China Daily celebrates World Book Day by talking to more than 30 celebrities and thinkers of various backgrounds about their perspectives on the power of the written word. Each public personality also recommends a favorite book.

Bill Gates

I read a lot, but I don’t always choose what’s on the bestseller list. I read mostly nonfiction because I always want to learn more about how the world works. And reading is how I learn best. More generally, many books tell amazing stories of human ingenuity. It is this ingenuity that helps explain why the world keeps getting better, and why at the end of each year I look forward to the next one with hope and optimism.

Recommendation: Give Smart: Philanthropy that Gets Results by Thomas J. Tierney and Joel L. Fleishman. It presents the first in-depth, expert guide for engaged donors and nonprofit leaders. Everyone wants their giving to count, and this book is a great resource if you want to be sure you are making good choices when you give.

Yi Zhongtian, scholar

Whoever and wherever you are, once you open a book, you’ll find a whole new world opens up for you. Your life will be nourished and inspired from reading, which is at the same time, great fun. I’d say in a practical way, reading might be the thing that requires the minimum input to bring the utmost reward.

Recommendation: Modern Chinese Dictionary

Feng Tang, writer

Fate, fortune , feng shui, virtue and reading.

Recommendation: Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government