amazon Das Kapital Read Das Kapital when I was 14, incl cross-checking English translation of original German. Adam Smith FTW obv. Ironically, future automation will naturally lead to greater equality of consumption. Monopolies are true enemy of people. Competing to serve is good. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 16, 2018 “Read Das Kapital when I was 14, incl cross-checking English translation of original German. Adam Smith FTW obv. Ironically, future automation will naturally lead to greater equality of consumption. Monopolies are true enemy of people. Competing to serve is good.” Das Kapital: A Critque of Political Economy Karl Marx Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform Edition no. 13111 (03/02/2011) Paperback: 200 pages $9.95 Buy on Amazon Business / Self Development Screw Business As Usual: Turning Capitalism into a Force for Good @richardbranson Liked "Screw Business as Usual" a lot. This approach should be taken to heart by all, as it really is the smart move. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 29, 2011 “Liked “Screw Business as Usual” a lot. This approach should be taken to heart by all, as it really is the smart move.” Screw Business As Usual: Turning Capitalism into a Force for Good Richard Branson Portfolio Kindle Edition English Buy on Amazon Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future Sale Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future Crown Business Peter Thiel, Blake Masters Publisher: Currency Edition no. 1 (09/16/2014) Hardcover: 224 pages $28.00 - $12.31 $15.69 Buy on Amazon Lying Read "Lying", the new book by my friend Sam Harris. Excellent cover art and lots of good reasons not to lie! — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 21, 2011 “Read “Lying”, the new book by my friend Sam Harris. Excellent cover art and lots of good reasons not to lie!” Sale Lying Lying Sam Harris Publisher: Four Elephants Press Hardcover: 108 pages Currently out of stock - $1.70 Currently out of stock Buy on Amazon My Life & Work Sale The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin & Henry Ford (My Life and Work) (Annotated) Benjamin Franklin, Henry Ford Geller & Goldberg Press Audible Audiobook English $24.95 - $2.96 $21.99 Buy on Amazon Biographies Einstein: His Life and Universe Sale Einstein: His Life and Universe By the author of the acclaimed bestsellers Benjamin Franklin and Steve Jobs, this is the definitive... Walter Isaacson Publisher: Simon & Schuster Edition no. 0 (05/13/2008) Paperback: 704 pages $19.99 - $17.65 $2.34 Buy on Amazon Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age Sale Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age Princeton University Press W. Bernard Carlson Publisher: Princeton University Press Edition no. 0 (04/27/2015) Paperback: 520 pages $19.95 - $4.26 $15.69 Buy on Amazon Howard Hughes: His Life and Madness Sale Howard Hughes: His Life and Madness W W Norton Company Donald L. Barlett, James B. Steele Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Edition no. 0 (09/17/2004) Paperback: 688 pages $22.95 - $3.41 $19.54 Buy on Amazon The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Alone, 1932–1940 Sale The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Alone, 1932-1940 Bantam William Manchester Publisher: Bantam Edition no. 1 (09/03/1989) Paperback: 800 pages $22.00 - $0.46 $21.54 Buy on Amazon Benjamin Franklin: An American Life Am reading a great biography of Ben Franklin by Isaacson. Highly recommended. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 4, 2011 “Am reading a great biography of Ben Franklin by Isaacson. Highly recommended.” Sale Benjamin Franklin: An American Life Benjamin Franklin An American Life Walter Isaacson Publisher: Simon & Schuster Paperback: 586 pages $19.99 - $7.80 $12.19 Buy on Amazon Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman Am reading Robert Massie's book on Catherine the Great. Yeah, I know what you're probably thinking … did she really f* a horse? — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 30, 2011 “Am reading Robert Massie’s book on Catherine the Great. Yeah, I know what you’re probably thinking … did she really f* a horse?” Sale Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman Random House Trade Robert K. Massie Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks Edition no. 1 (09/18/2012) Paperback: 672 pages $22.00 - $12.40 $9.60 Buy on Amazon Novels The Lord of the Rings Looking forward to it. I know it's cliche, but LotR is my favorite book ever Want to see the set and take my kids on tour of greater NZ. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 12, 2017 “Looking forward to it. I know it’s cliche, but LotR is my favorite book ever Want to see the set and take my kids on tour of greater NZ.” Sale The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings (the Hobbit / the Fellowship of the Ring / the Two Towers / the The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings the Hobbit the Fellowship of the Ring the Two Towers the J.R.R. Tolkien Publisher: Del Rey Mass Market Paperback: 1728 pages $35.96 - $9.47 $26.49 Buy on Amazon The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy @Recode I love Douglas Adams! My favorite spaceship ever is in HHGTTG. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2016 “I love Douglas Adams! My favorite spaceship ever is in HHGTTG.” Sale The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Del Rey Douglas Adams Publisher: Del Rey Edition no. 0 (09/27/1995) Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages $7.99 - $0.80 $7.19 Buy on Amazon A Game of Thrones I love Banks. Best books in recent years imo are Iain Banks & George Martin. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 15, 2018 “I love Banks. Best books in recent years imo are Iain Banks & George Martin.” Sale A Game of Thrones / A Clash of Kings / A Storm of Swords / A Feast of Crows / A Dance with Dragons George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones 5-Book George R. R. Martin Publisher: Bantam Edition no. 0 (10/29/2013) Mass Market Paperback: 5216 pages $49.95 - $15.26 $34.69 Buy on Amazon Daemon @drwave @itsDanielSuarez Yeah, Daemon is a great read — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 3, 2014 “Yeah, Daemon is a great read.” Daemon Daniel Suarez Dutton Kindle Edition Edition no. 0 (01/08/2009) English Buy on Amazon Dune Dune series by Herbert also brilliant. He advocates placing limits on machine intelligence. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 8, 2014 “Dune series by Herbert also brilliant. He advocates placing limits on machine intelligence.” Sale Dune Ace Frank Herbert Publisher: Ace Mass Market Paperback: 896 pages $10.99 - $2.00 $8.99 Buy on Amazon The Fault in Our Stars @johngreen @hankgreen You had me at Sheen or Gaddafi. Must admit to liking "The Fault in Our Stars" too. Sad, romantic and beautifully named — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 6, 2015 “You had me at Sheen or Gaddafi. Must admit to liking “The Fault in Our Stars” too. Sad, romantic and beautifully named.” Sale The Fault in Our Stars John Green romance Death & Dying Publisher: Penguin Books Edition no. 0 (04/08/2014) $12.99 - $5.40 $7.59 Buy on Amazon The Lost Planet The Lost Planet (Lost Starship Series Book 6) Vaughn Heppner Kindle Edition English Buy on Amazon Stranger in a Strange Land Stranger in a Strange Land science fiction Robert A. Heinlein Publisher: Ace Edition no. 10 (05/15/1987) Mass Market Paperback: 438 pages $9.99 Buy on Amazon The ‘Foundation’ Series Foundation Series & Zeroth Law are fundamental to creation of SpaceX — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 15, 2018 “Foundation Series & Zeroth Law are fundamental to creation of SpaceX.” The Complete Isaac Asimov's Foundation Series Books 1-7 (Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation, Foundation's Edge, Foundation and Earth, Prelude to Foundation, Forward the Foundation) Isaac Asimov Bantam Spectra Mass Market Paperback $53.80 Buy on Amazon The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress “A future Lunar society facing food shortages rebels against the tyranny of Earth with the help of an artificial intelligence. Another science fiction classic by a member of the big three of sci-fi writers.” Sale The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress Orb Books Robert A. Heinlein Publisher: Orb Books Edition no. 1 (06/15/1997) Paperback: 384 pages $16.99 - $2.55 $14.44 Buy on Amazon I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream “A cautionary tale about the dangers of superintelligent artificial intelligence. In a word, terrifying. The AI at the center of this story wields godlike powers that he inflicts sadistically upon the last survivors of the human race.” Sale I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream: Stories I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream Harlan Ellison Publisher: Open Road Media Paperback: 162 pages $11.99 - $1.20 $10.79 Buy on Amazon The Culture Series Reading The Culture series by Banks. Compelling picture of a grand, semi-utopian galactic future. Hopefully not too optimistic about AI. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 26, 2014 “Reading The Culture series by Banks. Compelling picture of a grand, semi-utopian galactic future. Hopefully not too optimistic about AI.” Iain M. Banks Culture - 25th anniversary box set: Consider Phlebas, The Player of Games and Use of Weapons ORBIT Iain M. Banks (author) Publisher: Orbit $28.20 Buy on Amazon Atlas Shrugged Very appealing if you’re a sophomore in college. It’s a counterpoint to communism and useful as such, but should be tempered with kindness. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 16, 2018 “Very appealing if you’re a sophomore in college. It’s a counterpoint to communism and useful as such, but should be tempered with kindness.” Sale Atlas Shrugged Great product! Ayn Rand Publisher: Signet Mass Market Paperback: 1088 pages $9.99 - $0.73 $9.26 Buy on Amazon The Machine Stops Worth reading The Machine Stops, an old story by E. M. Forster https://t.co/0Dl4l2t6FH — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 2, 2016 “Worth reading The Machine Stops, an old story by E. M. Forster.” The Machine Stops E.M. Forster Publisher: A Forster Book Paperback: 48 pages $5.50 Buy on Amazon Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts Have recently come to appreciate the awesome, absurdist humor of Waiting for Godot. We so often wait, without knowing why, when or where. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 17, 2016 “Have recently come to appreciate the awesome, absurdist humor of Waiting for Godot. We so often wait, without knowing why, when or where.” Sale Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts Grove Press Samuel Beckett Publisher: Grove Press Edition no. 1 (05/17/2011) Paperback: 128 pages $14.00 - $1.09 $12.91 Buy on Amazon Kill Decision Sale Kill Decision Used Book in Good Condition Daniel Suarez Publisher: Dutton Edition no. 0 (08/06/2013) Mass Market Paperback: 512 pages $9.99 - $1.63 $8.36 Buy on Amazon Elon Musk Books – Wrapping Up We hope you’ve found this article fill of Elon Musk recommended books helpful. There are some absolutely fantastic and life-changing books here and we hope you make some quality purchasing decisions. Have you read a book that Elon Musk has recommended? Let us know in the comments just below here. The post Elon Musk Recommended Books: 45 Top Books That Elon Musk Has Read appeared first on Filmmaking Lifestyle.
