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Elon Musk's Reading List (2026): 7 Books He Recommends, With Reading Times
Elon Musk has publicly recommended these 7 books; reading them all takes about 50 h 42 min at the average 238 words per minute.
Elon Musk's book recommendations mostly surface on X (formerly Twitter), where he has pointed followers towards science fiction that shaped his thinking alongside nonfiction on AI risk and rocket propulsion.
Every title below is tied to a specific, dated post or interview rather than a general "books Musk has mentioned" claim, and each links straight back to the original post.
Picks are sourced from Musk's posts on X and a small number of recorded interviews, spanning 2012 to 2024.
Last reviewed 17 July 2026.
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Books on this list
7
Total reading time at 238 WPM
50 h 42 min
At 400 WPM that drops to 30 h 10 min.
Foundation
Isaac Asimov · 1951
Tweeted 'Worth reading Asimov's Foundation, in the order that they were written'; has repeatedly cited the series as a key influence and urged 'Read Asimov's Foundation books' again in 2024.
How long does it take to read Foundation? About 5 h 42 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (296 pages), or around 3 h 24 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: X (Twitter), Feb 2020
Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies
Nick Bostrom · 2014
Tweeted: 'Worth reading Superintelligence by Bostrom. We need to be super careful with AI. Potentially more dangerous than nukes.'
How long does it take to read Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies? About 6 h 47 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (352 pages), or around 4 h 2 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: X (Twitter), Aug 2014
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams · 1979
Tweeted 'Douglas Adams is my favorite philosopher' and has said in interviews (CBS Sunday Morning, Rolling Stone) that the novel shaped his outlook on asking the right questions.
How long does it take to read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? About 4 h 19 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (224 pages), or around 2 h 34 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: X (Twitter), Aug 2023
Ignition! An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants
John Drury Clark · 1972
Tweeted a reading list in response to an #APSpaceChat prompt: 'Ignition by John Clarke, Huzel & Wang book on propulsion, Asimov's Foundation, Heinlein's MiaHM.'
How long does it take to read Ignition! An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants? About 4 h 7 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (214 pages), or around 2 h 27 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: X (Twitter), May 2012
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
Robert A. Heinlein · 1966
Named in the same #APSpaceChat reading-list tweet alongside Ignition! and Foundation, abbreviated by Musk as 'Heinlein's MiaHM'.
How long does it take to read The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress? About 7 h 21 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (382 pages), or around 4 h 23 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: X (Twitter), May 2012
The Age of Napoleon (The Story of Civilization, Vol. XI)
Will Durant and Ariel Durant · 1975
Tweeted 'The Age of Napoleon by Will & Ariel Durant is an amazing book', part of a series of tweets praising the Durants' Story of Civilization series.
How long does it take to read The Age of Napoleon (The Story of Civilization, Vol. XI)? About 16 h 48 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (872 pages), or around 10 h at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: X (Twitter), May 2020
The Player of Games
Iain M. Banks · 1988
Tweeted 'Read the Culture books by Iain Banks', having earlier recommended Player of Games as the best entry point to the series he named SpaceX drone ships after.
How long does it take to read The Player of Games? About 5 h 39 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (293 pages), or around 3 h 21 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Source: X (Twitter), 2024
How Long Would the Whole List Take?
Based on 724,075 total words across every book on this list.
| Reading speed | Speed band | Total time |
|---|---|---|
| 200 WPM | Slower than average | 60 h 20 min |
| 238 WPM | Average adult (Brysbaert, 2019) | 50 h 42 min |
| 400 WPM | Fast reader | 30 h 10 min |
| 600 WPM | Trained speed reader | 20 h 7 min |
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Elon Musk Reading List FAQ
How many books are on Elon Musk's reading list?
This list covers 7 books Elon Musk's recommended, drawn from on-the-record sources rather than second-hand claims.
How long does it take to read Elon Musk's book list?
Reading all 7 books back to back comes to roughly 50 h 42 min at the average adult reading speed of 238 words per minute (Brysbaert, 2019). Your own time will vary with your reading speed and how closely you read each book.
Where do these recommendations come from?
Every pick on this page is sourced directly, quoted from Musk's own posts on X, and in one case a recorded interview, spanning 2012 to 2024. Each book card links to the original source so you can verify the recommendation yourself.