Indian Readers discussion
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Elon Musk
COZY READS -GENERAL
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Elon Musk : Inventing the Future... Jaya Gorab Indrani
I am at the middle of the space chapter.. chapter 6.. most probably will restart on Monday..The book is fast and very dense, na? dense not as in dull, but crammed full of incidents and stories, so it seems like a breathless race..
I think all these guys who think so outside the box tend to have "attitude" problem.. these things really can't be done by consensus and then they get impatient with fools too.. also there anyway are some nuts loose too.. a normal person can not really be a monomaniac like that.. I think only the Google guys are a bit of an exception..
Steve Jobs - perfectionist - yes.. but he was more of a showman, na?.. not hard core problem solver like Musk... or even the Google guys.. nothing against Jobs though..
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Full of incidents.... and that too not pretentious.
Have started "Mice in Space" chapter, and this too is very intense!
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100%
Gorab wrote: "Totally agree... Most of such folks are eccentric in some way or the other. In comparison, Musk is very much normal and human.Full of incidents.... and that too not pretentious.
Have started "Mi..."
Yes.. very intense indeed. I read a few pages yesterday. Will properly start again today.
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*non-reading* days continue for me
ᒎᗩᎩᗩ wrote: "*non-reading* days continue for me"Oh J.. take care..
dont give up on this one though.. its a rare gem
I read a few more pages of the space chapter... the launching stuff is really intense/exciting/scary.. much to ponder really on thing go wrong and how stakes go higher and higher.. riveting read..
Also here in this chapter, Musk almost seems to be taking a backseat.. it's his team who is fully on the forefront now
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Somehow, I'm now also curious to know the story behind Antrix and ISRO's launching 104 satellites earlier this year.
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The engines are always placed at the back to provide that extra thrust ;)
yes.. the ISRO question came up in my mind too.. musk's space story is so much about making launching etc cheap.. but isro seems to be doing that.. i am missing some part of the picture.. need to look up isro's journey as well
Indrani wrote: "ᒎᗩᎩᗩ wrote: "*non-reading* days continue for me"Oh J.. take care..
dont give up on this one though.. its a rare gem"
Nothing worrisome inny, going for a vacation :D last few days have been hectic for all the preps. Definitely not giving up but will be slow in catching up.
Thanks a bunch tho :-*
At about 21% most of the technical stuff is beyond me... Even the biz side of the ventures :-(Agree that its a very fast paced story. So much is packed in each chapter. While am enjoying reading it from a complete uninitiated pov, don't think I like our protag much.
Gorab wrote: "I'm also somewhere in the middle of Space Chapter.... When he meets the Russians and decides to create his own venture..Somehow, I'm now also curious to know the story behind Antrix and ISRO's la..."
I was baffled when I read in the news that ISRO is going to launch 100+ satellites in a single mission. Satellites are heavy and PSLV can only take about 4 tonnes to low earth orbits.
So I dug deeper and found that heaviest of all was our own remote sensing satellite, about 700 kg, to be used for earth observation. Read more about it here:
http://isro.gov.in/Spacecraft/cartosa...
All the remaining satellites were nano satellites, which means they weigh way less than your "regular" satellites, a maximum of 10 kg according to Wikipedia.
This makes total payload mass about 1400 kg (104 satellites combined; about the same as Mangalyaan), way below 4 tonnes.
However, insertion of all 104 satellites precisely into their respective designated orbits is a very very tricky business. This would have been a major challenge in this mission and this is what makes it so complex!
Ankit wrote: "Gorab wrote: "I'm also somewhere in the middle of Space Chapter.... When he meets the Russians and decides to create his own venture..Somehow, I'm now also curious to know the story behind Antrix..."
makes a lot of sense. thanks Arpit
ᒎᗩᎩᗩ wrote: "At about 21% most of the technical stuff is beyond me... Even the biz side of the ventures :-(Agree that its a very fast paced story. So much is packed in each chapter. While am enjoying reading i..."
It's same for me too.. I am ignoring a lot of technical junk.
I agree again that the protagonist is not particularly likeable. But I think great things can't (generally) be done by popular wholesome folks.. as long as there is nothing blatantly unethical or immoral, I suppose it is fine.. it must be very difficult to work with such folks but the job satisfaction may make up for the daily hardships
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Somehow, I'm now also curious to know the story behind Antrix..."
Interesting Ankit. Thanks for sharing. Hope you'll help us in more technical stuff... By the way, this looks like your kind of book. High on science and tech.
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Agree that its a very fast paced story. So much is packed in each chapter. While am enjoying reading i..."
In fact, I'm enjoying the technical stuff more.... and have started to like the protag for multiple reasons!
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So very true Ini!
Liking the the space.programme part more than the previous internet rush and ventures bit. Also Musk appears to have altered his priorities after his near brush with death. I like how he approaches things head-on :)
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For the people who liked space programme, I would recommend "What do you care what others think!". The second part of that book is about Apollo disaster(spaceship got blown). It was written by Feymann, who was one of the greatest physicist and an awesome teacher. There are times where it may get slightly technical, but a pleasant read. It gives you an insight about how they used to calculate risks in NASA during that time. @jaya when you said brush with death, did u mean him being sick because of some infection?
Indrani wrote: "yes.. the ISRO question came up in my mind too.. musk's space story is so much about making launching etc cheap.. but isro seems to be doing that.. i am missing some part of the picture.. need to l..."Musk wants the humans to be an interplanetary species. He is building the rockets with that goal in mind. He knows that unless it becomes economically feasible, the idea won't be taken seriously until its "too late". Thats the problem with pro environmental measures. Every one knows that they need to be taken up, but they want profits. As Noam Chomsky said, In the battle of morals and profits, morals always take back seat (Don't remember the exact quote, but that's the gist of it).
ISRO can do the launches cheaper because the labor is cheap here and not much innovation is happening. Before saying that I am anti-national (pun intended), I know that Chandrayan and Mangalyan are really cool projects. Even launching the satellites cheaply already started a new wave of revolutionary ideas (For example, check this https://www.ted.com/talks/will_marsha... . These were sent to space by ISRO.) But, there is not much innovation in technologies perse. For better understanding consider Apple phone. Before, Apple the idea itself is some futuristic idea. But, once people knew it existed and how to create one, even small players started producing the phones cheaply since they didn't need to do the research. Same thing with medicines and other industries.
@Indrani Since you also feel that Jobs is more of a businessman than an innovator, I would recommend reading about:Dennis Ritche: He created C language which is still one of the most popular computer languages out there. He died the same week as Jobs and most of the media didn't even report that. They were all about Jobs and Apple. I was really sad since he revolutionized computers way more that Jobs and didn't even get public recognition.
Aaron Swartz - He was an American computer programmer, entrepreneur, writer, political organizer, and Internet hacktivist. In my view he was one of the few people who really cared about the freedom of internet and fought really hard about it. I would highly recommend watching documentary about him on Youtube.
Hey does any one know about the foreign bonds mentioned (Brazil's) and how they work. I got what was written, but i would like to know more about them.
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Regarding innovation. May be true that not much innovation is happening in ISRO (I don't know exactly) but from the Indian perspective, I still think these steps are necessary to create the proper environment for innovative ideas to boost up. Often noticed, innovation comes from persons who don't have to worry about getting their next meal, or who can focus their energy on thinking without bothering about reaping benefits.
With more funds and support flowing in, I'm sure ISRO will be in a position to consider more risks for innovation.
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Gorab wrote: "Thanks Phani for dropping by and providing ample recos.Regarding innovation. May be true that not much innovation is happening in ISRO (I don't know exactly) but from the Indian perspective, I st..."
I completely agree. I also haven't read up much about ISRO yet. My understanding is that because ISRO can launch so cost-effectively, many developed countries are outsourcing their rocket launches to us. I feel quite proud of that. Also hopefully bright students across India are noting these developments and more people may want to study science and do research instead of studying "engineering". And then innovations surely would flow in. I think the Indian youth is confident enough to go for it.
Phani wrote: "@Indrani Since you also feel that Jobs is more of a businessman than an innovator, I would recommend reading about:Dennis Ritche: He created C language which is still one of the most popular comp..."
Yes. I would look them up. I do remember kerghinan ritchie for learning C, from long long back.
I stopped after the space chapter. Will get started on the electric car (I think) chapter now.
Gorab wrote: "I think J is referring to that malarial infection only in Africa. Haven't come across any other near death experience."Yup. think so too. By the way Musk's thought of "this is what I get from taking vacations" seemed a bit at odds with his otherwise ultra-logical persona, right?
Yes i meant his contracting malaria.Btw the space grade solar cells used in the recent isro satellites like gslv etc are manufactured by my organization :D
Indrani wrote: "Gorab wrote: "Thanks Phani for dropping by and providing ample recos.Regarding innovation. May be true that not much innovation is happening in ISRO (I don't know exactly) but from the Indian per..."
I really wish it was the case that students take up science rather than engg. But, in my experience thats not the case because they are highly discouraged from taking up science by the parents, society. Also, govt. is actually cutting the funds for research purposes which further dampens the motivation for research. The situation is either you are crazy or rich enough to take up research instead of engineering.
I do recommend you to watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbIZU...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFO2u...
The videos are by Neil and mainly focused on NASA, but you'll get the idea.
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Btw the space grade solar cells used in the recent isro satellites like gslv etc are manufactured by my organization :D"
Cool J! So your having nice contacts is not limited to just Earth ;)
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I think he was kidding... or taking an example to motivate people to not go for vacations :D
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Gorab wrote: "ᒎᗩᎩᗩ wrote: "Yes i meant his contracting malaria.Btw the space grade solar cells used in the recent isro satellites like gslv etc are manufactured by my organization :D"
Cool J! So your having n..."
High five!!
ᒎᗩᎩᗩ wrote: "Yes i meant his contracting malaria.Btw the space grade solar cells used in the recent isro satellites like gslv etc are manufactured by my organization :D"
Tooo cool J
Gorab wrote: ""this is what I get from taking vacations"I think he was kidding... or taking an example to motivate people to not go for vacations :D"
yes.. that must be it.. *I am a tubelight* :)
Gorab wrote: "Phani, Money seems to be one of the biggest problems science is facing today :("hmm.. yes..
Read a couple more chapters.. In the beginning of the Tesla chapter, Musk seemed to be losing a bit of his glow.. but then he came back...Also the chapter after the electric cars, the tension peaks... Musk apparently can withstand an unparalleled level of stress.. I think in that one sentence perhaps is the key to all kind of success a human can achieve..
Gorab wrote: "ᒎᗩᎩᗩ wrote: "Yes i meant his contracting malaria.Btw the space grade solar cells used in the recent isro satellites like gslv etc are manufactured by my organization :D"
Cool J! So your having n..."
Yes pull the other leg too 😝
Indrani wrote: "ᒎᗩᎩᗩ wrote: "Yes i meant his contracting malaria.Btw the space grade solar cells used in the recent isro satellites like gslv etc are manufactured by my organization :D"
Tooo cool J"
Gee thanks and to disclaom G's belief, i dont know any Aliens :D
Done with the space programme bit. Will be taking a break from this book (i wonder if il ever develop a taste for auto/biographies)
ᒎᗩᎩᗩ wrote: "Done with the space programme bit. Will be taking a break from this book (i wonder if il ever develop a taste for auto/biographies)"
maybe it's because of the highly technical nature of his work? also becaus eit's business?
I am sure you would love biographies on musical big shots. :)
I anyway like autobiographies/memoirs a lot, as I find the introspections and the humour very interesting. But I have to say I like sportspersons/actors lives more interesting then businessmen in general. :)
ᒎᗩᎩᗩ wrote: "Done with the space programme bit. Will be taking a break from this book (i wonder if il ever develop a taste for auto/biographies)"
I can suggest few if you would like to read in future:
Surely you're joking Mr.Feynmann - Feynmann is one of the best physicist in the previous century. Other than being great physicist, he was also great teacher and a inspiring figure to every student interested in physics even more than Einstein. It is very fun to read.
When breath becomes air - Presently reading it. One of the best books i have come across. The author was neurologist and you can really feel the weight, the doctor faces everyday while operating on patients.
The last lecture - In academics, generally distinguished personalities deliver "last lecture" at the end of their career. But Randy Pausch got a terminal disease and he gives his "last lecture" at the age of 42. This book is loosely about that lecture. I really recommend this book.
(Sort of in a slump, so only listening to audiobooks for a few minutes before going off to sleep)"
No worries. You have company. My in-laws are here so reading time has reduced. But only reading 3, so adjusting the pace accordingly :)