The book is not high literature and contains no poetry or rhapsody on the beauty of earth or nature. It is a good practical survey of the climate change problem, paired with an array of plausible technology solutions, very much written by an engineer. I liked the way Gates methodically dissected the planet’s use of energy: “How We Plug In, Make Things, Grow Things, Get Around, Keep Cool and Stay Warm”. I also admired Bill’s pragmatic approach: he does not particularly advocate for lower personal consumption, but recognizes that higher consumption is the means to which most of the planet will realize a higher standard of living. Gates advocates for better and cleaner sources of energy, for more efficient agriculture practices, and heating/cooling methods, but he does not suggest that developing nations, for instance, ought to scale back the size and speed of their development. I quite liked this argument, even if the “better and cleaner” sources of energy aren’t yet entirely apparent. I also enjoyed learning Breakthrough Energy’s projects, which are arranged around these 5 themes.
One does get the sense that Bill Gates is deeply interested in using technology to affect positive change, and doing so at scale.