Seveneves to Sapiens, books that keep Bill Gates awake at night

How not to be Wrong By Jordan Ellenberg


Mathematical professor Ellenberg talks of how mathematical thinking can influence modern life in his book. Gates (who was apparently excused from math class as a child to pursue his computer obsession) says he enjoyed learning how “there are ways in which we are doing math all the time”.

Seveneves By Neal Stephenson


In this book, the moon blows up and human society has to figure out how to survive. Gates got hooked to the technical bits. In his blog, he confesses that he hadn’t read a sci-fi book in a decade before Seveneves, which “inspired me to rekindle my sci-fi habit”.

The Vital Question By Nick Lane Gates calls Lane “an original thinker”.


In this book, the biochemist tackles the original conundrum — the evolution of life. “He is trying to right a scientific wrong by getting people to fully appreciate the role that energy plays in all living things,” says Gates, adding, “More people should know about this guy’s work.”

The Power to Compete By Ryoichi Mikitani and Hiroshi Mikitani


Hiroshi Mikitani, founder of internet giant Rakuten, examines Japan’s prosperity, while also discussing entrepreneurship with his economist father. Gates blogs that he first visited Japan 30 years ago. “Although I don’t agree with everything in Hiroshi’s program, I think he has a number of good ideas,” says Gates.

Sapiens By Noah Yuval Harari


The book sparked a debate between Gates and his wife Melinda. Harari examines the history of mankind up to the 21st century. “Although I found things to disagree with — the claim that humans were better off before we started farming — I would recommend Sapiens to anyone interested in the history and future of our species,” says Gates.