Bill Gates is once again celebrating the holiday season with a list of some of his favorite books he read in the past year. This time, he left two more gifts at the bottom of the stocking.
Gates is a prodigious reader who reads nearly 50 books each year and regularly releases seasonal lists recommending his favorites. His recent holiday list also includes a series of online economics lectures that he describes as “awesome” and a holiday-themed Spotify playlist “just for fun.”
“I love holiday music, and I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite songs, both classic and modern, from the United States and around the world,” Gates wrote in his letter. Blog post on monday.
The Microsoft co-founder’s recommendations begin with three nonfiction books that he says “came immediately to mind” when he started writing the list. Here they are, along with a mix of his vacation and online courses offered by lecturer Gates, whom he describes as “one of my favorite professors ever.”
“The Cell Song” by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Mukherjee, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Columbia University oncologist, writes here about what Gates calls “the building blocks of life”—the cells that make up all living things.
In one sense,Cell song” is a medical history covering the discovery of cells in the 17th century and how people’s understanding of them has evolved over time. The book, published last year, is also a forward-looking look at the future medical breakthroughs that cell manipulation could unlock.
Gates wrote that the book will help you understand your body better, especially what it means when you get sick.
“[Mukherjee] “It begins by explaining how life evolved from single-celled organisms, then explains how every human disease or aging condition is due to an error in the body’s cells,” Gates wrote.
“Not the End of the World” by Hannah Ritchie
How about a little climate optimism to get you in the holiday spirit? “Anyone who wants to have an informed conversation about climate change should read this book,” Gates wrote.
“It’s not the end of the worlddue to be published in January, is a coming-of-age look at how the world can actually win the battle against climate change from Oxford University data scientist Hannah Ritchie.
“The author believed – as do many environmental activists – that she was living through the most tragic period for humanity,” Gates wrote. But by sticking to the data, Ritchie realized that as bad as things were, humans were actually making progress in the battle against climate change.
“In Not the End of the World, data is used to tell a counterintuitive story that contradicts doomsday scenarios on climate and other environmental topics without overlooking the challenges,” Gates wrote.
“Invention and Innovation” by Vaclav Smil
Smil, professor emeritus of environmental science at the University of Manitoba, is one of Gates’ favorite authors. Gates said he has read each of Smil’s 44 books, and that “no one is better at explaining the past than Smil.”
in “Invention and innovationpublished in February, Smil looks at examples of human innovation throughout history. He writes about inventions that have been disappointing, or even proven disastrous. He also explains what happens with innovations that humans have long promised, but have yet to materialize — such as Energy production through nuclear fusion.
Gates noted that Smil is less optimistic than he is about the current era of innovation, with the author identifying “unmistakable signs of technical stagnation and slowing progress.” However, Gates recommended the book to anyone interested in understanding “how human ingenuity has brought us to this moment in time.”
Online Economics Lectures by Timothy Taylor
Gates has Long time fan Taylor, a Stanford-educated economist who serves as managing editor of the Journal of Economic Perspectives, based at Macalester College. Now, he recommends three online Taylor lecture series Available for streaming On the Wonderrium subscription service.
“You can’t go wrong with any of Taylor’s lectures,” Gates wrote. The lectures, totaling 96 videos of approximately 30 minutes each, cover various topics within the broad scope of economics.
As Gates described: “The New World Economics teaches you about the basic economic history of different regions and how markets work. The New World Economics is best suited for people who want to understand the principles of economics in a deep way. Unexpected Economics probably has the broadest audience, Because Taylor applies these principles to things in everyday life, including gift-giving, traffic, natural disasters, sports, and more.
Vacation Gates Spotify playlist
Gates’ playlist of 54 songs is available on his site Spotify profile “Just for fun,” he wrote.
The list contains a wide range of tunes that help Gates “get into the holiday spirit” – from traditional classics like Nat King Cole’s “Joy to the World” or “The Christmas Song” to more modern interpretations like Wham’s “Last Christmas.” Or Sia. “12 nights.”
“Whether you listen while wearing an ugly sweater, while wrapping gifts, or around the table with family and friends, I hope these songs bring as much joy to your holiday as they do to mine,” Gates wrote.
“Infuriatingly humble alcohol fanatic. Unapologetic beer practitioner. Analyst.”