Bill Gates

by Marc Aronson

Bill Gates is many things: the richest person in the world; the ruthless businessman who co-founded Microsoft and led it to domination of the computer software industry; and now, the leading global philanthropist. When Gates was born in 1955, no one in the world owned a personal computer. A window had a pane of glass. A mouse was a rodent. As a teenager, Gates realized how computers were about to change the world, and made his fortune by riding that wave; modern teens look to him as their model of how technology can be turned into wealth. Marc Aronson�s biography is a probing portrait of a man whose name is a household word.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Biography Memoir

192 pages, Hardcover

First published December 26, 2008

About the author

Aronson has won many awards for his books for young readers and has a doctorate in American history. His lectures cover educational topics such as mysteries and controversies in American history, teenagers and their reading, the literary passions of boys, and always leave audiences asking for more.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/marcar...

Reviews

[Miguel Contreras · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was searching for a book and I came across this book about Bill Gates, at first I thought I wouldn’t like it. The more I read Bill Gates (Up close) by Marc Aronson, I started to get more interested in how Bill Gates started his company. This book does a great job explaining it. This book talks about how Bill Gates grew up and his struggle in behavior at school but also his impressive intelligence and competitiveness and how he and his partner Paul Allen started developing their version of the programming language BASIC. It also states the ways he would stay at the top of the computer industry and how he would know his way around a contract and how he would always get his way by using smart tactics. Although all of this information is interesting to read, I still couldn’t understand what Bill Gates actually is like. Maybe it’s because nobody has ever interviewed him since he’s a busy man, but I feel like the author focused more on Microsoft then he did about Bill Gates. Besides that, if you want to learn more about how Microsoft started and how it became such an impressive business I would recommend this book.

[Trey Pletcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Up Close: Bill Gates.
The biography Up Close: Bill Gates by Marc Aronson provides an adequate reality about Mr. Gates' childhood development of Microsoft and how he came to be the man he is today. It is poorly constructed in the sense that it is hard to follow. The book jumps around from one topic to the next with no or little introduction. It makes a sort of a how-to get-rich like Bill Gates's book. Which points out things that are out of peoples control such as “Pick the Right Parents” or “Pick the Place” that you are born in. These are things as a kid you cannot control.

The author Marc Aronson has won the Boston Globe-Horn Book award; he also has a Ph.D. in American history Sibert for Nonfiction award and the Boston Globe-Horn Book award. He has a Ph.D. in American history from New York University. This points to the credibility of the book and the facts in it. The facts in the book I would give an eight out of ten. The configuration of the book I would give two. Overall I would give this book a five out of ten.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main problem with this book is that Aronson tries so very hard to be fair minded and even handed in this book that it is sometimes a bit hard to get a sense of the real Bill Gates. Although, maybe that is the point, that very few people know the real Bill Gates and they aren't talking so everyone else is more or less guessing. This focuses on his youth and computer beginnings, skim the years Microsoft became established and dominant then slowed down and discussed his retirement from Microsoft and what his foundation has done since then. I picked up this book primarily because of the author but also because of the subject. I've read a couple of books on Jobs and this seemed a reasonable next step. One focus of the book is discussion on whether Gates is an immoral businessman out to make a buck in just a barely legal way, or just doing what they all were doing in the beginning of the field and that he was no different from the others. A discussion of Carnegie provided some more commentary: Carnegie just had to be best in everything but he also recognized chasing money is not that noble a goal. He then eventually funded libraries, which, in his own self serving way, so did Gates. He provided funds for libraries to buy computers....with his products, naturally. On the other hand, his foundation is doing good work in public health. Although from the comments in the book, the focus was on Malaria. With the pandemic of Ebola right now in Africa, I have to wonder why the foundation hasn't done more with Ebola. Ebola has been around the whole time of his foundation and is a really nasty disease. Maybe Malaria seemed easier to claim a success in? Who knows. This is more of a 3.5 but I can't put my finger on why. Perhaps how earnestly he tries to be fair. He tries hard enough to make me suspect he has some real biases, knows it, and is trying to compensate for his bias. Recommended since we have so little on Gates, but Aronson has done much better work.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not easy to write a biography of someone unwilling to be interviewed for those purposes, but Marc Aronson does a great job of providing some insight into Bill Gates, the book's subject. Having to rely on secondary sources and interviews with some of those who knew/know Gates, he succeeds in creating a thoughtful examination of his formative years and motivation. In some respects, it's impossible to separate Gates from Microsoft, making this book a biography of today's digital world. Not only does the author provide stories of how Gates operates his business, but he includes critical concerns about it becoming a monopoly and about some of Bill's questionable behavior. As the book concludes, he also ponders the reasons for Gates' recent involvement in finding a cure for malaria. These philosophical musings raise the book's quality and may prompt future entrepreneurs to channel their own financial resources into doing good. Framing parts of the book around how to be the next Bill Gates was an interesting way to captivate readers. Still, despite the book's good points, I couldn't help but wish there had been more from its subject. I finished the book still wondering what the truth about Bill Gates actually is.

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a former elementary school teacher who had the experience of working with autistic students, I kept thinking while reading this biography that Bill Gates has Asperger's Syndrome, a type of autism. Why? He would become totally obsessed with different things. He stayed up till early morning hours to try to quell his thirst for knowledge on something. He cared very little about his appearance, and was unaware of fashion. He was a messy, geeky, hardworking, super intelligent nerd. He scored four 800's on his college admissions tests.He loved to learn things from You Tube. His inter personal relationships were so poor, his employees referred to him as "an obnoxious human".

He was extremely frugal, except for his love of fast cars. In 1979 he was the youngest self-made billionaire in history. Later in life, he became the richest man in America. Finally he came to the point that money should be used to help humanity. He set up the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and gave billions to worthy/ needy causes.

The book tells just how Bill became this multi-billionaire. First he had the advantage of rich parents, who valued education and sent him to a private school that was one of the first schools in the nation to have access to those big giant computers in 1968. He was in the right place at the right time. Seattle had Boeing Airplane Co. and tons of savvy engineers who were nearby to offer their knowledge to interested students.

This book is a fascinating read. In 2005 Time Magazine named Bill & Melinda gates as "Persons of the Year." They divorced in 2021 after 37 years of marriage and three successful children. You feel sorry that a man that had everything in life, wasn't able to keep his marriage together. His wife had trouble dealing with the fact that Bill was friends with the infamous Jeffrey Epstein. They had so prenuptial agreements, but when they divorced she was given 2 billion in stock options.

The main parts of the book tell all about his inventions and how hard he worked. It was a very interesting read.

[Tyler Richey · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading “Up Close: Bill Gates”, I was enlightened on who Bill Gates is and his entire life. As the author begins the story, he introduces the “first principle of getting rich fast.” The author then begins to talk about Bill Gates parents and grandparents. His father, Bill Gates as well, was a hardworking lawyer. Bill Gates also had great-grandfather who had been a prospector during the Gold Rush in Alaska. It is known that Bill’s mother, Mary, came from wealth since her grandfather, James Maxwell, was a banker in Nebraska. They began to use their wealth to become civic leaders to charities and social organizations. When Bill started elementary school, he was known as a “geeky kid” and was known for being socially awkward. Bill’s parents decided to put him into a private school, where Paul Allen met Bill Gates. The private school, Lakeside School, gave students access to a ASR-33 teletype, which Bill and Paul began to use and program together. In 1972, Bill was a senior in High School and Paul Allen was a sophomore at Washington State University, and regardless of what school they each went to, they both managed to work on high-end computers with each other. Not too long after, Bill accepted Harvard's invitation. On January 2, 1975, Bill and Paul wrote a letter to MITS, in which they claimed they had an “available” version of BASIC, a microcomputer. Ever since that day, they claimed possession of Microsoft. As Microsoft grew, it began to hire the finest computer engineers, and they did this by asking questions such as “how many people die in Seattle everyday?” on the job interview. The author, Marc Aronson, did a wonderful job introducing and concluding the story, since he gives a brief summary of Microsoft in present-day. For those interested in learning about Bill Gates and his secrets to success, this book is a must.

[Noah · Rating 3 out of 5]

My opinion on this book was kind of bland and sour. I don't enjoy this genera of books and I do not like books in general either but this book did not interest me at all and I only chose the book because Bill Gates was from Washington state which I also come from so that is the main reason that I chose this book. Now it isn't that the book was trash or anything I just do not like the genera of the book but for what it was, it was decent. It wasn't exciting but it showed stuff that I did not know and now if I never need the information I have it. A pro of it was that it made sure it knew what you were talking about so if you were confused on a statement the book said they would give you another that made sense. A con it had was that it was always boring and nothing ever grabbed my attention and didn't make me go "wow" or whatever so that was a con and if I was recommending it to anybody that likes to read probably do not read this book unless you are assigned it or something related to it.

[Hank Cao · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do not recommend this book, unless you would enjoy very informational and biographical books. I personally didn't like the book as much, because I prefer nonfiction more, but I still praise that the book sounds very accurate and provides good information on the person being written about, Bill Gates. In some parts, I had trouble understanding what it meant, because it was so technical, so this book is actually suitable for those computer experts, since Bill Gates was one. Otherwise, this book wasn't too bad. I would recommend it for research, or for just informational reading.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

FICTIONAL NOVEL: In this book, Aronson takes teens on a journey to see the many sides of billionaire Bill Gates. Aronson does not shy away from the good, the bad, and the ugly, starting from Bill's childhood to recent years. In each chapter, he tries to relate the principles back to teens showing them the steps to success. The book was well written and seemed well researched, but just a tad on the boring side. I found myself disliking Bill Gates the more I read it....

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a biography book it was not bad. I personally do not like biographies because I feel that they are boring. However, this book about Bill Gates was pretty interesting to see what kind of a person Bill was. It was really surprising to read that Bill Gates was not much of a humble man and was greedy as well. I did not even think that the man donating billions would have been a rude man. Near the end however, it became boring and was just information. Overall, the book was not bad.

[SOUP DAWG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very intresting book

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked how he explained how bill life. It was an interesting book. It is definitely a close up on a person. I feel like this guy knew bill but just didn't want to fess up to it.

[Amjad Badenjki]

10/17/14

Bill Gates is a Guinness. Bill Gates was the creator of Windows. He had this incredible idea that stunned the world. Bill Gates didn't finish university. Lots of people like Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs and many more got lucky but dropped out of university. In any case, Bill Gates had an idea for Microsoft and it was to create a software.

Bill Gates is the creator of Microsoft. In 1975, Bill Gates purposed an idea for a new software. Sometimes people get lucky and their ideas get listened by important people. It took a while for the idea to spread but Bill Gates started at a small area and got more people and more to help him. Therefore, Bill Gates made an idea for Microsoft.

10/23/14

This book is amazing. The book is a fiction book about Bill Gates and the book has many interesting facts. Some facts you probably don't know. Did you know that Bill Gates idea for microsoft was rejected at 1st because the operating system wasn't good enough for the PC (personal computer). Gates had to find the right operating system which he did. In any case, this book concludes many amazing facts and stories about Gates.

Bill Gates doesn't only made PC's. Bill Gates is also the maker of Xbox consoles. The third generation of consoles are fantastic. Gates just bought the game Minecraft for 2.9 billion yes that's a b dollars. That's a lot of money if you ask me! Therefore, Gates had also bought and made new things other than a PC.

10/31/14

Bill Gates and the Xbox One. The Xbox one is made as a video game console. It has made over one million dollars in the first day. The console war may never end. The Playstation 4 by Sony and the Xbox one by Microsoft war can never end because there is no winner and no one can decide the winner. In all, the Xbox One was a great success to Microsoft even though Sony made more money.

Microsoft v. Apple. Same as the console wars there is a computer war. This war can't decide which computer is best the PC (personal computer) or the Macbook. Both companies are a huge success to the world of technology. The PC has many great games and great performance but the Macbook has better HD (high definition) and great for education. In all, people can't decide which computer is the best.

11/7/14

Bill Gates has an interesting personal life as well. He married Melinda French and has three children. Jennifer Katharine and Pheobe Adele were the daughters and the only boy was Rory John. Gates has this massive house that is over 100 million dollars. Lots of rich people get their own amazing mansion. In all, Gates doesn't only work in Microsoft but he is also known for his personal life.

There is a lot of books about Gates and Microsoft. There isn't only one book for this person. There are a lot of books about a lot of different books that talk about a lot of different topics. Gates also has an auto-biography book. Auto biography is a book about someones life but author is the man we are talking about. Therefore, Gates life isn't private.

11/14/14

Bill Gates is really rich. If Bill Gates was a country, the country would be the 63rd richest country in the world. That demonstrates that Bill Gates is richer than a lot of other countries. Abraham Lincoln, Walt Disney, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs all didn't finish college and got really lucky with their lives because they are all successful and very rich. People can get really lucky. In all, Bill Gates is pretty darn rich.

Bill Gates was also once arrested. Gates was once arrested because of running a red light. Now you may think you wont get arrested but he ran a red light without a license. Gates was driving his dad's car and it was in 1977. Even celebrities steal their dad's cars and run off. Therefore, Gates has a criminal record.

[Fahr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography was a very well structured book in the sense of informational facts. It was packed with statistics and facts about how Bill Gates, the richest man in the world, got to where he was. It also included tips and quotes on how to get to where he was. He started of with nothing but a very small company with a group of friends. At one point a week after his company got listen on the stock market, he wanted to sell all his stocks but instead he kept with his hope of one day making it big. Microsoft now is a powerhouse company and is renowned for their advanced technology and state of the art machinery they produce and sell. Bill Gates who owns Microsoft has a very large income. He believes in giving small companies the chance to get their idea out there and thus invests a lot in companies he believes has a bright future. His company, Microsoft was not invested in and they had to do all the work step by step. He has changed and their is no doubt he will continue to make great, state of the art products with his company, Microsoft.

[Jared · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I read this book I thought to myself how can I do what Gates did? The answer is that I can't. Gates was born in the right place at the right time. When computers first came out he took that interest. But in my generation we can't go about making money the way he did. He created new technology, improved new technology, and shaped the technology world to what it is today. My generation uses the technology that he created on a daily bases. Not only does everyone use what he did create, but people will use whatever he makes because of his company's reputation. This book taught me a lot about Gates' life and how he accomplished what he did. His legacy is one to be remembered, and is still growing. From this book I have learned about how much Gates' contributed to the technology world. If he didn't do what he did some jobs would be a lot harder than they should be.

[Jared S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I read this book I thought to myself how can I do what Gates did? The answer is that I can't. Gates was born in the right place at the right time. When computers first came out he took that interest. But in my generation we can't go about making money the way he did. He created new technology, improved new technology, and shaped the technology world to what it is today. My generation uses the technology that he created on a daily bases. Not only does everyone use what he did create, but people will use whatever he makes because of his company's reputation. This book taught me a lot about Gates' life and how he accomplished what he did. His legacy is one to be remembered, and is still growing. From this book I have learned about how much Gates' contributed to the technology world. If he didn't do what he did some jobs would be a lot harder than they should be.

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Synopsis- This book describes the life of bill gates with it's ups and downs includuing the release of Windows 95 and the death of his best friend Kent. His story of becoming a millionare is all in here. Read more to find out.

Classifacation-Target audience: 14+,male
purpose: information
manner of expression
*medium:novel
*setting: everywhere bill lived
*plot: expressive
*style: informitive

Criticism- this was a ok literature but not the best. I mean it is beliveable, the writing style leavs some to be desired, the difficulty is on a scale of 1 to 5 it was a 3, not very engaging, and is similer to the other texts in the genre.

[Korbin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bill Gates (Up Close) is a very detailed book covering every aspect of Bill Gates' success. It starts when he is a child and slowly progresses into how he fell in love with programming and how he took action on his passion of computers. It is exactly what you want in an autobiography and Marc Aronson did a very good job of collecting information about Bill Gates (Many of which I did not know). However, Marc Aronson could have changed how the first 10 chapters are about success, and maybe tell how he didn't always succeed. Overall, it was an outstanding autobiography and I am looking forward to reading more of Marc Aronson's books.

[Tressa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slim, well-researched biography about Bill Gates and the history of Microsoft. The only history of Microsoft I knew was what I learned from the movie The Pirates of Silicon Valley, so it was nice to learn what happened behind-the-scenes with Bill, Paul Allen, Steve Jobs, and the other now-millionaire nerds who got in on the ground floor of a good thing. It was interesting even to this non-techie.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book captures the life of Bill Gates exceptionally well. Although many people say that this was not a full description for every small detail, keep in mind that this book was written for 12 years & up Obviously Marc Aronson will not go into such detail that the average 6th or 7th grader can handle. I definitely recommend this book to anyone that is interested in Bill Gates or the history of the internet!

[Salsabrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This biography for young people covers the arc of Bill Gates' youth and career, including his current philanthropy. It tells his story by elaborating on themes of how he became the richest man in the world. Chapter one is "Pick the Right Parents"; chapter six is "Get the Best Out of Every Deal." As an introduction to the richest man in the world, readers will get a fairly good picture of the man and his success.

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring....I was hoping this would give us some insight into the 'ADHD' diagnosis and Aspergers that apparently Bill has lived with, successfully. It didn't and if you have been close to the tech. industry you know this story all to well.

The only thing I learned was that is his a father of 3....interesting.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book for young adults was just right for me--as a definitely older adult! Maybe I will read another more complete biography later. The account of Gate's youth was somewhat familiar to me. This book was not hagiography. I wonder how Gates comes across to those who meet him now and work with him on his foundation business. I know such a person. I will ask.

[Trenton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was good and mainly facts. The author didn't show bias and inside the book criticized other Bill Gates biographies then after says to read them. It also mentions a lot about his rich lifestyle.

[Jonesy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bill Gates has a difficult personality. He is not the warm, friendly type of person I enjoy. His wealth is questional. I wasn't impressed or inspired by his life.

[Yogesh]

I need to read it... really

[Noah Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is interesting to read... It is a good biography on Bill Gates. It is cool to learn how bill gates became rich and a Successful person. I do recommend that this book is to be checked out.

[Ezekiel Carsella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the writers style with how he wrote it and the fact a friend of mine was mentioned in it!

[Mohammad Jalili · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accurate foreseen of future
Very informative
good statistics

[Marwa Ormol · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best