booksbydorothea: REVIEW - Source Code (audiobook)

Source Code by Bill Gates (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

This audiobook was lovely for the first two-thirds of the book. Bill (AKA Trey by his family) shared about his supportive and loving family including generations of grandparents. He had an All-American upbringing with understanding parents who knew he was different and helped him become who he is today.

Then it dissolved into bits, bites, and chips, OH MY! Once the technical information about early personal computing started, it was boring.

I really liked this audiobook and wanted to love it. But, it just missed the mark for me with all the technical jargon.

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

The writing by Bill was strong. He included anecdotes about his family, childhood, and friends that explained why Bill is Bill.

Narration: 5.0 stars

The narration is by Wil Wheaton who is always incredible! This is a book that I recommend as an audiobook!

Bill did the forward, prologue, and epilogue. He does not have the best voice for narration or the smoothest delivery. It was a brilliant choice to have Wil Wheaton narrate and bring this audiobook to life!

Character Arc: 4.0 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed Bill discussing his childhood in Seattle. He and his sisters had the advantage of college-educated parents in the 1960s who were forward-thinking and progressive. Bill was able to explore his interests which eventually turned into Microsoft due to his privilege of being middle-class, white, and male. This memoir covers his grandparents/parents, childhood, high school and college years, and the nascent Microsoft in New Mexico before landing in Seattle.

Once Bill began programming at Harvard, it was over my head. I didn't understand the programming, but I did appreciate his hard work, creativity, and intelligence.

The programming part of the book is for "nerds" like my husband who knew the history discussed. Since it was so niche-driven, maybe it could have been "dumbed down" for programming illiterates like me. Just a thought.

Memorable: 4.0 stars

The stories that Bill tells about his adventures with his sisters are hysterical. The tornado and rollerskating over the sprinkler were two of my favorites.

Bill was very close to his Grandmother (Grammy) and his parents. He learned the importance of service, work ethic, curiosity, and generosity from all of them. This explains his long-term friendships, strong family ties, and the creation of his foundation.

Entertaining: 4.0 stars

There were many sad, funny, and introspective stories in the audiobook.

But again, I just pushed through the technical parts I didn't understand to enjoy this book.

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Perfect.

Book title: 5.0 stars

On point!

STRONG recommend

STATISTICS

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: audiobook

Source Code by Bill Gates

Random House Audio