Bill Gates recently released a list of what he recommends reading and listening to during the winter months, creating a strong holiday atmosphere. It's a decade-long Christmas tradition for the billionaire, philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft, who sits by the fireside at the end of each year with hot chocolate in hand and shares his choice of best books to read.
Original title: "What Bill Gates recommends you read, ** and listen to during the holidays".
by Devin Sean Martin
Gates posted this year's list of recommendations on his GatesNotes blog and made some new adjustments to his holiday traditions. Instead of listing five books as usual, he replaced two of them with his personal Spotify festival list and an economics lecture series.
In last year's holiday book list, Gates listed five of his favorite books he had read up to that point, and this year's book list relists his handpicked books that he has read in the past 12 months.
Among the books Gates recommends to readers this winter, existentialism is a stark theme. Climate change, technological innovation, and the biological evolution of humanity itself are all topics that resonate with Gates in his book selections and reviews.
As he sat down to compile his book list, Gates wrote, the articles "came to mind at once, and each one was rich and beautifully written."
In addition, Gates partially offset the heavy meaning of the list by including works by singers and artists such as Donny Hathaway, Nat King Cole and Dolly Parton in a cheerful holiday tracklist. Readers won't find a trace of ** on his book list: for the world's seventh-richest man, his book recommendations are all non-fiction.
Here's what he recommends this year:
the song of the cell
Song of the Cell (Chinese name tentative translation).
Author: Siddhartha Mukherjee
Gates said he didn't like biology as a child, but he thinks he would have felt a stronger affinity for the subject if he had read "The Song of the Cell" as a student. This non-fiction book tells the story of human evolution through the lens of a cell.
The author, Siddhartha Mukherjee, is also a practicing physician, and his other books include the 2011 Pulitzer Prize-winning book "Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer," which takes readers on a journey through billions of years of evolution, starting with single-celled organisms, the origin of life on Earth. Gates admires the authors' "use of clear, understandable language that explains not only how cells work, but why cells are the foundation of all life." Mukherjee went on to look at how cell science has influenced, or rather determined, modern biology and disease research. In Gates' words, "Each of us will have a loved one who is sick." To understand what is happening in these moments – and to be optimistic that things will get better – you need to have a basic understanding of what makes up life."
not the end of the world: how we can be the first generation to build a sustainable planet by hannah ritchie
Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet (Chinese name).
Author: Hannah Ritchie
Gates' view of climate change is slightly different from the mainstream, and he praised author Hannah Ritchie for her optimism and solution-oriented approach to sustainability. In Not the End of the World, Rich takes aim at a long-accepted principle of truth, that our world was once sustainable, but is now becoming less and less sustainable.
In fact, the climate scholar points out, the world has never been fully sustainable. On the contrary, different aspects of human life have historically hovered between sustainable and unsustainable, and now is no exception. In the genre of gloomy, apocalyptic themes, Gates appreciates Ritchie's nonchaliant depiction of climate change. He wrote: "The world is bad, but the present is better than it was in the past: these two things can hold true at the same time." There is also a third point that can also become a reality: 'The world can be a better place'. Rich also offered action points that companies, ** and citizens can use to mitigate each of the climate issues presented in the book, and Gates said he "strongly endorses" the list of solutions.
invention and innovation: a brief history of hype and failure
Inventions and Innovations: A Brief History of Hype and Failure (Chinese name tentative translation).
Author: Václ** Smil
No writer appears more often in Gates' book reviews than Wenceslas Smir.
Gates has read his entire book (44), many of which are about technology and innovation. Gates argues that Smir's views are often "overly pessimistic" about the prospects for new technologies, but he acknowledges that the writer is almost always right when it comes to the real-world application of new technologies. In his latest work, Smir takes the opposite approach, arguing that technological innovation in our time is lackluster and stagnant.
Gates doesn't share this generalization, but the Microsoft co-founder agrees that "the exponential growth in computing power over the past few decades has led to a misconception of growth and innovation in other areas." Gates advises readers to be cautious about Smill's articles in order to get the most out of them, saying, "I can learn a lot from him even if I don't agree with him." Smir wasn't the most optimistic and sunny person I knew, but he always pushed me to think. ”
unexpected economics, an online course taught
Unexpected Economics" (tentative translation of Chinese name).
** course by college professor Timothy Taylor.
While this is not a book, Gates considers Professor Moxie Taylor's recorded lectures on economics to be one of the best guides to understanding the subject. Recently, when one of Gates's children asked him to recommend an economics book, Gates was the first thing that came to Gates' mind. Gates highlighted Economics of the Unexpected and two other courses, both of which can be found on the streaming platform wondrium, which break down the fundamentals of economics in a clear and easy-to-understand way.
"Whether you've never taken an economics class before or have majored in economics and graduated with honors," Gates wrote, "You'll benefit from it." He added that Taylor's strength lies in his ability to convey seemingly complex topics coherently and straightforwardly, giving people an "empowering and easy-to-understand" listening experience. For those who are particularly looking for a festive spirit, Gates recommends Taylor's lecture on "Altruism, Philanthropy, and Gifts" in the Economics of the Unexpected, which talks on the economics of gift-giving.
“holiday playlist 2023”"List of Festivals 2023".
Gates wrote: "When I think of the holidays, I always think of two things: wearing the corresponding pajamas, and matching the holidays**." He added that whenever Thanksgiving approaches, the Gates family starts Christmas music. The tracks on Gates' Spotify list are a mix of new and old, national and foreign songs.
American classics such as "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)" sung by Najinggao and "Joy to the World" sung by Dolly Parton, as well as "Wonderful Christmastime" by Paul McCartney and John Lennon Lennon's "Happy XMAS (War is Over)" and other European chart-topping tracks are on his list. The all-human vocal band Pentatonix also performed with "That's Christmas for Me."'s christmas to me) made it to the ** list.
This article is translated from. Forbes China Exclusive Manuscript, Please Do Not ** Without Permission**
Header image: Getty Society.
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