My Bookshelf
If you want to read up on malaria, this book is a great place to start. The author covers the whole history of the disease, which—as the title suggests—goes back further than you might think.
Wealth and Capital
Thomas Piketty’s book Capital in the Twenty-First Century caused a stir this summer. It’s a major contribution to the study of inequality—but it has some important flaws too.
Saving Lives Through Crazy Ideas
A decade ago, our foundation launched a program to spark new science that benefits the poor. Today we’re not as far along as I’d hoped, but we’ve learned a lot. Here are a few thoughts on the 10th anniversary of Grand Challenges in Global Health.
Short-Term Crisis, Long-Term Need
One topic dominated my trip to the U.S. East Coast last week: the Ebola virus. The news is highlighting the short-term emergency, but the disease also highlights a long-term need in poor countries.
Impressions of India
Narendra Modi has the country talking about toilets. Considering what a difference they make in saving lives—and how many Indians don’t have one—that’s a great thing.
An Eye for Innovation
Two bright young people came by my office recently to show me a promising project they’re working on. It’s a great case study in what it takes to go from idea to reality.
John Green in Ethiopia
Bestselling author and guest blogger John Green reflects on our visit to Ethiopia. “When we assume that stories about developing world countries will be merely sad,” he writes, “we do ourselves a great disservice.”
On the Subcontinent
Melinda and I are headed to India, whose government has made ambitious commitments in a lot of the areas where our foundation works. Here’s what we hope to learn during our visit.
All In on ALS
Steve Gleason is a former NFL player with ALS. Here’s what he told me about what it will take to stop the disease—and what he’s doing to fight it in the meantime.
Teacher Talk
Washington state’s teacher of the year stopped by my office recently to talk about how we can support educators. Here’s what I learned from her.
Tech in Schools
I recently got to spend time with several apps and websites that could make a difference in education. Here are the ones that I thought were especially promising.
Lessons From School
Melinda recently met with a group of teachers to discuss what gets them excited about their job—and what they struggle with. Six of them shared their favorite lesson plans, too.