If you want to know how influential and successful Bill Gates has been, look no further than his book recommendations. The richest man in the world has some great insight into making it big in business, even if you don't have a computer science degree from Harvard (like he did). These five books are highly recommended by one of the most successful men in the world.
Bill Gates Recommends Reading
Bill Gates was asked for his favourite book in a recent Reedit AMA (Ask Me Anything). He responded with these five titles: The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker, Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond, The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs, Factualness by Hans Rolling and Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson. Each title appears on Gates' suggested reading list based on its ability to inspire future leaders to create global change. Every title is available in audiobook format via Audible if you'd like to stream it while on the go. Even better?
The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker
Bill Gates thinks you should read The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker, a book about how violence has decreased. The book looks at different measures of violence and uses other statistical techniques to prove its point. In fact, Pinker makes a pretty convincing case that humans are actually becoming less violent than ever before—that despite what we see in our daily news cycles, humanity is getting better. If you think that's impossible, you'll want to check out his arguments for yourself.
Grit by Angela Duckworth
Angela Duckworth is an expert in self-control, nonconformity, and Grit. In her book Grit, she writes about why some people are successful, and others fail. The answer? Grit. Duckworth defines Grit as passion and perseverance for very long-term goals (Duckworth). Although you may not believe it now, your life is filled with opportunities to learn how to become more gritty.
Grit by Angela Duckworth
This book won't necessarily teach you how to make more money or manage your time better. Instead, it will help you understand why we humans do what we do. And that understanding can be robust when applied to your personal finances and business life. When you have a better sense of why you are drawn toward certain spending decisions and investment opportunities—or away from others—you're better able to make smarter choices for yourself and others. (Business Insider)
Factualness by Hans Rosling
By Swedish physician and statistician Hans Rosling, who first came to fame as co-host of the BBC's fascinating documentary series The Joy of Stats, this book argues that humans are wired to look at facts through a negative lens. We tend to see poverty, disease and lack of education as things that just happen in some countries—and not others. But if we want to truly understand our world—which is an essential skill for any leader looking to solve problems—we need to look at these issues more accurately. Rosling urges us to do better. Everyone should read it. To learn more about his foundation, go here.
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