Elon Musk has come up with a list of recommended audiobooks — but they may not make terribly relaxing listening by the pool or beach this summer.
The Tesla CEO’s first pick is “The Story of Civilization” by Will and Ariel Durant, an 11-volume collection covering the history of European and some Eastern civilizations that was published between 1935 and 1975.
The 10th volume, “Rousseau and Revolution,” won the Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction in 1968. It was described by one Amazon reviewer as “extremely heavy.”
“The first one on the list will take a while to get through, but is very much worthwhile,” Musk wrote of the Durants’ history on X.
That could be something of an understatement: Audible lists the duration of the 11 volumes at about 400 hours in total — or more than 16 days without sleep.
Next up is the ancient Greek epic poem, “The Iliad” (Penguin edition), which would take a mere 17 hours and 49 minutes to listen to, according to Audible.
Musk also suggests “The Road to Serfdom” by economist and philosopher Friedrich Hayek, which was first published in 1944 and argues in favor of individualism and liberal economics.
Some audiobook recommendations:
The Story of Civilization by Durant
Iliad (Penguin Edition)
The Road to Serfdom by Hayek
American Caesar by Manchester
Masters of Doom by Kushner
The Wages of Destruction by Tooze
The Storm of Steel by Junger
The Guns of August by Tuchman
The…— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 1, 2024
Also featured on the list of 11 audiobooks is a biography of General Douglas MacArthur, “American Caesar,” and the story behind the creation of video game company id Software.
“Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture,” by David Kushner was first published in 2003 and focuses on cofounders John Carmack and John Romero.
“Admittedly, this is a list that appeals to those who think about Rome every day,” Musk wrote on X, referring to the viral internet craze questioning how often men dwell on the Roman Empire.
Indeed, one of his recommendations was written by Caesar himself. “The Gallic Wars” covers the Roman Emperor’s campaign against the Gauls from 58 to 50 BC.
Musk is known to be fascinated by history, particularly the study of warfare and civilization.
The SpaceX and Tesla chief has been outspoken about the need to fight population decline and has said the issue poses a major risk to the future of civilization.
“For me, it is just fascinating to read about history. I mean, learn the lessons of history, such that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past,” Musk said in a 2022 interview with Mathias Döpfner, the CEO of Business Insider’s parent company, Axel Springer.
The list also includes “Twelve Against the Gods” by William Bolitho, a 1929 title that examines the lives of 12 adventurers including Alexander the Great and Christopher Columbus, and “Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World” by Jack Weatherford from 2004.
Musk concludes his X post with an appeal for audio versions of the 1986 title “” by Richard Ernest Dupuy and Trevor Dupuy,and “The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World” by Edward Shepherd Creasy from 1851.
What do you think about Musk’s list? Get in touch: pthompson@businessinsider.com
