by Hamish McKenzie was one of the books I was already looking forward to based on the name and cover alone. Insane Mode is like the power button on a Tesla sports car. And the story behind Elon Musk and Tesla has fascinated me for years.
According to the blurb, this book is about a Tesla insider who has put down on paper the story of arguably the most revolutionary automaker and the man behind this success story. Because it's not just the story of a truly groundbreaking car brand, it's the story of a visionary and a new era of entrepreneurship. In the end, though, it turns out that it's just a journalist who did a few interviews after all. For me, this has relatively little to do with an insider and I was hoping for something different. Anyone expecting deep insides will be disappointed.
The added value of this book is not the Tesla story per se, but an interesting reappraisal of the entire industry. It is nevertheless informative regarding Tesla, but lacks that certain insider touch.
Such quotes are then the exception rather than the rule. Tesla founder Elon Musk is known for these statements and is described as a CEO for times of war. A leader who can lead and develop a company in times of existential threat - which his companies were and are regularly exposed to.
If you are only interested in Tesla, you will only find a string of recounts and press articles in this book, with a few minor exceptions. Those who have not yet dealt intensively with the company will get a very well prepared, historical and chronological view of Tesla's history. Almost all political, journalistic, scientific and social imponderables are described, which Tesla is still facing today. A company in the crossfire of various actors out there who do not agree with the pioneering work of the CEO.
"I don't set up companies to set up companies, but to get things done"
Elon Musk
It only became really exciting for me at the end of the book, when the author began to write in a more liberated way. At the moment when he broke away from Tesla and reported on topics of the future such as self-driving - possibly even flying - cabs, urban planning concepts, a new renaissance and togetherness in a networked world, CO2 limits, etc., the book became really interesting.
From this point on, the book is no longer exclusively about Elon Musk and Tesla, as one might expect from the name and cover. Instead, it also covers a number of other courageous startups and established companies that build on Tesla's technology or zeitgeist and also contribute to the transformation of the entire industry.
For me, that is the actual interesting added value of this book and the reason why I would finally classify it as a good book after all. Especially for investors, it is important to be aware of the trends of the future, and Tesla is just one company. Of course, it is shaping the entire industry around electromobility, but there are quite a few other players in the market that are driving these disruptive technologies.