BOOK SPECIAL ....World's richest man's book tips to enrich yourself

World's richest man's book tips to enrich yourself





What does Bill Gates do in between board meetings and philanthropic activities? Catch up on his holiday reading list

Microsoft co-found er Bill Gates, a voracious reader, has made it a tra dition to share his favourite titles on his blog. This year's selections for summer reads range from philosophical to autobiographical.

“The books on this year's summer reading list pushed me out of my own experiences, and I learned some things that shed new light on how our experiences shape us and where humanity might be headed,“ Gates wrote, while recommending his reading list.

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Gates is a fan of The Daily Show, which is how he first got interested in Trevor Noah. “I loved reading this memoir about how its host honed his outsider approach to comedy over a lifetime of never quite fitting in,“ he wrote. “Born to a black South African mother and a white Swiss father in apartheid South Africa, he entered the world as a biracial child in a country where mixed race relationships were forbidden. Much of Noah's story of growing up in South Africa is tragic. Yet... his moving stories will often leave you laughing.“

The Heart, by Maylis de Kerangal

This novel chronicles the journey of a man's heart from his accidental death to its eventual transplant and all who encounter it along the way. Calling it an “exploration of grief closer to poetry,“ Gates wrote, “The book uses beautiful language to connect you deeply with people who may be in the story for only a few minutes.“

Hillbilly Elegy, by J.D. Vance

This memoir explores what it takes to overcome rural poverty in Appalachia. “Vance was raised largely by his loving but volatile grandparents, who stepped in after his father abandoned him and his mother showed little interest in parenting her son. He survived his chaotic, impoverished childhood only to land at Yale Law School.The book offers insights into some of the complex cultural and family issues behind poverty, “ the Microsoft co-founder wrote.

Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari

Gates notes that he recommended Harari's previous book, Sapiens, in last summer's reading list. Homo Deus is its sequel.“Homo Deus argues that the principles that have organised society will undergo a huge shift in the 21st century... So far, the things that have shaped society have been either religious rules about how to live a good life, or more earthly goals like getting rid of sickness, hunger, and war,“ he wrote. “What would the world be like if we achieved those things?“

A Full Life by Jimmy Carter

The peanut farmer's son who went on to become president offers up anecdotes about what it takes to become successful. “I loved reading about Carter's improbable rise to the world's highest office,“ Gates wrote.“The book will help you under stand how growing up in rural Georgia in a house without running water, electricity, or insula .tion shaped his time in the White House.“

ETP 30MAY17