Source Code

My Beginnings

De: Bill Gates

Narrado por: Wil Wheaton, Bill Gates

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The origin story of one of the most influential and transformative business leaders and philanthropists of the modern age

“A surprisingly candid memoir of the Microsoft mogul’s early years…Reading this book feels like watching someone take a well-known black-and-white sketch, fill in the details, and paint it in vivid color.”—GeekWire

Everyone is programmed a little differently, and Bill Gates' unique insight led to business triumphs that are now widely known: the twenty-year-old who dropped out of Harvard to start a software company that became an industry giant and changed the way the world works and lives; the billionaire many times over who turned his attention to philanthropic pursuits to address climate change, global health, and U.S. education.

Source Code is not about Microsoft or the Gates Foundation or the future of technology. It’s the human, personal story of how Bill Gates became who he is today: his childhood, his early passions and pursuits. It’s the story of his principled grandmother and ambitious parents, his first deep friendships and the sudden death of his best friend; of his struggles to fit in and his discovery of a world of coding and computers in the dawn of a new era; of embarking in his early teens on a path that took him from midnight escapades at a nearby computer center to his college dorm room, where he sparked a revolution that would change the world.

Bill Gates tells this, his own story, for the first time: wise, warm, revealing, it’s a fascinating portrait of an American life.

©2025 Bill Gates (P)2025 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“A remarkably introspective and personally revealing tour through some of the key moments and experiences that shaped Gates the boy and teenage programming whiz, years before he became a business titan.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“An unexpectedly revealing account of the swirl of factors leading to the birth of Microsoft and the ascent of personal computing.”—The Wall Street Journal

“There is utility to be had … but there is also joy: the joy at marveling at genius coming into focus—confident, watchful, disciplined, exuberant, boyish and prickly—and the joy at watching a door left ajar kicked open wide. Yet the book is more than just that. Subtly, searchingly, always trusting the reader, Gates explores the mysteries of why he of all people became the Bill Gates: not only the first of the world-conquering tech titans of our era but also, in his second act, likely the best of them.”—Bloomberg

Interesting story, poorly read.

Interesting story, but poorly narrated. Narrator regularly dropped his voice at the end of sentences, making the final word or words nearly impossible to hear, particularly if you are in a car or noisy environment. Too bad.

Great Story

Very interesting and insightful into what drove Bill Gates and the opportunities he pursued. Also a fascinating look at the birth and growth of what became the personal computer.

terrible narration

Clown narrator... oh my... the story is well worth, but narrator is a joke, so teathric

Engaging from start to finish

Wow, I did not expect the level of details and personal insights shared by Bill Gates. The book grabbed me from the start and had me reluctant to put it down all the way through the epilogue. To me, this was one of the top ten books I have ever read … and the most enjoyable. I highly recommend this book!

Bill Gates changed my life!

I’m so glad to finally know his life story. I have heard it’s good to read famous people’s autobiographies. Especially the ones you admire. It’s like crawling inside their minds. My first computer was a Windows 3.1, 56K modem, 512KB HD. Boy, is that thing a dinosaur!

A Humble Genius

A wonderful treaty on how a child’s formative years shape the person they become. Kudos to Bill Gates in drawing that connection for us to see and better understand his foundation.

His realization of his parents role in his “start” of Microsoft. Being on “the spectrum.”

This will help me in guiding my sons and their endeavors & adventures inheriting our family biz. Thank you for the insight.

Incredible childhood

Liked the story and his growth, friends, thoughts of the creations, his ideas as a child that he developed are amazing.

Laughter, Loss, and Legacy in Bill Gates’ Story

I thought this might be a long read and wondered if I would find it interesting, especially once I realized the book only follows Bill from birth up until Microsoft’s move to Seattle. I was wrong—this is a really good, funny, and heartwarming audiobook.

As a seasoned developer myself, Bill Gates has always been a name I’ve both loved and hated at times, but his story is absolutely worth the time.

I was especially touched by the stories about his childhood friend, Kent Evans. I hadn’t heard of Kent before, but the way Bill spoke about him brought their friendship vividly to life. I laughed out loud at some of the stories—they clearly had a lot of fun together, and Kent seemed like quite the character. It’s incredibly moving to see how deeply Bill still values that friendship and honors Kent’s memory all these years later. I imagine Kent’s family must feel both proud and comforted knowing how warmly and publicly Bill remembers him. It honestly brought a tear to my eye. I also appreciated the epilogue and the touching encounter with Kent's father many years later.

A great listen for anyone interested in the origins of computers, Microsoft, or simply a human story told with honesty and heart.

The Events That Led to Success Were Amazing

It’s truly amazing the events that unfolded to get Bill Gates to where he is. There is no way he could become who he is without the opportunities that fell his way. Not to take away from his skill and knowledge, but that combined with a little luck really drove it.
I’ve listened to close to a dozen Wil Wheaton narrations. He is actually my favorite narrator and I choose books largely based on his narration. The reviews stating he performs poorly here are not completely accurate. I noticed tailing off audio and completely missed words. I think there is a problem with how this recording was mastered. The audio was a bit off. Nevertheless, a great listen. It may make my rare list of repeat listens.