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Would you like a peek inside Bill Gates’ reading list?
Charlie Munger, Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg, and Bill Gates.
These are five of the world’s billionaires who have credited their success to reading.
We still haven’t mentioned what reading has done to Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook, and the rest of the rich, influential, and successful people.
Each has their own story when it comes to their relationship with books.
However, for most of them, books did not only provide an escape.
It provided knowledge and a deeper understanding of what they’re passionate about.
Of particular interest is the world’s second-richest man: Bill Gates.
He reads 50 books a year but only a few titles find their way to Gates Notes – Gates’ personal blog where he writes about the books he recommends.
Launched in 2010, Gates Notes features over 180 titles spanning multiple categories of literature.
In this post, let’s focus our discussion on two categories and the recommended titles from Gates Notes: business and leadership and management.
Business and Leadership Books on Bill Gates’ Reading List
Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales From the World of Wall Street, John Brooks.
Bill Gates once claimed that this book is his favorite of all time.
Given to him by none other than Warren Buffett, this book presents twelve interesting case studies.
They highlight the influential moments in business history.
Get a copy of this book on Amazon using the image link.
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike, Phil Knight.
Do you know who Phil Knight is?
Yes, he’s the literal ‘shoe dog’ as he built one of the world’s sneaker super empires: Nike.
In this book, he recounts his journey and the obstacles he had to overcome in order to get to where he and his brand are right now.
Click on the image to learn more and buy this book on Amazon.
Tap Dancing to Work: Warren Buffett on Practically Everything, Carol J. Loomis.
Consider this book as a collection of lessons on finance and investing delivered personally to you by Warren Buffett.
Carol J. Loomis is a long-time friend and a writer for Fortune magazine.
He edited Buffett’s annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders.
By going through these letters, you’ll understand how Buffett went about making his business vision a reality.
Learn more.
Get a copy of this book from Amazon by clicking on the image link
Poor Charlie’s Almanack, Peter D. Kaufman and Ed Wexler.
Do you know who Charlie is?
It’s Charlie Munger.
Ironically, he’s not poor.
He’s actually worth $1.8 billion as of this writing.
And what will this book teach you?
It shares the secrets to achieving success and greatness no matter what you want to do in life.
The highlights are Munger’s take on wisdom (and reading), diversification, and self-pity.
Click on the image of the book to buy and to get real customer reviews from Amazon.
Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft’s Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone, Satya Nadella.
Most of us know Bill Gates and Ballmer as the more popular honchos of Microsoft.
However, a third player has entered the game and he’s as equally exceptional and talented as the first two.
In this book, Nadella builds his narrative from the moment he stepped inside Microsoft as an employee to the time when he took over as CEO.
He gives us a visual of the kind of company he’s inherited from his predecessor.
Highlights the steps he’s taken to introduce cultural and business changes.
Also tells what he sees as the future for the company and the industry where it belongs.
Get a copy of this book by clicking on the image of the book above.
Recommended Leadership and Management Titles on Bill Gates’ Reading List
The Myth of the Strong Leader, by Archie Brown.
If you’re a politician who dominates over your counterparts and has a hand over the policy-making process, does that make you successful and admirable?
Think again.
In this book, Oxford professor of politics Archie Brown challenges this prevalent belief.
Utilizing his experience, analytical skills, and research findings, the author tells us that what makes a successful politician is not exactly what we currently believe.
Click on the image of the book to buy and to get real customer reviews from Amazon.
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol Dweck.
What do you think is the secret to success?
If you answered ‘destiny’ or ‘DNA,’ then you’re operating on what the author refers to as a ‘fixed mindset’ and not the ideal ‘growth mindset.’
Stanford psychologist, Carol Dweck writes that success in various areas of our lives is not embedded in heredity or destiny.
Instead, it’s found in our own perspective of our abilities and our talents.
Of this, Gates writes in his blog that this book is solution-oriented.
Learn more by getting your copy of this book from Amazon using the image link above.
The Art of Being Unreasonable: Lessons in Unconventional Thinking, by Eli Broad.
What’s the deal with ‘unreasonable thinking?’
Isn’t it that we’re supposed to be reasonable especially in matters involving big decisions.
Eli Broad thinks otherwise.
In fact, his concept of unreasonable thinking made him a billionaire.
With two of his companies in the Fortune 500 list, he shares his unreasonable principles about taking risks, negotiating, hiring, and investing, to name a few.
Get a copy of this book by click on the image above
Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World With OKRs, by John Doerr.
If you’ve heard about OKR or the Objectives and Key Results model, then it’s time to read about them.
Cited as one of the factors in the success of Bono and companies like Google, Intel, and even the Gates Foundation, this book is a gift to every company and to every manager out there.
Get a copy of this book by clicking on the image of the book.
Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation, by Tim Brown.
How do you become innovative and creative?
The concept of design thinking is becoming more and more popular.
In fact, it’s integrated into some methodological disciplines in various industries and companies.
For Gates, he considers design thinking as a helpful approach in poverty alleviation.
Learn more.
Get your copy of this book by clicking on the image of the book.
Finally,
It is said that no wise person has claimed to have not read a single book.
In fact, almost all people who have found success in their lives credit at least one title as the instigator to their success.
So take it from Gates and the authors featured in this list.
In life, it takes some inspiration from the people around us to be successful.
Reading Bill Gates’ Reading list will get you one step closing to success.
