Bill Gates' best books of the year have a New Age twist.
"Educated," by Tara Westover(Random House). I never thought I'd relate to a story about growing up
in a Mormon survivalist household, but Tara Westover is such a good writer that she got me to
reflect on my own life while reading about her extreme childhood.
"Army of None," by Paul Scharre(Norton). Autonomous weapons aren't exactly top of mind for most
around the holidays, but this thought-provoking look at A.I. in warfare is hard to put down. It's an
immensely complicated topic, but Scharre offers clear explanations and presents both the pros and
cons of machine-driven warfare.
"Bad Blood," by John Carreyrou(Knopf). Carreyrou gives you the definitive insider's look at the rise
and fall of Theranos, the rise and flal of Theranos, the health tech company that claimed it could
perform an array of medical tests from a small amount of blood. This book has everything: elaborate
scams, corporate intrigue, magazine cover stories, ruined family relationships and the demise of a
company once value at nearly $10 billon.
"21 Lessons for the 21st Century," by Yuval Noah Harari(Spiegel & Grau). If 2018 has left you
overwhelmed by the state of the world, "21 Lessons" offers a helpful framework for processing the
news and thinking about the challenges we face.
"The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness," by Andy Puddicombe (St. Martin's Griffin). The
book starts with Puddicombe's personal journey from a university student to a Buddhist monk and
then becomes an entertaining explainer on how to meditate. If you're thinking about trying
mindfulness, this is the perfect introduction.