Bill Gates' Reading List: 10 Books That Shaped His Thinking
Bill Gates is one of the most prolific readers in the world. Every year, he shares his favorite books — titles that challenge his thinking, broaden his perspective, and sometimes simply make him laugh. We went through his latest recommendations and found the ones you can read right now as ebooks.
1. Source Code: My Beginnings — Bill Gates
Gates' own memoir about his childhood and the early days of Microsoft. A surprisingly candid look at the experiences that shaped one of the most influential people in tech.
2. How to Avoid a Climate Disaster — Bill Gates
Gates lays out a clear plan for eliminating greenhouse gas emissions. Practical, data-driven, and surprisingly accessible for such a complex topic.
Read How to Avoid a Climate Disaster →
3. "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" — Richard P. Feynman
The legendary physicist's hilarious memoir about his adventures in science, safecracking, and bongo drumming. Gates calls it one of his all-time favorites.
Read Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! →
4. Remarkably Bright Creatures — Shelby Van Pelt
"I don't read fiction often, but when I do, I want to read about interesting characters who help me see the world in a new way," Gates wrote. This novel about a 70-year-old woman and a giant Pacific octopus delivered exactly that.
Read Remarkably Bright Creatures →
5. Born a Crime — Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah's memoir about growing up biracial in apartheid South Africa. Funny, moving, and eye-opening — Gates loved how Noah honed his outsider perspective into comedy.
6. Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story — Bono
The U2 frontman's memoir structured around 40 of the band's songs. Gates found parallels between Bono's drive to get his parents' attention and his own relationship with his family.
7. Personal History — Katharine Graham
The memoir of the Washington Post publisher who stood up to Nixon. Gates calls Graham "a dear friend" and her story of leadership in a male-dominated world "remarkable."
8. How to Feed the World — Vaclav Smil
Gates has called Smil his favorite author. This book challenges common assumptions about hunger, food production, and waste with hard data.
9. Unstoppable Us — Yuval Noah Harari
From the author of Sapiens, this is the story of how humans conquered the world — written for younger readers but fascinating for everyone.
10. What Do You Care What Other People Think? — Richard P. Feynman
More adventures from Feynman, including his investigation of the Challenger disaster. A companion to "Surely You're Joking" and equally captivating.
Read What Do You Care What Other People Think? →
All these books are available as ebooks on EbooksDepository. Find them across 50+ bookshops worldwide.