5 Books Recommended by Bill Gates that will change the way you think

Born on october 28th, 1955, Bill Gates is the co-founder of the world’s largest personal computer software company called Microsoft. Gates , as some like to call him, has been nothing less than a prodigy. He wrote his first software program at the age of 13.This Harvard dropout is not just a brilliant entrepreneur but also a philanthropist. After the passing away of his wife Melinda Gates, Bill established the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This foundation helped healthcare reach to people who couldn’t afford it and helped educate the uneducated.He also founded Gates Notes in 2010 as a blog where he shares his anecdotes on the people he met, places he visited and his very famous book recommendations.

His book recommendations have always caught the eye of the reader, be it fiction, fantasy, non fiction, self help or even cruel crime thrillers, he has read it all.

Here is a list of the top five book recommendations by the visionary Bill Gates.

1. Not End Of The World

By –  Hannah Ritchie

A surprising (and surprisingly optimistic) book on climate change, This book is one of the most recent recommendations by Bill. He has been very passionate about climate change and providing solutions for it. He wrote a book called ‘How to avoid a climate disaster’ in which he  guides us to understand and address the climate crisis. Here’s why this book is worth reading: It provides concrete solutions for individuals, companies, and governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent further damage to our planet. But apart from his own book, there have been really few books that have aimed at the optimistic side of it. Most just come as a jump scare, almost like you are reading a horror story. Bill Gates compared this book to Hans Rosling’s Factfullness which also aims at telling people that the situation is not as bad as it seems or is made to be seen. In this book , Hannah argues that there is no better time to be alive than today as most of the human race couldn’t even live up to adulthood in the past. There are still some numbers that tell us about child mortality and morbidity but these numbers are far less than before and constantly appear to be decreasing. Lastly , Take Bill’s word for it , “I’ve written my own book on climate change, and I work on clean solutions daily with Breakthrough Energy. Still, I was surprised by how much Ritchie’s book—filled with all the numbers and charts a math nerd could dream of—managed to surprise me. I think everyone who reads it will feel the same, even those who consider themselves tuned in to environmental issues.”

2. Growth: From Microorganisms to Megacities

 By – Vaclav Smil

Bill Gates described this book as “A book about growth- in every sense”. Vaclav Smil provides a thorough analysis of the emergence of both society and microorganisms, as well as the paths taken by empires and civilizations, in this outstanding work. Smil takes readers from animal metabolisms to megacities and the global economy, all the way from bacterial invasions.Gates also mentions that it can get tiring as the book is based on a lot of research and long paragraphs can get a bit exhausting for someone who does not appreciate the topic enough. Having said that, this book is going to open your mind for unthinkable possibilities and make you realise the importance of the ancient past. It starts with some technicalities of growth and the three most widely used growth curves. This is followed by the growth of everything from microorganisms to sequoia forests, and from humans to dinosaurs. Subsequent chapters cover artifacts, such as cathedrals, cars, and computers and societies and economies.Smil’s goal for these chapters is to show that no matter what domain you’re talking about, eventually you hit growth limits.It is a great read for anyone looking to get a wider view of the past, the patterns of growth and how they are influencing our future.

3. A Thousand brains, A new theory of intelligence

By- Jeff Hawkins

This book talks about our consciousness, the brain, our ability to think and comprehend, But it does that with the most unique perspective possible. According to his hypothesis, the brain is made up of hundreds of little brains, each of which creates and improves its own predictions. It explores the ramifications of this theory for consciousness and artificial intelligence as well.Written by a tech entrepreneur, this book delves deep into the era of artificial intelligence. It promises a world which will witness multifaceted artificial intelligence, something that isn’t even comparable to today’s AI. For readers with no prior knowledge of computer science or brain science, A Thousand Brains is a perfect read. It’s brimming with intriguing new information on the structure of the brain as well as intriguing hints regarding the development of intelligent machines in the future.He has even addressed questions like “ What will happen to the human race if AI takes over?” in his book. He wrote “Intelligent machines need to have a model of the world and the flexibility of behavior that comes from that model, but they don’t need to have human-like instincts for survival and procreation.” All in all it is a great book for anyone interested in knowing about the future of AI and understanding more about the impacts it can have on the human race.

4. YUVAL NOAH HERRARI’S BOOK- SAPIENS

Everyone has been raving about this book and Bill Gates is no exception. The historical account of human development and civilization found in Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens explores how humans came to dominate the planet and formed its civilizations, economics, and cultures.  In this 464 page novel, a lot of information is imparted to the reader. The main purpose of the book is to state the important points that helped humans evolve both physically and cognitively. From Homo Habilis to neanderthals and finally Homo Sapiens , he makes it super easy to understand why we are the way we are. The patterns of cerebral growth and a lot of questions about development have been answered in the book. He also poses some fundamental questions about happiness. When in our long history as Homo sapiens were we most fulfilled? More fundamentally, he asks: Who are we as a species? And where are we going?

5. Project Hail Mary

 by Andy Weir

Science fiction recommendations by Bill Gates have always gotten a lot of appreciation. In this book, Ryland Grace , our main protagonist, wakes up in a spacecraft and cannot remember why he belongs there. Slowly when his memory starts creeping back in , he realizes he is the only alive member left in the spacecraft who was brought to space for a mission. The mission is to save the solar system which is being destroyed by a microorganism called the astrophage. This book is filled with plot twists and some exceptionally nail biting moments. Bill Gates summed it up in the best way,“I recommend the book for anyone who is in the mood for a fun diversion. I started it on a Saturday and finished it on Sunday, and it was a great way to spend a weekend. Even if you aren’t a big science fiction fan, Project Hail Mary is a terrific story about two friends using science and engineering to save the day.”