Multibillionaire, philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is also an avid reader. Every year, Gates shares a list of five books which he recommends for summer reading. In 2018, the books that he has picked "wrestle with big questions," Gates writes on his blog Gates Notes. Summarizing his criteria for selecting this year's reading list, he writes, "What makes a genius tick? Why do bad things happen to good people? Where does humanity come from, and where are we headed?"

Gates' selected books generally belong to a particular genre and this summer's list mainly includes non-fiction, biography and memoir, and historical fiction works. "Despite the heavy subject matter, all these books were fun to read, and most of them are pretty short," he writes.

Here are the five books that Bill Gates recommends you to read this summer:

1. Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson

Published by Simon & Schuster, Leonardo da Vinci is a biography of the great painter and sheds light to Vinci's vast personality, showing how we can learn much from him. "I think Leonardo was one of the most fascinating people ever. Although today he’s best known as a painter, Leonardo had an absurdly wide range of interests, from human anatomy to the theatre. Isaacson does the best job I’ve seen of pulling together the different strands of Leonardo’s life and explaining what made him so exceptional. A worthy follow-up to Isaacson’s great biographies of Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs," Gates writes.

2. Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I’ve Loved by Kate Bowler

Bowler is a professor at Duke Divinity School. When she is diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer, she tries to understand the reason behind it. Sharing his view about the book, Gates writes, "Is it a test of her character? The result is a heartbreaking, surprisingly funny memoir about faith and coming to grips with your own mortality."

3. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Saunder's first full-length novel Lincoln in the Bardo has won the 2017 Man Booker Prize. The book is a fictional novel that deals with Abraham Lincoln's grief over the death of his son William "Willie" Wallace Lincoln. Narrated over the course of a single evening, the novel is set in the Bardo -- the space between life and rebirth. "I thought I knew everything I needed to know about Abraham Lincoln, but this novel made me rethink parts of his life. It blends historical facts from the Civil War with fantastical elements—it’s basically a long conversation among 166 ghosts, including Lincoln’s deceased son. I got new insight into the way Lincoln must have been crushed by the weight of both grief and responsibility. This is one of those fascinating, ambiguous books you’ll want to discuss with a friend when you’re done," writes Gates.

4. Origin Story: A Big History of Everything by David Christian

David Christian's Origin Story: A Big History of Everything tells the story the universe-- from what it was 13.8 billion years ago to the future-- and our place in it. Reviewing the book, Gates writes, "David created my favorite course of all time, Big History. It tells the story of the universe from the big bang to today’s complex societies, weaving together insights and evidence from various disciplines into a single narrative. If you haven’t taken Big History yet, Origin Story is a great introduction. If you have, it’s a great refresher. Either way, the book will leave you with a greater appreciation of humanity’s place in the universe."

5. Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World - and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling, with Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling Ronnlund

Written by Professor of International Health Hans Rosling, along with Anna and Ola-- his two long-time collaborators, Factfulness offers a radical new explanation about global trends, and shares ten instincts which change our perspective. "I’ve been recommending this book since the day it came out. Hans, the brilliant global-health lecturer who died last year, gives you a breakthrough way of understanding basic truths about the world—how life is getting better, and where the world still needs to improve. And he weaves in unforgettable anecdotes from his life. It’s a fitting final word from a brilliant man, and one of the best books I’ve ever read," Gates writes in his blog.

This article is originally appeared on : Times of india