Here's what was on Bill Gates' summer reading list

The voracious reader and self-proclaimed "learning nerd" is known to plow through at least one book every week, with a heavy emphasis on business, science and mathematics. And although the summer is (almost) over, his book menu offers plenty of brain fodder for book lovers to absorb in the fall and beyond. Some of Gates' favorite tomes range from the eclectic to the informative, including an 800-page science fiction novel and a 200-page nonfiction book on how moribund Japan can regain its economic mojo. Writing on his personal blog, gatesnotes, Gates said he hoped each selection would inspire readers to "go off the beaten path." "[These] books are simply ones that I loved, made me think in new ways and kept me up reading long past when I should have gone to sleep."