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Elon Musk Reading List

83 points by Osiris30 10y ago

Gnarl 10y ago
#20 on the list: "Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming" - and now the same is happening with regards to health issues of wireless tech. radiation. So now Musk wants to deploy a mesh of RF generating satellites blanketing the earth. Will history ever be able to teach us anything?
EngineerBetter 10y ago
Is there any evidence for the provenance of this list?
- jessriedel 10y ago
  Presumably this is a list of book that Musk has mentioned or recommended in public at some point, but yea, it would be a lot better with citations.
gnode 10y ago
"I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" by Harlan Ellison is missing from the list. I'm not sure whether you could say Musk has recommended it, but he's certainly made reference to it to explain his fears of artificial intelligence.
- ripitrust 10y ago
  I was just about to mention this For reference, he mentioned this book in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0871VJfvD1c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0871VJfvD1c (13:46)
- stepvhen 10y ago
  Thats odd, since Harlan Ellison claims it is ultimately an optimistic tale in favor of humanity. Ellison writes in his memoir about the story, "Yes the fate AM has in store for Ted is monstrous, depressing, and downbeat. But the sub-text clearly shows that Ted has outwitted the computer; he has defeated the amoral and inhuman aspects of the human race that were programmed into the machine and which brought the world to its end." ... "we are prefectin our courage,and transcendent in our nobility..." Granted, I also think Ellison can be pretty full of himself, but the message is there nonetheless.
ethanpil 10y ago
Canoneo, great way to subtly market your product. This looks like a new site (domain from May 2016). Kudos on this very slick move. Instead of trying to advertise yourself on HN, you just used your product as intended, with content specifically suited to the audience on HN. With this, you drive very organic traffic that proves the value of your tool to people who have never heard of you. Loving it! I would call this a no-launch. Plus you will probably make several hundred to several thousand dollars on the Amazon referrals! Great move, I am definitely adding the no-launch to my playbook...
- jessriedel 10y ago
  Is this comment supposed to be ironic? Sounds sorta like it, but I don't really see anything wrong with demonstrating a product like this.
  - ethanpil 10y ago
    no irony. a tip of the hat, nod of recognition. but also raising awareness of what is really happening. i respect the move, its creative and effective.
- joe563323 10y ago
  Thanks for the info. By the way how did you found the domain was created in may 2016.
nialv7 10y ago
I thought there would be some Ian Banks on the list, given Elon named the drone ships after his work.
- moogly 10y ago
  There is: Look to Windward. Good, but not his best. Excession would be that one, IMO.

83 points by Osiris30 10y ago

Gnarl 10y ago

#20 on the list: "Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming" - and now the same is happening with regards to health issues of wireless tech. radiation. So now Musk wants to deploy a mesh of RF generating satellites blanketing the earth. Will history ever be able to teach us anything?

EngineerBetter 10y ago

Is there any evidence for the provenance of this list?

jessriedel 10y ago
Presumably this is a list of book that Musk has mentioned or recommended in public at some point, but yea, it would be a lot better with citations.

gnode 10y ago

"I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" by Harlan Ellison is missing from the list. I'm not sure whether you could say Musk has recommended it, but he's certainly made reference to it to explain his fears of artificial intelligence.

ripitrust 10y ago
I was just about to mention this For reference, he mentioned this book in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0871VJfvD1c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0871VJfvD1c (13:46)
stepvhen 10y ago
Thats odd, since Harlan Ellison claims it is ultimately an optimistic tale in favor of humanity. Ellison writes in his memoir about the story, "Yes the fate AM has in store for Ted is monstrous, depressing, and downbeat. But the sub-text clearly shows that Ted has outwitted the computer; he has defeated the amoral and inhuman aspects of the human race that were programmed into the machine and which brought the world to its end." ... "we are prefectin our courage,and transcendent in our nobility..." Granted, I also think Ellison can be pretty full of himself, but the message is there nonetheless.

ethanpil 10y ago

Canoneo, great way to subtly market your product. This looks like a new site (domain from May 2016). Kudos on this very slick move. Instead of trying to advertise yourself on HN, you just used your product as intended, with content specifically suited to the audience on HN. With this, you drive very organic traffic that proves the value of your tool to people who have never heard of you. Loving it! I would call this a no-launch. Plus you will probably make several hundred to several thousand dollars on the Amazon referrals! Great move, I am definitely adding the no-launch to my playbook...

jessriedel 10y ago
Is this comment supposed to be ironic? Sounds sorta like it, but I don't really see anything wrong with demonstrating a product like this.
- ethanpil 10y ago
  no irony. a tip of the hat, nod of recognition. but also raising awareness of what is really happening. i respect the move, its creative and effective.
joe563323 10y ago
Thanks for the info. By the way how did you found the domain was created in may 2016.

nialv7 10y ago

I thought there would be some Ian Banks on the list, given Elon named the drone ships after his work.

moogly 10y ago
There is: Look to Windward. Good, but not his best. Excession would be that one, IMO.