Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What was your perception of Bill Gates before you read this memoir? How did the memoir change that perspective?

2. How does this book compare to other histories of tech founders, like Water Isaacson’s biographies Steve Jobs or Elon Musk?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Gates faced several challenges over the course of the events described in the memoir, such as the death of his friend Kent Evans and his administrative hearing at Harvard. What emotions did these scenes evoke as you were reading?

2. What were your first experiences with a computer? How have computers changed over your lifetime?

3. Gates grew to love computer engineering because of the challenges it presents. Have you ever been similarly challenged by a work or school project? Did it make the project more or less enjoyable?

4. How would you respond if your child or friend wanted to drop out of college to pursue their dreams? Do you think Gates’s experience is a reliable model for others to follow?