Editor's note: Bill Gates is a person who loves reading. He often shares his book list with the public. From the books he recommends, we can get a glimpse of his recent thinking and accumulated wisdom. Most of these books do not have Chinese versions for the time being, and they are also available for everyone to learn English. This article introduces Bill Gates’ reading list for the summer of 2018, compiled from FastCompany’s original article titled “These are the books Bill Gates says to read this summer.”
Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has invested heavily in vaccines and aid projects, but he also knows that there are things in this world that money can't buy, and one of them is more knowledge.
So it's become an open secret that every summer (and every holiday) Gates makes a reading list, usually in the name of beach reading that introduces some mind-expanding new concepts. "When I put together five books I might enjoy this summer, I realized that several of my choices each addressed important life issues," he wrote on his blog, "Notes from Gates." and five picks for this summer.
In fact, Bill Gates actually listed several central questions this year that might be answered by the books on the list.
"Why are geniuses geniuses?"
"Why do bad things always happen to good people?"
"Where do humans come from and where are they going?"
The books in the following list seem to answer these in order Questions -- A biography of Leonardo da Vinci, a memoir of a woman battling cancer, a fictional account of a night in the life of Abraham Lincoln, and even a book that explains how life itself emerged and continues to progress .
The first four books are related to these four topics, while the fifth one is more of a call to action. Written by a global health expert who passed away last year, it reviews several examples of how people can live more wonderfully in the world, examples that are directly relevant to everyone.
Leonardo da Vinci, by Walter IsaacsonLeonardo da Vinci, by Walter Isaacson
One of the world's most respected painters and thinkers was largely self-taught, and he wouldn't let the work of 500 years ago Poor technology limits his perception and understanding of how the world around him works. Gates wrote in his notes, "When he wanted to understand something, whether it was the flow of blood through a heart or the shape of a woodpecker's tongue, he would look closely, jot down his thoughts roughly, and then try to figure things out. The full picture. Curiosity - especially curiosity in the Internet age - may be more valuable than ever
Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies by Kate Bowler
Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies. I've Loved, By Kate Bowler What can be done to control this randomness "There are questions that begin with 'why' that cannot be satisfactorily answered with facts," Gates said, adding that he believes the book explains an important argument. There is a danger in getting too hung up on cause-and-effect thinking. Bowler grew up in a Mennonite family (Note: Mennonites are an evangelical sect in contemporary Protestant Christianity). This family firmly believes that having strong beliefs often leads to success. Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders
Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders
The fantasy novel takes on a very unconventional tone and takes place one night, shortly after the Civil War begins, when President Abraham Lincoln visits a cemetery containing the grave of his recently deceased 11-year-old son, when a ghost appears. .The story unfolds in a scripted and conversational manner.As Gates said, "The president has a deeper understanding of the grief caused to families when children sent to war die in combat." He must make a choice, should the war continue? If so, how can we ensure that the end result is commensurate with the cost of this pain?
Origin Story: A Big History of Everything, by David Christian
Historian David has a way of making the complexity of world history accessible. His 2011 TED talk , in which he discussed related ideas, has received more than 8 million views. This book builds on this foundation and expands on previous successful presentations. As Gates explains in the retrospective, Kristen tends to focus on "threshold" moments of change, like explaining the physics and chemistry of the Big Bang, or the biology of explaining humans' rise from single-celled organisms to more recognizable objects. and anthropology. Gates is also supporting Kristan in creating a free online course that will be of great help to inspired teachers, parents or lifelong learners.
"Factfulness" by Hans Rosling
Factfulness, by Hans Rosling, with Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling Ronnlund.
Gates had already praised the book in April this year, when he conducted a special interview for the book. A separate review detailing why it will be empowering for potential change-makers. "Much of this book is about the 10 instincts that keep us from seeing the world as it is," Gates wrote at the time. "These range from the fear instinct (we pay more attention to scary things) to the size instinct (stand-alone numbers tend to look more impressive than they actually are) to the gap instinct (most people fall somewhere between the two extremes). For For each instinct, Hans offers practical advice on how to overcome these innate biases."
These five books outline Gates's characteristic: Lives are indeed improving for many people around the world. But we also need more imagination, inspiration and commitment to move forward.
Original text link: https://www.fastcompany.com/40574793/these-are-the-books-bill-gates-says-to-read-this-summer
Compilation Team. Editor: Hao Pengcheng
