Source Code Audiobook By Bill Gates cover art

Source Code

My Beginnings

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Source Code

By: Bill Gates
Narrated by: Wil Wheaton, Bill Gates
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About this listen

#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
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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

Engaging Life Story • Detailed Childhood Account • Engaging Narration • Fascinating Origin Story • Insightful Memoir
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Interesting story, but poorly narrated. Narrator regularly dropped his voice at the end of sentences, making the final word or words nearly impossible to hear, particularly if you are in a car or noisy environment. Too bad.

Interesting story, poorly read.

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Wow, I did not expect the level of details and personal insights shared by Bill Gates. The book grabbed me from the start and had me reluctant to put it down all the way through the epilogue. To me, this was one of the top ten books I have ever read … and the most enjoyable. I highly recommend this book!

Engaging from start to finish

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Clown narrator... oh my... the story is well worth, but narrator is a joke, so teathric

terrible narration

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Very interesting and insightful into what drove Bill Gates and the opportunities he pursued. Also a fascinating look at the birth and growth of what became the personal computer.

Great Story

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A wonderful treaty on how a child’s formative years shape the person they become. Kudos to Bill Gates in drawing that connection for us to see and better understand his foundation.

A Humble Genius

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I’m so glad to finally know his life story. I have heard it’s good to read famous people’s autobiographies. Especially the ones you admire. It’s like crawling inside their minds. My first computer was a Windows 3.1, 56K modem, 512KB HD. Boy, is that thing a dinosaur!

Bill Gates changed my life!

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It’s truly amazing the events that unfolded to get Bill Gates to where he is. There is no way he could become who he is without the opportunities that fell his way. Not to take away from his skill and knowledge, but that combined with a little luck really drove it.
I’ve listened to close to a dozen Wil Wheaton narrations. He is actually my favorite narrator and I choose books largely based on his narration. The reviews stating he performs poorly here are not completely accurate. I noticed tailing off audio and completely missed words. I think there is a problem with how this recording was mastered. The audio was a bit off. Nevertheless, a great listen. It may make my rare list of repeat listens.

The Events That Led to Success Were Amazing

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I thought this might be a long read and wondered if I would find it interesting, especially once I realized the book only follows Bill from birth up until Microsoft’s move to Seattle. I was wrong—this is a really good, funny, and heartwarming audiobook.

As a seasoned developer myself, Bill Gates has always been a name I’ve both loved and hated at times, but his story is absolutely worth the time.

I was especially touched by the stories about his childhood friend, Kent Evans. I hadn’t heard of Kent before, but the way Bill spoke about him brought their friendship vividly to life. I laughed out loud at some of the stories—they clearly had a lot of fun together, and Kent seemed like quite the character. It’s incredibly moving to see how deeply Bill still values that friendship and honors Kent’s memory all these years later. I imagine Kent’s family must feel both proud and comforted knowing how warmly and publicly Bill remembers him. It honestly brought a tear to my eye. I also appreciated the epilogue and the touching encounter with Kent's father many years later.

A great listen for anyone interested in the origins of computers, Microsoft, or simply a human story told with honesty and heart.

Laughter, Loss, and Legacy in Bill Gates’ Story

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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 story with historical significance.

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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!

Great Narration, But Not the Microsoft Story I Expected

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