With a foreword by the his billionaire son, Showing Up for Life: Thoughts on the Gifts of A Lifetime, is a priceless, personal book of deep, heartfelt thoughts and learnings of Bill Gates Sr learned during this lifetime. Life, he says, teaches you lessons when you "show up". A collection of lessons he learned growing up, especially during the time of the Great Depression, he passes these invaluable life lessons onto others. Starting with his son, Bill Gates and daughter-in-law, Melinda Gates, of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, he believes these little life lessons can help get you far. Now, passing on these values to others, he hopes to help mould lives of others in simplicity.

The book is a course of narratives by Bill Gates Sr, where he talks about various life experiences and the lessons he learned through them. Gates talks about many people who influenced him too. Having worked with famous people like Nelson Mandela, Jimmy Carter, his son, his late wife, Mary and his current wife, Mimi and his daughters Kristi and Libby, he shares many experiences and reveals important parts of his life. He also mentions about the importance of hard work, getting along, trusting people, taking chances and honoring confidence.