Here at Industry Leaders Magazine, we are always trying to offer the best entrepreneurial advice and inspiration for our readers’ success. And while insightful and transformative pieces of advice we publish from time to time are great, sometimes it’s best to hear the golden rules of life and work from the world’s most successful entrepreneurs themselves – and so, we have Bill Gates to tell you how to make wise of your time in the new year. “Aim for one uninterrupted reading hour a day and also take every additional minute you get,” he says.
(Image Credit: GatesNotes)
This advice sounds basic, but it’s the most effective way to self-educate yourself when you’re an entrepreneur. And what better way than to get insights from books Bill Gates found helpful and inspiring during the Pandemic. The business magnate and philanthropist reads 50 books a year. While entrepreneurs don’t necessarily have the luxury to dedicate so much time to read every day, one can always hope to get pearls of wisdom from books Bill Gates recommends each year.
Books Bill Gates Thinks You Should Read
Without further ado, here are five books Bill Gates recommends for 2021. These are books that helped Gates survive the surly pandemic gloom.
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, by Michelle Alexander.
This fine read by Michelle Alexander does a remarkable job of revealing uncomfortable truths about our nation’s criminal justice system. “The book did a beautiful job of showing how incarceration can devastate a family, even after release from prison,” Gates wrote in his blog, GatesNotes.
Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, by David Epstein.
Quoting Bill Gates:
“If you’re a generalist who has ever felt overshadowed by your specialist colleagues, this book is for you.”
This book is a must-read for entrepreneurs and office workers who wish to gain broad and diverse experiences and perspectives while they progress in life and career. It examines the life of the world’s most successful artists, athletes, inventors, musicians, forecasters, and scientists. It draws upon the importance of enhancing your play rather than rely on a narrow set of skills to thrive.
The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War, by Ben Macintyre.
This swift-moving tale of high-stakes espionage is based on the life of Russian-spy-turned-British-asset Oleg Gordievsky. It is set the 1980s when the double agent narrowly prevented nuclear war when relations between Russia and the United Kingdom were at their lowest.
“It’s every bit as exciting as my favorite spy novels,” Gates said.
Breath from Salt: A Deadly Genetic Disease, a New Era in Science, and the Patients and Families Who Changed Medicine, by Bijal P. Trivedi.
This book documents a story of scientific innovation and how it ameliorated the suffering and extended the lives of patients born with cystic fibrosis. It’s a well-researched book presented in a way most laypeople can understand, even if it’s a little challenging at times.
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz, by Erik Larson.
“Larson gives you a vivid sense of what life was like for average citizens during this awful period, and he does a great job profiling some of the British leaders who saw them through the crisis, including Winston Churchill and his close advisers,” Gates said.
The book follows a year in the life of Winston Churchill, the first year at his post as the Prime Minister of Britain, and the initial phase of the Second World War. It flawlessly pieces major events in Churchill’s life and deep dives into his uncanny ability to unite the nation that was destroyed with everything Germans had in their arsenal.
Each of these titles come highly recommended by Bill Gates. If you enjoy reading a wide range of subjects, I’m sure you’ll probably enjoy reading every single one in this list here.
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