The 5 Books of 2017 Bill Gates Recommends You Read

“Reading is my favorite way to enjoy my curiosity. Although I'm lucky to meet many interesting people and visit fascinating places through my work, I still think books are the best way to explore new topics that are of interest. ”These are Bill Gates's opening words on his list presentation. This season's literary book.

The Microsoft co-founder says he has read a number of interesting options this year, such as John Green's new novel, Turtles Down Below, and the historical narrative about the rise of the Islamic State in Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS. Joby Warrick.

Here are the five books this year that he recommends for you:

1. The Best We Could Do, Thi Bui

This lush graphic novel is based on deep personal memories that define well what it means to be a parent and a refugee. The author's family fled Vietnam in 1978. After giving birth alone, she decided to learn more about her parents' experiences, growing up in a country torn apart by foreign occupants.

2. "Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, " Matthew Desmond Harvard

If you want to understand well how the issues that cause poverty are intertwined, then you have to read this book about the Milwaukee eviction crisis. Desmons wrote a brilliant account of Americans living in poverty. He gave me a better idea of ​​what it's like to be poor in this country, more than anything I've ever read.

3. "Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death and Jazz Chickens", Eddie Izzard

Izzard's personal story is fascinating: He survived a difficult childhood and worked tirelessly to overcome his lack of natural talent and become an international star. If you're a big fan of his, just like me, then you'll love this book. His voice is written very similar to the one on stage and I found myself laughing out loud several times as I read it.

4. "The Friend", Viet Thanh Nghuyen

Most of the books and movies I consumed about the Vietnam War focused on the American perspective. Nghuyen's award-winning novel offers a vital insight into what it was like to be Vietnamese and approached on both sides. Though obscure, it is an exciting story about a double agent and the problem he was involved in.

5. "Energy and Civilization: A History", Vaclav Smil

Smil is one of my favorite authors and this is his masterpiece. He explains how our need for energy has shaped human history - from the age of donkey plants to the quest for renewable energy we are witnessing today. Not one of the easiest books to read, but in the end you will feel smarter and more informed about how energy innovation changes the course of civilizations.

Video Review

All titles in Portuguese already have a national version, translated into our language. To learn more about Bill Gates's opinions on these works, just follow his reviews in the video below:

The 5 books of 2017 that Bill Gates recommends you read via TecMundo