It’s none other than Bill Gates himself who has listed down five books you should read during these holidays. Whether it’s a gift for someone, or you're simply in need of curling up with a book, recommendations for a good read is always welcome! Now, when this recommendation comes from Bill Gates, we’d better sit right up and pay attention.
“I try to read about a book a week on average. Even when my schedule is out of control, I carve out time for reading: http://b-gat.es/2gTCXXy,” tweeted the business magnate. Let’s check out Gates’ top recommendations:
String Theory, by David Foster Wallace:
A collection of five essays, where Wallace has talked about tennis. Gates points out that you don’t need to play, nor watch the sport to love the book. If you love the game, and want to pick out one tennis book, this should be the best. Gates says he’s a passionate player himself. How do we know? Well, here’s his tweet: “I’ve loved tennis ever since I was a kid. I enjoyed David Foster Wallace’s dazzling essays on the sport: http://b-gat.es/2gCUi4h #TBT.”
Shoe dog, by Phil Knight:
This is a memoir by the co-founder of Nike. According to Gates, this book’s well written and is amazingly honest.
The gene, by Siddhartha Mukherjee:
Gates says, “Doctors are deemed a ‘triple threat’ when they take care of patients, teach medical students, and conduct research. Mukherjee, who does all of these things at Columbia University, is a ‘quadruple threat,’ because he’s also a Pulitzer Prize winning author.”
The Myth of the Strong Leader, by Archie Brown:
Brown looks at what it means to be a strong leader, observing pertinent examples throughout history. Though published last year, it has taken on a new significance after the events of 2016.
The grid, by Gretchen Blake:
Blake talks about the history of America’s electrical grid, which, according to Gates, is one of the greatest engineering wonders of the modern world!
