These are the 5 books Bill Gates thinks you should read

Bill Gates says reading is his favourite way to indulge his curiosity.

The entrepreneur-turned-billionaire philanthropist has released his annual list of the books that made the biggest impression on him.

2017’s picks include a harrowing autobiography about what it means to be a refugee and a parent, the story of a double agent during the Vietnam War, and the memoirs of comedian Eddie Izzard.

Here they are (as described by Bill Gates himself through his Twitter account):

The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui

This gorgeous graphic novel is a deeply personal memoir that explores what it means to be a parent and a refugee. The author’s family fled Vietnam in 1978. After giving birth to her own child, she decides to learn more about her parents’ experiences growing up in a country torn apart by foreign occupiers.

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond

If you want a good understanding of how the issues that cause poverty are intertwined, you should read this book about the eviction crisis in Milwaukee. Desmond has written a brilliant portrait of Americans living in poverty. He gave me a better sense of what it is like to be poor in this country than anything else I have read.

Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens by Eddie Izzard

Izzard’s personal story is fascinating: he survived a difficult childhood and worked relentlessly to overcome his lack of natural talent and become an international star. If you’re a huge fan of him like I am, you’ll love this book. His written voice is very similar to his stage voice, and I found myself laughing out loud several times while reading it.

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Most of the books I’ve read and movies I’ve seen about the Vietnam War focused on the American perspective. Nguyen’s award-winning novel offers much-needed insight into what it was like to be Vietnamese and caught between both sides. Despite how dark it is, The Sympathizer is a gripping story about a double agent and the trouble he gets himself into.

Energy and Civilization: A History by Vaclav Smil

Smil is one of my favourite authors, and this is his masterpiece. He lays out how our need for energy has shaped human history – from the era of donkey-powered mills to today’s quest for renewable energy. It’s not the easiest book to read, but at the end you’ll feel smarter and better informed about how energy innovation alters the course of civilizations.