This book tells the story of the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. The author will tell you almost everything you need to know about one of the deadliest outbreaks in human history.
Even though 1918 was very different from today, the book is a good reminder that we still face the same problems.
- Good Economics for Hard Times by Abhijit Banerjee whatsapp data and Esther Duflo
The authors of the book won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2019. And, according to Gates, they are some of the smartest economists today, but at the same time they talk about economics in an understandable language.
The book is about inequality and political divisions, surprising your followers on social networks: 7 tips and ideas focusing on the political debates that take place in rich countries like the United States.
Other books worth reading
- “Meditation and Mindfulness: 10 Minutes a Day to Clear Your Mind” by Andy Puddicombe
Gates notes that he was skeptical about meditation for many years. Now he does it as often as he can, three times a week if time allows.
Andy, a former Buddhist monk, explains potentially complex concepts in meditation with helpful metaphors. We now have a time when we can dedicate a few minutes a day to de-stress and refocus. And this book is a great place to start.
- Moonwalking with Einstein: The Science fax list and Art of Remembering by Joshua Foer
The author of the book explains from a scientific point of view how memory works and why some people have an amazing ability to remember facts.
Foer takes you to the U.S. Memory Championship and introduces you to the techniques that, surprisingly, helped him win the competition once.
“The Martian” by Andy Weir
You may remember a movie from a few years ago where Matt Damon, playing a nerd who’s stranded on Mars, deals with his fear and says, “The only thing that’s going to get me out of this shit is science.” We’re going to do the same thing with the new coronavirus.
- “A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles
The novel’s protagonist is going through a situation that is relevant today. He cannot leave the building he lives in because he is serving a life sentence under house arrest in a hotel.
I think it’s a funny, smart, and surprisingly optimistic story about making the best of what’s around you.
- Rosie, trilogy, author – Graeme Simsion
Gates notes that all three novels in the Rosie Project made him laugh out loud. The books tell the story of a genetics professor with Asperger’s syndrome. In the first book, the scientist searches for a wife, and in the second and third, he starts a family.
Ultimately, it’s a story about getting into the mind and heart of a man many consider strange and discovering that he’s not really that different.
“The Best We Could Do” by Thi Bui
This graphic and autobiographical novel tells the story of writer and illustrator Thi Bui’s parents during the Vietnam War.
This is a deeply personal book that explores what it means to be a parent and a refugee.
- “Hyperbole and a Half” by Ellie Brosh
You’ll devour the book in three hours tops. But you’ll want it to go on, because it’s so damn funny and clever.
- What If? Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions and XKCD Volume 0 by Randall Munroe
The author and former NASA engineer turns unusual science lessons into super-engaging comics.