David: “What do you read?”, Gates: “The Economist, every page. Also The Wall Street Journal and Business Week. And I read Time. If I’m traveling, every once in a while I’ll pick up an issue of People. I read USA Today.
Gates describes a regular reading habit centred on newspapers and magazines covering economics, business, politics and general current affairs. His remark that he reads The Economist “every page” suggests a systematic approach to keeping informed, while the range of publications indicates that he draws information from both specialist business journalism and broader popular news media.
The quote is primarily about informal learning through regular reading rather than formal education. It shows how periodicals can provide an ongoing stream of information about markets, public affairs and society, helping a reader maintain awareness beyond a single professional field. Gates’s inclusion of publications ranging from The Wall Street Journal and Business Week to Time, People and USA Today also illustrates the value he placed on consuming different kinds of media. The passage can therefore be used when discussing reading routines, information gathering and continuing education.