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Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder, is a globally recognized figure not only for his imprint on the tech industry and his active philanthropic work but also for establishing himself as a true authority on reading.
With an average of 50 books a year, the billionaire often reviews what he reads on Goodreads, shares his recommendations through his personal blog, Gates Notes, and has also explained in press interviews how he practices marginalia while reading.
What Bill Gates has said about the importance of reading in his life
In a 2017 interview with Time, the billionaire said his reading habits were an essential part of achieving success. “Reading fuels a sense of curiosity about the world, which I think helped drive me forward in my career” he said.
In his view, constant learning is essential to both personal and professional growth.
In that sense, while he generally prefers nonfiction books, he said that “good fiction can take you out of your own thoughts and into someone else’s.”
Marginalia: How Bill Gates reads
Although many people choose electronic reading options for convenience, Bill Gates has on several occasions said he prefers physical books so he can write notes in the margins.
As a kind of “study method,” he said this practice lets him really focus on what he is reading and absorb the information as well as possible.
While he does this when he is enjoying a book, he also explained that this habit becomes especially important when he disagrees with the author. “Sometimes I spend more time reading a book I can’t stand than one I love.”
More of Bill Gates’ reading habits
As a rule, Gates has shared that:
- He does not let himself start a book he knows he will not finish
- He usually reads for about an hour each night to keep making progress on his reading
Bill Gates’ recommendations for 2026
While the billionaire has published a large number of reviews and specific recommendation lists, his summer 2026 list included the following:
- Fiction pick: Culpability, by Bruce Holsinger
- Nonfiction pick: 929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History—And How It Shattered a Nation by Andrew Ross Sorkin
- Audiobook pick: Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery, by Theodore H. Schwartz