5 books about the future Elon Musk thinks everyone should read by Paul Schrodt on Dec 28, 2017, 11:49 AM Advertisement
 - Elon Musk has shared many of his favorite books and has explained how they shaped him.
- There are 5 that he's recommended that point to where future society is headed.
- The list includes Peter Thiel's "Zero to One" and "Our Final Invention" by James Barrat.
Elon Musk has become one of the world's most ambitious and successful leaders by building tools of the future. He made his first fortune founding, and then selling, the company that would become PayPal; his current endeavors include electric car company Tesla as well as SpaceX, which he hopes will one day get him to Mars.
But Musk didn't get there all by himself. "I read books," he has replied when asked how he learned to build rockets, according to an Esquire profile. Indeed, the billionaire has long looked up to heroes in different fields for inspiration. He's not alone: A survey of 233 wealthy individuals found that the vast majority (88%) said they devote 30 minutes or more each day to reading. And many, like Musk, tend to prefer nonfiction. Musk isn't shy about sharing his favorite books and explaining the ways they shaped him. And for a glimpse into how he's thinking about the future, here are 5 books that he has recommended to explain where we're headed. SEE ALSO: What execs like Oprah, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk keep on their desks Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down by J.E. Gordon  You may not be building spacecraft to colonize Mars, but in an interview with KCRW, Musk noted this book offers a more approachable take on engineering principles than many academic texts. "It is really, really good if you want a primer on structural design," Musk said of Structures. The bestselling book has also been recommended by Scientific American and Architect’s Journal.
Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies by Nick Bostrom  Musk believes deeply in the power of technology to help humans. But he's also expressed concerns about the harmful potential of artificial intelligence. He cofounded OpenAI, a billion-dollar nonprofit that aims to make AI safe. Superintelligence tackles thorny questions about what might happen if computer intelligence surpasses human intelligence. Musk tweeted that it's "worth reading."
Our Final Invention by James Barrat  Musk also noted that Barrat's book exploring the future possibilities of AI is "worth reading." It no doubt made Musk aware of both the upsides and potential disastrous downsides of AI. The book even suggests how smart machines, if they exceed the intelligence level of people, could lead to the "end of the human era."
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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