Source Code

My Beginnings

By: Bill Gates

Narrated by: Wil Wheaton, Bill Gates

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The origin story of one of the most influential and transformative business leaders and philanthropists of the modern age

“A surprisingly candid memoir of the Microsoft mogul’s early years…Reading this book feels like watching someone take a well-known black-and-white sketch, fill in the details, and paint it in vivid color.”—GeekWire

Everyone is programmed a little differently, and Bill Gates' unique insight led to business triumphs that are now widely known: the twenty-year-old who dropped out of Harvard to start a software company that became an industry giant and changed the way the world works and lives; the billionaire many times over who turned his attention to philanthropic pursuits to address climate change, global health, and U.S. education.

Source Code is not about Microsoft or the Gates Foundation or the future of technology. It’s the human, personal story of how Bill Gates became who he is today: his childhood, his early passions and pursuits. It’s the story of his principled grandmother and ambitious parents, his first deep friendships and the sudden death of his best friend; of his struggles to fit in and his discovery of a world of coding and computers in the dawn of a new era; of embarking in his early teens on a path that took him from midnight escapades at a nearby computer center to his college dorm room, where he sparked a revolution that would change the world.

Bill Gates tells this, his own story, for the first time: wise, warm, revealing, it’s a fascinating portrait of an American life.

©2025 Bill Gates (P)2025 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“A remarkably introspective and personally revealing tour through some of the key moments and experiences that shaped Gates the boy and teenage programming whiz, years before he became a business titan.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“An unexpectedly revealing account of the swirl of factors leading to the birth of Microsoft and the ascent of personal computing.”—The Wall Street Journal

“There is utility to be had … but there is also joy: the joy at marveling at genius coming into focus—confident, watchful, disciplined, exuberant, boyish and prickly—and the joy at watching a door left ajar kicked open wide. Yet the book is more than just that. Subtly, searchingly, always trusting the reader, Gates explores the mysteries of why he of all people became the Bill Gates: not only the first of the world-conquering tech titans of our era but also, in his second act, likely the best of them.”—Bloomberg

Great story with historical significance.

A wonderful book by Bill Gates. I wish he would have told his own story on Audible. Wil Wheaton is a terrible narrator. His voice drops off at the end of each sentence making much of his articulation unintelligible. The next time I see an Audible book narrated by Wil Wheaton I will pass.

Great Narration, But Not the Microsoft Story I Expected

I had been eagerly waiting for Source Code for months after preordering, especially since I had previously read Idea Man and wanted to hear the story from the other side. However, this book is primarily about Bill Gates’ youth rather than a deep dive into Microsoft’s history. While there is a chapter on Microsoft, it plays a relatively minor role in the overall narrative.

The title Source Code is excellent, and in hindsight, the cover featuring a young Bill should have made it clear what the focus would be.

One standout aspect is the narration—Wil Wheaton brings an incredible level of dramatization, which I’ve rarely heard in non-fiction audiobooks. At times, it feels a bit over the top, considering the book is in Bill’s own words, and he isn’t known for being particularly charismatic.

Overall, if you’re looking for insight into Gates’ early life and mindset, this is a great listen. But if you’re hoping for an in-depth Microsoft story or a look at his later life, this isn’t it. Hopefully, Bill has at least two more books in him—one focused entirely on Microsoft and another covering his post-Microsoft journey. I’d pre-order both immediately!

There is always more to someone’s life

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Bill Gates’ childhood stories and his experiences growing up through the beginning of Microsoft. While the content of his book is very interesting, I didn’t enjoy the reader at all. He overdoes it and becomes extremely annoying: I just can’t figure out why this man was selected to read this book. I wish Bill Gates himself would have read it; he does a fine job with the prologue and epilogue.

So interesting

The whole story of Microsoft is fascinating, but I particularly liked
getting to know his parents.

Remarkable

Bill Gates’ determination and hard work were key to his success. His relentless focus on innovation and commitment to learning helped him turn Microsoft into a global leader. I am lucky to live in a generation with genius as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.

Awesome book...

Even though I felt that I was "in the know" about the history of Mr. Gates and Microsoft but I learned so much more about his early ventures and his boyhood relationship with Kent.

Story is great .. narrator annoying

I listed for the story not to hear a show. Very annoying . Gates story was good wish he narrated it .

Such encouragement and upliftment!

It is a captivating and amusing description. I enjoy listening to books while running, as it provides great encouragement for long-distance running. At the same time, I felt extremely happy and grateful: I had the opportunity to understand the origin of Microsoft! How lucky I am! What a great encouragement and motivation! Such encouragement and upliftment!

Excellent book but almost unlistenable

I listen to a lot of business biographies and memoires, and I have been looking forward to Bill Gates' series for quite a while. Source Code: My Beginnings is an entertaining, very personal and enlightening account of Bill Gates' formative years. The book itself is well written, fast paced and informative.

However, Will Wheaton's narration of the audio book is almost unlistenable. I understand his attempt to infuse personality and character into the reading, but he is so over-the-top and dramatic much of the time that I've been tempted to stop listening and just read the hardback. Particularly annoying is Mr. Wheaton's tendency to drop his volume so low at the end of some sentences that you literally cannot hear the words, even in a near-silent electric car. I am a fan of Will Wheaton, the actor, and was looking forward to hearing his production of Source Code, but if he is the reader for the audio book for the next installment of Mr. Gates' memoire, I will be reading instead of listening.

interesting Childhood through Early Microsoft.

i enjoyed the details of the early Microsoft deals. Preparation meets sought out opportunities.

One thing I was not aware of is Microsoft was the base code for the Apple 2, which Apple integrated with Microsoft's code.