Bill Gates’ Favorite Book And 3 Others You Need To Read This Summer

If you are a 2018 college grad, then you need to snag a copy of Bill Gates’ favorite book, Hans Rosling’s Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World And Why Things Are Better Than You Think. This summer Gates is giving away free copies of this book to every 2018 college grad because, as Gates says it’s, “one of the most important books I’ve ever read–an indispensable guide to thinking about the world.”

A refreshing view of the world

This book gives an optimistic view of the world right now by focusing on the progress that is being made but often overlooked. Most of the book is devoted to ten instincts that keep us from seeing the world tactfully and it offers practical advice about how to overcome our innate biases. Rosling argues that people’s instincts make it difficult for them to put events in perspective. For instance, if you look only at news headlines and refuse to take events into the context of history, you’ll only see the bad. In other words, the world can be both bad and better. When Gates announced his giveaway he highlighted one specific passage from the book: “When we have fact-based worldview, we can see that the world is not as bad as it seems — and we can see what we have to do to keep making it better.”

How to claim your copy

The book can be downloaded for free by anyone receiving an associate’s, bachelor’s, or post-graduate degree in the U.S. this year. Graduates can get a copy of it here. If every one of the 3.6 million college grads received the book this year and Gates were covering the full retail price of the book, it would cost nearly $55 million. So yes, this giveaway is a big deal that Gates clearly feels strongly about. Not a college grad? We strongly suggest giving this a read any way.

Your summer reading list

If you’re looking to add a few more books to your summer reading list, here are three other books every college grad should have on their shelf:
  1. What You’re Really Meant To Do, Robert Steven Kaplan
  2. Make Your Bed, William H. McRaven
  3. Lean In for Graduates, Sheryl Sandberg
Now get reading! Feature Image: Unsplash