books recommended by Bill Gates

Bill Gates is an American business magnate, software developer, investor, and philanthropist. He is best known as the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation.

Bill Gates is an American business magnate, software developer, investor, and philanthropist. He is best known as the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation.

venture capitalist

books recommended by Bill Gates

Sapiens

Sapiens

Yuval Noah Harari

Principles

Principles

Ray Dalio

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Daniel Kahneman

Shoe Dog

Shoe Dog

Phil Knight

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs

Walter Isaacson

Mindset

Mindset

Carol S. Dweck

"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"

"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"

Richard P. Feynman

The Black Swan

The Black Swan

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Poor Charlie's Almanack

Poor Charlie's Almanack

Charlie Munger

Outliers

Outliers

Malcolm Gladwell

Range

Range

David Epstein

How to Change Your Mind

How to Change Your Mind

Michael Pollan

The Three-Body Problem

The Three-Body Problem

Cixin Liu

Loonshots

Loonshots

Safi Bahcall

The Ride of a Lifetime

The Ride of a Lifetime

Robert Iger

The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye

J.D. Salinger

Guns, Germs, and Steel

Guns, Germs, and Steel

Jared Diamond

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald

When Breath Becomes Air

When Breath Becomes Air

Paul Kalanithi

The Checklist Manifesto

The Checklist Manifesto

Atul Gawande

Why We Sleep

Why We Sleep

Matthew Walker

Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary

Andy Weir

Homo Deus

Homo Deus

Yuval Noah Harari

The Better Angels of Our Nature

The Better Angels of Our Nature

Steven Pinker

Einstein

Einstein

Walter Isaacson

Factfulness

Factfulness

Hans Rosling

The Martian

The Martian

Andy Weir

Blitzscaling

Blitzscaling

Reid Hoffman

Measure What Matters

Measure What Matters

John Doerr

Enlightenment Now

Enlightenment Now

Steven Pinker

Moonwalking with Einstein

Moonwalking with Einstein

Joshua Foer

The Rational Optimist

The Rational Optimist

Matt Ridley

Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci

Walter Isaacson

Becoming Steve Jobs

Becoming Steve Jobs

Brent Schlender

Evicted

Evicted

Matthew Desmond

21 Lessons for the 21st Century

21 Lessons for the 21st Century

Yuval Noah Harari

Bad Blood

Bad Blood

John Carreyrou

Behave

Behave

Robert M. Sapolsky

Open

Open

Andre Agassi

Educated

Educated

Tara Westover

Billion Dollar Whale

Billion Dollar Whale

Tom Wright & Bradley Hope

How to Lie with Statistics

How to Lie with Statistics

Darrell Huff

The Inner Game of Tennis

The Inner Game of Tennis

W. Timothy Gallwey

Buffett

Buffett

Roger Lowenstein

Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas

David Mitchell

The Gene

The Gene

Siddhartha Mukherjee

Team of Rivals

Team of Rivals

Doris Kearns Goodwin

The Moment of Lift

The Moment of Lift

Melinda Gates

Born a Crime

Born a Crime

Trevor Noah

Stranger in a Strange Land

Stranger in a Strange Land

Robert A. Heinlein

Seveneves

Seveneves

Neal Stephenson

The Emperor of All Maladies

The Emperor of All Maladies

Siddhartha Mukherjee

Hillbilly Elegy

Hillbilly Elegy

J.D. Vance

The World Is Flat

The World Is Flat

Thomas L. Friedman

Tools and Weapons

Tools and Weapons

Brad Smith

Where Good Ideas Come From

Where Good Ideas Come From

Steven Johnson

Life 3.0

Life 3.0

Max Tegmark

Abundance

Abundance

Peter Diamandis

The Road to Character

The Road to Character

David Brooks

Mountains Beyond Mountains

Mountains Beyond Mountains

Tracy Kidder

The New Jim Crow

The New Jim Crow

Michelle Alexander

Capital in the Twenty-First Century

Capital in the Twenty-First Century

Thomas Piketty

Leadership

Leadership

Doris Kearns Goodwin

How Not to Be Wrong

How Not to Be Wrong

Jordan Ellenberg

The Prize

The Prize

Daniel Yergin

A Gentleman in Moscow

A Gentleman in Moscow

Amor Towles

Why We're Polarized

Why We're Polarized

Ezra Klein

Too Big to Fail

Too Big to Fail

Andrew Ross Sorkin

The Book of Why

The Book of Why

Judea Pearl & Dana Mackenzie

Business Adventures

Business Adventures

John Brooks

The Code Breaker

The Code Breaker

Walter Isaacson

Why Nations Fail

Why Nations Fail

Daron Acemoğlu & James A. Robinson

The Bully Pulpit

The Bully Pulpit

Doris Kearns Goodwin

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games

Suzanne Collins

The Spy and the Traitor

The Spy and the Traitor

Ben Macintyre

The Sixth Extinction

The Sixth Extinction

Elizabeth Kolbert

Stress Test

Stress Test

Timothy F. Geithner

The Box

The Box

Marc Levinson

The Rise and Fall of American Growth

The Rise and Fall of American Growth

Robert J. Gordon

The Signal and the Noise

The Signal and the Noise

Nate Silver

Stuff Matters

Stuff Matters

Mark Miodownik

The Diary of a Young Girl

The Diary of a Young Girl

Anne Frank

Thing Explainer

Thing Explainer

Randall Munroe

Destined for War

Destined for War

Graham Allison

The Splendid and the Vile

The Splendid and the Vile

Erik Larson

Behind the Beautiful Forevers

Behind the Beautiful Forevers

Katherine Boo

Numbers Don't Lie

Numbers Don't Lie

Vaclav Smil

Reinventing Fire

Reinventing Fire

Amory Lovins

Hamnet

Hamnet

Maggie O'Farrell

Life Is What You Make It

Life Is What You Make It

Peter Buffett

These Truths

These Truths

Jill Lepore

Collapse

Jared Diamond

The Feynman Lectures on Physics, Vol. II

The Feynman Lectures on Physics, Vol. II

Richard P. Feynman

Hit Refresh

Hit Refresh

Satya Nadella

This Time Is Different

This Time Is Different

Carmen M. Reinhart & Kenneth S. Rogoff

Hacking Darwin

Hacking Darwin

Jamie Metzl

Klara and the Sun

Klara and the Sun

Kazuo Ishiguro

Hot, Flat, and Crowded

Hot, Flat, and Crowded

Thomas L. Friedman

The Sympathizer

The Sympathizer

Viet Thanh Nguyen

Awakening Joy

Awakening Joy

James Baraz

Book cover overlay

On Immunity

On Immunity

Eula Biss

Book cover overlay

The Great Escape

The Great Escape

Angus Deaton

Book cover overlay

Plagues and the Paradox of Progress

Plagues and the Paradox of Progress

Thomas J. Bollyky

Book cover overlay

Brain Rules

Brain Rules

John Medina

Book cover overlay

String Theory

String Theory

David Foster Wallace

Book cover overlay

The Rosie Project

The Rosie Project

Graeme Simsion

Book cover overlay

Energy and Civilization

Energy and Civilization

Vaclav Smil

Book cover overlay

The Future of Capitalism

The Future of Capitalism

Paul Collier

Book cover overlay

Big History

Big History

Cynthia Stokes Brown

Book cover overlay

The Most Powerful Idea in the World

The Most Powerful Idea in the World

William Rosen

Book cover overlay

What If?

What If?

Randall Munroe

Book cover overlay

The Feynman Lectures on Physics, Vol. I

The Feynman Lectures on Physics, Vol. I

Richard P. Feynman

Book cover overlay

A Full Life

A Full Life

Jimmy Carter

Book cover overlay

The Great Influenza

The Great Influenza

John M. Barry

Book cover overlay

The Feynman Lectures on Physics, Vol. III

The Feynman Lectures on Physics, Vol. III

Richard P. Feynman

Book cover overlay

Reinventing American Health Care

Reinventing American Health Care

Ezekiel J. Emanuel

Book cover overlay

From the Ground Up

From the Ground Up

Howard Schultz

Book cover overlay

Blueprint

Blueprint

Nicholas A. Christakis

Book cover overlay

How Asia Works

How Asia Works

Joe Studwell

Book cover overlay

SuperFreakonomics

SuperFreakonomics

Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner

Book cover overlay

Interventions

Interventions

Kofi Annan

Book cover overlay

Energy

Energy

Vaclav Smil

Book cover overlay

Lincoln in the Bardo

Lincoln in the Bardo

George Saunders

Book cover overlay

The Ministry for the Future

The Ministry for the Future

Kim Stanley Robinson

Book cover overlay

The Earth's Biosphere

The Earth's Biosphere

Vaclav Smil

Book cover overlay

World on the Edge

World on the Edge

Lester R. Brown

Book cover overlay

Energy Transitions

Energy Transitions

Vaclav Smil

Book cover overlay

Titan II

Titan II

David Stumpf

Book cover overlay

Parenting With Love and Logic

Parenting With Love and Logic

Foster Cline

Book cover overlay

Beyond Smoke and Mirrors

Beyond Smoke and Mirrors

Douglas S. Massey

Book cover overlay

The Post-American World

The Post-American World

Fareed Zakaria

Book cover overlay

Tropical Infectious Diseases

Tropical Infectious Diseases

Richard L. Guerrant

Book cover overlay

Origin Story

Origin Story

David Christian

Book cover overlay

Showing Up for Life

Showing Up for Life

Bill Gates Sr.

Book cover overlay

The Man Who Fed the World

The Man Who Fed the World

Leon Hesser

Book cover overlay

13 Things That Don't Make Sense

13 Things That Don't Make Sense

Michael Brooks

Book cover overlay

The Power to Compete

The Power to Compete

Hiroshi Mikitani & Ryoichi Mikitani

Book cover overlay

Everything Happens for a Reason

Everything Happens for a Reason

Kate Bowler

Book cover overlay

Science Business

Science Business

Gary P. Pisano

Book cover overlay

Global Warming

Global Warming

John Theodore Houghton

Book cover overlay

For the Love of Physics

For the Love of Physics

Walter Lewin

Book cover overlay

Harvesting the Biosphere

Harvesting the Biosphere

Vaclav Smil

Book cover overlay

Energies

Energies

Vaclav Smil

Book cover overlay

The Mosquito

The Mosquito

Timothy C. Winegard

Book cover overlay

Jim Grant

Jim Grant

Peter Adamson

Book cover overlay

Money Well Spent

Money Well Spent

Paul Brest & Hal Harvey

Book cover overlay

Energy at the Crossroads

Energy at the Crossroads

Vaclav Smil

Book cover overlay

The Perfect Weapon

The Perfect Weapon

David E. Sanger

Book cover overlay

Health Care Will Not Reform Itself

Health Care Will Not Reform Itself

George C. Halvorson

Book cover overlay

Outbreak Culture

Outbreak Culture

Pardis Sabeti

Book cover overlay

How to Spend $50 Billion to Make the World a Better Place

How to Spend $50 Billion to Make the World a Better Place

Bjørn Lomborg

Book cover overlay

The Myth of the Strong Leader

The Myth of the Strong Leader

Archie Brown

Book cover overlay

The World Until Yesterday

The World Until Yesterday

Jared Diamond

Book cover overlay

Eradication

Eradication

Nancy Leys Stepan

Book cover overlay

Growth

Growth

Vaclav Smil

Book cover overlay

Prime Movers of Globalization

Prime Movers of Globalization

Vaclav Smil

Book cover overlay

Should We Eat Meat?

Should We Eat Meat?

Vaclav Smil

Book cover overlay

Epic Measures

Epic Measures

Jeremy N. Smith

Book cover overlay

Unlocking the Gates

Unlocking the Gates

Taylor Walsh

Book cover overlay

Tomorrow's Table

Tomorrow's Table

Pamela C. Ronald

Book cover overlay

Who's Teaching Your Children?

Who's Teaching Your Children?

Vivian Troen

Book cover overlay

A Separate Peace

A Separate Peace

John Knowles

Book cover overlay

The Rosie Effect

The Rosie Effect

Graeme Simsion

Book cover overlay

Making the Modern World

Making the Modern World

Vaclav Smil

Book cover overlay

The Vital Question

The Vital Question

Nick Lane

Book cover overlay

Six Days of the Condor

Six Days of the Condor

James Grady

Book cover overlay

Turtles All the Way Down

Turtles All the Way Down

John Green

Book cover overlay

Good Economics for Hard Times

Good Economics for Hard Times

Abhijit V. Banerjee & Esther Duflo

Book cover overlay

Global Catastrophes and Trends

Global Catastrophes and Trends

Vaclav Smil

Book cover overlay

The Grid

The Grid

Phillip F. Schewe

Book cover overlay

Sustainable Materials

Sustainable Materials

Julian M. Allwood

Book cover overlay

Hyperbole and a Half

Hyperbole and a Half

Allie Brosh

Book cover overlay

Liberating Learning

Liberating Learning

Terry M. Moe

Book cover overlay

The Foundation

The Foundation

Joel L. Fleishman

Book cover overlay

The Limits to Growth

The Limits to Growth

Donella H. Meadows et al.

Book cover overlay

Creating the Twentieth Century

Creating the Twentieth Century

Vaclav Smil

Book cover overlay

The Making of a Tropical Disease

The Making of a Tropical Disease

Randall M. Packard

Book cover overlay

Unlocking Energy Innovation

Unlocking Energy Innovation

Richard K. Lester

Book cover overlay

That Used to Be Us

That Used to Be Us

Thomas L. Friedman & Michael Mandelbaum

Book cover overlay

The Friend

The Friend

Sigrid Nunez

Book cover overlay

Give Smart

Give Smart

Thomas J. Tierney

Book cover overlay

Dirt and Disease

Dirt and Disease

Naomi Rogers

Book cover overlay

Frank Stewart's Bridge Club

Frank Stewart's Bridge Club

Frank Stewart

Book cover overlay

xkcd

xkcd

Randall Munroe

Book cover overlay

A Champion's Mind

A Champion's Mind

Pete Sampras

Book cover overlay

Modernist Cuisine

Modernist Cuisine

Nathan Myhrvold

Book cover overlay

Change.edu

Change.edu

Andrew S. Rosen

Book cover overlay

Being Nixon

Being Nixon

Evan Thomas

Book cover overlay

Energy Myths and Realities

Energy Myths and Realities

Vaclav Smil

Book cover overlay

Poor Numbers

Poor Numbers

Morten Jerven

Book cover overlay

Nine Pints

Nine Pints

Rose George

Book cover overlay

I Contain Multitudes

I Contain Multitudes

Ed Yong

Book cover overlay

The Cat's Table

The Cat's Table

Michael Ondaatje

Book cover overlay

Educational Economics

Educational Economics

Marguerite Roza

Book cover overlay

Late to the Ball

Late to the Ball

Gerald Marzorati

Book cover overlay

Believe Me

Believe Me

Eddie Izzard

Book cover overlay

The Fever

The Fever

Sonia Shah

Book cover overlay

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men

David Foster Wallace

Book cover overlay

Polio

Polio

David M. Oshinsky

Book cover overlay

The New Science of Strong Materials

The New Science of Strong Materials

J.E. Gordon

Book cover overlay

Poor Economics

Poor Economics

Abhijit V. Banerjee & Esther Duflo

Book cover overlay

A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence

A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence

Jeff Hawkins

Book cover overlay

The Best We Could Do

The Best We Could Do

Thi Bui

Book cover overlay

Identity

Identity

Francis Fukuyama

Book cover overlay

Enriching the Earth

Enriching the Earth

Vaclav Smil

Book cover overlay

The Choice

The Choice

Dr. Edith Eva Eger

Book cover overlay

The Magic of Reality

The Magic of Reality

Richard Dawkins

Book cover overlay

Broken Genius

Broken Genius

Joel N. Shurkin

Book cover overlay

The Cost of Hope

The Cost of Hope

Amanda Bennett

Book cover overlay

A World-Class Education

A World-Class Education

Vivien Stewart

Book cover overlay

Army of None

Army of None

Paul Scharre

Book cover overlay

Work Hard. Be Nice.

Work Hard. Be Nice.

Jay Mathews

Book cover overlay

Priorities in Health

Priorities in Health

Dean T. Jamison

Book cover overlay

House on Fire

House on Fire

William H. Foege

Book cover overlay

The Bet

The Bet

Paul Sabin

Book cover overlay

Vaccine

Vaccine

Arthur Allen

Book cover overlay

Class Warfare

Class Warfare

Steven Brill

Book cover overlay

The Path Between the Seas

The Path Between the Seas

David McCullough

Book cover overlay

The Quest

The Quest

Daniel Yergin

Book cover overlay

The Man Who Stayed Behind

The Man Who Stayed Behind

Sidney Rittenberg

Book cover overlay

In FED We Trust

In FED We Trust

David Wessel

Book cover overlay

The City That Became Safe

The City That Became Safe

Franklin E. Zimring

Book cover overlay

The End of Poverty

The End of Poverty

Jeffrey D. Sachs

Book cover overlay

Breath from Salt

Breath from Salt

Bijal P. Trivedi

Book cover overlay

Smallpox

Smallpox

D.A. Henderson

Book cover overlay

Why America Is Not a New Rome

Why America Is Not a New Rome

Vaclav Smil

Book cover overlay

Stretching the School Dollar

Stretching the School Dollar

Frederick M. Hess

Book cover overlay

Perception and Misperception in International Politics

Perception and Misperception in International Politics

Robert Jervis

Book cover overlay

Value-Added Measures in Education

Value-Added Measures in Education

Douglas N. Harris

Book cover overlay

The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness

The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness

Andy Puddicombe

Book cover overlay

One Billion Hungry

One Billion Hungry

Gordon Conway

Book cover overlay

The Idealist

The Idealist

Nina Munk

Book cover overlay

Upheaval

Upheaval

Jared Diamond

Book cover overlay

Dad Is Fat

Dad Is Fat

Jim Gaffigan

Book cover overlay

How To

How To

Randall Munroe

Book cover overlay

Capitalism Without Capital

Capitalism Without Capital

Jonathan Haskel

Book cover overlay

Sustainable Energy

Sustainable Energy

David J.C. Mackay

Book cover overlay

Why Does College Cost So Much?

Why Does College Cost So Much?

Robert B. Archibald

Book cover overlay

Prepared

Prepared

Diane Tavenner

Book cover overlay

Presidents of War

Presidents of War

Michael Beschloss

Book cover overlay

The Art of Being Unreasonable

The Art of Being Unreasonable

Eli Broad

Book cover overlay

Academically Adrift

Academically Adrift

Richard Arum

Book cover overlay

Global Health

Global Health

Ann Lindstrand

Book cover overlay

Railroader

Railroader

Howard Green

Book cover overlay

Getting Better

Getting Better

Charles Kenny

Book cover overlay

The Heart

The Heart

Maylis de Kerangal

Book cover overlay

The Hair of the Dog

The Hair of the Dog

Karl Sabbagh

Book cover overlay

Beyond the Crash

Beyond the Crash

Gordon Brown

Book cover overlay

Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China

Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China

Ezra F. Vogel

Book cover overlay

Tap Dancing to Work

Tap Dancing to Work

Carol J. Loomis

Book cover overlay

Why Don't Students Like School?

Why Don't Students Like School?

Daniel T. Willingham

Book cover overlay

The Power

The Power

Naomi Alderman

Book cover overlay

The Lincoln Highway

The Lincoln Highway

Amor Towles

Book cover overlay

How the World Really Works

How the World Really Works

Vaclav Smil

Book cover overlay

Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story

Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story

Bono

Book cover overlay

Mendeleyev's Dream: The Quest for the Elements

Mendeleyev's Dream: The Quest for the Elements

Paul Strathern

explore all books

Books written by Bill Gates

Book cover overlay

How to Avoid a Climate Disaster

How to Avoid a Climate Disaster

Bill Gates

explore all books

People also viewed

explore all people

Reading is still the main way that I both learn new things and test my understanding.

Bill Gates

FAQs

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique.

Did Bill Gates recommend all these books?

This book list has Bill Gates's must-read recommendations, it can also be comprised of mentions, suggestions or social media posts.

How do you know Bill Gates mentioned these books?

Every suggestion made by Bill Gates is validated by our editors either via reaching out to the featured person, their social media or mentions from interviews.

Did Bill Gates actually create this list?

A few of our lists have been created by the featured person. The rest are either crowdsourced or created by the Good Books staff.

Still have questions?

If you have any questions or you believe there is an error in our information, please contact us.

Bill Gates's book recommendations

Sapiens

Principles

Thinking, Fast and Slow

+