This book caught my interest because it was written by Bill Gates, Sr., father of the man the world knows as Bill Gates. I wanted to see his perspective on raising a man who has made such an impact on efficiency in America.I think few of us would argue that Bill Gates has a brilliant mind, and his ideas have changed they way we do business, communicate with each other, and document our history. I was curious if his upbringing had contributed to his brilliant success, or whether it was simply a gift God had given him.
There was a lot in this book that I agreed with, and a lot that I didn’t. “Senior” (as he is affectionately known around the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation) and I have opposing views on abortion and many other life issues, but I did find a lot of common ground with him, which is really the message of the book.
He does use anecdotal stories from his children’s growing up years, but the main message of the book is that we are all intertwined. We could probably survive if we lived isolated lives, but in order to thrive, we must feed off of each others ideas. We must have our weaknesses met by someone else’s strengths. We were created for community, and sharing our lives with other people add richness to life.
Part of this living in community means that in our wealth, we share with those who are poorer than we are. Senior’s particular area of focus is the work of the Gates Foundation, providing immunizations to children in Third World countries. His challenge to us is to find our own area of service, one which is of particular interest to us, one in which we have our own calling. And when you identify that area of service, do it with all that you have in you. Don’t let up until the problem is eradicated. His message is to not ignore people across the world from us, just because it is easy to turn a blind eye to them. If we are to be good global citizens, we have an obligation to reach those no one else cares about.
Speak Your Mind