Showing Up for Life: Thoughts on the Gifts of a Lifetime

Bill Gates, Sr. · Mary Ann Mackin

Apr 2009 · Sold by Crown Currency

About this ebook

A heartfelt, deeply personal book that 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 during the Great Depression, and that 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; and 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 fourscore years of living into an inspiring road map for readers 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."

Ratings and reviews

A friend of mine told me some of the anecdotes she liked in this book it got me interested. When I found it in the self help section I almost didn't get it. I'm very glad I did. Its not what I expected but it is for sure a very intelligent man sharing his thoughts, experience and wisdom. I learned a while ago that when an older man tries to tell me something I should listen with an open mind even if I don't exactly see eye to eye with everything he is saying. This book is really autobiographical and is worth reading for that alone. After reading it I have started to get involved more in things going on around me and the rewards for showing up come back quickly. I recommend it for everyone.

There are truly giants among us who are willing to take the time to share a universal formula for successful living. Bill Gates, Sr. can stand side by side with John Templeton. Both are extraordinary men who have lived extraordinary lives that have given them extraordinary wisdom. Thank you for sharing, it is a wonderful gift.

About the author

Bill Gates, Sr., a prominent lawyer, civil activist, and philanthropist, was co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He first answered his son’s request for help in using his resources to improve reproductive and child health in the developing world by directing the William H. Gates Foundation, which was established in 1994. It merged with the Gates Learning Foundation to create the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000. Gates and his late wife, Mary Maxwell Gates, raised three children: Kristianne, Bill, and Libby. He remarried in 1996, to Mimi Gardner Gates, and continued his lifelong commitment to many civic programs, cultural organizations, and business initiatives. Bill Gates, Sr., died in September 2020.

Mary Ann Mackin provides speechwriting services to CEOs of foundations and corporations in a number of industries.