同往年一樣，前世界首富、微軟創始人比爾·蓋茨又一次分享了他的夏季書單。
I always like to pick out a bunch of books to bring with me whenever I get ready to go on vacation. More often than not, I end up taking more books than I could possibly read on one trip. My philosophy is that I’d rather have too much to read on a trip than too little.
If you’re like me, you’re probably starting to think about what’s on your summer reading list this year—and I can’t recommend the books below highly enough.
今夏，蓋茨並不打算推薦一些輕鬆的讀物，而是挑選了五本嚴肅的書籍。通過這些書籍，蓋茨希望讀者們可以認識到當下世界的種種劇變以及它們對社會的影響，無論是在個人層面還是大眾層面上。從戰爭年代的各位美國總統是如何領導這個國家，到人們在危機中的種種反應，這些書關注的是當我們的生活被驟變打斷時，所會發生的事。
雖然這些推薦書目並不屬於人們通常定義的“沙灘讀物”（即在夏日沙灘度假時用來消遣的輕鬆讀物），但蓋茨鼓勵大家在沙灘上讀讀它們。蓋茨在博客上表示，他的人生哲學是“在旅行中，寧願書帶得太多而讀不完，也別為了省事不讀書”。
None of them are what most people think of as a light read. All but one deal with the idea of disruption, but I don’t mean “disruption” in the way tech people usually mean it. I’ve recently found myself drawn to books about upheaval (that’s even the title of the one of them)—whether it’s the Soviet Union right after the Bolshevik revolution, the United States during times of war, or a global reevaluation of our economic system.
If you’re looking for something that’s more of a typical summer book, I recommend Graeme Simsion’s The Rosie Result. (And if you haven’t read the first two books in the Rosie trilogy, summer vacation is the perfect time to start!) I also can’t resist a plug for Melinda’s new book The Moment of Lift. I know I’m biased, but it’s one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.
以下是蓋茨的夏季書單：
1.《劇變》（Upheaval），賈雷德·戴蒙德（Jared Diamond）著
蓋茨一直是戴蒙德的忠實讀者，這位作者1997年的作品《槍炮、病菌與鋼鐵》（Guns, Germs and Steel，中文版已由上海譯文出版社出版）是蓋茨最喜歡的幾本書之一。在《劇變》中，戴蒙德闡述了人們對於生命中的種種危機的反應。關於戴蒙德對6個國家的人們如何應對重大挑戰、並在面對逆境時如何學會適應的觀察，蓋茨如此寫道：“這聽著有點壓抑，但我在讀完這本書後，對於我們解決困難的能力反倒更樂觀了。”
I’m a big fan of everything Jared has written, and his latest is no exception. The book explores how societies react during moments of crisis. He uses a series of fascinating case studies to show how nations managed existential challenges like civil war, foreign threats, and general malaise. It sounds a bit depressing, but I finished the book even more optimistic about our ability to solve problems than I started.
2.《九品脫》（Nine Pints），蘿絲·喬治（Rose George）著
蓋茨熱切地推薦了這本關於血液的書。它深入地闡釋了我們血液的成分，並對於月經進行了一些探討。作者蘿絲·喬治分享了她自己的經前焦慮症故事，讓人們對於這種狀況下的生活有了更清晰的瞭解。即便這或許不是一本“典型的夏日讀物”，蓋茨認為每個人都應該對這一主題了解更多。“畢竟。”他寫道，“我們的身體裡都流著一樣的血，這是人類最大的共同點。”
If you get grossed out by blood, this one probably isn’t for you. But if you’re like me and find it fascinating, you’ll enjoy this book by a British journalist with an especially personal connection to the subject. I’m a big fan of books that go deep on one specific topic, so Nine Pints (the title refers to the volume of blood in the average adult) was right up my alley. It’s filled with super-interesting facts that will leave you with a new appreciation for blood.
3. 《莫斯科紳士》（A Gentleman in Moscow），埃默·托爾斯（Amor Towles）著（中文版2018年由湖南文藝出版社出版）
1922年，羅斯托夫伯爵被判軟禁在克里姆林宮對面的大都會酒店。這位此前從未工作過一天，人生要務唯有追求智慧與學識的紳士，自此只能棲身於這家五星級酒店的閣樓，以獨特的視角觀望俄國在歷史車輪下展開的鉅變。即便任何一個對俄羅斯感興趣的讀者都會被《莫斯科紳士》所吸引，蓋茨還是在推薦語中寫道：“你不需要對俄羅斯很感興趣就會喜歡上這本書。”托爾斯的作品不僅僅關乎政治，它涵蓋的主題更為廣闊。“這本書在技術上被歸類為小說，”蓋茨寫道，“不過你可以更準確地將它稱為一部驚悚小說或愛情小說。”
It seems like everyone I know has read this book. I finally joined the club after my brother-in-law sent me a copy, and I’m glad I did. Towles’s novel about a count sentenced to life under house arrest in a Moscow hotel is fun, clever, and surprisingly upbeat. Even if you don’t enjoy reading about Russia as much as I do (I’ve read every book by Dostoyevsky), A Gentleman in Moscow is an amazing story that anyone can enjoy.
4. 《戰爭年代的總統》（Presidents of War），邁克爾·貝思克勞斯（Michael Beschloss）著
歷史學家邁克爾·貝思克勞斯的這部作品出版於去年，它的主題非常宏大。他研究了美國的各任總統如何應對美國曆史上的從1812年美國第二次獨立戰爭到越南戰爭的9場衝突。貝思克勞斯強調了這些總統是如何在這些動盪年代中履行職責的，並且把他們的各項決策與領袖能力關鍵地聯繫在了一起。蓋茨非常欣賞這本書，並認為從中所得也同樣適用於當下的世界。“要想了解今日世界的紛爭，就需要將它與過去聯繫在一起，並考慮它對未來可能會產生的影響。”蓋茨說。
My interest in all aspects of the Vietnam War is the main reason I decided to pick up this book. By the time I finished it, I learned a lot not only about Vietnam but about the eight other major conflicts the U.S. entered between the turn of the 19th century and the 1970s. Beschloss’s broad scope lets you draw important cross-cutting lessons about presidential leadership.
5. 《資本主義的未來》（The Future of Capitalism），保羅·科利爾（Paul Collier）著
資本主義將走向何方？牛津經濟學家保羅·科利爾在《資本主義的未來》中探討了這一問題，他講述了哪些人從資本主義中獲利，而哪些人並未得到好處。雖然蓋茨表示他並不贊同科利爾的所有觀點，但《資本主義的未來》還是一本令他感到震撼的好書。“這本書的中心思想非常令我震動，那就是我們需要強化人與人之間相互依存的關係。”蓋茨寫道。
Collier’s latest book is a thought-provoking look at a topic that’s top of mind for a lot of people right now. Although I don’t agree with him about everything—I think his analysis of the problem is better than his proposed solutions—his background as a development economist gives him a smart perspective on where capitalism is headed.
亞洲浪潮，博鰲視野
“立足亞洲，面向世界”
傳遞論壇最新動態，促進亞洲深度合作
全球重要對話的傳達者，亞洲共同發展的瞭望者。
相關推薦
