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Showing Up for Life: Thoughts on the Gifts of a Lifetime Audiobook
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(3.08) - 277 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
A heartfelt, deeply personal book, Showing Up for Life shines a bright light on the values and principles that Bill Gates Sr. has learned over a lifetime of “showing up” — lessons that he learned growing up in the Great Depression, and which he instilled in his children and continues to practice on the world stage as the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Through the course of several dozen narratives arranged in roughly chronological fashion, Gates introduces the people and experiences that influenced his thinking and guided his moral compass. Among them: the scoutmaster who taught him about teamwork and self reliance; his famous son, Trey, whose curiosity and passion for computers and software led him to ultimately co-found Microsoft. Through revealing stories of his daughters, Kristi and Libby; his late wife Mary, and his current wife Mimi; and his work with Nelson Mandela and Jimmy Carter, among others, he discusses the importance of hard work, getting along, honoring a confidence, speaking out, and much more.
Showing Up for Life translates one man’s experiences over four score years of living into an inspiring road map for readers everywhere.
As Bill Gates Sr. puts it:
I’m 83 years old. Representing the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and everyone who is a part of it has given me the opportunity to see more of the world and its rich possibilities than most people ever do. I never imagined that I’d be working this late in life, or enjoying it so much.
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"Bill Gates Senior writes about his life and his parenting experiences bringing up Bill Gates Jr. among other things. It's a very wise and insightful book written by a man now in his 80's who fathered one of the most successful men in the world. Senior has such optimism and shares such hope during a time when we need leaders with wisdom, I'm grateful he shared those thoughts in this little book."
— Gail (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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Bill Gates Sr. does more than just show up in this charming and instructive guide to a good life. He shares lessons learned as a husband, a father, a lawyer, a philanthropist and a citizen. Showing up for life is a gift of great value.
— Tom Brokaw -
Bill Gates Sr. is a wonderful example of what it means to be a global citizen, teaching us how we can work together for a more just and fair society.
— President Jimmy Carter -
Bill Senior is as wise as his son is brilliant. I’ve learned a lot from both of them and believe everyone can benefit from the insights Bill Senior shares in this book.
— Warren Buffett
Showing Up for Life Listener Reviews
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" Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars for me. Quick easy read. Could've gone without him injecting his political opinions 3/4 of the way in but it is his book, so oh well "
— Courtney, 2/14/2014 -
" Bill Gates Sr. is an impressive person. Smart, reasonable, real. Liked this - motivating. "
— Sara, 2/11/2014 -
" This book is a very fast read. It is a series of anecdotes or mini-portraits of people who have been important in Gates Sr's life. There were lots of lessons about living and setting a moral compass for one's life. There was also some good commentary on raising children. Still, it was a bit bland for my style and mostly good sense anyway. The strongest writing came in his descriptions of people. "
— Brenda, 2/5/2014 -
" Great life lessons in this book. I dindn't agree with all his social policy views, but definately a wise, hard-working and gracious man. I highly recommend it! "
— Elizabeth, 1/15/2014 -
" This book was pretty good. I read it for a book club and thought it was going to a rich man bragging about his good life but it turned out to be much more. It really gave me some things to think on and some ideas to makes some changes for the better. "
— Andrea, 1/9/2014 -
" A great quick read with some fun stories and anecdotes. "
— Rebecca, 1/5/2014 -
" Really an awesome book about living life. "
— Dave, 1/5/2014 -
" an ok read...best done on a day when you've read everything else available...chatty style..with some interesting insights into thought processess and results. Not a book I'd read a second time "
— Dayna, 12/8/2013 -
" Such a pleasant little book. Makes you feel like you're getting solid advice from grandparents you may or may not have had. "
— Heather, 12/2/2013 -
" I confess...I read about 30 pages and skipped thru the rest. "
— Lucy, 4/4/2013 -
" I enjoy this warm encouraging glimpse into a family that habitually serves their community and country, as well as parenting the phenomenally successful founder of Microsoft. "
— Scipolone, 10/1/2012 -
" A very charming book by Bill Gates' father - no wonder Bill Gates Jr. turned out to be such a good guy! Gives interesting insights into their family values & philosophy of life. "
— Luise, 9/23/2012 -
" A very easy read written by Bill Gates Sr. It's a short "how to" for life that doesn't introduce any earth-shattering concepts, but I found it enjoyable all the same. I found myself liking the Gates family; sentiments that may perhaps trickle down to my views on the evil Microsoft empire. (maybe) "
— Gary, 1/31/2012 -
" Listened to CD's in car. Bill Gates' father. Interesting, made a lot of good points. "
— Barb, 12/31/2011 -
" simple read...lessons about "showing up" for life...thought provoking. "
— Karen, 12/29/2011 -
" One needs to listen to this book instead of read it. It changed my view of giving. "
— Magnonia, 7/5/2011 -
" Like spending a sunny afternoon on the porch talking with Bill Gates, Sr. Short conversational essays on his life's observations and timeless tips. Starts out slowly but gets meatier further along. "
— Sabkymom, 5/4/2011 -
" An example of a life well-spent. "
— Beth, 4/17/2011 -
" A good sampling of "old fashioned values" wisdom and how it can apply to any era. Now I know where the 'I see you" lines in the movie Avatar came from. "
— Lori, 3/22/2011 -
" Like spending a sunny afternoon on the porch talking with Bill Gates, Sr. Short conversational essays on his life's observations and timeless tips. Starts out slowly but gets meatier further along. "
— Sabkymom, 2/13/2011 -
" so so. I saw him interviewed by Charlie Rose and thought the book would be good. "
— Matt, 12/10/2010 -
" What a nice man. Plus it is comforting to hear the thoughts of the father or a quirky but successful adult--it helps keep things in prospective. "
— Emily, 12/4/2010 -
" Bill Gates Sr. is an impressive person. Smart, reasonable, real. Liked this - motivating. "
— Sara, 11/6/2010 -
" Really an awesome book about living life. "
— Dave, 10/27/2010 -
" simple read...lessons about "showing up" for life...thought provoking. "
— Karen, 7/27/2010 -
" This was an amazing book, made me think about a lot of things and it inspired me as well. "
— Linda, 7/20/2010 -
" I confess...I read about 30 pages and skipped thru the rest. "
— Lbrandenburg, 6/23/2010 -
" Such a pleasant little book. Makes you feel like you're getting solid advice from grandparents you may or may not have had. "
— Heather, 6/11/2010 -
" I am about a third of this guy's age, and I cannot imagine what it would be like to have the mental energy to do all of the things that he and his family do! It's a great book if you'd like to learn how to be more involved in the community and the world. "
— Ruth, 5/14/2010 -
" Great life lessons in this book. I dindn't agree with all his social policy views, but definately a wise, hard-working and gracious man. I highly recommend it! "
— Elizabeth, 4/18/2010 -
" This book was pretty good. I read it for a book club and thought it was going to a rich man bragging about his good life but it turned out to be much more. It really gave me some things to think on and some ideas to makes some changes for the better. "
— Andrea, 2/7/2010
About the Authors
Bill Gates Sr. is a prominent lawyer, civil activist, and philanthropist. He is co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and lives in Seattle.
About Bill Gates
Patrick Egan is an audiobook narrator whose readings include Miguel Nicolelis’ Beyond Boundaries, Peter Guber’s Tell to Win, Harvey Sachs’ The Ninth, and numerous others.