Source Code is the True Autobio of Bill Gates
I have read many books written by Bill Gates and others about Microsoft and himself, including:
- Books by Bill Gates: The Road Ahead, The Speed of Thought
- Books about the early history of Microsoft: Microsoft Secrets, The Secret Diary of Bill Gates—A Parody
- A film about the early history of Microsoft: Pirates of Silicon Valley
Only Source Code can be considered Bill Gates’ autobiography.
Reasons for recommending Source Code:
- It is Bill Gates’ own autobiography.
- Before this book, books and films on the market either completely ignored Bill Gates’ childhood, high school years, working life, and the details before founding Microsoft and his collaboration with IBM, or only briefly mentioned them. This book is the most detailed account I’ve read of Bill Gates’ life before he truly became famous.
- As of October 2025, it boasts a 4.7 rating on Amazon with over 3,000 reviews, making it a highly regarded book.
The book’s greatest value
The value of this book lies in its portrayal of the early days of Microsoft.
Paul Allen, older than Bill Gates, had a profound understanding of the computer industry at the time. He also conceived the idea of writing software for other companies. Furthermore, Allen was working full-time, while Gates was studying at Harvard and working part-time. But why, after three revisions to the agreement, did Allen agree to split the company’s shares from 50/50 to 40%, and finally to only 36%?
In this book, Bill Gates clearly explains how he came into contact with computers, mathematics, business, and law. The book details his relationships with several close friends from his teenage years, how they divided tasks and leveraged their strengths, how they parted ways, and ultimately why only Paul remained as a co-founder of Microsoft.
Before Bill Gates started working for others and achieved fame, before Microsoft moved to Seattle, the book provides a comprehensive description of the future of software, business models, litigation, project execution, contract drafting, company planning, personnel issues—problems faced by startups and all businesses—and how he confronted and overcame them. It is a treasure trove for any aspiring entrepreneur.
Closing words
Chapters 10 to 14 are the essence of this book.
However, I personally believe there will be a sequel, because Bill Gates only writes about the time before Microsoft moved to Seattle; he makes no mention of the period after Microsoft’s relocation and subsequent meteoric rise to prominence.
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