Vaclav Smill’s “How the World Really Works” is a brief but thorough masterpiece of education in numeric thinking about many of the fundamental forces that shape human life.
https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/How-the-World-Really-Works Because he has gone so deep into such specific topics, he is qualified to step back and write a broad overview for a general audience, which is what he has done with How the World Really Works. If you want a brief but thorough education in numeric thinking about many of the fundamental forces that […]
Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future is a scary but hopeful novel about climate change
https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/The-Ministry-for-the-Future The Ministry for the Future opens a few years from now during a historic heat wave in Uttar Pradesh, India—where Frank May, an American aid worker, is doing everything he can to save lives. But it’s not working. As day after day passes without a drop in temperature or humidity, the electric grid eventually gives […]
“Why We’re Polarized” is a fascinating look at human psychology.
https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/Why-Were-Polarized In his terrific book Why We’re Polarized, Ezra Klein argues that identity is the answer to the question suggested by his title. The phrase “identity politics” has been thrown around a lot in recent years—usually in a negative context—but Klein explains that it’s human instinct to let our group identities guide our decision making. “A […]
Bill Gates’ Book Club – 11/26/21
Even though I don't necessarily share the exact same taste in literary adventures as Mr. Gates, I find his book selection and recommendations always inspiring.