6 books that changed Bill Gates' life
Books are a real source of knowledge for successful entrepreneurs like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk or Bill Gates.
“Reading is still the main way to learn new things and to test my understanding. "
Part of the reason Bill Gates became the man he is today is his consuming passion for reading! His fortune (he was long the richest man in the world) is matched only by his philanthropy, through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Despite his busy schedule, he manages to read one book a week, and Bill Gates' must-reads are available on his blog. Here are 6 books that have left a deep mark on him, about which he spoke in his famous Gates Notes, and whose summaries are available on Koober!
"Sapiens: A Brief History of Humanity" by Yuval Noah Harari
Bill Gates recommends this book to anyone with an interest in the history and future of our species.
Today, Homo sapiens has the technique and the knowledge to shape its environment. This has obviously not always been the case. One hundred thousand years BC, Homo sapiens was not the only human species on Earth. It took our species three revolutions to become what it is today: a cognitive revolution, an agricultural revolution and a scientific revolution. This book opens the doors to the formidable epic of humanity. It is narrated by Yuval Noah Harari.
By reading this entire koob on Koober, you will discover how Homo sapiens became the only human species on Earth and how successive revolutions in his way of life have resulted in the modern men and women that we are. This is a real story of humanity!
What he says: “This book deals with great questions as old as the history of our species. After completing this book, I have no doubt that, like me, you will want to get together with some of your favorite Homo sapiens to try and answer them. ”
"The Better Angels of Our Nature" by Steven Pinker
It's simple, Bill Gates considers this the most inspiring book he has ever read.
The starting point is that acts of war and violence seem pervasive today and it is difficult for us to admit that violence is on the decline around the world. Yet it is indeed the case: we are in a unique period of world peace, and the risks of aggression have never been lower. The cursor of our tolerance has consequently evolved, the violence which is still present upsets us and marks the spirits. Over the course of history, humans have made tremendous progress in their perception and relationship to violence.
By reading this koob in full on Koober, you will discover why and how violence has followed a downward trajectory over the centuries. Surprising as it may be, our time is indeed the most peaceful period that mankind has known.
What he says: “For me what is most important in The Better Angels Of Our Nature are his ideas on how to achieve positive results. How can we encourage a less violent and more just society, especially for the poor? ”
Henry Kissinger's "Order of the World"
Today, the world order, imposed by Western nations, seems to have reached its limits. It is now contested by regions which do not have the same value systems and did not participate in the development of the rules imposed on them. State sovereignty, an essential principle of the peace of Westphalia, does not receive more resonance in China than in the Middle East. It is high time to establish new relationships between these disparate regions, otherwise the Western ideal of freedom will be a distant memory.
As you read this entire koob on Koober, you will discover that some people are not ordered. Who better than Henry Kissinger can demonstrate this? Diplomat and secretary of state to several US presidents during the darkest and most intense years of the Cold War, he revisits world orders. The geopolitics of each region of the planet is analyzed to show you what role it plays or has been able to play during the last centuries. An essential step back in time to understand the current relations between the various world powers as well as their future challenges.
What he says: "it is a book perfectly suited to a modern age where global conflict can sometimes seem impossible to resolve"
"The Business Adventures" by John Brooks
“The Business Adventures” is a collection of anecdotes about America’s financial mistakes through the ages. This book takes up, one by one, and in the form of short stories, the various blunders and incongruities of the economic history of the United States, and underlines the importance of the human within the companies. The portraits of the latter, placed end to end, draw the outlines of a fresco of America.
This book was recommended to Bill Gates by his friend Warren Buffett (just that)! He considers it, since he discovered it, to be the best business book. He also still considers John Brooks the best author of business books to this day.
By reading this entire koob on Koober, you will discover the history of capitalism in the United States told through these 12 distinct stories.
What he says: “The Business Adventures is as much about the strengths and weaknesses of leaders in difficult circumstances as it is about the idiosyncrasies of one company or another. In that sense, he's still relevant not despite his age but because of it. John Brooks' work is truly about human nature, which is why it has stood the test of time. ”
"The Man who Fed the World" by Leon Hesser
Bill Gates describes him as the person he always wanted to meet.
Norman Borlaug is one of the most important figures of the 20th century. Coming from a modest family of farmers, he will become, thanks to his great intelligence and his altruism, a scientist recognized and respected throughout the world. He worked tirelessly after World War II for the agricultural and economic progress of countries affected by famine. His work on the constitution and resistance of wheat has helped to feed millions of people around the world and save them from famine. These exploits have earned him a number of honorary distinctions, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970.
By reading the entire koob on Koober, you will discover the life and work of a great man of the 20th century, the American agronomist and botanist Norman Borlaug.
What he says: "Although many people have never heard of Norman Borlaug, he probably saved more lives than anyone in history"
"Tap Dancing to Work" by Carol Loomis
In the United States and the rest of the world, the personality and the career of Warren Buffett fascinate and inspire. There are many people who would like to use its principles to be successful. Bill Gates is one of them. He has always admired Warren Buffett for his intelligence and foresight in business in general.
In his sixty-year career, Buffett has spoken on many topics, economic and otherwise, and has been the subject of numerous articles and debates. Carol Loomis, one of his closest friends, managed for years the publications about him in the magazine “Fortune”: it is she who collected the most outstanding writings written by or about him between 1966 and 2013. “Tap Dancing to Work” is a motley account of this man's journey.
By reading this koob in full on Koober, you will discover the personality and the keys to success of Warren Buffett, considered to be the biggest investor in the world.
What he says: “I think anyone who reads this book will have two reactions: First, how incredibly consistent Warren has been in applying his vision and investment principles throughout his career. career; and, second, that his analysis and understanding of business and markets remain unprecedented. I wrote in 1996 that I had never met someone who thinks business so clearly. It certainly still is. ”
