In recent years, Bill Gates has become as well-known for his reading recommendations as for his philanthropic work and business career. The co-founder of Microsoft is a renowned reader, finishing about 50 books each year. The fourth richest man in the world publishes a curated selection of recommended books on his personal blog twice a year. His taste ranges from science fiction to self-help to business books. In fact, Gates has stated in the past that one of the best pieces of advice he can share is simply "read a lot," describing it as one of the best ways to discover new interests and identify potential skills. In a 2017 interview with Time magazine, he said, "I was lucky that my parents encouraged me to read. Reading feeds the curiosity about the world, which I believe has helped propel me forward in my career and in the work I’m doing now with my foundation."
Finishing a book a week may seem daunting. However, the recent announcement from Spotify has made it easier to access the top books recommended by Gates. Spotify recently created over 200,000 audiobooks on the platform for free for participating users (subscription fee: $14.99 per month). If you are a subscriber, you'll be able to listen to up to 15 hours of audiobooks monthly. Here are 5 books recommended by Bill Gates over the years that you can listen to for free on Spotify:
1. **"Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" - Gabrielle Zevin**
Duration: 13 hours and 52 minutes
What Gates said: "I really connected with the story; in fact, it reminded me a lot of my relationship with Paul Allen and our work together at Microsoft. This book is one of the best of the last year, and it's easy to see why. Zevin is a great writer who makes you care deeply about her characters."
2. **"Klara and the Sun" - Kazuo Ishiguro**
Duration: 10 hours and 16 minutes
What Gates said: "This book made me think about what life might look like with super-intelligent robots, and whether we would treat these kinds of machines as pieces of technology or something more than that."
3. **"Team of Rivals" - Doris Kearns Goodwin**
Duration: 41 hours and 32 minutes
What Gates said: "I can't read enough about Abraham Lincoln, and this is one of the best books on the subject... Goodwin is one of the best biographers in America, and arguably this book is her masterpiece."
4. **"Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World" - David Epstein**
Duration: 10 hours and 46 minutes
What Gates said: "I think his ideas help explain some of the success that Microsoft achieved because we hired people with a real breadth of experience both in their fields and across fields. If you're a specialist and ever felt overshadowed by your fellow specialists, this book is for you."
5. **"Why We Sleep" - Matthew Walker**
Duration: 13 hours and 51 minutes
What Gates said: "Everyone knows that a good night’s sleep is important, but what exactly constitutes a good night's sleep? And how can you achieve that? Walker convinced me to change my bedtime habits to increase my chances. If your New Year's resolution is to be healthier, his advice is a good place to start."
