Bill Gates' 5 Favorite Books of 2014 Recommended to him by Warren Buffett, Gates calls 'Business Adventures' by John Brooks the best business book he's ever read.

By Geoff Weiss

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

JStone | Shutterstock.com
Bill Gates

Looking for an especially entrepreneurial gift idea this holiday season? Bill Gates has got you covered.

In a brand new blog post, the billionaire inventor and philanthropist has shared his five favorite books of 2014 -- many of which touch on today's prevailing economic issues and business trends.

Gates calls Business Adventures by John Brooks, for instance, "the best business book I've ever read." Given to Gates by Warren Buffett, the out-of-print collection of New Yorker articles from the 1960s hones in on different case studies -- price-fixing at General Electric, the flop of the Ford Edsel and missteps at Xerox, to name a few -- in order to teach greater strategic lessons.

Gates also calls How Asia Works by Joe Studwell one of the best -- and most aptly-timed -- reads of 2014. As China recently surpassed the U.S. to become the world's largest economy, Gates says the book aims to answer "why some of the continent's countries [Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and China] grew so fast while others languished."

Related: Bill Gates: Bitcoin Is 'Better Than Currency'

And it would be hard to compile any list of the best business books of the year without mentioning Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century -- which "sparked a fantastic global discussion this year about inequality," Gates writes. While Gates does differ on certain "secondary points and policy prescriptions" offered by Piketty, he agrees with the book's basic premise: "that inequality is a growing problem and governments should play a role in reducing it."

Rounding out Gates' holiday reading list is Vaclav Smil's Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization, which details "how our ability to make things with less material -- say, soda cans that need less aluminum -- makes them cheaper, which actually encourages more production."

Gates has also included his favorite novel of the year, The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simison, which is a love story. For the full rundown, check out his blog post here.

Related: Bill Gates' Solution to Income Inequality

Geoff Weiss

Former Staff Writer

Geoff Weiss is a former staff writer at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Buying / Investing in Business

Former Zillow Execs Target $1.3T Market

Co-ownership is creating big opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Side Hustle

She Quit Her Job at Trader Joe's After Starting a Side Hustle With $800 — Then She and Her Brother Grew the Business to $20 Million

Jaime Holm and Matt Hannula teamed up to build a business in an industry that "didn't exist" yet.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Growing a Business

This Local Bakery Has Lines Out the Door. Here Are the Secrets to Its Success.

Known for its viral flat croissants and innovative desserts, Alexander's Patisserie also excels in hands-on leadership and team culture.

Business News

Microsoft Is Laying Off Over 6,000 Employees, About 3% of Its Workforce. Here's Why.

The company said the cuts will affect all divisions and locations, with a focus on managers.

Business News

Nissan Is Doubling Its Initial Layoff Announcement, Cutting 20,000 Jobs: 'A Wake-Up Call'

The automaker is dealing with slowing sales and a recent failed merger with Honda.