On our daily commute, it’s easy to lose ourselves in an ocean of people, indifferent faces, and drowsy steps of thousands who just want to go home. The monotonous sight of such an urban landscape could make us wonder if this type of life makes sense at all. We see this everyday, a mirror of our own weariness, so ordinary and overwhelming.
We ask ourselves, where have all our dreams gone? We’ve noticed that, as time passes, instead of fighting for our projects, we let them fade away. Instead of letting things go, before even trying, we should at least try to get to where we want to be. Even if it doesn’t go the way we hoped for, we’ll at least know that we played a part in achieving our goals.
A great example of this is Elon Musk. His achievements have positioned him as one of the 100 wealthiest people in the planet. He has also been considered by Forbes Magazine as the most innovative man in the world.
Musk’s limits seem to be nonexistent. His earthly achievements don’t appear to be enough for him, as we can see from his Space X company. As founder of the company where space rockets are designed, manufactured, and launched, Musk’s main goal is to send people to other planets.
How does he do this? That’s the question that many around the world have made, and his answer has always been: “by reading books.” Here below are 8 books that this modern genius recommends to succeed in life: –Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies (2014)
Nick Bostrom
Hundreds of films have portrayed humanity’s fear of artificial intelligence and its imminent risks. Far from the ideas depicted in Hollywood, Bostrom shows that humanity isn’t prepared to deal with “superintelligent” beings and elements or the new technologies for everyday life. The moral question involves the essence of these difficulties. The author exposes his hypothesis in a deep and reflective way.
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Merchants of Doubt (2010)
Naomi Oreskes and Erik ConwayThe premise focuses on how the highest echelons of power condition scientific research. The authors warn their readers about the possible connections between the political elite and researchers. What lies behind the global stance on tobacco consumption, climate change, ozone depletion, and acid rain? This book explores these topics in a critical way to make us see the probable future for humankind.
–Structures: Or Why Things Don’t Fall Down (1999)
J. E. GordonMathematical language is not needed to understand the resistance of materials and the theory of structures. This book helps readers understand Hooke’s law, so it’s no longer a nightmare. The author focuses on understanding the concept rather than on math formulas.
–The Lord of the Flies (1954)
William Golding Considered a classic of literature, The Lord of the Flies portrays human nature in a harsh way. A group of thirty children survive a plane accident. As they manage to survive in the wild, greed and their will to rule takes over them in unsettling ways.–
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life (2003)
Walter IsaacsonLives that inspire other lives. Musk probably saw in this founding father of the United States an inspiration to shape his own life. As a scientist, inventor, politician, musician, and even instrumentalist, Franklin made his way to the history books through a difficult and tormented life. This book portrays all the difficulties and obstacles he went through since his childhood.
–Einstein: His Life and Universe ( 2007)
Walter IsaacsonIn this book, Walter Isaacson depicts the life and ideas of one of the greatest scientists in history: Albert Einstein. This book highlights the unconformity, rebelliousness, and stubbornness of the man behind the theory of relativity. While doing so, the celebrated director of the Aspen Institute explains this genius’s life without neglecting the scientific seriousness of his laws.
–The Foundation Series (1951)
Isaac AsimovIn this collection of short stories, Asimov presents a distant future where humanity expands its dominion throughout the galaxy. As any text written by Asimov, a key author to understand science fiction, Foundation plunges us into a sea of distressing reflections about humans’ reach, possibilities, and their undeniable flaws.
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Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future (2015)
Peter ThielThe co-founder of PayPal and author of this book describes innovation as the key element of business and personal success. He opts for creation instead of competition. Although the book might seem focused on the business world, Thiel takes it to a personal level. The future, as uncertain as it is for most of us, can be used to our favor to achieve great success.
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From his birth in Pretoria, South Africa, to his life in Canada and the United States, Musk has broken down many preconceptions. He has shown that boundaries live only within our mind. Intellectually and spatially, there’s always something beyond what we know.
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Source:
CNBC
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Translated by María Isabel Carrasco Cara Chards
