《今日简史》
作者:尤瓦尔·诺亚·赫拉利
我是赫拉利所有作品的忠实读者,当然也包括他最新的著作《今日简史》。《人类简史》和《未来简史》分别讲述了过去和未来,而这一本讲的全都是现在。如果2018年使你对世界的局势感到不知所措,那么《今日简史》给你提供了一个有用的思维框架,帮助你处理新闻及思考我们面临的挑战。
《冥想和正念入门指南》(中文名暂译)
作者:安迪·普迪科姆
25岁的我一定会对此非常不屑,但梅琳达和我最近都非常喜欢冥想。这本书一开始讲述了普迪科姆从大学生到佛教僧人的个人历程,接着便成了教你如何冥想的有趣指南。如果你正想尝试正念训练,这会是一本完美的入门手册。
比尔·盖茨为五本书撰写的书评已授权国内顶尖阅读平台有书在中文社交平台独家发布
5 books I loved in 2018
By Bill Gates
I think everyone could use a few more books in their lives. Plus, if you’re like me, you love spending time at the end of the year catching up on books you may have missed. I usually don’t consider whether something would make a good gift when I’m putting together my end of year book list—but this year’s selections are highly sharable.
My list is pretty eclectic this year. From a how-to guide about meditation to a deep dive on autonomous weapons to a thriller about the fall of a once-promising company, there’s something interesting for everyone. If you’re looking for a fun and engaging read for you or your friends and family, you can’t go wrong with one of these.
Educated, by Tara Westover.吀愀爀愀 never went to school or visited a doctor until she left home at 17. I never thought I’d relate to a story about growing up in a Mormon survivalist household, but she’s such a good writer that she got me to reflect on my own life while reading about her extreme childhood. Melinda and I loved this memoir of a young woman whose thirst for learning was so strong that she ended up getting a Ph.D. from Cambridge University.
Army of None, by Paul Scharre.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. His fluency with the subject should come as no surprise: he’s a veteran who helped draft the U.S. government’s policy on autonomous weapons.
Bad Blood, by John Carreyrou.A bunch of my friends recommended this one to me. Carreyrou gives you the definitive insider’s look at the rise and fall of Theranos. The story is even crazier than I expected, and I found myself unable to put it down once I started. This book has everything: elaborate scams, corporate intrigue, magazine cover stories, ruined family relationships, and the demise of a company once valued at nearly $10 billion.
21 Lessons for the 21st Century, by Yuval Noah Harari.I’m a big fan of everything Harari has written, and his latest is no exception. While Sapiens and Homo Deus covered the past and future respectively, this one is all about the present. 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.I’m sure 25-year-old me would scoff at this one, but Melinda and I have gotten really into meditation lately. 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.