5 books Bill Gates thinks you should read this summer

What entertains the wealthiest person in the world? Do they go to the cinema? Do they watch Game of Thrones? Do they ironically play Playstation?

While Bill Gates may or may not do all of the above, we do know that, like most people, he enjoys reading a leisurely book in the sunshine. (Of course, leisurely for Bill Gates is less Harry Potter and more the history of Japan’s technological advances.)

This summer, the Microsoft founder has unveiled the five books he recommends you read while relaxing on holiday via a wonderfully animated video.

Firstly, there’s Seveneves, by Neal Stephenson, the only science fiction novel on the list. The story follows a catastrophic event after which the moon blows up. Humanity realises it has two years before all life is wiped out on Earth, so the world gets together to send as many people as possible into space.

Next up, there’s How Not to be Wrong, by Jordan Ellenberg. The author, a mathematician, explains how math plays into everyone’s daily lives, from electoral politics to the lottery. According to Gates, some of the maths is quite complicated but Eilenberg wraps things up well. What that means for us inferior mathematicians is anyone’s guess.

The Vital Question, by Nick Lane, falls in third. “[Lane] argues that we can only understand how life began, and how living things got so complex, by understanding how energy works,” writes Gates of the book, concluding that “Even if the details of Nick’s work turn out to be wrong, I suspect his focus on energy will be seen as an important contribution to our understanding of where we come from.” That’s some very high praise.

The Power to Compete, by Ryoichi Mikitani and Hiroshi Mikitani, focuses on the aforementioned history of Japan’s technology. By telling Japan’s history since the 80s, the authors attempt to explain why Japan - once at the forefront of technological advances - has fallen behind competitors in China and Korea.

Lastly, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Noah Yuval Harari. Apparently both Bill and Melinda read this book, sparking conversation at their probably lavish dinner table. In just under 400 pages, Harari attempts to explain the entire history of the human race while also discussing how Artificial Intelligence and other technological advances will change our future. Gates concurs that he disagrees with many of the points in the novel, but the history aspect is very interesting.

There you have it, the five books Bill Gates recommends you to read this summer. Sure, some of them sound like pretty daunting reads, but at least he didn’t recommend 50 Shades of Grey.