Hamish McKenzie is a writer from New Zealand who lives in San Francisco. He has worked in communications for Tesla and Kik and was previously a journalist whose primary interests were technology and social issues. He is the cofounder of Substack, a subscription publishing start-up.
Praise for Insane Mode
"Interpret it as a business book about overcoming the odds, or as
an introduction to the alternative energy revolution in the works,
or a portrait of a fascinating, strange person, or a wicked cool
book about cars--or all of these."
--Literary Hub, "Every Day is Earth Day: 365 Books to Start Your
Climate Change Library." "A must-read for everyone interested in
cars, entrepreneurship, alternative energy, and deeper insights
into out-of-the-box thinking, working, and living."
--Booklist "McKenzie has delivered a narrative that both fascinates
and frustrates: Musk's passion for a clean-energy future is
contagious, but at the same time it's painful to see the struggle
of the electric-car industry to widen its market and win over more
consumers. Insane Mode will leave you wondering how different our
roads would look if we embraced a technology that almost seems
inevitable, batteries included."
--The Washington Post "Insane Mode presents a bracing view of one
of the most important stories of our time, while delivering a
direct hit on those who stand in the way of a sustainable
future."
--Naomi Oreskes, Harvard University, author of Merchants of Doubt
"Insane Mode heralds a historic revolution in transportation--one
that may even save us from the worst effects of global warming.
Elon Musk's Tesla deserves all the credit it gets, but Hamish
McKenzie's deep reporting across three continents reveals the scope
of the transformation now under way. It is a deeply hopeful and
inspiring story. We need it."
--Jonah Berger, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, author
of Contagious and Invisible Influence "McKenzie's book works on two
levels: it's a detailed...look at how Musk brought the Tesla to
market...And it's a primer on electric car startups worldwide."
--The Daily Beast "If you read the Ashlee Vance biography of Musk,
or closely follow Musk and Tesla news, the first few chapters of
Insane Mode might have you thinking, "I know this already," but you
should keep going."
--GeekWire "Insane Mode is a gripping account of how Elon Musk has
used genius and tenacity to overcome a mind-boggling array of
obstacles and transform the auto industry. Hamish McKenzie is
uniquely qualified to present this compelling and comprehensive
look at Tesla and the companies from California to China that are
following its lead. For everyone from entrepreneurs to educators,
this book is indispensable."
--Nir Eyal, bestselling author of Hooked: How to Build
Habit-Forming Products "Destined to be the classic business book
about how great entrepreneurs can overcome challenges and beat back
naysayers to change entire industries. McKenzie tells the riveting
tale of how Elon Musk beat better capitalized incumbents, but
McKenzie goes further and shows the rivals coming from China who
were just like Musk a decade ago. McKenzie shows how Chinese
entrepreneurs-- ambitious, backed by the Chinese state, and full of
crazy dreams of innovation--are starting to rival Tesla in
innovation in the electric and autonomous driving space. If there
is one business book to read this year, McKenzie's Insane Mode is
the one!"
--Shaun Rein, author of The War for China's Wallet and founder of
the China Market Research Group "Hamish McKenzie paints a
compelling picture of Tesla's wild ride with nuance, context, and
deep research not always found in today's news headlines. Insane
Mode is a must-read for anyone interested in the profound,
disruptive changes happening to the global automotive and energy
industries."
--Erin Griffith, technology journalist "Filled with fascinating
stories and intriguing insights, the book paints a portrait of a
brilliant, combative, relentless man who will not stop until
America's roads are populated with electric cars and humans have
colonized Mars."
--Adam Penenberg, New York University journalism professor, author
of Tragic Indifference and Viral Loop
"Anyone fascinated with electric vehicles in general, and the Tesla
story in particular, will enjoy Insane Mode. For those curious
about how dominant practices get supplanted by new technologies,
Insane Mode may provide useful lessons that can be applied outside
of transportation."
--Insider Higher Ed
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