Bill Gates' favorite books of 2016 are the most Bill Gates books ever

And you thought your favorite books were dorky.
 By 
MJ Franklin
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

You thought your favorite books were dorky*? Wait until you see Bill Gates' reading list.

In a blog post on Monday, Microsoft founder and big time book nerd Bill Gates revealed his favorite books of 2016, and well, they are the most Bill Gates selections ever. Which is to say, they are intensely nerdy books that will help you better understand the world.

Seriously. He says that one of his favorite genres of books is “books about mundane stuff that are actually fascinating.”


You May Also Like

So it's no surprise that this year, Gates' favorite books are deep dives into things we see and experience every day. Selections range the gamut of literary explorations of tennis to explainers of genome science.

"They’re all very well written, and they all dropped me down a rabbit hole of unexpected insights and pleasures," writes Gates.

Check out Bill Gates' favorite books and why he loved them below.

String Theory by David Foster Wallace

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

"Here, as in his other brilliant works, Wallace found mind-blowing ways of bending language like a metal spoon." Check out the full review here.

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

"This memoir, by the co-founder of Nike, is a refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like: messy, precarious, and riddled with mistakes." Check out the full review here.

The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

"In his latest book, Mukherjee guides us through the past, present, and future of genome science, with a special focus on huge ethical questions that the latest and greatest genome technologies provoke." Check out the full review here.

The Myth of the Strong Leader by Archie Brown

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

"Brown shows that the leaders who make the biggest contributions to history and humanity generally are not the ones we perceive to be 'strong leaders.' Instead, they tend to be the ones who collaborate, delegate, and negotiate — and recognize that no one person can or should have all the answers." Check out the full review here.

Honorable Mention: The Grid by Gretchen Bakke

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

"This book, about our aging electrical grid, fits in one of my favorite genres: 'Books About Mundane Stuff That Are Actually Fascinating'... Even if you have never given a moment’s thought to how electricity reaches your outlets, I think this book would convince you that the electrical grid is one of the greatest engineering wonders of the modern world."

*As a big time book dork myself, I say this in the most loving way possible.

Topics Books

Mashable Image
MJ Franklin

MJ Franklin was an Assistant Editor at Mashable and a host of the MashReads Podcast.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
Spotify moves beyond audiobooks to offer physical books
An array of books on a colorful background


Instagram is nostalgic for 2016 again (yes, really)
2016 glasses on a table

Was 2016 the last good year?
Stylized illustration of a viewer facing TV screens showing the 2016 election, a gorilla, and two rival political figures celebrating.


Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

What's new to streaming this week? (April 3, 2026)
A composite of images from film and TV streaming this week.

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma

NYT Strands hints, answers for April 3, 2026
A game being played on a smartphone.
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!