Christmas and holiday season days, which are traditionally held every year in many Christian communities and countries, are approaching again. This year, as every year, shares about the holiday season started to come from many names. One of these names was Bill Gates, the founder and former CEO of Microsoft. Gates recommended five books for the holiday season.
Gates shared his list of the best books published in 2021 on his personal blog GatesNotes. All of the books on Gates’ list this year were in the science fiction genre. Stating that he was fond of science fiction as a child, Gates shared the list of suggestions as follows:
A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence – Jeff Hawkins
Written by Jeff Hawkins, co-founder of PalmPilot, this book lays out a new theory that underpins the development of the concept of ‘general intelligence’ in machines. Gates says this book will “help us tackle truly complex, multifaceted challenges like the improvement of medicine,” and he appreciates the book’s illuminating approach.
- Is there a Turkish translation?: No.
The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race – Walter Isaacson
This book, by Walter Isaacson, is about Nobel Prize-winning chemist Jennifer Doudna and her colleagues who contributed to CRISPR gene-editing technology. The book showcases ethical discussions between the team on gene editing.
- Is there a Turkish translation?: No.
Klara and the Sun (Klara and the Sun) – Kazuo Ishiguro
This book, by Kazuo Ishiguro, is about a sick teenager’s friendship with a robot. The book is set in a dystopian society where children are genetically engineered to be more intelligent and lead a largely isolated life.
- Is there a Turkish translation?: Yes.
Hamnet – Maggie O-Farrell
This fictional book by Maggie O-Farrell is about William Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, and how his death inspired Shakespeare to write the world’s most famous play.
- Is there a Turkish translation?: No.
The Salvation Project (Project Hail Mary) – Andy Weir
Andy Weir, one of the world’s best-selling science fiction authors, is about a high school teacher who teams up with a peaceful alien to protect the Sun from a ‘sun-eating’ microorganism.
- Is there a Turkish translation?: Yes.
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