--- title: 5 Books About the Future Elon Musk Thinks You Should Read description: Tech billionaire Elon Musk is an avid reader. Here are 5 books about the future he loves. authors: - name: Paul Schrodt url: https://money.com/author/paul-schrodt/ at_money_since: 2017 articles: 157 covers: - Lifestyle - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit Cards - Economy and Politics - Health and Wellness - Housing - Insurance - Investing - Personal Finance - Retirement - Shopping - Technology former_staff: true published: '2017-12-21T11:00:42.000Z' modified: '2024-04-02T04:16:14.000Z' section: Lifestyle tags: - Billionaires - Books word_count: 571 canonical: https://money.com/5-books-about-the-future-that-tech-billionaire-elon-musk-swears-by/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![89th Academy Awards - Oscars Vanity Fair Party](https://img.money.com/2017/12/171218-elon-musk-books1.jpg) *Elon Musk at the 89th Academy Awards - Oscars Vanity Fair Party, Beverly Hills, California, February 26, 2017.* Elon Musk has become one of the world's most [ambitious](https://money.com/10-surprising-things-you-didnt-know-about-elon-musk/) and [successful](https://money.com/8-innovative-ways-elon-musk-made-money-before-he-was-a-billionaire/) 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](http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a16681/elon-musk-interview-1212/). 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](http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a16681/elon-musk-interview-1212/). 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](https://money.com/7-daily-habits-extremely-successful-people-swear-by/) 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. ![](https://img.money.com/2017/12/9780786730353_p0_v2_s600x595.jpg?quality=85) ## **[*Structures: Or Why Things Don’t Fall Down*](https://www.amazon.com/Structures-Things-Dont-Fall-Down/dp/0306812835/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1513630935&sr=8-1&keywords=Structures%3A+Or+Why+Things+Don’t+Fall+Down&tag=money018f-20) by J.E. Gordon** You may not be building spacecraft to colonize Mars, but in an interview with [KCRW](http://curious.kcrw.com/2013/03/can-elon-musk-fix-the-405), 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](https://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/21/billionaire-elon-musk-credits-his-success-to-these-8-books.html) of *Structures*. The bestselling book has also been [recommended](https://www.amazon.com/Structures-Things-Dont-Fall-Down/dp/0306812835) by *Scientific American* and *Architect’s Journal*. ![](https://img.money.com/2017/12/superintelligence-paths_dangers_strategies.jpg?quality=85) ## **[*Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies*](https://www.amazon.com/Superintelligence-Dangers-Strategies-Nick-Bostrom/dp/0198739834/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513630974&sr=1-1&keywords=Superintelligence%3A+Paths%2C+Dangers%2C+Strategies&tag=money018f-20) 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](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/03/elon-musk-billion-dollar-crusade-to-stop-ai-space-x). *Superintelligence* tackles thorny questions about what might happen if computer intelligence surpasses human intelligence. Musk [tweeted](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/495759307346952192) that it’s “worth reading.” ![](https://img.money.com/2017/12/171218-elon-musk-books-our-final-invention.jpg?quality=85) ## [***Our Final Invention***](https://www.amazon.com/Our-Final-Invention-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/1250058783/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513631000&sr=1-1&keywords=Our+Final+Invention&tag=money018f-20) **by James Barrat** Musk also noted that Barrat's book exploring the future possibilities of AI is ["worth reading."](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/496010572333580289) 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." ![](https://img.money.com/2017/12/171218-elon-musk-books-life-3.jpg?quality=85) ## **[*Life 3.0: Being Human in the the Age of Artificial Intelligence*](https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Life+3.0%3A+Being+Human+in+the+the+Age+of+Artificial+Intelligence&tag=money018f-20) by Max Tegmark** The SpaceX chief isn't entirely pessimistic about AI, however. Max Tegmark, an MIT professor, wrote this bestselling book about keeping AI beneficial. He stresses the importance of asking tough questions about what kind of future we all want, and making sure that our technological innovations mesh with those goals. > Worth reading Life 3.0 by [@Tegmark](https://twitter.com/tegmark?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw). AI will be the best or worst thing ever for humanity, so let’s get it right.[https://t.co/lT0uMH3ujZ](https://t.co/lT0uMH3ujZ) > > — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) [August 29, 2017](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/902452162625544193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) ![](https://img.money.com/2017/12/zero_to_one_1125x1700.png) ## **[*Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future*](https://www.amazon.com/Zero-One-Notes-Startups-Future/dp/0804139296/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513631044&sr=1-1&keywords=Zero+to+One%3A+Notes+on+Startups%2C+or+How+to+Build+the+Future&tag=money018f-20) by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters** The massive riches attained by some in Silicon Valley have understandably sparked an interest in startup culture. Musk [rode that wave](http://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-life-story-and-career-rise-photos-2017-8/#while-zip2-got-off-the-ground-musk-once-said-that-he-literally-lived-in-the-office-and-showered-at-a-local-ymca-it-all-paid-off-when-compaq-bought-zip2-in-a-deal-worth-341-million-in-cash-and-stock-making-musk-22-million-12) in 1999 with his online payment company X.com, which merged with another company cofounded by Peter Thiel to create PayPal. The venture made them both loads of money and helped put them on the map. Musk endorsed Thiel’s book of insights on startups, [writing](https://www.amazon.com/Zero-One-Notes-Startups-Future/dp/0804139296), “Peter Thiel has built multiple breakthrough companies, and *Zero to One* shows how.” *We’ve included affiliate links in this article. 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