Showing Up for Life
Thoughts on the Gifts of a Lifetime
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Showing Up for Life
Buy for $11.25
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Patrick Egan
-
Bill Gates Sr.
-
By:
-
Bill Gates Sr.
About this listen
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 listeners 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.
©2009 Bill Gates (P)2009 Random HouseListeners also enjoyed...
-
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
- The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need
- By: Bill Gates
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton, Bill Gates
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,624
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,894
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,861
Bill Gates shares what he's learned in more than a decade of studying climate change and investing in innovations to address the problems, and sets out a vision for how the world can build the tools it needs to get to zero greenhouse gas emissions. Bill Gates explains why he cares so deeply about climate change and what makes him optimistic that the world can avoid the most dire effects of the climate crisis. Gates says, "We can work on a local, national, and global level to build the technologies, businesses, and industries to avoid the worst impacts of climate change."
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Be curious, not furious
- By Axel Merk on 02-20-21
By: Bill Gates
-
The Road Ahead
- By: Bill Gates
- Narrated by: Rick Adamson, Bill Gates
- Length: 2 hrs and 59 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 79
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 60
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 59
Bill Gates, whose vision of the personal computer propelled Microsoft into one of the world's leading companies, astonished the business community in 1996 by abruptly reinventing his entire company around the Internet. He explains why the Internet has revolutionized not just Microsoft but everything else too - and at a faster pace than even he had anticipated.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
This book is no longer relevant
- By Krishna Aleti on 01-26-15
By: Bill Gates
-
How to Prevent the Next Pandemic
- By: Bill Gates
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton, Bill Gates
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 123
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 105
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 105
The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t over. But even as governments around the world try to get it under control, they’re also starting to talk about what happens next. How can we prevent another pandemic from killing millions of people and devastating the global economy? Can we even hope to accomplish this? Bill Gates believes the answer is yes, and he has written a largely upbeat book that lays out clearly and convincingly what the world should learn from COVID-19, explains the science of fighting pandemics, and suggests what all of us can do to help prevent another one.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
excellent in-depth review of pandemics
- By Do42 on 05-21-22
By: Bill Gates
-
Elon Musk
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb, Walter Isaacson
- Length: 20 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 8,700
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 7,557
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 7,550
When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
megalomania on display
- By JP on 09-12-23
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Rationality
- What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters
- By: Steven Pinker
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,122
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 929
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 914
In the 21st century, humanity is reaching new heights of scientific understanding - and at the same time appears to be losing its mind. How can a species that developed vaccines for COVID-19 in less than a year produce so much fake news, medical quackery, and conspiracy theorizing? Pinker rejects the cynical cliché that humans are an irrational species - cavemen out of time saddled with biases, fallacies, and illusions.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Steven Pinker's Frozen Worldview from the 90s
- By Ryan Booth on 11-12-21
By: Steven Pinker
-
Trillion Dollar Coach
- The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley's Bill Campbell
- By: Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, Alan Eagle
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,439
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,489
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,479
The team behind How Google Works returns with management lessons from legendary coach and business executive Bill Campbell, whose mentoring of some of our most successful modern entrepreneurs has helped create well over a trillion dollars in market value. Bill Campbell played an instrumental role in the growth of several prominent companies, such as Google, Apple, and Intuit, fostering deep relationships with Silicon Valley visionaries, including Steve Jobs, Larry Page, and Eric Schmidt.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
This is a eulogy, not a "playbook."
- By intangiblereverie on 04-17-19
By: Eric Schmidt, and others
-
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
- The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need
- By: Bill Gates
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton, Bill Gates
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,624
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,894
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,861
Bill Gates shares what he's learned in more than a decade of studying climate change and investing in innovations to address the problems, and sets out a vision for how the world can build the tools it needs to get to zero greenhouse gas emissions. Bill Gates explains why he cares so deeply about climate change and what makes him optimistic that the world can avoid the most dire effects of the climate crisis. Gates says, "We can work on a local, national, and global level to build the technologies, businesses, and industries to avoid the worst impacts of climate change."
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Be curious, not furious
- By Axel Merk on 02-20-21
By: Bill Gates
-
The Road Ahead
- By: Bill Gates
- Narrated by: Rick Adamson, Bill Gates
- Length: 2 hrs and 59 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 79
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 60
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 59
Bill Gates, whose vision of the personal computer propelled Microsoft into one of the world's leading companies, astonished the business community in 1996 by abruptly reinventing his entire company around the Internet. He explains why the Internet has revolutionized not just Microsoft but everything else too - and at a faster pace than even he had anticipated.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
This book is no longer relevant
- By Krishna Aleti on 01-26-15
By: Bill Gates
-
How to Prevent the Next Pandemic
- By: Bill Gates
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton, Bill Gates
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 123
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 105
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 105
The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t over. But even as governments around the world try to get it under control, they’re also starting to talk about what happens next. How can we prevent another pandemic from killing millions of people and devastating the global economy? Can we even hope to accomplish this? Bill Gates believes the answer is yes, and he has written a largely upbeat book that lays out clearly and convincingly what the world should learn from COVID-19, explains the science of fighting pandemics, and suggests what all of us can do to help prevent another one.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
excellent in-depth review of pandemics
- By Do42 on 05-21-22
By: Bill Gates
-
Elon Musk
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb, Walter Isaacson
- Length: 20 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 8,700
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 7,557
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 7,550
When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
megalomania on display
- By JP on 09-12-23
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Rationality
- What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters
- By: Steven Pinker
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,122
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 929
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 914
In the 21st century, humanity is reaching new heights of scientific understanding - and at the same time appears to be losing its mind. How can a species that developed vaccines for COVID-19 in less than a year produce so much fake news, medical quackery, and conspiracy theorizing? Pinker rejects the cynical cliché that humans are an irrational species - cavemen out of time saddled with biases, fallacies, and illusions.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Steven Pinker's Frozen Worldview from the 90s
- By Ryan Booth on 11-12-21
By: Steven Pinker
-
Trillion Dollar Coach
- The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley's Bill Campbell
- By: Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, Alan Eagle
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,439
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,489
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,479
The team behind How Google Works returns with management lessons from legendary coach and business executive Bill Campbell, whose mentoring of some of our most successful modern entrepreneurs has helped create well over a trillion dollars in market value. Bill Campbell played an instrumental role in the growth of several prominent companies, such as Google, Apple, and Intuit, fostering deep relationships with Silicon Valley visionaries, including Steve Jobs, Larry Page, and Eric Schmidt.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
This is a eulogy, not a "playbook."
- By intangiblereverie on 04-17-19
By: Eric Schmidt, and others
-
How the World Really Works
- The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We're Going
- By: Vaclav Smil
- Narrated by: Stephen Perring
- Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,044
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 871
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 863
We have never had so much information at our fingertips and yet most of us don’t know how the world really works. This book explains seven of the most fundamental realities governing our survival and prosperity. From energy and food production, through our material world and its globalization, to risks, our environment and its future, How the World Really Works offers a much-needed reality check—because before we can tackle problems effectively, we must understand the facts.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Let me save you a credit: progress is hard
- By Dalton on 06-06-22
By: Vaclav Smil
-
A Promised Land
- By: Barack Obama
- Narrated by: Barack Obama
- Length: 29 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 55,292
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 47,748
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 47,399
In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency - a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Color me grateful.
- By Angela on 11-19-20
By: Barack Obama
-
Invent and Wander
- The Collected Writings of Jeff Bezos, with an Introduction by Walter Isaacson
- By: Jeff Bezos, Walter Isaacson - introduction
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 667
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 564
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 563
In this collection of Jeff Bezos' writings - his unique and strikingly original annual shareholder letters, plus numerous speeches and interviews that provide insight into his background, his work, and the evolution of his ideas - you'll gain an insider's view of the why and how of his success. Spanning a range of topics across business and public policy, from innovation and customer obsession to climate change and outer space, this book provides a rare glimpse into how Bezos thinks about the world and where the future might take us.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Do the right thing.
- By FULL Creative on 12-06-20
By: Jeff Bezos, and others
-
The Hard Thing About Hard Things
- Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers
- By: Ben Horowitz
- Narrated by: Kevin Kenerly
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 14,541
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 12,292
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 12,237
Ben Horowitz offers essential advice on building and running a startup - practical wisdom for managing the toughest problems business school doesn’t cover, based on his popular ben’s blog. While many people talk about how great it is to start a business, very few are honest about how difficult it is to run one. The Hard Thing About Hard Things is invaluable for veteran entrepreneurs as well as those aspiring to their own new ventures, drawing from Horowitz’s personal and often humbling experiences.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
For large company managers, not startups
- By Thomas on 03-18-14
By: Ben Horowitz
-
Zero to One
- Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future
- By: Peter Thiel, Blake Masters
- Narrated by: Blake Masters
- Length: 4 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 24,447
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 20,345
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 20,250
The great secret of our time is that there are still uncharted frontiers to explore and new inventions to create. In Zero to One, legendary entrepreneur and investor Peter Thiel shows how we can find singular ways to create those new things.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Seems Insightful Until You Think A Little Deeper
- By Mark Brandon on 10-31-14
By: Peter Thiel, and others
-
Principles for Navigating Big Debt Crises
- By: Ray Dalio
- Narrated by: Stephen Graybill
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 140
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 112
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 112
As he explained in his #1 New York Times bestseller Principles, Ray Dalio believes that most everything happens over and over again through time so that by studying patterns one can understand the cause-effect relationships behind events and develop principles for dealing with them well. In this three-part research series, he does just that for big debt crises and shares his template in the hopes of reducing the chances of big debt crises happening and helping them be better managed in the future.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting book
- By Mark on 02-06-23
By: Ray Dalio
-
The Snowball
- Warren Buffett and the Business of Life
- By: Alice Schroeder
- Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
- Length: 36 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7,474
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6,316
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6,297
Here is THE book recounting the life and times of one of the most respected men in the world, Warren Buffett. The legendary Omaha investor has never written a memoir, but now he has allowed one writer, Alice Schroeder, unprecedented access to explore directly with him and with those closest to him his work, opinions, struggles, triumphs, follies, and wisdom. The result is the personally revealing and complete biography of the man known everywhere as "The Oracle of Omaha."
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
2,220 well-invested minutes!
- By BogKid on 01-07-09
By: Alice Schroeder
-
Measure What Matters
- How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs
- By: John Doerr, Larry Page - foreword
- Narrated by: John Doerr, full cast, Julia Collins, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 6,703
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5,621
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,584
In Measure What Matters, Doerr shares a broad range of first-person, behind-the-scenes case studies, with narrators including Bono and Bill Gates, to demonstrate the focus, agility, and explosive growth that the Objectives and Key Results system has spurred at so many great organizations. This book will help a new generation of leaders capture the same magic.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Last chapter covers what matters most
- By Dan Richards on 06-08-18
By: John Doerr, and others
-
The Moment of Lift
- How Empowering Women Changes the World
- By: Melinda French Gates
- Narrated by: Melinda French Gates
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 5,887
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 5,053
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 5,021
How can we summon a moment of lift for human beings - and especially for women? Because, when you lift up women, you lift up humanity. For the last 20 years, Melinda Gates has been on a mission to find solutions for people with the most urgent needs, wherever they live. Throughout this journey, one thing has become increasingly clear to her: If you want to lift society up, you need to stop keeping women down.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Phenomenal Book, Absolute Gem
- By D. Sooley on 04-28-19
-
The Outsiders
- Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success
- By: William N. Thorndike
- Narrated by: Brian Troxell
- Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,688
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,217
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,205
In The Outsiders, you'll learn the traits and methods striking for their consistency and relentless rationality that helped these unique leaders achieve such exceptional performance. Humble, unassuming, and often frugal, these "outsiders" shunned Wall Street and the press, and shied away from the hottest new management trends. Instead, they shared specific traits that put them and the companies they led on winning trajectories: a laser-sharp focus on per share value as opposed to earnings or sales growth; an exceptional talent for allocating capital and human resources; and the belief that cash flow, not reported earnings, determines a company's long-term value.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great summary of the 8 CEOs, lessons to learn from
- By Jason S on 09-04-19
-
Bill Gates: The Life, Lessons & Rules for Success
- By: Influential Individuals
- Narrated by: David Margittai
- Length: 1 hr and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 72
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 62
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 61
Bill Gates is the most influential and recognizable name in the technology industry to date. He's a business magnate, avid investor, big philanthropist, and author of multiple books. He has made it into the top 0.1 percent and it would be an understatement to say Bill Gates is a success story. Some of his greatest moments arose on this journey to success and through studying his journey; it can help us better walk our own path. This book will take you through his successes, failures and teachable moments providing the key principles we can incorporate into our own lives for results.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Bill Gates is a suitable exemplary for our youth
- By apollonia blumauer on 08-19-23
-
The Art of Happiness
- By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Howard C. Cutler MD
- Narrated by: Howard C. Cutler MD
- Length: 3 hrs and 18 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,573
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,506
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,472
The Dalai Lama will tell you that happiness is the purpose of life, and that "the very motion of our life is toward happiness." How to get there has always been the question. With the help of a psychiatrist, he now gets the message across in a context we can easily understand.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Great ideas...poorly read.
- By John on 08-29-04
By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and others
Critic reviews
"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." (Jimmy Carter)
"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)
Forever Relevant
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Inspiring listening
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Read it
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Where does Showing Up for Life rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I wasn't too keen on the reader, in fact, most of the time I found myself spacing out due to the reader's monotone voice. However, the content was fairly good (the last few paragraphs are the best!). I'd rank this in the middle.What other book might you compare Showing Up for Life to and why?
N/A.What do you think the narrator could have done better?
The pace was perfect, but the level of excitement or any fluctuation in the his voice bored me.Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
NoAny additional comments?
I'd recommend it, the main point is exactly what the title is referring to. "Showing up" and how to show up, examples of when people show up and how it can really alter and enhance one's life. I loved the stories, especially hearing about Gammi.Last Paragraph is the BEST PART!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
As a conservative reader...
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It's short and either not very deep or I am too young to appreciate the depth. For now I'll assume the former.
Disappointed
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
some helpful nuggets
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
What disappointed you about Showing Up for Life?
The book wasn't very organized. It didn't have much in usable material. It was mostly just a man bragging about how his family was raised. This wouldn't even be anywhere on the radar if it didn't have the last name of Gates on the cover.How could the performance have been better?
Um.. The material was bad enough I doubt the performance would matter.Any additional comments?
Pass on this one.Boring, disorganized and not inspiring
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.