Here's the present Bill Gates is giving to the entire class of 2018

Photo by Darren McCollester

Bill Gates

As an avid reader, it's only fitting that Bill Gates is giving every member of the class of 2018 a book — specifically, a copy of his favorite read of 2018: "Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World — and Why Things Are Better Than You Think."

Anyone earning an associate's, bachelor's or post-graduate degree from an accredited college or university in the U.S. can download a free copy on Gates Notes starting at 11 a.m. ET on June 5. The book will be delivered in .epub format.

Written by Gates' late friend, the Swedish statistician and global health expert Hans Rosling, "Factfulness" stresses how personal instincts can influence the way we interpret information and offers a different framework for how to view the world.

"Although I think everyone should read it, it has especially useful insights for anyone who's making the leap out of college and into the next phase of life," says Gates.

"I've been recommending this book since the day it came out," the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft writes in a review on his blog: "Hans, the brilliant global-health lecturer who died last year, gives you a breakthrough way of understanding basic truths about the world — how life is getting better, and where the world still needs to improve. And he weaves in unforgettable anecdotes from his life. It's a fitting final word from a brilliant man, and one of the best books I've ever read."

The world would be better, he adds, "if literally millions of people read the book."

Now, millions of college grads will be able to read it for free. The download will be available for the next two to three days.

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