Bill Gates gives a book to every US student graduating in 2018

What does every college graduate need? According to Bill Gates, it's a compendium of statistics. This summer, the software billionaire is set to give a copy of the late Hans Rosling's Factfulness to every student graduating from a US college.

Published in April, the book lays out Mr Rosling’s argument that the world is actually in a much better state than we think.

The Swedish doctor and professor of international health was working on the book when he died of cancer last year; Mr Gates says he even brought chapters with him in the ambulance to the hospital.

Mr Gates appears on the inside cover, calling it “one of the most important books I’ve ever read – an indispensable guide to thinking clearly about the world”.

Musk sticks to his guns on Tesla’s short-term production and financial targets

---

US strikes $1bn deal with China’s ZTE to lift sanctions

---

Facebook fan page operator has privacy responsibilities - EU court

---

BT’s chief executive Gavin Patterson to step down

---

And now he has invited the 4 million students due to graduate in 2018 to download a free digital copy of the book from his website.

“If you’re getting a degree from a US college this spring, I have a present for you. It’s a book. (No surprise there. Books are my go-to gift),” Gates announced on his blog.

“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.”

Gates added that he hoped readers would take to heart Mr Rosling’s suggestion that a “fact-based worldview” shows that “the world is not as bad as it seems – and we can see what we have to do to keep making it better”. – Guardian News and Media 2018