Page 33 - FWG Issue 8_2022

Book Reviews

Power Play: Elon Musk, Tesla and the Bet of the Century
B Y TIM HIGGINS

Elon Musk is among the most controversial titans of Silicon Valley. To some, he’s a
genius and a visionary; to others, he’s a mercurial huckster. Billions of dollars have been
gained and lost on his tweets and his personal exploits are the stuff of tabloids. But for
all his outrageous talk of mind-uploading and space travel, his most audacious vision is
the one closest to the ground: the electric car.

When Tesla was founded in the 2000s, electric cars were novelties, trotted out and
thrown on the scrap heap by car manufacturers for more than a century. But where most
onlookers saw only failure, a small band of Silicon Valley engineers and entrepreneurs
saw potential and they pitted themselves against the biggest, fiercest business rivals
in the world, setting out to make a car that was quicker, sexier, smoother, and cleaner
than the competition.

A story of power, recklessness, struggle, and triumph, Power Play is an exhilarating look
at how a team of eccentrics and innovators beat the odds . . . and changed the future.
Price R265.00

Sabotage: Eskom Under Siege
B Y KYLE CO W AN

After unknown saboteurs toppled a strategic pylon near Lethabo Power Station in the
Free State in November 2021, almost causing the country to plunge into stage 5 load-
shedding, Eskom’s Chief Executive Officer, André de Ruyter, declared: “This was clearly
now an act of sabotage and I think we can call it as such.” Who was behind this, and
what is their ultimate goal?
Since his appointment in January 2020, De Ruyter has faced intense opposition from
within the power utility as he attempts to clean up corruption and return the power
supply company to a semblance of its former glory. He is not alone. Chief Operating
Officer Jan Oberholzer and other trusted allies in Eskom have also come under intense
fire. Amid this onslaught, it has become clear that their enemies will take any measures
necessary to have them removed from office.

Based on exclusive interviews with De Ruyter, Oberholzer and other key figures, Sabotage:
Eskom Under Siege is a story of conspiracy and subterfuge at South Africa’s ailing power
utility, uncovering the power struggles that threaten the country’s very survival.

Price R280.00

Surrounded by Setbacks
B Y THOMA S ERIK SON

Not everything goes the way we want it to – the world or people around us sometimes
just spin out of control. So how do you handle everything life throws your way when you’d
really prefer to tell everyone to get stuffed?

Thomas Erikson will help you turn adversity into success with the help of the behavioural
model made famous in his previous book, Surrounded by Idiots. Starting by reminding us that
life is as it is, Erikson helps you see that it is, in fact, fact useless to try to control everything
happening around you.

This book will help you pinpoint the approach that works for you and will entertain and
empower you in equal measure.

Price R240.00

Fourways Gardens • 31 • September 2022