Bill Gates Recommends 25 Science Books That Shaped His Journey From Software To Philanthropy

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said he read up on physics, chemistry, biology and other sciences using textbooks after he transitioned to full-time philanthropy.

What Happened: Gates shared a blog post on Twitter in which he said that in the fall of 2008, after decades of “focusing maniacally” on software, he finally had the time to get a better “grounding” in basic and other sciences.

When I transitioned from @Microsoft to working full-time at the @GatesFoundation, I finally had the time to learn more about physics, chemistry, biology, and other sciences. So, I looked around for the best books and read as many of them as I could find. https://t.co/z2D5xGSeMj

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) April 4, 2023

Gates recommended “Weather for Dummies” for anyone who wants to “understand the weather and how it’s affected by climate change.”

The billionaire shared a list of 25 science books that he requested as he moved on full-time to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. 

In an email, shared on his blog, Gates said he wanted these books sent to his office from Amazon. 

Some of the titles requested by Gates included “Physics for Scientists and Engineers,” “Calculus,” “Physics for Dummies,” and “Advanced Engineering Mathematics.”

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Why It Matters: “I’m glad I did these deep dives. Although I’m not a scientist, I draw on a basic grasp of sciences all the time,” said Gates on going through the study material.

He said knowing something about weather and geology has proved useful for his founded umbrella organization Breakthrough Energy’s work on climate change.

“Knowing some chemistry and biology helps me with the foundation’s work on new medicines and vaccines.”

Gates said recently he’s “gained a lot” by reading a diverse set of books like “Under a White Sky” by Elizabeth Kolbert and “On Immunity” by Eula Biss.

He said these days he’s not just reading about science but also goes through novels, histories, and biographies. He said some months ago he even read a murder mystery, something that would be disapproved of by his younger self.

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