The holidays are coming, and it’s the perfect time to curl up in a blanket, make your favorite drink, and read an interesting book. Bill Gates has some recommendations for you. The billionaire, who loves literature, shared his traditional list of books for the winter break. The general theme among his four recommendations focuses on understanding the world around us.

«All of the books are about making sense of the world. I didn’t plan it this way, but I was surprised to notice it. We’re living in times of rapid change, and it’s natural to try to understand what’s happening», he explained.

The list includes «Unfinished Love Story» by Doris Kearns Goodwin, which tells the story of life with her late husband, a politician and speechwriter for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson; «The Coddling of the American Mind» by Jonathan Haidt, about the development of children’s personalities; «Engineering in Plain Sight» by Grady Hillhouse, which explores the structures around us in everyday life; and «The Coming Wave» by Mustafa Suleyman, about artificial intelligence.

As a bonus, Gates also recommended «Federer» by Doris Henkel, a biography of the famous tennis player Roger Federer.

Photo: GatesNotes