Bill Gates: Billionaire Computer Genius (People to Know) [Library Binding]

Joan D. Dickinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1997 | Age Level: 11 and up | Grade Level: 6 and up | Series: People to Know

Presents a biography of the math whiz kid who grew up to co-found Microsoft, the world's leading computer software firm.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 5-8--This biography will appeal to students with an interest in computers. The author covers Gates's life from his birth in 1955 through "Life as a Billionaire," showing how his incredible personal drive has made him "the richest man in America." The writing style is clear and businesslike, although the various technical terms and names of different software may be confusing to those with little computer experience. Still, Gates's name is practically a household word, and many libraries will want this title. Black-and-white photographs are scattered throughout, and quotes are documented.

Anne Parker, Milton Public Library, MA

Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Library Binding: 104 pages
• Publisher: Enslow Publishers (June 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0894908243
• ISBN-13: 978-0894908248
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,261,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #44 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( G ) > Gates, Bill

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very informative and easy to understand, October 17, 2001

By 

matt (Harrisburg,PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bill Gates: Billionaire Computer Genius (People to Know) (Library Binding)

This biography of Bill Gates had a lot of interesting facts about his entire life. It explained how he got started and how his company evolved. It also told about his family and his college years at Harvard. Many of his friends and associates are mentioned too. The book gave a little bit too much information at times but for the most part it was well-written. The author made Gates' work easy to understand even for someone who doesn't know much about computers. I believe this book would be great for a younger crowd to read but not for someone over 14 or 15. It is just on too low of a reading level. Since the book was written in 1997, it is somewhat outdated also. Other than that I liked the book a lot.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Perfect Biography, January 13, 2008

By 

Fran Drew (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bill Gates: Billionaire Computer Genius (People to Know) (Library Binding)

I bought this book for my son who had to do a biography report on someone. He's in 5th grade and loved this book. He thought it was the perfect choice for a book about Bill Gates. It wasn't too young, but it wasn't too adult and difficult to understand. I'm very glad I made this purchase.

5.0 out of 5 stars BiLL Gates BiLLionare Computer GeNius, December 14, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Bill Gates: Billionaire Computer Genius (People to Know) (Library Binding)

Bill Gates

Billionaire Computer Genius

Joan D. Dickinson

Have you ever dreamed of inventing something all your own and making millions, billions, even trillions of dollars off of it? Imagine being an ordinary school boy from Washington who would soon find him self in an extreme position of power; the richest man on the planet. Bill Gates was born on October 28th, 1955, and raised in Seattle, Washington during his youth and adolescent years. He lived with his mother and father in the suburbs of the city. As a teen, he attended a Lakeside Private School. The school was among the first to have the first computers invented available for student access. To no one's surprise, Bill and a few of his friends were the first to take an interest in these new machines. They signed up to visit the computer lab whenever they could get a chance, simply so they could learn more about these great wonders. Bill was always extremely intelligent in school. He became so skilled at computers and how they work, that he was already a skilled programmer at the age of thirteen.

However, Bill did see a few problems with computers and the way they worked. During the 197o's, computers were a long way away from what they are now. For one, they were the size of a very large room. They were so immense in size that you could actually walk around inside them. And second, if one small part of these machines broke, the whole machine would shut down. After graduating from Lakeside, Bill was enrolled in Harvard University. While there, he created a programming unit of BASIC for microcomputers. However, shortly afterward he dropped out of Harvard to devote of all his time to computer programming. He went out on a limb and began his own company in 1975 called Microsoft. From then on Bill Gates has invented numerous ways to make the personal computer a great experience for everyone. To this day he remains the richest man on the planet. He is the CEO and chairman of the Microsoft Software Company. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in software and technology. It would easily be enjoyed by children ages 9-15.

This book was a very interesting read. Even though most biographies come off as boring, this one struck me by surprise. The author does a great job. The book takes the reader through all of the hard work Bill Gates had to endure to get to where he is today.

Another reason why I enjoyed this book was because of the author's choice of wording. It made the book more enjoyable to read. Also, the author's usage of details in the story made it more interesting.

However, what I didn't like about this book was the fact that it was almost too easy to read. It seemed as though it was meant for an elementary school student. But then again maybe it had to be written that way so that people like me could understand all that computer programming talk.

Overall though, this book was a 10. It was interesting, detailed, got to the point, and was easy to understand. It keeps the reader interested in what task Bill Gates would try to accomplish next. If you like reading about the development of computers, Bill Gates is definitely the person to read about since he had such a significant role in creating the computers we all know and love today.