Book Review: 'Elon Musk' offers a revealing but not surprising portrait of tech mogul

For those who have been paying attention to Elon Musk for at least the past couple years, Walter Isaacson's biography of the tech billionaire doesn't feel that surprising. 

Isaacson's biography “Elon Musk” does a good job hammering home the portrayal of the SpaceX founder and now owner of X — formerly Twitter — as a visionary but mercurial figure who's given to mood swings and self-destructive behavior. 

It's a familiar descriptor for Musk's fans and detractors, but Isaacson's biography still offers plenty of revealing details about the tech mogul. 

In the opening pages of the book on Musk's childhood, he's described as someone “not hardwired to have empathy," a characteristic that comes into play throughout his work endeavors and personal life.