Bill Gates is back with his latest list of book recommendations – this one for summertime reading. The billionaire bibliophile, who regularly curates his favourite reads into recommendation lists, this time picked books that tackle issues like gender inequality, climate change and political polarisation. “It does not exactly sound like the stuff of beach reads,” the Microsoft co-founder admitted on his blog, before clarifying that although the books on his list take on some heavy subjects, none of them “feel heavy”.
“Each of the writers—three novelists, a journalist, and a scientist—was able to take a meaty subject and make it compelling without sacrificing any complexity,” wrote Bill Gates.
‘The Power’ by Naomi Alderman
This powerful work of fiction by British novelist Naomi Alderman imagines a world in which women develop the ability to release electrical jolts from their fingertips. Winner of the 2017 Women’s Prize For Fiction, The Power was recommended to Bill Gates by his older daughter. “Reading The Power, I gained a stronger and more visceral sense of the abuse and injustice many women experience today,” wrote Gates.
‘Why We’re Polarized’ by Ezra Klein
Why We’re Polarized is a 2020 non-fiction book by American journalist Ezra Klein, who is the co-founder of Vox. “The book is fundamentally about American politics, but it’s also a fascinating look at human psychology,” wrote Gates as he recommended the book.
‘The Lincoln Highway’ by Amor Towles
From the author of the much-loved A Gentleman in Moscow comes a story about two brothers who are trying to drive from Nebraska to California to find their mother. “I put Towles’s A Gentleman in Moscow on my summer books list back in 2019, but I liked this follow-up novel even more,” said Bill Gates, putting The Lincoln Highway on the third spot of his recommendation list.
‘The Ministry for the Future’ by Kim Stanley Robinson
The Ministry for the Future, by Kim Stanley Robinson, is a work of science fiction that puts the spotlight on climate change and the consequences of not taking timely action to tackle it. “It explained the science well, told a great story, and had a surprisingly hopeful ending,” wrote Gates for the book.
‘How the World Really Works’ by Vaclav Smil
For Bill Gates, How the World Really Works is a masterpiece by one of his favourite authors. “If you want a brief but thorough education in numeric thinking about many of the fundamental forces that shape human life, this is the book to read,” he says. The book explains seven of the most fundamental realities that shape our survival.
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