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Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk, and the Bet of the Century

Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk, and the Bet of the Century

by Tim Higgins

Doubleday ·2021 ·400 pages ·Investigative Journalism
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58/99
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58/99

Critics

Near the Top

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Readers

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Scholars

27/99

Rating

89/99

Volume

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About This Book

Power Play is the riveting inside story of Elon Musk and Tesla's bid to build the world's greatest car--from award-winning Wall Street Journal tech and auto reporter Tim Higgins Tesla is the envy of the automotive world. The first car company to be valued at $1 trillion, its electric vehicles can be found across the globe, coveted symbols of both wealth and virtue. The company's rise has elevated its CEO, the mercurial and charismatic Elon Musk, into a celebrity--not to mention making him the richest man in the world. But Tesla's success was far from guaranteed. Founded in the 2000s, the company was born from a simple but audacious vision: to create an electric car that could best any gas-guzzling competitor. Tesla wasn't the first company to try: Electric cars had been trotted out--and thrown on the scrap heap--by carmakers for more than a century. But where onlookers saw a history of failure, Musk and a small band of Silicon Valley engineers and entrepreneurs saw only opportunity. The car, they decided, was in need of disruption. So Tesla pitted itself against the biggest, fiercest business businesses in the world, setting out to make a car that was quicker, sexier, smoother, and cleaner than any on the road. But as the saying goes, to make a small fortune in cars, start with a big fortune. Tesla would undergo a hellish fifteen years, beset by rivals, pressured by investors, hobbled by whistleblowers, buoyed by loyal supporters. Time and time again, Musk would find himself in the public crosshairs, threatening to bring the company he had initially funded largely with his own money to the brink of collapse. Wall Street Journal tech and auto reporter Tim Higgins had a front-row seat for the drama: the pileups, wrestling for control, breakdowns, and, the unlikeliest outcome of all, success. A story of impossible wagers and unlikely triumphs, Power Play is an exhilarating look at how a team of eccentrics and innovators beat the odds--and changed the future.


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Reviews

"The only question Higgins doesn't answer is if the ends justified Musk's means."

Curt Schleier· The Minneapolis Star Tribune Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"One of the more enlightening aspects of Power Play is the paradox Higgins presents: Tesla couldn't have possibly succeeded without Musk, whose money, ideas and unwavering push for excellence forced the young firm to meet seemingly impossible goals as it became increasingly adept at building electric cars."

Jon Gertner· The Washington Post Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"The author effectively combines his well-honed journalistic skills with revealing perspectives from industry observers, frustrated Tesla staff, futuristic engineers, and Musk himself, creating a spirited report on a company consistently embroiled in a swirl of melodrama and controversy ..."

Kirkus Read review ↗ Near the Top

"When Higgins writes about facts and situations I'm familiar with, I can attest he's right on the button, every time."

Russ Mitchell· Los Angeles Times Read review ↗ Near the Top

"This book is a well-documented and comprehensive look at Tesla, Elon Musk, and the people involved with its creation and successes."

Gary Medina· Library Journal Read review ↗ Near the Top

"The result is a sometimes appalling, occasionally inspiring, and always entertaining saga."

Publishers Weekly Read review ↗ Near the Top

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