Nourish Your Mind Like Bill Gates (4 Patterns from Gates’ reading habits)

Bill Gates spends a lot of time reading. In fact, the billionaire consumes about 50 books per year. He also posts an in-depth review for several of them on his blog, GatesNotes.

Want to know what’s in a rich man’s brain? Reading the same books may provide some answers (and give us a good idea of how to improve and keep growing by educating ourselves with books).

I wanted to discover the patterns of the books that Bill Gates like to read and from there, understand more how (and from which perspective) he sees and thinks.

Therefore, I have spent 4 hours gathering a list of books (with highlighted comments by Gates) that he recommended on its blog.

Here is the list:

Growth by Vaclav Smil

One of Bill Gates’s favourite authors — “he remains one of the best thinkers out there at documenting the past and seeing the big picture”.

The author, the Czech-Canadian professor Vaclav Smil, approaches things from a scientist’s point of view, not an astronaut’s, but he reaches the same conclusion: Earth is fragile and “before it is too late, we should embark in earnest on the most fundamental existential [task] of making any future growth compatible with the long-term preservation of the only biosphere we have.”

Energy Myths and Realities by Vaclav Smil

Gates’s favorite living author

the realities of energy use and infrastructure may be disconcerting to anyone who thinks solving our energy problems will be easy

Harvesting the Biosphere, by Vaclav Smil

he gives as clear and as numeric a picture as is possible of how humans have altered the biosphere. The book is a bit dry and I had to look up a number of terms that were unfamiliar to me, but it tells a critical story if you care about the impact we’re having on the planet.

Should We Eat Meat?, by Vaclav Smil

The richer the world gets, the more meat it eats. And the more meat it eats, the bigger the threat to the planet. How do we square this circle?

Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization, by Vaclav Smil

look at the world’s use of materials, from silicon to wood to plastic and cement. If anyone tries to tell you we’re using fewer materials, send him this book. Smil shows how our ability to make things with less material — say, soda cans that need less aluminum — makes them cheaper, which actually encourages more production.

The World Until Yesterday,by Jared Diamond

what life is like for hunter-gatherers and asks which ones might apply to our modern lifestyles

Prepared: What Kids Need for a Fulfilled Life by Diane Tavenner

An amazing guidebook for raising and educating our kids

Diane Tavenner, founder of Summit Public Schools, who created a network of some of the best performing schools in the nation — has put together a helpful guidebook about how to make that process as smooth and fruitful as possible. She shares the story of how she designed a new kind of charter school with a simple but very ambitious goal: “We wanted to teach kids not just what they needed to get into college, but what they needed to live a good life.” Some students worked on their own, moving at their own pace through their courses. Others worked together on projects. Instead of lecturing at the front of a class, teachers acted like coaches, providing one-on-one guidance to students. Everyone was engaged.

Why Does College Cost So Much?, by Robert B. Archibald and David H. Feldman

not pointing fingers but instead talking about how America’s labor market affects the cost of college. Archibald and Feldman lay out a number of policies that could help.

The Bet, by Paul Sabin

chronicles the public debate about whether the world is headed for an environmental catastrophe. and shows how their extreme views contributed to the polarized debate over climate change and other issues that continues today.

How to Lie With Statistics, by Darrell Huff

short, easy-to-read book after seeing it on a Wall Street Journal list of good books for investors.

published in 1954, but aside from a few anachronistic examples (it has been a long time since bread cost 5 cents a loaf in the United States), it doesn’t feel dated

These Truths, by Jill Lepore

covering the entire history of the United States in just 800 pages

deliberate choice to make diverse points of view central to the narrative, and the result is the most honest and unflinching account of the American story

When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi

When Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2013, he was a 36-year-old on the verge of making big contributions to the world with his mind and hands. He was a gifted doctor — a chief resident in neurosurgery at Stanford just months away from completing the most grueling training of any clinical field. This book shares his journey as a doctor and then as a patient but also into his role as a husband. Eight months later, Kalanithi died a few hundred yards away from where his daughter entered the world.

Why We Sleep, by Matthew Walker

Everyone knows that a good night’s sleep is important — but what exactly counts as a good night’s sleep? And how do you make one happen?

This book can urge you to change your bedtime habits.

Business Adventures, by John Brooks

Recommended by Warren Buffett to Gates in 1991, and it’s still the best business book Gates has ever read.

Shoe Dog, by Phil Knight

memoir, by the co-founder of Nike

a refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like: messy, precarious, and riddled with mistakes.

Getting Better by Charles Kenny

the impact of aid carefully documents how the quality of life — even in the world’s poorest countries — has improved dramatically over the past several decades. With reams of solid data to support his case, he argues that governments and aid agencies have played an important role in this progress.

The Myth of the Strong Leader, by Archie Brown

the leaders who make the biggest contributions to history and humanity generally are not the ones we perceive to be “strong leaders.” Instead, they tend to be the ones who collaborate, delegate, and negotiate — and recognize that no one person can or should have all the answers.

Good read during election battle

Bad Blood, by John Carreyrou

the definitive insider’s look at the rise and fall of Theranos.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol S. Dweck

the attitudes and habits that allow some students to persevere in school despite big challenges.

The Vital Question, by Nick Lane

a grand theory that explains a lot about the world.

21 Lessons for the 21st Century, by Yuval Noah Harari

While Sapiens and Homo Deus covered the past and future respectively, this one is all about the present.

Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari

Covering the past.

Homo Deus, by Yuval Noah Harari

Covering the future

The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness, by Andy Puddicombe

Puddicombe’s personal journey from a university student to a Buddhist monk and then becomes an entertaining explainer on how to meditate.

The Bully Pulpit, by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin studies the lives of America’s 26th and 27th presidents

Army of None, by Paul Scharre

thought-provoking look at A.I. in warfare

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

Tara’s process of self-discovery is beautifully captured in Educated.

Capital in the Twenty-First Century, by Thomas Piketty

Capital sparked a fantastic global discussion this year about inequality.

How Asia Works, by Joe Studwell

Studwell produces compelling answers to two of the greatest questions in development economics: How did countries like Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and China achieve sustained, high growth? And why have so few other countries managed to do so?

The Grid, by Gretchen Bakke

About our aging electrical grid

The Gene, by Siddhartha Mukherjee

guides us through the past, present, and future of genome science, with a special focus on huge ethical questions that the latest and greatest genome technologies provoke.

The Road to Character, by David Brooks

What does a virtuous life look like?

Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words, by Randall Munroe

filled with cool basic knowledge about how the world works.

a wonderful guide for curious minds.

Sustainable Materials With Both Eyes Open (Without the Hot Air), by Julian M. Allwood and Jonathan M. Cullen

How much can we reduce carbon emissions that come from making and using stuff?

Being Nixon: A Man Divided, by Evan Thomas

a balanced book that doesn’t try to convince you that Nixon was all good or all bad. It’s a worthwhile read for anyone who is interested in this brilliant, conflicted and complicated man.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

a poignant reminder of how much more work needs to be done to address the inequities in the world

The Magic of Reality, by Richard Dawkins

This book is as accessible as the TV series Cosmos is for younger audiences — and as relevant for older audiences. It’s an engaging, well-illustrated science textbook offering compelling answers to big questions, like “how did the universe form?” and “what causes earthquakes?” It’s also a plea for readers of all ages to approach mysteries with rigor and curiosity.

What If?, by Randall Munroe

Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions that range over all fields of science: physics, chemistry, biology.

On Immunity, by Eula Biss

examines what lies behind people’s fears of vaccinating their children

The Man Who Fed the World by Leon Hesser

biography is a fascinating account of Borlaug’s life and accomplishments. This is a story of genius, self-sacrifice, and determination. Borlaug was a remarkable scientist and humanitarian whose work in agriculture is rightfully credited with saving the lives of over a billion people.

Upheaval, by Jared Diamond

how societies react during moments of crisis. He uses a series of fascinating case studies to show how nations managed existential challenges like civil war, foreign threats, and general malaise.

The Future of Capitalism, by Paul Collier

his analysis of the problem is better than his proposed solutions — his background as a development economist gives him a smart perspective on where capitalism is headed

Nine Pints, by Rose George

If you are interested in blood.

Presidents of War, by Michael Beschloss

About Vietnam War

The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker

showing that the world has evolved over time to be a far less violent place than before. It offers a fresh perspective on how to achieve positive outcomes in the world.

The Box ,by Marc Levinson

the move to containerized shipping had an enormous impact on the global economy and changed the way the world does business (a very readable narrative)

The Most Powerful Idea in the World,by William Rosen

about steam engines…and the clever characters, incremental innovations, and historical context behind this invention

String Theory, by David Foster Wallace

String Theory is a collection of five of Wallace’s best essays on tennis

Poor Numbers, by Morten Jerven

The author spent four years digging into how African nations get their statistics and the challenges they face in turning them into GDP estimates. He makes a strong case that a lot of GDP measurements we thought were accurate are far from it.

Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens, by Eddie Izzard

memoir of a comic genius

Novel

An American Marriage, by Tayari Jones

which tells the story of a black couple in the South whose marriage gets torn apart by a horrible incident of injustice.

A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles

about a count sentenced to life under house arrest in a Moscow hotel

The Rosie Effect, by Graeme Simsion

hilarious follow-up to The Rosie Project, one of the best novels Gates has read in ages.

It’s a funny novel that also made me think about relationships: what makes them work and how we have to keep investing time and energy to make them better.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

a genetics professor with Asperger’s Syndrome who goes looking for a wife

extraordinarily clever, funny, and moving book about being comfortable with who you are and what you’re good at.

Comic

Hyperbole and a Half, by Allie Brosh

based on Brosh’s wildly popular website, consists of brief vignettes and comic drawings about her young life.

XKCD, by Randall Munroe

A collection of posts from Munroe’s blog XKCD, which is made up of cartoons he draws making fun of things — mostly scientists and computers, but lots of other things too.

The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir, by Thi Bui

This gorgeous graphic novel is a deeply personal memoir that explores what it means to be a parent and a refugee.

Melinda Gates’ booklist

“Those of us interested in development spend a lot of time thinking about what it takes to translate a great idea into results on the ground. Each of these books has helped deepen my understanding of how the global development community can drive and sustain meaningful change, even in the face of difficult circumstances. Together, they paint a portrait of a world where progress is achievable if we work together and learn from each other.”

The Last Hunger Season by Roger Thurow

chronicles the lives of four Kenyan farmers as they struggle to support their families through the wanjala, Swahili for “hunger season.”

the importance of investing in Africa’s smallholder farmers and a compelling blueprint for doing it effectively.

However Long the Night by Aimee Molloy

Molly Melching. For more than 40 years, Molly has worked in Senegalese communities to help improve lives for some of the country’s poorest people. Her success is based on her insistence on working in close partnership with local communities. That way, change is always driven from the center out, not the top down.

In the Company of the Poor by Paul Farmer and Gustavo Gutierrez

intellectual commitment to changing the systems that lead to poverty

Change by Design by Tim Brown

Design thinking is a model of problem-solving that could have huge implications for global health and development.

Mighty Be Our Powers by Leymah Gbowee

In 2011, Leymah Gbowee became a global figure when she won a Nobel Prize for launching a grassroots women’s movement that led to peace in Liberia. inspiring story of how Leymah overcame her own doubts and fears and found the courage to lead them

And from there, I’ve found 4 patterns in Gates’ reading habits that we may take away from:

1. Diversity

Gates read a variety of books, from fiction to non-fictions, to comic etc. The diversity does more good than simply focus on one narrow genre.

2. Microscopic a small, specific topic

Although the choice of books is diversified, Gates would select a small, specific topic which he is interested in to dive deeper, such as engineering and computing. We can take this to develop our niche of expertise as well while not limiting ourselves in reading only one topic of books.

3. Favourite author

Gates’ favourite author — Vaclav Smil is an avid thinker, which speaks a lot about Gates as well. He likes to think and he likes a book that inspires him to think more. We are what we read.

If we want to nourish and grow our mind, we need to feed our minds with brain food that is good for our thinking and growth.

4. Share your thoughts after reading

The best way to learn is not to read. We absorb less than 50% of the material from reading alone, but by digesting, thinking and after that sharing our views, we are able to really learn and take away value from the books. Nowadays, we can start a blog, or shoot a video to share very easily (and that over time could bring us unexpected return in terms of friends and money as well!)