Bill Gates recommendations for 2019 summer reading

Bill Gates, billionaire philanthropist, released Monday his annual list of summer books. The underlying theme is "the upheavals," he writes on his blog, Gates Notes, "that it is the Soviet Union right after the Bolshevik revolution, of the United States in war time or an overall reassessment of our economic system ".

Although none of the five books is "what most people think of as an enlightened reading," he says, they are all thought provoking and edifying.

"If you're looking for something that looks more like a typical summer book," he adds, "I recommend" Rosie's "Graeme Simsion," which is the latest novel in the Rosie trilogy that Gates recommended before.

Here is the complete list of Gates' summer readings:

The novel by Amor Towles is "a fun, intelligent and surprisingly optimistic look at Russian history through the eyes of a man," says Gates. It's technically a historical fiction, "but you'd be just as accurate to call it a thriller or a love story." He even had tears in his eyes at one point.

"Even if you do not like reading about Russia as much as I do (I've read everything Dostoevsky wrote)," says Gates, "this book is" an incredible story that everyone can appreciate. "

Read Gates & # 39; Full review of "A gentleman in Moscow."

Jared Diamond, author of the international bestseller "Guns, Germs and Steel", describes how societies react in times of crisis in his new book, "Upheaval".

"He uses a series of fascinating case studies to show how countries have managed existential challenges such as civil war, foreign threats or general malaise," writes Gates, noting that "It sounds a bit depressing, but I I finished the book even more optimistic about our ability to solve the problems that I started. "

Read Gates & # 39; Full review of "Upheaval."

"If you're disgusted by the blood, this one probably will not suit you," says Gates, because Rose George's book is a dive into the subject, ranging from the ancient practice of bleeding to modern breakthroughs. "But if you're like me and you find it fascinating, you'll appreciate this book by a British journalist who has a particularly personal connection to the subject."

"Nine pints," which refers to the volume of average human blood, "may not look like a typical summer book," he says. "But George is a great journalist and writer who makes it easy, and I think everyone wants to know at least a little bit more about it."

Read Gates & # 39; Full review of "New Pints."

In his 2018 book, author Michael Beschloss describes how the Presidents handled nine major conflicts in which the United States was involved, from the War of 1812 to the Vietnam War.

"The book's broad reach allows you to draw important cross-cutting lessons about presidential leadership," said Gates. And it's full of "if" moments, he adds. "It's hard to read about the conflicts of today without thinking about how they could connect to the past and the impact they might have on the future. . "

Read Gates & # 39; Full review of "Presidents of war."

In "The Future of Capitalism", Oxford economist Paul Collier "struggles with a difficult problem," writes Gates. "If you measure by factors such as GDP growth and life expectancy, life is better for more people around the world than it has ever been." And yet, many people are questioning the capitalist system that has generated these gains.

Collier describes three reasons why capitalism works for some but leaves others behind. It also offers solutions.

"Although I do not agree with him about everything … his experience as a development economist gives him an intelligent perspective on the direction that capitalism takes," Gates said.

Read Gates & # 39; Full review of "The future of capitalism."

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