Billionaire Bill Gates Recommends Reading These 5 Books This Summer

Bharat Sharma

25/05/2018



Bill Gates is a name synonymous with stupendous success, genius and generosity. The 62 year old billionaire philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft Corporation is not only a tech genius and visionary, but also an avid reader who likes to read mind-expanding books to enrich his life and thoughts.

In his life-long pursuit of reading great books, Mr. Gates continues to release his must-read list of books every summer on his blog 'Gates Notes'.

So, if you are into reading books (or even if you aren't), a great book will keep you good company this summer and you can surely gain some knowledge, perspective and wisdom. Of course, you will have your preferences and choice of books, but it never hurts to learn what the super-successful and smart have been reading lately!

While some are long and intensive and others are short and fun, but one thing's for certain - they're all incredible reads!

Here are five books Bill Gates wants you to read this summer -

#1 Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

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If you're into reading novels, this one is a must pick for your summer read. An experimental novel set during and after the death of American President Abraham Lincoln, this book by George Saunders left a profound impact on Bill Gates. According to Gates, the book blends historical facts and events from the Civil War and is basically an account of an ongoing conversation among 166 ghosts (one of whom is Lincoln's deceased son).

This book gave Bill great insights on how responsibility and grief can crush the soul of a great personality and leader in American history. Will you give this a read?

#2 Leonardo Da Vinci by Walter Isaacson

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Bill is a fan of biographies and he is especially interested to learn more about influential people who have left their mark on history and mankind. A biography of Leonardo Da Vinci, this book is a great follow up to great biographies of Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs by the same author. According to Bill Gates, he was immensely moved by the fantastic account of the life of Leonardo Da Vinci and the different strands of his story.

Bill says, "Leonardo is one of the most fascinating people ever" and that is precisely what piqued his interest in picking up this book. How about you?

#3 Everything Happens for a Reason: And other Lies I've Loved by Kate Bowler

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Not every book read, enjoyed and recommended by Bill Gates is a biography or an ancient historical account (as is evident by his recommendation of this book). According to Bill, this book is based around Bowler, a professor diagnosed with cancer who wants to understand and deal with his oncoming death.

As Bill puts it in his blog "The central questions in the book resonates well with me. On one hand, it's nihilistic to think that every outcome is simply random. I have to believe that the world is better when we act morally, and that people who do good things deserve a somewhat better fate than those who don't."

#4 Origin Story: A Big History of Everything by David Christian

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From the late Stephen Hawking to serial entrepreneur Elon Musk, there's something about visionaries and great thinkers - they all seem to have a curiosity towards understanding the universe. The same holds true for Bill Gates, who is impressed by this book which aims to explain the concepts of Big Bang to today's complex societies.

Gates is a big time fan of author David Christian, and has recommended one of his earlier works, 'Big History' to readers in the past.Gates labels 'Origin Story' as another great read on the journey of understanding our history and present while imagining our future. From our solar system and earth to our mind and society, according to Bill, "this book is an up-to-date account of everything that will leave you with a great appreciation of our place in the universe."

Also Read: 6 Powerful Books That Can Change Your Life

#5 Factfulness by Hans Rosling, with Ora Rosling and Anna Rosling Ronnlund

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According to Bill Gates, this book is a fascinating and insightful read recommended for all. He writes "The bulk of the book is devoted to ten instincts that keep us from seeing the world factfully. These range from our fear instinct to size instinct to gap instinct among others."

Bill believes that it is important to "understand and ponder over the basic truths of the world - how life is getting better and where the world still needs to improve," he wrote in his blog. No doubt, this is one of the best books that he has ever read and is actually a good read for anyone who is interested in learning about human behavior, psychology and everything else in between.

What are you reading next?

As he does every year, Bill Gates' summer reading list is out and it's time to start reading. The 62-year old genius can read up to 50 books in a year and while matching his feat might not be an idea suitable for all, yet everyone can still give reading a try.

The benefits of reading are multi-fold. Reading books is one of the best (and easiest) ways to expand your mind, improve your vocabulary and stay updated with what interests you in life. The best part about reading? You can pick up a lifetime worth of knowledge just by reading a handful of pages!