Bill Gates
Co-founder of Microsoft and the Gates Foundation; publishes book reviews and essays at Gates Notes.
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
Well, one I literally binged this weekend was The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. That's, you know, fiction, very touching, uh uh very upbeat. Apropos of what we just discussed, uh there's a one called Into the Woodchipper by Nicholas Eneric, which talks about how somebody didn't go to a party one weekend and they decided instead to put USAID into the woodchipper.
on a podcast · 29 Sep 2026 · Report
The Infinity Machine by Sebastian Mallaby
About a month ago, I read The Infinity Machine by Sebastian Mallaby.
on a podcast · 29 Sep 2026 · Report
Clearing the Air by Hannah Ritchie
If you want a book that explains the climate challenge without doom or denial, Clearing the Air is a must-read.
on gatesnotes.com · 25 Nov 2025 · Report
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
I think anyone who enjoys fiction would enjoy this book, but it’s a must-read for people who grew up in Western Washington like I did.
on gatesnotes.com · 25 Nov 2025 · Report
When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows by Steven Pinker
If you are interested in learning more about how humans communicate and work together, I highly recommend reading When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows.
on gatesnotes.com · 25 Nov 2025 · Report
Who Knew by Barry Diller
This part of Who Knew is raw and honest in a way most business memoirs usually aren’t.
on gatesnotes.com · 25 Nov 2025 · Report
Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green
Everything Is Tuberculosis is poignant, smart, and at times infuriating.
on gatesnotes.com · 15 Jul 2025 · Report
Chasing Hope by Nick Kristof
Chasing Hope made me think a lot about what kind of person chooses to run toward the hardest problems—and keep going back until they’re solved.
on gatesnotes.com · 22 May 2025 · Report
Personal History by Katharine Graham
That story is told in her riveting memoir Personal History, which came out in 1997—just a few years before she passed away—and won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography.
on gatesnotes.com · 22 May 2025 · Report
How to Feed the World by Vaclav Smil
How to Feed the World had a lot to teach me—and I’m sure it will teach you a lot, too.
on gatesnotes.com · 4 Mar 2025 · Report
An Unfinished Love Story by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Whether you already know a lot about the ’60s or you’re just dipping your toe into those waters, whether you want a deep dive into the art of political writing or a charming story about a married couple who adored each other, you’ll get it from An Unfinished Love Story.
on gatesnotes.com · 3 Dec 2024 · Report
Engineering in Plain Sight by Grady Hillhouse
One of the coolest aspects of Engineering in Plain Sight is how it ties everyday observations to larger engineering principles.
on gatesnotes.com · 3 Dec 2024 · Report
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
The Anxious Generation is a must-read for anyone raising, working with, or teaching young people today.
on gatesnotes.com · 3 Dec 2024 · Report
The Coming Wave by Mustafa Suleyman
Most of the coverage of The Coming Wave has focused on what it has to say about artificial intelligence—which makes sense, given that it's one of the most important books on AI ever written.
on gatesnotes.com · 3 Dec 2024 · Report
Brave New Words by Sal Khan
I recently read a terrific book on this topic called Brave New Words.
on gatesnotes.com · 21 May 2024 · Report
How to Know a Person by David Brooks
It's a must-read for anyone looking to deepen their relationships and broaden their perspectives—and I believe it has the power to make us better friends, colleagues, and citizens.
on gatesnotes.com · 21 May 2024 · Report
Infectious Generosity by Chris Anderson
If you want to help create a more generous world but don’t know where to start, Infectious Generosity is the book for you.
on gatesnotes.com · 21 May 2024 · Report
The Women by Kristin Hannah
This terrific novel tells the story of Frankie McGrath, an army nurse who serves two tours on the frontlines in Vietnam before returning home to a country rocked by protest and anti-war sentiment.
on gatesnotes.com · 21 May 2024 · Report
Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie
His life and work have influenced my own tremendously—and just a few pages into Ritchie’s essential and hopeful new book, Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet, it became clear that she was carrying on his tremendous legacy.
on gatesnotes.com · 20 Nov 2023 · Report
The Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee
If I had been able to read The Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee in school, I might have fallen in love with biology a lot earlier.
on gatesnotes.com · 20 Nov 2023 · Report
Born in Blackness by Howard French
If you’re interested in learning more about the history of Africa, its central role in the world, and the ways in which both have been misunderstood in the West, I highly recommend Born in Blackness.
on gatesnotes.com · 30 May 2023 · Report
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow resonated with me for personal reasons, but I think Zevin’s exploration of partnership and collaboration is worth reading no matter who you are.
on gatesnotes.com · 30 May 2023 · Report
Mendeleyev’s Dream by Paul Strathern
Paul Strathern’s terrific book Mendeleyev’s Dream traces that journey all the way back to ancient Greece, when people first started questioning why the world is the way it is.
on gatesnotes.com · 21 Nov 2022 · Report
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
Of all the sci-fi I read as a teenager, Stranger in a Strange Land is my favorite.
on gatesnotes.com · 21 Nov 2022 · Report
Surrender by Bono
Bono’s new book, Surrender, is packed with funny, poignant moments like this.
on gatesnotes.com · 21 Nov 2022 · Report
The Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Gallwey
But The Inner Game of Tennis is just as relevant today as it was in 1974.
on gatesnotes.com · 21 Nov 2022 · Report
How the World Really Works by Vaclav Smil
But I highly recommend reading him on the subject because he is so good at explaining how the world’s energy systems work today.
on gatesnotes.com · 6 Jun 2022 · Report
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
Once again, I was wowed by Towles’s writing—especially because The Lincoln Highway is so different from A Gentleman in Moscow in terms of setting, plot, and themes.
on gatesnotes.com · 6 Jun 2022 · Report
The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson
The Ministry for the Future does a better job than any other book I’ve read of playing out, in a dramatic but realistic way, how high temperatures can literally kill people.
on gatesnotes.com · 6 Jun 2022 · Report
Why We’re Polarized by Ezra Klein
In his terrific book Why We’re Polarized, Ezra Klein argues that identity is the answer to the question suggested by his title.
on gatesnotes.com · 6 Jun 2022 · Report
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
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.
on gatesnotes.com · 22 Nov 2021 · Report
The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson
When I heard that one of my favorite authors, Walter Isaacson, was working on a book about CRISPR and its inventor, I was eager to read it.
on gatesnotes.com · 22 Nov 2021 · Report
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
I read Remains of the Day years ago and thought it was brilliant.
on gatesnotes.com · 22 Nov 2021 · Report
Numbers Don’t Lie by Vaclav Smil
I unabashedly recommend this book to anyone who loves learning.
on gatesnotes.com · 3 Aug 2021 · Report
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
A Promised Land is a refreshingly honest book.
on gatesnotes.com · 14 Jun 2021 · Report
The Overstory by Richard Powers
On the contrary, I loved following Powers’ characters as they became more and more passionate about their love for trees.
on gatesnotes.com · 14 Jun 2021 · Report
Under a White Sky by Elizabeth Kolbert
Despite these reservations, I still recommend reading Under a White Sky.
on gatesnotes.com · 14 Jun 2021 · Report
Range by David Epstein
I learned this from reading a good, myth-debunking book called Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World.
on gatesnotes.com · 8 Dec 2020 · Report
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
If you’re interested in learning more about the real lives caught up in our country's justice system, I highly recommend The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander.
on gatesnotes.com · 8 Dec 2020 · Report
The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
The Splendid and the Vile is a brilliant account of another era of widespread anxiety: the years 1940 and 1941, when English citizens spent almost every night in makeshift shelters as massive bombs rained down on them.
on gatesnotes.com · 8 Dec 2020 · Report
The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre
The book is every bit as exciting as my favorite spy novels.
on gatesnotes.com · 8 Dec 2020 · Report
The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger
But I recently read another business book that I will happily recommend to anyone who asks: The Ride of a Lifetime, by former Disney CEO Robert Iger.
on gatesnotes.com · 18 May 2020 · Report
Growth by Vaclav Smil
Anyone who reads the new book Growth, the newest of 39 brilliant books by one of my favorite thinkers, will come away with similar urgency.
on gatesnotes.com · 10 Dec 2019 · Report
These Truths by Jill Lepore
But with the exception of a brief section covering the past 20 years (more on this below), I loved the book and hope lots of people read it.
on gatesnotes.com · 10 Dec 2019 · Report
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
But even if you apply a mild discount factor, Why We Sleep is an important and fascinating book.
on gatesnotes.com · 10 Dec 2019 · Report
Blueprint by Nicholas A. Christakis
In his terrific book Blueprint, Christakis explains that humans have evolved to work together and be social.
on gatesnotes.com · 23 Jul 2019 · Report
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
A Gentleman in Moscow is an amazing story because it manages to be a little bit of everything.
on gatesnotes.com · 20 May 2019 · Report
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
I still rank Guns, Germs, and Steel as one of the best things I’ve ever read.
on gatesnotes.com · 20 May 2019 · Report
Presidents of War by Michael Beschloss
Presidents of War is worth reading, whether you are one of the nation’s leaders or just an armchair historian.
on gatesnotes.com · 20 May 2019 · Report
21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari
In his fascinating new book 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, the historian Yuval Noah Harari creates a useful framework for confronting these fears.
on gatesnotes.com · 3 Dec 2018 · Report
Educated by Tara Westover
Educated is an amazing story, and I get why it’s spent so much time on the top of the New York Times bestseller list.
on gatesnotes.com · 3 Dec 2018 · Report
Capitalism without Capital by Jonathan Haskel and Stian Westlake
Capitalism Without Capital is the first book I’ve seen that tackles them in depth, and I think it should be required reading for policymakers.
on gatesnotes.com · 14 Aug 2018 · Report
Origin Story by David Christian
It does a fantastic job distilling the latest thinking about the origins of the universe.
on gatesnotes.com · 21 May 2018 · Report
Factfulness by Hans Rosling
Factfulness is a fantastic book, and I hope a lot of people read it.
on gatesnotes.com · 3 Apr 2018 · Report
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
Paper Towns is still my favorite John Green book—but my family loved talking about Turtles at the dinner table, and I think yours will, too.
on gatesnotes.com · 27 Mar 2018 · Report
Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker
I read the book slowly since I loved it so much, but I think most people will find it a quick and accessible read.
on gatesnotes.com · 26 Jan 2018 · Report
Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
Vance describes in his terrific, heartbreaking book Hillbilly Elegy is one that I know only vicariously.
on gatesnotes.com · 22 May 2017 · Report
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
Melinda and I loved Harari’s previous book, Sapiens, which tries to explain how our species came to dominate the Earth.
on gatesnotes.com · 22 May 2017 · Report
The Heart by Maylis de Kerangal
It’s not the plot that makes The Heart such a wonderful book.
on gatesnotes.com · 22 May 2017 · Report
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
I am certain I will read When Breath Becomes Air again.
on gatesnotes.com · 7 Mar 2017 · Report
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
Shoe Dog, Phil Knight’s memoir about creating Nike, is a refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like.
on gatesnotes.com · 5 Dec 2016 · Report
String Theory by David Foster Wallace
As much as I loved the book for its insights on the game, I loved it just as much for the writing itself.
on gatesnotes.com · 5 Dec 2016 · Report
The Myth of the Strong Leader by Archie Brown
But to read Archie Brown’s fascinating book, The Myth of the Strong Leader, is to see an illustration that leaders like Suárez, who served as prime minister of Spain from 1976 to 1981, possess leadership styles and capacities that are incredibly effective, and depressingly rare.
on gatesnotes.com · 5 Dec 2016 · Report
The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
I loved Mukherjee’s 2015 TED Talk and his brilliant book about cancer, The Emperor of All Maladies, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2011.
on gatesnotes.com · 14 Nov 2016 · Report
The Rise and Fall of American Growth by Gordon, Robert J.
The book was a fantastic read, and well worth the time.
on gatesnotes.com · 26 Jul 2016 · Report
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
Still, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a fun, engaging look at early human history.
on gatesnotes.com · 17 May 2016 · Report
The Power to Compete by Ryoichi Mikitani and Hiroshi Mikitani
If you’re as interested in Japan as I am, I think you’ll find that The Power to Compete is a smart and thought-provoking look at the future of a fascinating country.
on gatesnotes.com · 17 May 2016 · Report
The Vital Question by Nick Lane
As much as I loved The Vital Question, it’s not for everyone.
on gatesnotes.com · 27 Apr 2016 · Report
Being Nixon by Evan Thomas
It’s a worthwhile read for anyone who is interested in this brilliant, conflicted, and complicated man.
on gatesnotes.com · 7 Dec 2015 · Report
Mindset by Carol Dweck
One of the reasons I loved Mindset is because it’s solutions-oriented.
on gatesnotes.com · 7 Dec 2015 · Report
Sustainable Materials With Both Eyes Open by Julian Allwood and Jonathan Cullen
I recently read an excellent book about another key factor: how we make stuff.
on gatesnotes.com · 7 Dec 2015 · Report
How Asia Works by Joe Studwell
How Asia Works is not a gripping page-turner aimed at general audiences, but it’s a good read for anyone who wants to understand what actually determines whether a developing economy will succeed.
on gatesnotes.com · 8 Dec 2014 · Report
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
Melinda and I loved his first book, The Rosie Project.
on gatesnotes.com · 8 Dec 2014 · Report
Business Adventures by John Brooks
Today, more than two decades after Warren lent it to me—and more than four decades after it was first published—Business Adventures remains the best business book I’ve ever read.
on gatesnotes.com · 13 Jul 2014 · Report
The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin
I loved Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals, about President Lincoln, and highly recommend this one too.
on gatesnotes.com · 12 Jul 2014 · Report
Making the Modern World by Vaclav Smil
I got to thinking about all this after reading Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization, by my favorite author, the historian Vaclav Smil.
on gatesnotes.com · 12 Jun 2014 · Report
The Bet by Paul Sabin
I recommend The Bet to anyone wanting to understand the history of the divisive discussions we have today, especially the stalemate over climate change.
on gatesnotes.com · 12 Dec 2013 · Report
The Box by Marc Levinson
It is the subject of an excellent book I read this summer called The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger, by a former Economist editor named Marc Levinson.
on gatesnotes.com · 9 Aug 2013 · Report
The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker
Nobuo Ikeda mentioned The Better Angels of Our Nature, which is one of my favorite books ever and one I think everyone should read.
on gatesnotes.com · 18 Jul 2013 · Report
The Most Powerful Idea in the World by William Rosen
With that one footnote, I highly recommend the book.
on gatesnotes.com · 4 Feb 2013 · Report
A World-Class Education by Vivien Stewart
I recommend this book as a good overview of what other countries are doing, although I would have liked to see more data.
on gatesnotes.com · 30 Oct 2012 · Report
For the Love of Physics by Walter Lewin
Lewin’s teaching skills come through in his wonderful book, For the Love of Physics, which is good even if you don't know much physics.
on gatesnotes.com · 6 Mar 2012 · Report
That Used to Be Us by Tom Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum
The book has a valuable message and I recommend it, although there are some things I wish the authors had clarified.
on gatesnotes.com · 27 Feb 2012 · Report
The Man Who Fed the World by Leon Hesser
Fortunately, there is a great biography of Borlaug, The Man Who Fed the World, which I highly recommend.
on gatesnotes.com · 24 Jan 2012 · Report
Prime Movers of Globalization by Vaclav Smil
There are a lot of fascinating historical points and statistics in Smil’s book that make it an interesting read, but what most fascinated me was learning about the incredible impact these two innovations have had on so many aspects of our lives.
on gatesnotes.com · 26 Oct 2011 · Report
Polio by David Oshinsky
It is a fascinating account of the search for a vaccine to stop the polio epidemics that swept the U.
on gatesnotes.com · 22 Jun 2011 · Report
Educational Economics by Marguerite Roza
For a basic understanding of where education money comes from and how it gets spent, one of the books I highly recommend is Educational Economics: Where Do School Funds Go?
on gatesnotes.com · 1 Mar 2011 · Report
Energy Myths and Realities by Vaclav Smil
I recommend this book to everyone who spends time working on energy issues, not to cheer them up but to help them have a stronger framework for evaluating energy promises.
on gatesnotes.com · 13 Oct 2010 · Report
Energy Transitions by Vaclav Smil
Even though this section overlaps with the other energy book he published this year (Energy Myths and Realities) it is still very much worth reading.
on gatesnotes.com · 6 Oct 2010 · Report
Tomorrow’s Table by Pamela Ronald and Raoul Adamchak
This is an important book for anyone who wants to learn about the science of seeds and the challenges faced by farmers.
on gatesnotes.com · 8 Mar 2010 · Report
SuperFreakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner
I recommend this book to anyone who reads nonfiction.
on gatesnotes.com · 1 Feb 2010 · Report
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