I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a fun, engaging look at early human history.

Ray Dalio has provided me with invaluable guidance and insights that are now available to you in Principles.

A refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2012.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

Fascinating.... Lays a foundation for understanding human history.

Walks you through every step of his journey, from starting a company in his college dorm to pulling off the largest all-tech acquisition in history.

One of the most important books I’ve read—not just this year, but ever.

Dweck and her research have helped my foundation colleagues and me understand more about the attitudes and habits that allow some students to persevere in school despite big challenges.

Its subject is the history of humanity, focusing on why our species has succeeded and how we should think about the future.

Makes a lot of great points.

A great read.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2012.

My new favorite book of all time.

Melinda and I really like [this book]. When we were first dating, she had a green light that she would turn on when her office was empty and it made sense for me to come over.

[This] basic theme is in the culture of Microsoft.

A thoughtful look at what may be in store for humanity.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2012.

A short, readable book with smart insights, and along the way he crosses paths with some colorful characters.

I thought I was pretty good at teaching myself—until I read [this book]. Her ability to learn on her own blows mine right out of the water.

This book left me in tears.

The case studies you’re about to explore and the tools you’re about to gain have never been more relevant. This is an ideal moment to be reading this book.

I’d recommend [John Doerr]’s book for anyone interested in becoming a better manager.

Has me thinking of my old friend. A true visionary.

My favorite book.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

An excellent guide for navigating unprecedented times.

Explains how neglecting sleep undercuts your creativity, problem solving, decision-making, learning, memory, heart health, brain health, mental health, emotional well-being, immune system, and even your life span.

A fantastic book, and I hope a lot of people read it.

A guide to worrying in the 21st century.

I loved [this book].

I think [the author's] ideas even help explain some of Microsoft's success.

Anyone who wants to discuss how artificial intelligence is shaping the world should read this book.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

As Bad Blood is to biotech, Billion Dollar Whale is to international finance... a wonderful read... Thrilling.

Probably the [science fiction book] I read the most when I was younger.

I came away with new insights into the multifaceted cultural and family dynamics that contribute to poverty.

I did find his historical analysis, which makes up the bulk of the book, utterly fascinating.

On the surface it’s about math, but it’s really about how much math plays into our daily lives without our even knowing it.

I would say this even if I weren’t married to the author: [this book] is a terrific read.

Technically historical fiction, but you’d be just as accurate calling it a thriller or a love story.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

Explains that humans have evolved to work together and be social.

I couldn’t put down this thriller with a tragic ending.

Mostly about globalization, but there is also a larger story here that touches on business and philanthropy more broadly."- Bill Gates

A moving look at how incarceration changes relationships.

Offers an eye-opening look into how the criminal justice system unfairly targets communities of color, and especially Black communities.

Patrick McGovern shaped the way that millions of people grew to understand the enormous potential of computers and how they would change the world.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2012.

Gives excellent advice about how to move on constructively from mistakes, which I’ve tried to follow both on and off the court over the years.

The best business book I've ever read.

I never thought much about whether I could improve my memory across a wider set of domains, but now I think I could, after reading [this book].

Mukherjee once again shows his gift for making hard science easily accessible.

One of those original thinkers who makes you say: More people should know about this guy’s work.

Belongs in the subgenre of hard science fiction, which means it emphasizes scientific accuracy.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

Quite good at giving examples of how you create environments that can encourage good ideas.

A clear, compelling guide to some of the most pressing debates in technology today.

I loved [this] brilliant book about cancer.

Sheds light on every facet of [Leonardo da Vinci]’s life.

A 700-page treatise on economics translated from French.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2012.

An unflinching look at the mistakes and missteps made by GE’s leadership.

One of the most unusual novels I’ve read in years.

I gained a stronger and more visceral sense of the abuse and injustice many women experience today.

Fundamentally about American politics, but it’s also a fascinating look at human psychology.

If you want a brief but thorough education in numeric thinking about many of the fundamental forces that shape human life.

One of my favorite sci-fi novels of all time.

Read this book and you’ll never look at a pencil or razor the same way.

[I] had no idea how informative [this book] would be, even for someone like me who has been supporting and learning about vaccine research for many years.

A good read for anyone who wants to understand what actually determines whether a developing economy will succeed.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

It got me thinking about my own motivations and limitations in new ways.

If you want to read an unvarnished, first-hand account of life in one of India’s slums you should pick up [this book].

About predictions in many domains besides politics.

The former Treasury Secretary's front-row view of the financial crisis.

A great addition to the literature focused on that [World War II] tragic period.

Every bit as exciting as my favorite spy novels.

A super interesting look at the science of immunity.

Trevor Noah’s funny and moving account of growing up in South Africa.

Presents a stimulating and engaging story, spanning decades and continents.

There is no author whose books I look forward to more than Vaclav Smil.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2012.

I would say to anyone who likes tennis as much as I do, you have to read [this book].

A great introduction to the use of statistics, and a great refresher for anyone who’s already well versed in it.

If you’re going to read one book about modern China in the period after Mao, then this is the book you should read.

I’ve told everyone at our foundation that I think it is worth taking the time to read [this book].

Munroe’s approach is a great way to learn about science.

About something I’m also keenly interested in—the polarization we’re seeing in the U.S., Europe, and other places.

An entertaining narrative weaving together the clever characters, incremental innovations and historical context behind the steam engines that gave birth to our modern world.

Makes a compelling case that all this [human] activity is leading to the sixth mass extinction in the Earth’s history.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

A major disappointment. I found the authors’ analysis vague and simplistic.

Even if you don’t read many inspirational books, try this is one.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

Gave me a better sense of what it is like to be very poor in this country than anything else I have read.

If you want to learn about why human welfare overall has gone up so much over time, you should read [this book].

Has charted a course for making the most of the opportunities created by technology while also facing up to the hard questions.

This thrilling story about a double agent lived up to the hype.

The most honest account of the American story I’ve ever read, and one of the most beautifully written.

A compilation of forty-plus years’ worth of coverage of Warren [Buffett] by the writers of Fortune.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2012.

Nuclear physics, space travel, and other topics made easy.

A quick, condensed tour of [Jimmy Carter]’s fascinating life.

Despite being a work of fiction, it offered fresh insight that made me rethink parts of [Abraham Lincoln's] life.

How Teddy Roosevelt and William Taft changed America.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2012.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2012.

About a number of the ways that people are intervening with nature, including gene drive and geoengineering.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2012.

The book I had been waiting for. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

You will rip through it in three hours, tops. But you’ll wish it went on longer, because it’s funny and smart as hell.

If you want to try meditation for yourself, one good way to ease into it—especially if you’re as skeptical as I was—is to pick up a copy of [this book].

I can’t think of anyone better equipped to present a clear-eyed analysis of this subject than Vaclav Smil.

[Melinda and I] enjoyed [this book] so much that we invited Graeme to come to Seattle to talk to us about it.

My family loved reading this book together.

On the short list of books that I recommend to people.

If someone wants to understand what happened during what they call the 'Great Panic,' this is one of the books they should be read.

Peter Buffett writes about the values he absorbed growing up as one of three children of Warren Buffett and the late Susan Buffett.

An engaging, well-illustrated science textbook offering compelling answers to big questions, from how the universe formed to what causes earthquakes.

Looks at five countries—Singapore, Canada, Finland, China, and Australia—where students are doing significantly better on global assessments than students in the U.S.

A biography of Norman Borlaug, a brilliant agricultural scientist who [...] saved a billion people from starvation.

My favorite [Vaclav Smil] book.

If someone wants an overall view of how energy gets used, where it comes from, and the challenges in switching to new sources, this is the book to read.

Goes deep and broad to explain how innovations in humans’ ability to turn energy into heat, light, and motion have been a driving force behind our cultural and economic progress over the past 10,000 years.

Anyone who occasionally gets overly logical will identify with the hero. [...] one of the most profound novels I’ve read in a long time.

This is one of two Randall Munroe books I’ve read, and it is (by design) the funnier of the pair.

The newest of 39 brilliant books by one of my favorite thinkers.

I recommend this book to anyone who reads nonfiction. It is very well written and full of great insights.

Lifelong learners will appreciate this book about the history of everything.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2019.

As a creator of successful companies, Eli Broad has few equals, and [this book] clearly shows why.

Made me think about how we have had to overcome some deeply ingrained behaviors in order to develop a modern, interconnected society.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2012.

Most people think strength is a positive quality in a leader, but this book proves them wrong.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2018.

My second favorite book.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

Offers amazing tips on preparing kids for college, a career, and life.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

Explains the energy transitions that have driven social, economic and technological change worldwide over time.

Points out [why comparisons of the US] with the decline of the Roman Empire fall short.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2018.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2012.

Explains how things we can’t touch are reshaping the economy.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2019.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

Does a great job of bringing alive the complexities of poor people’s lives.

Melinda thought I would love [this book]. She was right.

A recapitulation of the history of materials told in an interesting and approachable way.

An economist explores a controversial subject: teacher accountability.

Gives a great sense of how hard it was to get KIPP going and how intense the focus on good teaching is.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

[I] gained a new appreciation for all the materials that make modern life possible.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2012.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

Looks at college costs in the context of the larger economy, and offers suggestions for policy to increase access.

Builds a persuasive case that many non-traditional students, such as working adults, parents and those at risk of dropping out, are not well served by traditional institutions.

A wise and funny memoir from a young woman facing her own mortality.

Helps you appreciate that physics is pretty basic stuff.

Shines a light on the real successes of aid.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

Makes a strong case that a lot of GDP measurements we thought were accurate are far from it.

An entire book about the development and impact of gas turbines and diesel engines.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2018.

Gave me new perspective on why so many big challenges get bogged down in political battles rather than being focused on problem-solving.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2012.

Examines the various predictions that have been made in the past and are still being made about energy use.

Raises some fundamental and surprising questions about the quality of U.S. undergraduate education.

Shows just how difficult it is going to be to improve education.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2012.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2013.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

Gave me insights about leadership.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2019.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2012.

Argues that schools can and must improve dramatically without additional resources – even, despite budget cuts.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

A series of dialogues between Hiroshi—founder of the Internet company Rakuten—and his father, Ryoichi, a respected economist and author.

For a basic understanding of where education money comes from and how it gets spent.

For anyone who wants to learn about the science of seeds and the challenges faced by farmers.

A highly readable account for anyone who wants to know more about [Chris Murray]’s work and why it matters.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

Makes the case for why the U.S. health care system needed reform and how Obamacare sets out to fix the problems.

An excellent book about another key factor: how we make stuff.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2012.

Quite comprehensive in looking at many different kinds of energy.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2012.

Explains why some nations flourish in tough times.

The amazing story of Jim Grant, whose influence in making vaccines widely available in the developing world is credited with saving the lives of 25 million children.

Explores the different sides of a complicated man.

If you have seen Eddie’s stuff and you like it [...] I promise you’ll love this book.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

Helped me see microorganisms in a whole new light.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2012.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2018.

Everything you wanted to know about blood.

I mostly agree with their message that the answers to America’s economic challenges are to be found in its past.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

This powerful graphic novel explores parenthood and life during wartime.

Amanda’s story is personal, filled with moments of anguish, grief and love but she also tries to draw attention to what she discovers is a flawed health care system.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

Looks at current efforts to use technology for online learning and to measure achievement.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

A useful history of efforts to eliminate diseases.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

Gives as clear and as numeric a picture as is possible of how humans have altered the biosphere.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

For anybody who wants to understand the complexities of the role of the Secretary General, this book is an illuminating read.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

Provides a roadmap for eliminating hunger in the world.

Influenced the decision that Melinda and I made to make polio eradication the top priority of the foundation, as well as my own personal priority.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

If you want to read just one book about malaria, [this book] is probably the best choice.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

The amazing story of the eradication of smallpox.

List of books Bill Gates read in 2011.

Documents a story of remarkable scientific innovation and how it has improved the lives of almost all cystic fibrosis patients and their families.

A fascinating look at what it’s like to steer a country through challenging times.

Seems to be saying that our personal journeys are never as linear or predictable as we might hope.

A super fun read about how a boy from the suburbs of Dublin grew up to become a world-famous rock star and philanthropist.

A fascinating look at how science develops and how human curiosity has evolved over the millennia.