Bill Gates shares summer reading list to help fight lockdown blues

Former Microsoft chief Bill Gates recently shared his summer reading list to help people combat their lockdown blues. He also shared a list of movies and TV shows among other things that people can do o pass their time during the lockdown.

“I’m also often asked about what I am reading and watching — either because people want to learn more about pandemics, or because they are looking for a distraction,” Gates wrote in a blog post. “I’m always happy to talk about great books and TV shows (and to hear what other people are doing, since I’m usually in the market for recommendations).”

Gates shared the top five books on his summer reading list. These are The Choice, by Dr Edith Eva Eger, Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, The Ride of a Lifetime by Bob Iger, The Great Influenza by John M Barry and Good Economics for Hard Times by Abhijit V Banerjee and Esther Duflo.

He also shared a few other titles that readers can explore including The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness by Andy Puddicombe, Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer, The Martian by Andy Weir, A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles and The Rosie Trilogy by Graeme Simsion.

Apart from fiction and-fiction novels, Gates also recommended books for graphic novel enthusiasts. The philanthropist highly recommended Thi Bui’s memoir The Best We Could Do. On the lighter side, he recommended Allie Brosh’s Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened.

Gates is also an avid fan of NASA engineer Randall Munroe’s offbeat science lessons in the form of “super engaging” comics and highly recommended his book What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions, and XKCD Volume 0. He also has Randall’s latest book, How To Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems on his bookshelf.

Gates also shared his favourite TV shows for people looking to watch something new during the lockdown. His recommendations include the Netflix documentary series Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak, A Million Little Things, This Is Us, Ozark and the 1970s BBC series I, Claudius.

The Microsoft founder has also shared these lists on online platform Likewise. Talking about other things to do at home, Gates shared his ‘wild card’ activity: online bridge. “I’ve been playing bridge for years — Warren Buffett is my favourite partner. We don’t get together in person now that we’re sheltering in place, but we still play online,” he wrote.