5 books recommended by Bill Gates for summer 2021

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has shared his summer reading list for 2021! In a recent blog post, Gates shared that he randomly picks his next read. But this time, "I find myself reaching for books about the complicated relationship between humanity and nature. Maybe it’s because everyone’s lives have been upended by a virus. Or maybe it’s because I’ve spent so much time this year talking about what we need to do to avoid a climate disaster. Whatever the reason, most of the books on my summer reading list this year touch on what happens when people come into conflict with the world around them," he wrote.

Checkout five books recommended by Bill Gates to read this summer here.

Photo: Gatesnotes.com

'A Promised Land' is part one of a four-volume memoir by former US President Barack Obama. In this book, Obama writes about his early career till the mission to kill Osama bin Laden was carried out in 2011. Praising the book, Gates wrote, "I am almost always interested in books about American presidents, and I especially loved 'A Promised Land'... President Obama is unusually honest about his experience in the White House, including how isolating it is to be the person who ultimately calls the shots."

Photo: Viking

"Richtel wrote his book before the pandemic, but this exploration of the human immune system is nevertheless a valuable read that will help you understand what it takes to stop COVID-19. He keeps the subject accessible by focusing on four patients, each of whom is forced to manage their immune system in one way or another. Their stories make for a super interesting look at the science of immunity," Gates said in praise of the book.

Photo: William Morrow

Another book on Gates' summer 2021 reading list is Richard Powers' 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winning book 'The Overstory'. "This is one of the most unusual novels I’ve read in years... I was moved by each character’s passion for their cause and finished the book eager to learn more about trees," Bill Gates said about the book. Interestingly, the book was also recently recommended by Barack Obama for 2021.

Photo: Random House UK

Bill Gates has recommended Pulitzer Prize-winning environmental author Elizabeth Kolbert's book 'Under a White Sky' for his summer 2021 reading list. Calling it "an enjoyable read", Gates wrote on his blog, " Kolbert’s latest is the most straightforward examination of “humanity versus nature” on this list... She writes about a number of the ways that people are intervening with nature, including gene drive and geoengineering— two topics that I’m particularly interested in."

Photo: Bodley Head

The book delves into the mistakes made by General Electric's leadership which lead to the company's downfall. "If you’re in any kind of leadership role— whether at a company, a non-profit, or somewhere else—there’s a lot you can learn here," Bill Gates said about the book.

Photo: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing

In late March 2021, Bill Gates did a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) wherein he shared the books he recently read. "Barack Obama's autobiography is good. 'The Overstory' is a great fiction book a friend got me to read. I just read 'Hot Seat' about Jeff Immelt running GE. I am starting a Jeff Hawkins' book called 'A Thousand Brains'. Next will be Daniel Yergin's 'The New Map'," he had shared. You can add these books too in your summer-reading list.