iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Replies

Dave Karpf @davekarpf.bsky.social · 13/09/2023

The immediate problem I’m having with this Musk bio (on page 7 of 615) is that (1) he’s a sociopathic serial liar, (2) Isaacson seems disinterested in seriously investigating whether anything he says is true. Like, “wow, his childhood sounds unbelievably difficult. …SHOULD I believe this???”

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Don MacKinnon @donmackinnon.dev · 21/09/2023

In general I’m just against bios being written about people while they are still alive. Someone was going to write one so I can understand Issacson going after that paycheck but it’s a stain on his reputation IMO

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ȶɦɛօ աɨռȶɛʀ @theowinter.com · 21/09/2023

Such a missed opportunity...

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debrecenisrac46.bsky.social @debrecenisrac46.bsky.social · 23/09/2023

Narcissists who come from a transactional marriage (admitting bias here my father is like that) always think their abandonment is unique and unusual. First they hate their absent father, then their ire shifts to their emotionally distant and cold mother.

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stilist.bsky.social @stilist.bsky.social · 23/09/2023

@unroll.bsky.social please unroll

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Phil @keeptheskyblue.bsky.social · 21/09/2023

It was the same in the Ashlee Vance biography, I doubt Musk would agree to them unless he was sure he could get the story told his way.

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Spageddy Lee @deadbarchetta.bsky.social · 14/09/2023

The one story of his childhood that rings true is that he claims he was bullied in school. I have no trouble believing people wanted to stuff him in a locker.

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nowhesobs.bsky.social @nowhesobs.bsky.social · 14/09/2023

Yeah the review of the biography by Jill Lepore makes it clear that Isaacson is untrustworthy. Apparently the book hardly mentions apartheid even though Musk grew up in S. Africa, and describes his grandfather’s anti-Semitic politics (he blamed both world wars on the Jews) as “quirky.”

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AnnieGTMD @anniegt.bsky.social · 17/09/2023

I just started listening to the audiobook (at 1.2 because for some reason he's reading ridic slowly) and literally said "that's BS" out loud two pages in..I can see the theme is cue the violins

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Ankle Megami Tensei @stochasticooze.bsky.social · 17/09/2023

I'm not reading it but I keep seeing people post passages from it that are apparently meant to make Musk look good but actually make him look like a spoiled idiot manchild.

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Sarah @sosomanysarahs.bsky.social · 14/09/2023

I agree with the general argument, though I think the difficult childhood is not particularly hard to verify. His father's subsequent behavior pretty much confirms that he too is a sociopathic serial liar and abuser. But the rest of it? Yeah. Anything Musk says needs to be looked at skeptically.

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Jennet Jourdemayne @wistfulwitness.bsky.social · 21/09/2023

Yeah I think unauthorized biographies of Musk are the only safe option. Isaacson is probably perpetuating any number of myths about this fucker and doing a real disservice to people he’s harmed.

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Rob Shearer @r.v.cx · 22/09/2023

I’d love to see this thread unrolled and posted somewhere on the open web.

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gary bjusey. @jm6k.bsky.social · 16/09/2023

Isaacson has his own notoriety.

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Will Oremus @willoremus.com · 20/09/2023

i almost lost it at the opening anecdote. i was ready to give up on reviewing the book and just go investigative reporter on him. however, the majority of what comes after lines up pretty closely with other accounts. still too credulous but less of a fabulist vibe at least.

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L'il @marontheweb.bsky.social · 22/09/2023

Whenever it's been suggested that I shouldn't judge Elon Musk's assholery too harshly because he was bullied or whatever, my response is: (1) even if true, so what? (2) other people's shittiness is no excuse for your own shittiness decades later, and (3) fuck Elon Musk

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Stephanie goes by Stephanie @pagnificent.myatproto.social · 13/09/2023

Why would you read that?

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Kevin Collins @kwcollins.bsky.social · 13/09/2023

The distinction between biography and memoir is the former is supposed to be a work of history, and credible historians do not (or should not) rely on unverifiable, self-serving claims from single sources. So it's worth alerting to potential readers if this is a biography or co-written memoir

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Joqatana @joqatana.bsky.social · 22/09/2023

…

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Think. It. Through. @cfaller96.bsky.social · 12/12/2023

They want to write books about Great Men and/or Great Men Doing Great Things…because deep down inside they think that makes them Great by proximity. Lewis and Isaacson can’t comprehend how awful SBF & Musk are…because that would make *them* awful by proximity, and that’s unpossible.

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Amyville Hoyrror @amyhoy.bsky.social · 22/09/2023

his childhood was probably terrible. his father married his (elon’s fathers’) step daughter. his father also told a funny story about elon as a kid getting pushed down the stairs. whatever else, i have zero doubt he was abused. abuse turns some into narcissistic sociopaths.

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Unfitforpurpose @unfitforpurpose.net · 13/09/2023

One can either write a suitable hagiography or one can ask questions. Not both.

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garlic (dream they/them evil) @childlessgambino.bsky.social · 22/09/2023

I'm sorry it's how many fucking pages

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Dave Karpf @davekarpf.bsky.social · 13/09/2023

There’s an opening anecdote about Musk attending a wilderness survival camp where “every few years, one of the kids would die.” Musk grew up white and rich in South Africa. You’re telling me white rich kids in SA were routinely dying and the camp stayed open? Seems… unbelievable.

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Jinath Hyder @jinathhyder.bsky.social · 16/09/2023

Listen to BtB podcast, @iwriteok.bsky.social did some episodes on Apartheid Baby spotify.link/EHJlEEim9Cb

spotify.link

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Matti Halloween Name Price @matti.town · 21/09/2023

This thread is great, but I think it’s naive to believe anything other than musk wanted to pay the guy who wrote the Jobs book to just hagiograph his life and he backed up a dump truck full of money to be able to do it. Isaacson is old, and he took the money despite what it will do to his reputation

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Jay Rosen @jayrosen.bsky.social · 22/09/2023

Thanks for doing this Dave. One question. Have you listented to this yet? podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/o...

podcasts.apple.com

‎On with Kara Swisher: The Walter Isaacson-Kara Swisher Showdown on Apple Podcasts

‎Show On with Kara Swisher, Ep The Walter Isaacson-Kara Swisher Showdown - Sep 18, 2023

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