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Graduates of 2018, Bill Gates has a special gift for you. The founder of Microsoft declared that he’s gifting American grads who finished their associate’s, bachelor’s, or postgraduate degree with his favorite book, Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think, by Hans Rosling, a Swedish statistician, and global health expert.
Although Gates recommends the book for anyone, he chose to gift free copies to graduating students because the message of putting world events into perspective is an especially important habit that helps foster and maintain a sense of hope. “Although I think everyone should read it, it has especially useful insights for anyone who’s making the leap out of college and into the next phase of life,” he said. “Factfulness” helps readers overcome biases about the world and identify ten instincts that prevent us from examining the world factfully."
Gates isn’t the only one giving this book a great review. After Rosling passed away last year before completing his book, his son Ola and daughter-in-law Anna helped him finish it and it landed the #5 spot on the New York Times Bestseller List for hardcover nonfiction. Students can find a free, downloadable version on Gates’ website after creating an account and choosing their soon-to-be alma mater.
Gates hopes that by seeing the world through a fact-lens, graduates can focus the beauty in the world, and how to make our planet a better place for everyone. On his site, Gates writes, “With rare exceptions, most of the miracles of humankind are long-term, constructed things. Progress comes bit by bit,” summing up one of the main points Rosling wrote about in his book that inspired even one of the most philanthropic humans the world has ever seen.
By giving grads the opportunity to download one of his favorite books for free, Gates’ is looking to help students begin their path with a fresh perspective--one that requires optimism, ‘factfullness,’ and less fear.
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