5 books on Bill Gates’ summer reading list

• Bill Gates shared his annual summer reading list on his blog, GatesNotes.
• He’s interested in environmental issues, the rise and fall of leadership, and the science behind immune health.
• The books also focus on humanity and nature, two things Gates has been particularly fond of over the past year.

It’s summertime, and Bill Gates has a bunch of good reads for you.

His list clearly reflects what’s been on his mind the past year: complex relationships and the coronavirus pandemic.

“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,” Gates wrote on his blog, GateNotes.

“Lights Out: Pride, Delusion, and the Fall of General Electric” by Thomas Gryta and Ted Mann

“Lights Out” chronicles General Electric’s stunning fall, which Gates called “one of the greatest downfalls in business history.” Wall Street Journal reporters Thomas Gryta and Ted Mann explain the rise and fall of GE (described by Gates himself as a “mythic” company), which was dropped by the Dow Jones Industrial Average in 2018.

“GE’s fall is not the result of innovators developing a better jet engine or wind turbine. It’s also not a case of outright fraud, like Enron. It’s a textbook case of mismanagement of an overly complex business,” Gates said.

“If you’re in any kind of leadership role — whether at a company, a nonprofit, or somewhere else — there’s a lot you can learn here.”

“Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future” by Elizabeth Kolbert

Kolbert isn’t a stranger to Gates’ praise. She’s the author of “The Sixth Extinction,” which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2015, and Gates called “Under a White Sky” the most straightforward examination of “humanity versus nature” on his summer reading list.

While “The Sixth Extinction” argues how humans are leading to Earth’s sixth mass extinction, Kolbert’s latest book examines how humanity unintentionally changed nature, while homing in on two topics Gates is particularly keen on: gene drive, a way of editing genes, and geoengineering, humanity’s efforts to reverse climate change.

“Although I have some issues with the book, overall it is a fine example of her work and an insightful look at the role that scientists and engineers play at the intersection of nature and humans,” Gates said.

“A Promised Land” by Barack Obama

Gates said he admires most books about American presidents, and spoke highly about Barack Obama’s “A Promised Land.”

Covering Obama’s journey from beginning of his career to the killing of Osama bin Laden in 2011, Gates said Obama’s memoir is a “refreshingly honest book” no matter what your politics are.

“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,” Gates said. “It’s a fascinating look at what it’s like to steer a country through challenging times.”

“An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives” by Matt Richtel

“An Elegant Defense” focuses on the human immune system.

Published before the coronavirus pandemic, Gates called it a valuable read and one that will help you better understand what it has taken to get the pandemic under control.

Chronicling the lives of four people with health challenges, Richtel’s new book left Gates with a “deeper, more nuanced appreciation for the system that is at the core of humanity’s fight against COVID-19.”

Gates recently penned a book himself called “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster,” which details his plan on how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions to avoid a climate catastrophe.

“The Overstory” by Richard Powers

The winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2019, “The Overstory” is the only novel to appear on Gates’ list this year.

Gates called it one of the “most unusual novels” he’s read in years; it focuses on humans’ relationships with trees through nine interwoven stories. Gates, who knows a thing or two about trees, having lived in Washington state most of his life, said the book made him want to learn more about trees.

“If you are in the mood for something that stimulates your thinking instead of providing answers, though, you’ll love ‘The Overstory.’ It’s very well-written and takes twists you wouldn’t expect,” he said.