12 Books Prominent Moguls Believe Everyone Should Read

Some of the most brilliant people on earth have contributed their success to the act of reading. Reading eclectic sources, books, and documents have helped many of the people on the list through life’s greatest challenges.

“Read 500 pages like this every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will do it.” - Bill Gates

Many bright minds in technology, entertainment, business and art have said that reading books have been the keys to their success. Bill gates, Co-founder Microsoft has been said to read about 50 books a year, with Oprah Winfrey calling reading her guide (mentor) to personal freedom. Their lives have been melded by books and its time that we know more about what books they’d recommend everyone to read.

Recommendations from Bill Gates -

#1 “The Gene: An Intimate History' by Siddhartha Mukherjee”

The book explores the darkest corners of our genome, and is meant to be consumed by the lay person. It’s not too technical or focused on technology as the one solution. That makes it the perfect reading material for anyone to get a better sense of how people interact with gene structures. Genome science is a tough subject to understand but Mukherjee makes it simple to understand and a great addition to our daily lives. We can finally understand why our personalities are the way they are and how we can improve ourselves based on our own genomes.

#2 'Seveneves' by Neal Stephenson

This book Seveneves, has transformed the way we think about science fiction. The plot gets going from the first line itself when the moon explodes. The book explores how people will react to a cataclysmic state of the world, knowing that they don’t have a lot of choices left. It’s a great book to read through when you’re interested in human psychology and game theory.

#3 'Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind' by Yuval Noah Harari

Having both his wife and himself read the book with great gusto, Bill loves Sapiens. It's about the myriad of ancestors we’ve had through the period of evolution and how we are the only ones that made it today. What makes the homo sapiens unique, and why is it that only we were able to survive more than 100,000 years of evolution. Gates recommends Sapiens to anyone who is a history buff and enjoys learning about our future

Recommendations from Oprah Winfrey

#4 'The Seat of the Soul' by Gary Zukav

The book is all about the power of intention and how it can help you get what you want from life. It’s all about how when life’s problems are weighing you down, that there are a few things you can to change that. First is that you can create positive action for yourself and transform the way that you think about the universe. Second is having a personal mantra of “intention” and “success”. A must read according to Oprah!

#5 To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee

Oprah has recommended this book to so many people that it’s on the top of her reading list. It’s a timeless classic about a young girl who faces racism in the deep south – something that Oprah can relate to daily. She started recommending the book to her classmates when she was in the 9th grade! It’s a big part of who she is and what she’s managed to accomplish with her life

Recommendations from Richard Branson

#6 '1984' by George Orwell

A favourite among many rebellious entrepreneurs, 1984 is a classic tale of what would have happened if we lived in a world of “big brother”. Branson echoes the message of the book repeatedly and believes that it’s a huge part of his life. What was funny was that sales of the book spiked during the election year. Branson always advices other business owners to stay sceptical and vigilant.

#7 'Cosmos' by Carl Sagan

Cosmos is a timeless classic, where science and mathematics have been given the centre stage. Carl, who’s an astronomer himself, talks about the billions of years of the evolution of the universe. IT’s a seminal piece of work which has inspired many to pursue the scientific path and create waves in the minds of industries.

Recommendations from Mark Zuckerberg

#8 'On Immunity' by Eula Biss

The movement that swept a nation! The anti-vaccination drive that created this popular book was seminal in changing a lot of minds. This book explores how immunity is so important, but deeper than that it questions how logic can be so easily swept under the rug. It highlights how people can let go of good judgement before believing s trend or a movement that seems anti-establishment.  

#9 'The Beginning of Infinity' by David Deutsch

The author, who is a physicist by training, suggests that there are so many answers out there in the world that we don’t even know how to ask the right questions. Deutsch argues that there are many fields across different areas including art, science and politics, where humans can use science to discover any truth. The scientific method is key here.

Recommendations from Jeff Bezos

#10 ‘The Remains of the Day’ by Kazuo Ishiguro's

Jeff Bezos recommends the book in his list of recommended reads as it transcends industry and culture. The book is all about the notion of life and how challenges can either make you or break you. It’s a long excursion that becomes a journey into the past for the main character.

Recommendations from Elon Musk

#11 ‘Benjamin Franklin: An American Life’ by Walter Isaacson

In the book, Walter documents the life and struggles of Benjamin Franklin. He talks about the great inventor and how he had to go through multiple ups and downs before finally being able to get to where he was. Musk considers him to be a great example of entrepreneurial success and recommends the book to anyone interested

#12 ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ by Douglas Adams

Musk, a dreamer by choice, wants to reach the stars somewhere soon. He got his early inspiration reading this timeless classic by Douglas Adams. Musk found many answers to life’s toughest questions in this book and he recommends it to anyone who wants to be an explorer.

Conclusion

Find your inner strength, work on your skill, and create value for people – do whatever you like through the power of reading books. Pick up a copy of any of these books today!