Top 14 Bill Gates Books Recommendations
Bill Gates, who is one of the world’s richest men, doesn’t shy away from reading. Rather he reads more than 50 books each year. But very few books reach the top list of Bill Gates books recommendation at the end of the year. Below is the list of books recommended by Bill Gates in 2021 –
- The Choice ( Get this book )
- Cloud Atlas ( Get this book )
- The Ride of a Lifetime ( Get this book )
- The Great Influenza ( Get this book )
- Good Economics for Hard Times ( Get this book )
- I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life ( Get this book )
- Seveneves ( Get this book )
- When Breath Becomes Air
- Sustainable Materials with Both Eyes Open ( Get this book )
- Interventions: A Life in War and Peace ( Get this book )
- Epic Measures: One Doctor, Seven Billion Patients ( Get this book )
- Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind ( Get this book )
- Should we eat meat? ( Get this book )
- The Vital Question ( Get this book )
Let us discuss each of the Bill Gates books in detail along with its key takeaways and reviews.
#1 – The Choice
by Dr. Edith Eva Eger
About the book
This book tells the remarkable journey of a Nazi holocaust survivor (Dr. Eger) whose immense strength and courage helped her overcome the horrifying experience of the concentration camps to eventually become an eminent psychologist.
Book review
This book is a personal memoir of a holocaust survivor who has poured her heart into it to portray the true picture of the brutalities that the Jews went through during the war. The author tells how the struggle and suffering faced by her in the Nazi concentration camp haunted her for years. However, she showed remarkable emotional recovery to cope with the memories of her horrifying past to finally move on in life. In this way, she exemplified that the story of our life is not defined by what happened to us, rather it should be about how well we were able to deal with the challenges in it. In other words, we might not be able to change what happens to us but we can definitely make a choice about how it affects us.
Key takeaways
- It is an account of Dr. Eger’s resilience shown in the face of adversity during her entire life.
- It is an inspirational story that states that we should be happy for what we have in our life and shouldn’t be sad for something that we don’t have.
#2 – Cloud Atlas
by David Mitchell
About the book
This book is a sextet that comprises six novellas that are distinctly different from each other and yet miraculously forged together by the author. It is an amazing blend of different writing styles.
Book review
The author used different styles of narration for each of the six stories, which makes the book all the more worth reading. The first story is written as a journal, the second as a one-way letter, the third is a kind of thriller/ crime novel, the fourth is a memoir, the fifth in the Q&A format, and the sixth one is a fictional story. He has used an unconventional storytelling structure to present a complex and yet compelling narrative, which travels through different lifetimes. Each novella, except the sixth story, has been broken down into two parts wherein the follow-up part of the stories is completed in descending order, i.e. sixth, fifth, fourth, third, second, and first. Overall, it will be a strange and exciting experience for you as a reader.
Key takeaways
- The style of narration can be confusing at the start but it sinks in well as you read through this masterpiece.
- It demonstrates the author’s versatility and mastery over different genres.
#3 – The Ride of a Lifetime
by Robert Iger
About the book
The book narrates the story of Robert Iger from the time he started as the CEO of Walt Disney in 2005. It describes how he overcame the challenges to reinvent and establish Walt Disney as one of the most beloved companies in the world today.
Book review
This is an autobiographical account of Robert Iger’s stint as the CEO of Walt Disney and it narrates his remarkable professional career, life, and positive outlook. He has framed the book content in the form of some very exciting leadership lessons with the focus being on his tenure at Disney. Besides, another fascinating aspect of the book is the narration of how Iger managed to secure some of the biggest acquisitions made by Disney – Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm. In short, this book will take you on a journey with Iger, and eventually you will understand what he believes in and why he does that. It is by far one of the finest memoirs that you will come across.
Key takeaways
- It is partly a personal journey and partly business lessons wherein the author asserts how he helped in building the company into what it is today.
- It is an excellent book on leadership and problem solving attitude.
#4 – The Great Influenza
by John M. Barry
About the book
The book provides an intense narrative of one of the most lethal influenza viruses that erupted in the US at the height of World War I (WWI) and then exploded resulting in the death of close to 100 million people.
Book review
This book reflects upon the lethal Spanish-flu that lasted from February 1918 to April 1920 infecting around 500 million people and accounting for the death of close to 1/5th of the infected people, making it one of the deadliest pandemics in history. It provides a fascinating insight into the pandemic and narrates how the virus spread and how the physicians, as well as the researchers, came together to fight against the global health crisis. In a way, this book is a tale of victory amid tragedy, which reaffirms that we as a society can confront and also survive a pandemic provided we take the right approach in a disciplined manner.
Key takeaways
- It offers an in-depth scientific analysis of the pandemic, right from the genesis of the virus to the development of human immunity.
- As a reader, you will gain a better understanding of how you should act during such a critical time.
#5 – Good Economics for Hard Times
by Abhijit V. Banerjee & Esther Duflo
About the book
In this book, the Novel laureate duo of husband and wife explores contemporary economics with the help of data and facts to understand what measures should be implemented during hard times.
Book review
The book starts with a confident claim by the authors stating that they trust their prejudices and opinions. The authors have referred to the latest economic research for every single topic before arriving at an intellectually honest interpretation, which makes this book the perfect textbook for economics that can be studied and taught. In this book, you will get to know why and how populist ideas work and why these ideas are so misguided. It also tells how the government, at times, has to opt for economic growth at the expense of the common good. In short, this book provides us insights into the current economic challenges and helps us build capacity to solve actual social as well as economic problems.
Key takeaways
- The book is extremely well-written and deeply researched. It has a lot of information about economics.
- The authors have used simple language resulting in an easy-to-read book that even a layperson without any economic background can understand.
#6 – I Contain Multitudes
The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Young
Book Review
This book stands at the number one position in Bill Gates’ recommended book list. Bill Gates mentioned that this book is so beautifully written that it will mesmerize the readers with the real “grander view of life” and not “with simplistic explanations.”
Key Takeaways
There are two key points that everyone would take away from this book –
- It will help you understand the ecosystem quite well.
- Knowledge of human microbes will help you magnify your health.
#7 – When Breathe Becomes Air
by Paul Kalanithi
Book Review
This book is in the second position in the recommendation list. During his last days, Paul wrote this mind-blowing book on the meaning of life, the brief life we live in, and why it is important to have a purpose. Bill Gates remarked that he was spellbound by the tenacity the writer showed by writing this book while the latter was dying.
Key Takeaways
If something we all can learn from this book is the significance of a well-lived life. We need to realize that life is short and shorter than we think. We should live a meaningful life and should never take life for granted.
<< Get this book >>
#8 – Seveneves
by Neal Stephenson
Book Review
Few books take you to a new dimension of thinking and change your perspective altogether. Well, your search ends here. This book will teach you how to change your paradigm about life and why it’s important to think about everything from perspective. Imagine if the world would end two years from now, would you prioritize the same set of tasks that you did before knowing the collapse of the world?
Key Takeaways
If you think short term, you will only experience instant panic and frustration. However, if you allow yourself to think through long term perspectives, you may change your mind.
<< Get this book >>
#9 – Sustainable Materials with Both Eyes Open
by Julian M. Allwood and Jonathan M. Cullen
Book Review
If you have ever wondered about recycling and reusing and couldn’t figure out which is better and why this book will throw light that will illuminate your mind. When we throw away the car or the refrigerator, how much we can still reuse and give a total reshape.
Key Takeaways
This book will teach you why reusing is better than recycling and why recycling takes more energy than reusing and will teach you that the buildings, cars, steel can be reused unless they get affected by any natural calamity.
<< Get this book >>
#10 – Interventions: A Life in War and Peace
by Kofi Annan
Book Review
This book is completely different than the other books. It is about diplomacy. It’s about Kofi Annan’s work at the UN for 10 long years. This book could impress Bill Gates because it portrays a holistic picture of how Annan worked, how he arbitrated among member states and convinced them for world peace.
Key Takeaways
You will learn the nitty-gritty of arbitration at the UN and how a man could survive ten long years in a position of diplomacy. Plus, the writing style is a big plus, which will glue you to the book until you finish it.
<< Get this book >>
#11 – Epic Measures: One Doctor, Seven Billion Patients
by Jeremy Smith
Book Review
If you are ever interested in Chris Murray and his work, this is the book recommended by Bill Gates; you should pick up. It is a revolutionary book about how everyone’s health is at threat and how we collectively change that. As per the author of the book, Murray’s effort is incredible, and it can be called a highly independent work.
Key Takeaways
If you read this book, you would know a lot about health and how empirical studies and new methods can reduce diseases and disabilities. This book, recommended by Bill Gates, is great for doctors, political members, even for private citizens.
<< Get this book >>
#12 – Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
by Yuval Noah Harari
Book Review
As human beings, we didn’t just drop out of the ocean on one sunny day. We evolved. We matured. And if someone would sit with you and tell you how you have become this “homo-sapiens,” would you not lend your ears in inquiry? This book recommended by Bill Gates is exactly that. The author weaves our history in such a beautiful manner that you can’t put it down.
Key Takeaways
This book doesn’t have any best take-away. Why? Because this book is one of the best books you would ever read (yes, in entirety). And Bill Gates promised you that you would read this cover to cover.
<< Get this book >>
#13 – Should we eat meat?
By Vaclav Smil
Book Review
This book is for everybody – from vegan to carnivores. If you eat meat or don’t eat meat, you need to know should you at all eat meat! As per Gates, this is the most comprehensive book on the subject since the author covers the subject from all angles. You may not agree with everything, but to be aware of what you’re putting into your body is an essential thing to look at.
Key Takeaways
The best part of this book is its comprehensive discussion of whether you should eat meat or not. After reading this book, you may continue eating meat or remain vegan, but this book will certainly make you think.
<< Get this book >>
#14 – The Vital Question
by Nick Lane
Book Review
This book will help you look at the origins of cellular life. And this book not only talks about plain theory; with each theory, the author presents data points that support the theory. You will also know about the evolution of Eukaryotes and how the use of energy in cells has been evolved.
Key Takeaways
The best takeaway of this book is the author himself and because he has written the book. According to Bill Gates, the author is so transparent about what he knows and what he doesn’t know, you wouldn’t be in confusion about what to believe in.
<< Get this book >>
Recommended Articles
Here we provide the list of the top 14 Bill Gates books recommendations of 2021. Here we discuss what the books propose, their key takeaways and their reviews.
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