A capable, if not very probing, update most suitable for background research.
A profile of a neglected South African immigrant who grew up to become one of the world’s richest and most driven men.
In the interests of, apparently, maintaining a positive tone, Allen highlights his subject’s “intense curiosity about the world,” cites comparisons to Marvel billionaire superhero Tony Stark, and writes about his “magic”—while downplaying Musk’s well-documented homophobic outbursts and unkept projections and promises. The strain proves particularly telling when a comment about his supposed ability to inspire “tremendous loyalty in his staff members” is immediately followed by an account of his mass firings at Twitter and later references to his abrasive style and further employee exoduses. Not to mention his as yet unfulfilled promise from December 2022 to step down as Twitter’s CEO, which is where this biography ends. He is, though, as billed, a maverick with wide-ranging interests who really seems to be focused on making genuinely life-altering products, such as electric cars and Mars rockets. His private life goes nearly unexamined here, but readers, after a concise record of his rise and business achievements, will find both the narrative and the substantial source lists at the end useful. The book is illustrated with a sparse set of stock photos.
A capable, if not very probing, update most suitable for background research. (source notes, timeline, further research, index, picture credits) (Biography. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781678205669
Page Count: 64
Publisher: ReferencePoint Press
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change.
Testa’s connection to and respect for nature compelled her to begin championing animal causes at the age of 10, and this desire to have an impact later propelled her to dedicate her life to fighting plastic pollution. Starting with the history of plastic and how it’s produced, Testa acknowledges the benefits of plastics for humanity but also the many ways it harms our planet. Instead of relying on recycling—which is both insufficient and ineffective—she urges readers to follow two additional R’s: “refuse” and “raise awareness.” Readers are encouraged to do their part, starting with small things like refusing to use plastic straws and water bottles and eventually working up to using their voices to influence business and policy change. In the process, she highlights other youth advocates working toward the same cause. Short chapters include personal examples, such as observations of plastic pollution in Mauritius, her maternal grandparents’ birthplace. Testa makes her case not only against plastic pollution, but also for the work she’s done, resulting in something of a college-admissions–essay tone. Nevertheless, the first-person accounts paired with science will have an impact on readers. Unfortunately, no sources are cited and the lack of backmatter is a missed opportunity.
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change. (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22333-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
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