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Dive into the literary world of Bill Gates, Former CEO of Microsoft.

Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft Corporation, is one of the most influential tech entrepreneurs and philanthropists of our time. Born in 1955 in Seattle, Washington, Gates demonstrated early interest and aptitude in computer programming, which led him to drop out of Harvard University to pursue his vision of personal computing for every household. Under his leadership, Microsoft became a dominant player in the tech industry, revolutionizing software development and accessibility with products like Windows and Office. Since stepping down from Microsoft, Gates has dedicated much of his vast fortune to global health, education, and climate change initiatives through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

❝Reading is still the main way that I both learn new things and test my understanding.❞ — Bill Gates

Gates is well-known for his dedication to reading and learning, often discussing books on his personal blog and sharing annual reading lists that span a range of topics from public health to climate change and political history. His avid reading habits are part of a broader commitment to lifelong learning and understanding complex global issues. Gates credits reading not only as a source of knowledge but also as a way to test his understanding and to challenge his assumptions. His reflective approach to reading emphasizes the importance of being informed and remaining curious about the world.

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Bill Gates' Favorite Books

Last Updated: June 2024

String Theory: David Foster Wallace on Tennis

This collection of essays showcases Wallace's deep affinity for tennis, where he combines his personal experience and professional insight to explore the beauty and complexity of the sport with his characteristic wit and intelligence.

Also recommended by:
Ben Shapiro

The Women: A Novel

This novel by Kristin Hannah explores the lives and dynamics of several generations of women within a family, showcasing their struggles, strengths, and profound connections as they navigate various challenges through the decades.

The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War

Macintyre tells the thrilling true story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB officer who became one of the West's most valuable spies during the Cold War, and the dramatic efforts of the British MI6 to exfiltrate him from the Soviet Union when his cover is blown.

Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation

Johnson examines the environments that foster innovation, using a wide array of examples from technology, biology, and urban planning to identify the common factors that contribute to creativity and breakthroughs.

Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales from the World of Wall Street

This collection of New Yorker essays by John Brooks provides insightful and engaging narratives about pivotal events and characters in American corporate history, making complex business situations accessible and entertaining.

Also recommended by:
Warren Buffett

Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War

Scharre explores the cutting-edge world of autonomous weapons and the ethical, legal, and strategic implications of using robots in warfare, questioning the future of military tactics and the risks of machines making life-or-death decisions.

Lincoln in the Bardo: A Novel

Set during the American Civil War, Saunders' novel is an experimental narrative about Abraham Lincoln mourning the death of his young son, Willie, depicted through a chorus of voices from spirits inhabiting the graveyard where Willie is temporarily interred.

Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner provides an insider's account of the 2008 financial crisis, detailing the decisions and strategies implemented to stabilize the financial system and prevent economic collapse.

Also recommended by:
Warren Buffett

Cloud Atlas: A Novel

An intricate tale where six interlinked narratives spanning different time periods and genres explore how individual actions and consequences ripple through time, ultimately influencing one another in profound ways.

Also recommended by:
Keanu Reeves Natalie Portman

The Heart: A Novel

De Kerangal's novel focuses on the emotional and complex process of a heart transplant, detailing the 24 hours from the tragic death of a young man to the moment his heart begins to beat in the chest of the recipient, offering a poetic exploration of life and death.

The Road to Character

This book explores how some of the world's greatest thinkers and leaders have built strong inner character through the conquest of their own vices and the struggle against adversity, urging modern readers to focus more on developing virtues rather than personal success.

Also recommended by:
Jordan Peterson

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

This memoir provides an insider's glimpse into the founding and building of Nike, as Phil Knight recounts his journey from selling shoes out of his car trunk to running one of the most iconic and profitable global shoe brands.

Also recommended by:
Kobe Bryant Warren Buffett

Good Economics for Hard Times

Nobel laureates Banerjee and Duflo tackle the most pressing economic questions of our time with clear and engaging evidence-based analysis, proposing informed and practical solutions to reduce inequality and spur sustainable growth.

Reinventing American Health Care: How the Affordable Care Act Will Improve Our Terribly Complex, Blatantly Unjust, Outrageously Expensive, Grossly Inefficient, Error Prone System

Emanuel provides an in-depth analysis of the U.S. health care system and the effects of the Affordable Care Act, offering insights into the future of health care reform in America.

Being Nixon: A Man Divided

Thomas paints a complex portrait of Richard Nixon, focusing on his challenging presidency and personal insecurities, aiming to provide a balanced view of his achievements and the scandals that plagued his tenure.

Energy and Civilization: A History

Smil provides a comprehensive account of how energy transformations and consumption have shaped human history, from pre-agricultural times to the present industrial world, emphasizing the inextricable link between energy and the advancement of civilization.

Prepared: What Kids Need for a Fulfilled Life

Diane Tavenner, founder of the successful Summit Public Schools, shares her educational philosophy and practical tools for parents to help children become self-motivated, competent, and resilient individuals prepared for success.

The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living since the Civil War

This comprehensive analysis examines the unparalleled economic growth in America from 1870 to 1970 and explores why this rapid growth was a unique episode unlikely to be repeated, assessing the challenges facing the U.S. economy today.

Also recommended by:
Ben Shapiro Jordan Peterson Lex Fridman

Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society

This book argues that despite the capacity for human brutality and selfishness, there is a stronger genetic blueprint for cooperation, compassion, and friendship, which Christakis explores through social and biological research.

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History

Elizabeth Kolbert's Pulitzer-winning work details the ongoing mass extinction caused by human activity, comparing it to past extinction events.

Also recommended by:
Greta Thunberg Barack Obama

Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved

In this poignant memoir, Bowler reflects on her battle with stage IV cancer and challenges the belief that everything in life happens for a reason, sharing her journey to find hope and meaning in the face of uncertainty.

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Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True

Dawkins blends science with storytelling to explain how the world works, using vivid examples and thoughtful arguments to address myths and misconceptions about the universe.

Infectious Generosity: The Ultimate Idea Worth Spreading

Anderson explores how acts of generosity can spread through communities and societies, transforming the way people interact and contribute to each other's lives, with a focus on creating a more altruistic society.

The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies?

Diamond draws lessons from the lifestyles and experiences of traditional societies—covering conflict resolution, childcare, elder care, and food habits—to offer insights into how modern societies might address similar challenges.

The Choice: Embrace the Possible

A powerful memoir by Holocaust survivor Edith Eger, who shares her experiences in Auschwitz and her journey of survival and transformation, offering profound insights into the resilience of the human spirit and the freedom that comes with making the choice to heal.

xkcd: volume 0

This collection features a selection of the early comics from the popular webcomic xkcd, known for its clever humor, clear love of science, and geeky themes.

Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization

Smil examines the material basis of modern civilization, discussing how the extraction and processing of materials have shaped industries and the environment, and explores the trends and necessities of dematerialization for sustainable future development.

The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism

Goodwin details the close friendship and subsequent political rivalry between Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft, set against the backdrop of the progressive era and the rise of investigative journalism.

The Bet: Paul Ehrlich, Julian Simon, and Our Gamble over Earth s Future

This book recounts the famous wager between biologist Paul Ehrlich, who predicted resource scarcity leading to societal collapse, and economist Julian Simon, who believed human ingenuity could overcome environmental limits, framing a larger debate about environmental policy and the future of our planet.

Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World

Miodownik delves into the fascinating world of materials science, revealing how everyday objects like paper, glass, and plastic are constructed and why they behave the way they do.

The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History

Barry provides a gripping narrative of the 1918 flu pandemic that killed millions around the world, detailing its origins, its global impact, and the scientific struggle to contain and understand the virus.

Origin Story: A Big History of Everything

Christian offers a sweeping narrative that explains the history of the universe from the Big Bang to the present, integrating insights from various disciplines to show how everything is interconnected.

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

In this memoir, Trevor Noah recounts his childhood and adolescence during apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa, focusing on his life as the mixed-race son of a black mother and a white father, which under apartheid was punishable by law.

Presidents of War: The Epic Story, from 1807 to Modern Times

Beschloss provides a comprehensive historical analysis of American presidents who have led the nation through major wars, examining their leadership qualities, challenges, and the consequences of their wartime decisions.

The Rosie Project: A Novel

This charming and witty novel follows the socially awkward geneticist Don Tillman as he designs a scientific survey to find the perfect wife, only to have his best-laid plans upended by the spontaneous and unpredictable Rosie.

The Great Escape: Health, Wealth, and the Origins of Inequality

Nobel laureate Angus Deaton explores the historical and current disparities in health and wealth among nations, discussing how some countries have made dramatic progress, while others remain mired in poverty, and the complex factors that drive these inequalities.

Also recommended by:
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Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup

This investigative account exposes the dramatic rise and scandalous fall of Theranos, the biotech startup headed by Elizabeth Holmes, who deceived investors and the public about a revolutionary blood-testing technology that never actually worked.

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City

Through the lens of eight families in Milwaukee, Desmond provides a groundbreaking ethnographic study of poverty and economic exploitation in American cities, revealing the impact of eviction on the lives of the urban poor and its role in perpetuating systemic inequality.

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened

This graphic memoir, based on Brosh's popular webcomic, combines humor and poignancy to explore personal experiences, mental health, and the absurdity of life.

The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir

This graphic memoir recounts Thi Bui's journey as a Vietnamese refugee to the United States, exploring the complex themes of family, identity, and displacement while tracing her family's history through decades of tumultuous changes.

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

Yuval Noah Harari provides a compelling overview of the history of our species from the emergence of ancient human tribes to the present day, exploring how biology and history have defined us.

Also recommended by:
Tom Hanks Naval Ravikant Lex Fridman

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

Vance's memoir offers a probing look at the struggles of America's white working class through his personal story of growing up in a poor Appalachian family, highlighting the social, economic, and cultural pressures that affect this community.

Also recommended by:
Bill Nye Ben Shapiro

Poor Numbers: How We Are Misled by African Development Statistics and What to Do about It

Jerven critically examines the reliability of economic data in Sub-Saharan Africa, explaining how poor statistical methods have led to misguided policies, and proposes solutions to improve the accuracy and utility of economic statistics in the region.

Capitalism without Capital: The Rise of the Intangible Economy

This book explores the growing impact of intangible assets like intellectual property, branding, and digital products on the economy, which are reshaping traditional economic structures and business practices.

The Vital Question: Energy, Evolution, and the Origins of Complex Life

Lane explores the pivotal role of energy in the evolution of life on Earth, proposing that the energy flow through cells is a fundamental driving force behind the complexity of life and offering new insights into the origins of life and evolution.

How Asia Works: Success and Failure in the World's Most Dynamic Region

Studwell analyzes the economic policies of Asian countries to determine why some nations, like Japan, South Korea, and China, have experienced spectacular growth, while others have lagged behind, highlighting strategies in agriculture, manufacturing, and finance that contribute to success.

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz

Larson presents a detailed chronicle of Winston Churchill's first year as Prime Minister during WWII, focusing on his leadership, the personal struggles of his family, and the resilience of the British people during the Blitz.

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The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail-But Some Don't

Silver examines the world of prediction, investigating a variety of fields including baseball, politics, and weather forecasting to explore why some predictions succeed and many others fail, emphasizing the importance of statistical and probabilistic thinking in increasing prediction accuracy.

Also recommended by:
Jon Stewart

The Myth of the Strong Leader: Political Leadership in the Modern Age

Brown challenges the widespread belief that strong, decisive leaders are the most successful and beneficial, using detailed political analysis to argue that collaborative and flexible leadership often results in more sustainable and democratic governance.

Leonardo da Vinci

Isaacson provides a detailed biography of Leonardo da Vinci, examining his extraordinary genius in art, science, and technology, driven by insatiable curiosity about the world and an unparalleled ability to observe and imagine.

Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow

This thought-provoking book speculates on the future of mankind, discussing how ongoing technological and genetic advancements may fundamentally alter human life and even lead to the creation of a superhuman class.

Moonwalking With Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything

Foer recounts his journey from journalist covering the U.S. Memory Championship to becoming a participant in the event, exploring the techniques of the contestants and the scientific foundations of human memory.

How To Lie With Statistics

This classic book exposes the many ways in which statistics can be used to deceive, providing examples and techniques to identify statistical manipulation, thereby fostering more critical reading of statistical data.

Also recommended by:
Neil deGrasse Tyson

I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life

Yong delves into the world of the microbiome, revealing how microbes influence health, behavior, and the complexity of life on Earth, reshaping our understanding of biology.

A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter reflects on his public and private life with a frankness and clarity, discussing his youth in rural Georgia, his presidency, and his years of humanitarian work, offering insights into the wisdom he has gained through his experiences.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

Carol Dweck's book explores the concept of "mindset," the idea that the way we think about our abilities and potential is crucial for success, advocating for a "growth mindset" over a "fixed mindset."

The Idealist: Jeffrey Sachs and the Quest to End Poverty

Munk provides a detailed, critical examination of economist Jeffrey Sachs's ambitious project to end global poverty through targeted investments in health, agriculture, and education in Africa, highlighting both the successes and significant challenges.

21 Lessons for the 21st Century

In this exploration of contemporary global issues, Harari addresses the technological, political, social, and existential challenges that humanity faces in the modern age, offering insight and advice on navigating the complexities of life in the 21st century.

How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking

Ellenberg uses engaging examples and stories to show how mathematical thinking can help us make better decisions, challenge misconceptions, and understand patterns that underlie everyday life.

Upheaval: Turning Points for Nations in Crisis

Diamond examines how several countries have managed to overcome massive challenges like civil war, foreign threats, and general crisis by exploring their selective change, using psychological principles to analyze national responses and resilience.

Why Does College Cost So Much?

This book investigates the reasons behind the soaring costs of higher education in the U.S., analyzing factors like technological change, labor intensity, and governmental support, and dispelling some common myths about the sources of rising tuition.

Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words

Randall Munroe uses line drawings and only the thousand most common English words to explain how various scientific and mechanical processes work.

Also recommended by:
Naval Ravikant

Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens

Izzard's memoir combines humor with reflection, detailing his multifaceted life as a comedian, actor, and marathon runner, while discussing his personal relationships, gender identity, and the pursuit of his dreams.

The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger

Levinson explores the revolutionary impact of the shipping container, detailing how its introduction transformed global trade and logistics, significantly boosting the global economy by streamlining processes and reducing transportation costs.

Capital in the Twenty First Century

This influential book analyzes wealth concentration and distribution over the past 250 years and argues that the rate of capital return in developed countries is persistently greater than the rate of economic growth, leading to increasing inequality.

Also recommended by:
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Super Freakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance

A continuation of their first book, Levitt and Dubner use economic theories to explore counterintuitive hypotheses and offer unconventional analysis on various social, moral, and economic issues.

Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty

This book explores why some nations achieve economic success while others do not, attributing the differences to political and economic institutions that either spur growth or hinder it, rather than geography or culture.

Should We Eat Meat?: Evolution and Consequences of Modern Carnivory

Smil provides a comprehensive analysis of meat consumption across the globe, examining its history, the implications of meat production on health and the environment, and the ethical considerations of eating animals.

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Nine Pints: A Journey Through the Money, Medicine, and Mysteries of Blood

George delves into the vital, often surprising role blood plays in medicine, history, and business, exploring everything from revolutionary medical breakthroughs to the dark history of trade and exploitation.

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When Breath Becomes Air

This poignant memoir follows the life of neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, reflecting on his quest to understand the meaning of life when facing death.

These Truths: A History of the United States

Lepore offers a sweeping narrative of American history from 1492 to the present, weaving together political, technological, and cultural threads to explore the ideals and contradictions of the American experiment.

On Immunity: An Inoculation

Biss navigates the fears and facts surrounding vaccination, blending personal narrative and cultural history to explore the human immune system and the ethical and political implications of immunization.

Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress

Pinker argues that the ideals of the Enlightenment have led to progress in every aspect of human development and advocates for reason, science, and humanism as the foundational principles to further improve the human condition.

Also recommended by:
Jordan Peterson

Educated: A Memoir

This memoir recounts Westover's struggle to educate herself beyond her isolated and survivalist upbringing in Idaho, showcasing her journey from home-schooling without formal education to earning a PhD from Cambridge University.

The Sympathizer

This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel follows a conflicted spy of North Vietnamese descent during and after the Vietnam War, offering a profound exploration of identity, political conflict, and the experiences of Vietnamese immigrants.

Breath from Salt: A Deadly Genetic Disease, a New Era in Science, and the Patients and Families Who Changed Medicine Forever

This book tells the poignant story of the revolutionary breakthroughs in treating cystic fibrosis and the incredible saga of the patients, families, and researchers who pushed boundaries in genetic medicine to find a treatment.