Page 26 - IFV_Issue 8_2022

Book Reviews

Power Play: Elon Musk, Tesla, and the Bet of the Century

BY TIM HIGGINS
Elon Musk is among the most controversial titans of Silicon Valley. To some, he’s a
genius and a visionary and 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.
Recommended Price R265.00

Sabotage: Eskom under Siege
BY KYLE COWAN
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.
Recommended Price R280.00

Surrounded by Setbacks

BY THOMAS ERIKSON
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 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.
Recommended Price R240.00

24 • Issue 8 2022 • The Villager