Background
Published in February 2025, Source Code: My Beginnings is the first memoir by Bill Gates, chronicling his early life in Seattle through to the origins of Microsoft and culminating around the late 1970s, specifically when Microsoft signed its first licensing deal with Apple. In this memoir, Gates offers a candid, self-reflective account of his formative years from being a precocious and sometimes challenging child, through the influences of his family, like his grandmother and ambitious parents, to his early friendships and his uneasy fit in school.
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed the title of this book and the fact that Will Wheaton read the audio book. That bit of whimsy was needed for the rest of the book. It was very interesting to hear first-hand about those first few years and how much time and effort was put into coding. I have heard several people give the account that Bill Gates was just some kid that ripped off real programmers and became ridiculously rich. No one really comments on the work that was put into learning his craft, where he got his business skills, or why IBM was willing to talk to him in the first place. I was glad I had the chance to hear his side of the story.
Recommendation
I enjoyed it.