Microsoft’s co-founder Bill Gates is an avid reader of books. He has his own personal blog called Gates Notes where he used to share about the people he meets, the books he’s reading, and what he’s learning. Each year, on his Gates Notes blog, he shares the top books he’s read over the previous twelve months. As usual this year, he’s decided to recommend his 5 all-time favorite books for holiday reading.

“This time, though, I decided to try something different,” Gates wrote on his blog published Monday. “Rather than limit myself to things I’ve read over the previous twelve months, I instead picked books regardless of when I finished them.”

Bill Gates recommends these 5 books for holiday reading

These are the Bill Gates 5 Book Recommendations for this Holiday Season ;

1. Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein
2. Surrender, by Bono
3. Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin
4. The Inner Game of Tennis, by Robert Gallwey
5. Mendeleyev’s Dream, by Paul Strathern

#1) Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein

The first book on the top recommending list for Holiday Reading is “Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein”. Gates describes this book as the Best introduction to grownup sci-fi.

Further, he explained why he likes this book, he said that:

Paul Allen and I fell in love with Heinlein when we were just kids, and this book is still one of my favorite sci-fi novels of all time. It tells the story of a young man who returns to Earth after growing up on Mars and starts a new religion. I think the best science fiction pushes your thinking about what’s possible in the future, and Heinlein managed to predict the rise of hippie culture years before it emerged.

#2) Surrender, by Bono

Next on his recommendation list is Surrender, by Bono. Gates describes this book as the “Best memoir by a rock star”

Further, he explained why he likes this book, he said that:

This book came out this month, so it’s the most recent one I’ve read on my list. If you’re a U2 fan, there is a good chance you already plan to check it out. Even if you’re not, it’s a super fun read about how a boy from the suburbs of Dublin grew up to become a world-famous rock star and philanthropist. I’m lucky enough to call Bono a friend, but a lot of the stories he tells in Surrender were new to me.

#3) Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Next on his recommendation list is “Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin”. Gates describes this book as the “Best guide to leading a country”.

Further, he explained why he likes this book, he said that:

I can’t read enough about Abraham Lincoln, and this is one of the best books on the subject. It feels especially relevant now when our country is once again facing violent insurrection, difficult questions about race, and deep ideological divides. Goodwin is one of America’s best biographers, and Team of Rivals is arguably her masterpiece.

#4) The Inner Game of Tennis, by Robert Gallwey

Next on his recommendation list is “The Inner Game of Tennis, by Robert Gallwey”. Gates describes this book as the “Best guide to getting out of your own way”.

Further, he explained why he likes this book, he said that:

This book from 1974 is a must-read for anyone who plays tennis, but I think even people who have never played will get something out of it. Gallwey argues that your state of mind is just as important—if not more important—than your physical fitness. He gives excellent advice about how to move on constructively from mistakes, which I’ve tried to follow both on and off the court over the years.

#5) Mendeleyev’s Dream, by Paul Strathern

The final book on his recommendation list the “Mendeleyev’s Dream, by Paul Strathern”. Gates describes this book as the “Best book about the periodic table”.

Further, he explained why he likes this book, he said that:

The history of chemistry is filled with quirky characters like Dimitri Mendeleyev, the Russian scientist who first proposed the periodic table after it allegedly came to him in a dream. Strathern’s book traces that history all the way back to its origins in ancient Greece. It’s a fascinating look at how science develops and how human curiosity has evolved over the millennia.

Bill Gates recommends these five books: “Stranger in a Strange Land” by Robert Heinlein, “Surrender” by Bono, “Team of Rivals” by Doris Kearns Goodwin, “The Inner Game of Tennis” by Robert Gallwey, “Mendeleyev’s Dream” by Paul Strathern.