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Blog – Posted on Monday, Jan 21
The 30 best biographies of all time.
Biographer Richard Holmes once wrote that his work was “a kind of pursuit… writing about the pursuit of that fleeting figure, in such a way as to bring them alive in the present.”
At the risk of sounding cliché, the best biographies do exactly this: bring their subjects to life. A great biography isn’t just a laundry list of events that happened to someone. Rather, it should weave a narrative and tell a story in almost the same way a novel does. In this way, biography differs from the rest of nonfiction .
All the biographies on this list are just as captivating as excellent novels , if not more so. With that, please enjoy the 30 best biographies of all time — some historical, some recent, but all remarkable, life-giving tributes to their subjects.
If you're feeling overwhelmed by the number of great biographies out there, you can also take our 30-second quiz below to narrow it down quickly and get a personalized biography recommendation 😉
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1. A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar
This biography of esteemed mathematician John Nash was both a finalist for the 1998 Pulitzer Prize and the basis for the award-winning film of the same name. Nasar thoroughly explores Nash’s prestigious career, from his beginnings at MIT to his work at the RAND Corporation — as well the internal battle he waged against schizophrenia, a disorder that nearly derailed his life.
2. Alan Turing: The Enigma: The Book That Inspired the Film The Imitation Game - Updated Edition by Andrew Hodges
Hodges’ 1983 biography of Alan Turing sheds light on the inner workings of this brilliant mathematician, cryptologist, and computer pioneer. Indeed, despite the title ( a nod to his work during WWII ), a great deal of the “enigmatic” Turing is laid out in this book. It covers his heroic code-breaking efforts during the war, his computer designs and contributions to mathematical biology in the years following, and of course, the vicious persecution that befell him in the 1950s — when homosexual acts were still a crime punishable by English law.
3. Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
Ron Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton is not only the inspiration for a hit Broadway musical, but also a work of creative genius itself. This massive undertaking of over 800 pages details every knowable moment of the youngest Founding Father’s life: from his role in the Revolutionary War and early American government to his sordid (and ultimately career-destroying) affair with Maria Reynolds. He may never have been president, but he was a fascinating and unique figure in American history — plus it’s fun to get the truth behind the songs.
Prefer to read about fascinating First Ladies rather than almost-presidents? Check out this awesome list of books about First Ladies over on The Archive.
4. Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston
A prolific essayist, short story writer, and novelist, Hurston turned her hand to biographical writing in 1927 with this incredible work, kept under lock and key until it was published 2018. It’s based on Hurston’s interviews with the last remaining survivor of the Middle Passage slave trade, a man named Cudjo Lewis. Rendered in searing detail and Lewis’ highly affecting African-American vernacular, this biography of the “last black cargo” will transport you back in time to an era that, chillingly, is not nearly as far away from us as it feels.
5. Churchill: A Life by Martin Gilbert
Though many a biography of him has been attempted, Gilbert’s is the final authority on Winston Churchill — considered by many to be Britain’s greatest prime minister ever. A dexterous balance of in-depth research and intimately drawn details makes this biography a perfect tribute to the mercurial man who led Britain through World War II.
Just what those circumstances are occupies much of Bodanis's book, which pays homage to Einstein and, just as important, to predecessors such as Maxwell, Faraday, and Lavoisier, who are not as well known as Einstein today. Balancing writerly energy and scholarly weight, Bodanis offers a primer in modern physics and cosmology, explaining that the universe today is an expression of mass that will, in some vastly distant future, one day slide back to the energy side of the equation, replacing the \'dominion of matter\' with \'a great stillness\'--a vision that is at once lovely and profoundly frightening.
Without sliding into easy psychobiography, Bodanis explores other circumstances as well; namely, Einstein's background and character, which combined with a sterling intelligence to afford him an idiosyncratic view of the way things work--a view that would change the world. --Gregory McNamee
6. E=mc²: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation by David Bodanis
This “biography of the world’s most famous equation” is a one-of-a-kind take on the genre: rather than being the story of Einstein, it really does follow the history of the equation itself. From the origins and development of its individual elements (energy, mass, and light) to their ramifications in the twentieth century, Bodanis turns what could be an extremely dry subject into engaging fare for readers of all stripes.
7. Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario
When Enrique was only five years old, his mother left Honduras for the United States, promising a quick return. Eleven years later, Enrique finally decided to take matters into his own hands in order to see her again: he would traverse Central and South America via railway, risking his life atop the “train of death” and at the hands of the immigration authorities, to reunite with his mother. This tale of Enrique’s perilous journey is not for the faint of heart, but it is an account of incredible devotion and sharp commentary on the pain of separation among immigrant families.
8. Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera
Herrera’s 1983 biography of renowned painter Frida Kahlo, one of the most recognizable names in modern art, has since become the definitive account on her life. And while Kahlo no doubt endured a great deal of suffering (a horrific accident when she was eighteen, a husband who had constant affairs), the focal point of the book is not her pain. Instead, it’s her artistic brilliance and immense resolve to leave her mark on the world — a mark that will not soon be forgotten, in part thanks to Herrera’s dedicated work.
9. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Perhaps the most impressive biographical feat of the twenty-first century, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is about a woman whose cells completely changed the trajectory of modern medicine. Rebecca Skloot skillfully commemorates the previously unknown life of a poor black woman whose cancer cells were taken, without her knowledge, for medical testing — and without whom we wouldn’t have many of the critical cures we depend upon today.
10. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Christopher McCandless, aka Alexander Supertramp, hitchhiked to Alaska and disappeared into the Denali wilderness in April 1992. Five months later, McCandless was found emaciated and deceased in his shelter — but of what cause? Krakauer’s biography of McCandless retraces his steps back to the beginning of the trek, attempting to suss out what the young man was looking for on his journey, and whether he fully understood what dangers lay before him.
11. Let Us Now Praise Famous Men: Three Tenant Families by James Agee
"Let us now praise famous men, and our fathers that begat us.” From this line derives the central issue of Agee and Evans’ work: who truly deserves our praise and recognition? According to this 1941 biography, it’s the barely-surviving sharecropper families who were severely impacted by the American “Dust Bowl” — hundreds of people entrenched in poverty, whose humanity Evans and Agee desperately implore their audience to see in their book.
12. The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann
Another mysterious explorer takes center stage in this gripping 2009 biography. Grann tells the story of Percy Fawcett, the archaeologist who vanished in the Amazon along with his son in 1925, supposedly in search of an ancient lost city. Parallel to this narrative, Grann describes his own travels in the Amazon 80 years later: discovering firsthand what threats Fawcett may have encountered, and coming to realize what the “Lost City of Z” really was.
13. Mao: The Unknown Story by Jung Chang
Though many of us will be familiar with the name Mao Zedong, this prodigious biography sheds unprecedented light upon the power-hungry “Red Emperor.” Chang and Halliday begin with the shocking statistic that Mao was responsible for 70 million deaths during peacetime — more than any other twentieth-century world leader. From there, they unravel Mao’s complex ideologies, motivations, and missions, breaking down his long-propagated “hero” persona and thrusting forth a new, grislier image of one of China’s biggest revolutionaries.
14. Mad Girl's Love Song: Sylvia Plath and Life Before Ted by Andrew Wilson by Andrew Wilson
Titled after one of her most evocative poems, this shimmering bio of Sylvia Plath takes an unusual approach. Instead of focusing on her years of depression and tempestuous marriage to poet Ted Hughes, it chronicles her life before she ever came to Cambridge. Wilson closely examines her early family and relationships, feelings and experiences, with information taken from her meticulous diaries — setting a strong precedent for other Plath biographers to follow.
15. The Minds of Billy Milligan by Daniel Keyes
What if you had twenty-four different people living inside you, and you never knew which one was going to come out? Such was the life of Billy Milligan, the subject of this haunting biography by the author of Flowers for Algernon . Keyes recounts, in a refreshingly straightforward style, the events of Billy’s life and how his psyche came to be “split”... as well as how, with Keyes’ help, he attempted to put the fragments of himself back together.
16. Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder
This gorgeously constructed biography follows Paul Farmer, a doctor who’s worked for decades to eradicate infectious diseases around the globe, particularly in underprivileged areas. Though Farmer’s humanitarian accomplishments are extraordinary in and of themselves, the true charm of this book comes from Kidder’s personal relationship with him — and the sense of fulfillment the reader sustains from reading about someone genuinely heroic, written by someone else who truly understands and admires what they do.
17. Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts
Here’s another bio that will reshape your views of a famed historical tyrant, though this time in a surprisingly favorable light. Decorated scholar Andrew Roberts delves into the life of Napoleon Bonaparte, from his near-flawless military instincts to his complex and confusing relationship with his wife. But Roberts’ attitude toward his subject is what really makes this work shine: rather than ridiculing him ( as it would undoubtedly be easy to do ), he approaches the “petty tyrant” with a healthy amount of deference.
18. The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson IV by Robert A. Caro
Lyndon Johnson might not seem as intriguing or scandalous as figures like Kennedy, Nixon, or W. Bush. But in this expertly woven biography, Robert Caro lays out the long, winding road of his political career, and it’s full of twists you wouldn’t expect. Johnson himself was a surprisingly cunning figure, gradually maneuvering his way closer and closer to power. Finally, in 1963, he got his greatest wish — but at what cost? Fans of Adam McKay’s Vice , this is the book for you.
19. Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser
Anyone who grew up reading Little House on the Prairie will surely be fascinated by this tell-all biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Caroline Fraser draws upon never-before-published historical resources to create a lush study of the author’s life — not in the gently narrated manner of the Little House series, but in raw and startling truths about her upbringing, marriage, and volatile relationship with her daughter (and alleged ghostwriter) Rose Wilder Lane.
20. Prince: A Private View by Afshin Shahidi
Compiled just after the superstar’s untimely death in 2016, this intimate snapshot of Prince’s life is actually a largely visual work — Shahidi served as his private photographer from the early 2000s until his passing. And whatever they say about pictures being worth a thousand words, Shahidi’s are worth more still: Prince’s incredible vibrance, contagious excitement, and altogether singular personality come through in every shot.
21. Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout by Lauren Redniss
Could there be a more fitting title for a book about the husband-wife team who discovered radioactivity? What you may not know is that these nuclear pioneers also had a fascinating personal history. Marie Sklodowska met Pierre Curie when she came to work in his lab in 1891, and just a few years later they were married. Their passion for each other bled into their passion for their work, and vice-versa — and in almost no time at all, they were on their way to their first of their Nobel Prizes.
22. Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter by Kate Clifford Larson
She may not have been assassinated or killed in a mysterious plane crash, but Rosemary Kennedy’s fate is in many ways the worst of “the Kennedy Curse.” As if a botched lobotomy that left her almost completely incapacitated weren’t enough, her parents then hid her away from society, almost never to be seen again. Yet in this new biography, penned by devoted Kennedy scholar Kate Larson, the full truth of Rosemary’s post-lobotomy life is at last revealed.
23. Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay by Nancy Milford
This appropriately lyrical biography of brilliant Jazz Age poet and renowned feminist, Edna St. Vincent Millay, is indeed a perfect balance of savage and beautiful. While Millay’s poetic work was delicate and subtle, the woman herself was feisty and unpredictable, harboring unusual and occasionally destructive habits that Milford fervently explores.
24. Shelley: The Pursuit by Richard Holmes
Holmes’ famous philosophy of “biography as pursuit” is thoroughly proven here in his first full-length biographical work. Shelley: The Pursuit details an almost feverish tracking of Percy Shelley as a dark and cutting figure in the Romantic period — reforming many previous historical conceptions about him through Holmes’ compelling and resolute writing.
25. Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life by Ruth Franklin
Another Gothic figure has been made newly known through this work, detailing the life of prolific horror and mystery writer Shirley Jackson. Author Ruth Franklin digs deep into the existence of the reclusive and mysterious Jackson, drawing penetrating comparisons between the true events of her life and the dark nature of her fiction.
26. The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel
Fans of Into the Wild and The Lost City of Z will find their next adventure fix in this 2017 book about Christopher Knight, a man who lived by himself in the Maine woods for almost thirty years. The tale of this so-called “last true hermit” will captivate readers who have always fantasized about escaping society, with vivid descriptions of Knight’s rural setup, his carefully calculated moves and how he managed to survive the deadly cold of the Maine winters.
27. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
The man, the myth, the legend: Steve Jobs, co-founder and CEO of Apple, is properly immortalized in Isaacson’s masterful biography. It divulges the details of Jobs’ little-known childhood and tracks his fateful path from garage engineer to leader of one of the largest tech companies in the world — not to mention his formative role in other legendary companies like Pixar, and indeed within the Silicon Valley ecosystem as a whole.
28. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
Olympic runner Louis Zamperini was just twenty-six when his US Army bomber crashed and burned in the Pacific, leaving him and two other men afloat on a raft for forty-seven days — only to be captured by the Japanese Navy and tortured as a POW for the next two and a half years. In this gripping biography, Laura Hillenbrand tracks Zamperini’s story from beginning to end… including how he embraced Christian evangelism as a means of recovery, and even came to forgive his tormentors in his later years.
29. Vera (Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov) by Stacy Schiff
Everyone knows of Vladimir Nabokov — but what about his wife, Vera, whom he called “the best-humored woman I have ever known”? According to Schiff, she was a genius in her own right, supporting Vladimir not only as his partner, but also as his all-around editor and translator. And she kept up that trademark humor throughout it all, inspiring her husband’s work and injecting some of her own creative flair into it along the way.
30. Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt
William Shakespeare is a notoriously slippery historical figure — no one really knows when he was born, what he looked like, or how many plays he wrote. But that didn’t stop Stephen Greenblatt, who in 2004 turned out this magnificently detailed biography of the Bard: a series of imaginative reenactments of his writing process, and insights on how the social and political ideals of the time would have influenced him. Indeed, no one exists in a vacuum, not even Shakespeare — hence the conscious depiction of him in this book as a “will in the world,” rather than an isolated writer shut up in his own musty study.
If you're looking for more inspiring nonfiction, check out this list of 30 engaging self-help books , or this list of the last century's best memoirs !
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The 50 Best Biographies of All Time
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Biographies have always been controversial. On his deathbed, the novelist Henry James told his nephew that his “sole wish” was to “frustrate as utterly as possible the postmortem exploiter” by destroying his personal letters and journals. And one of our greatest living writers, Hermione Lee, once compared biographies to autopsies that add “a new terror to death”—the potential muddying of someone’s legacy when their life is held up to the scrutiny of investigation.
Why do we read so many books about the lives and deaths of strangers, as told by second-hand and third-hand sources? Is it merely our love for gossip, or are we trying to understand ourselves through the triumphs and failures of others?
To keep this list from blossoming into hundreds of titles, we only included books currently in print and translated into English. We also limited it to one book per author, and one book per subject. In ranked order, here are the best biographies of all time.
Crown The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo, by Tom Reiss
You’re probably familiar with The Count of Monte Cristo , the 1844 revenge novel by Alexandre Dumas. But did you know it was based on the life of Dumas’s father, the mixed-race General Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, son of a French nobleman and a Haitian slave? Thanks to Reiss’s masterful pacing and plotting, this rip-roaring biography of Thomas-Alexandre reads more like an adventure novel than a work of nonfiction. The Black Count won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 2013, and it’s only a matter of time before a filmmaker turns it into a big-screen blockbuster.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret, by Craig Brown
Few biographies are as genuinely fun to read as this barnburner from the irreverent English critic Craig Brown. Princess Margaret may have been everyone’s favorite character from Netflix’s The Crown , but Brown’s eye for ostentatious details and revelatory insights will help you see why everyone in the 1950s—from Pablo Picasso and Gore Vidal to Peter Sellers and Andy Warhol—was obsessed with her. When book critic Parul Sehgal says that she “ripped through the book with the avidity of Margaret attacking her morning vodka and orange juice,” you know you’re in for a treat.
Inventor of the Future: The Visionary Life of Buckminster Fuller, by Alec Nevala-Lee
If you want to feel optimistic about the future again, look no further than this brilliant biography of Buckminster Fuller, the “modern Leonardo da Vinci” of the 1960s and 1970s who came up with the idea of a “Spaceship Earth” and inspired Silicon Valley’s belief that technology could be a global force for good (while earning plenty of critics who found his ideas impractical). Alec Nevala-Lee’s writing is as serene and precise as one of Fuller’s geodesic domes, and his research into never-before-seen documents makes this a genuinely groundbreaking book full of surprises.
Free Press Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original, by Robin D.G. Kelley
The late American jazz composer and pianist Thelonious Monk has been so heavily mythologized that it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. But Robin D. G. Kelley’s biography is an essential book for jazz fans looking to understand the man behind the myths. Monk’s family provided Kelley with full access to their archives, resulting in chapter after chapter of fascinating details, from his birth in small-town North Carolina to his death across the Hudson from Manhattan.
University of Chicago Press Frank Lloyd Wright: A Biography, by Meryle Secrest
There are dozens of books about America’s most celebrated architect, but Secrest’s 1998 biography is still the most fun to read. For one, she doesn’t shy away from the fact that Wright could be an absolute monster, even to his own friends and family. Secondly, her research into more than 100,000 letters, as well as interviews with nearly every surviving person who knew Wright, makes this book a one-of-a-kind look at how Wright’s personal life influenced his architecture.
Ralph Ellison: A Biography, by Arnold Rampersad
Ralph Ellison’s landmark novel, Invisible Man , is about a Black man who faced systemic racism in the Deep South during his youth, then migrated to New York, only to find oppression of a slightly different kind. What makes Arnold Rampersand’s honest and insightful biography of Ellison so compelling is how he connects the dots between Invisible Man and Ellison’s own journey from small-town Oklahoma to New York’s literary scene during the Harlem Renaissance.
Oscar Wilde: A Life, by Matthew Sturgis
Now remembered for his 1891 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde was one of the most fascinating men of the fin-de-siècle thanks to his poems, plays, and some of the earliest reported “celebrity trials.” Sturgis’s scintillating biography is the most encyclopedic chronicle of Wilde’s life to date, thanks to new research into his personal notebooks and a full transcript of his libel trial.
Beacon Press A Surprised Queenhood in the New Black Sun: The Life & Legacy of Gwendolyn Brooks, by Angela Jackson
The poet Gwendolyn Brooks was the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize in 1950, but because she spent most of her life in Chicago instead of New York, she hasn’t been studied or celebrated as often as her peers in the Harlem Renaissance. Luckily, Angela Jackson’s biography is full of new details about Brooks’s personal life, and how it influenced her poetry across five decades.
Atria Books Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth Century, by Dana Stevens
Was Buster Keaton the most influential filmmaker of the first half of the twentieth century? Dana Stevens makes a compelling case in this dazzling mix of biography, essays, and cultural history. Much like Keaton’s filmography, Stevens playfully jumps from genre to genre in an endlessly entertaining way, while illuminating how Keaton’s influence on film and television continues to this day.
Algonquin Books Empire of Deception: The Incredible Story of a Master Swindler Who Seduced a City and Captivated the Nation, by Dean Jobb
Dean Jobb is a master of narrative nonfiction on par with Erik Larsen, author of The Devil in the White City . Jobb’s biography of Leo Koretz, the Bernie Madoff of the Jazz Age, is among the few great biographies that read like a thriller. Set in Chicago during the 1880s through the 1920s, it’s also filled with sumptuous period details, from lakeside mansions to streets choked with Model Ts.
Vintage Penelope Fitzgerald: A Life, by Hermione Lee
Hermione Lee’s biographies of Virginia Woolf and Edith Wharton could easily have made this list. But her book about a less famous person—Penelope Fitzgerald, the English novelist who wrote The Bookshop, The Blue Flower , and The Beginning of Spring —might be her best yet. At just over 500 pages, it’s considerably shorter than those other biographies, partially because Fitzgerald’s life wasn’t nearly as well documented. But Lee’s conciseness is exactly what makes this book a more enjoyable read, along with the thrilling feeling that she’s uncovering a new story literary historians haven’t already explored.
Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath, by Heather Clark
Many biographers have written about Sylvia Plath, often drawing parallels between her poetry and her death by suicide at the age of thirty. But in this startling book, Plath isn’t wholly defined by her tragedy, and Heather Clark’s craftsmanship as a writer makes it a joy to read. It’s also the most comprehensive account of Plath’s final year yet put to paper, with new information that will change the way you think of her life, poetry, and death.
Pontius Pilate, by Ann Wroe
Compared to most biography subjects, there isn’t much surviving documentation about the life of Pontius Pilate, the Judaean governor who ordered the execution of the historical Jesus in the first century AD. But Ann Wroe leans into all that uncertainty in her groundbreaking book, making for a fascinating mix of research and informed speculation that often feels like reading a really good historical novel.
Brand: History Book Club Bolívar: American Liberator, by Marie Arana
In the early nineteenth century, Simón Bolívar led six modern countries—Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela—to independence from the Spanish Empire. In this rousing work of biography and geopolitical history, Marie Arana deftly chronicles his epic life with propulsive prose, including a killer first sentence: “They heard him before they saw him: the sound of hooves striking the earth, steady as a heartbeat, urgent as a revolution.”
Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History, by Yunte Huang
Ever read a biography of a fictional character? In the 1930s and 1940s, Charlie Chan came to popularity as a Chinese American police detective in Earl Derr Biggers’s mystery novels and their big-screen adaptations. In writing this book, Yunte Huang became something of a detective himself to track down the real-life inspiration for the character, a Hawaiian cop named Chang Apana born shortly after the Civil War. The result is an astute blend between biography and cultural criticism as Huang analyzes how Chan served as a crucial counterpoint to stereotypical Chinese villains in early Hollywood.
Random House Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay, by Nancy Milford
Edna St. Vincent Millay was one of the most fascinating women of the twentieth century—an openly bisexual poet, playwright, and feminist icon who helped make Greenwich Village a cultural bohemia in the 1920s. With a knack for torrid details and creative insights, Nancy Milford successfully captures what made Millay so irresistible—right down to her voice, “an instrument of seduction” that captivated men and women alike.
Simon & Schuster Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson
Few people have the luxury of choosing their own biographers, but that’s exactly what the late co-founder of Apple did when he tapped Walter Isaacson, the Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer of Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin. Adapted for the big screen by Aaron Sorkin in 2015, Steve Jobs is full of plot twists and suspense thanks to a mind-blowing amount of research on the part of Isaacson, who interviewed Jobs more than forty times and spoke with just about everyone who’d ever come into contact with him.
Brand: Random House Véra (Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov), by Stacy Schiff
The Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov once said, “Without my wife, I wouldn’t have written a single novel.” And while Stacy Schiff’s biography of Cleopatra could also easily make this list, her telling of Véra Nabokova’s life in Russia, Europe, and the United States is revolutionary for finally bringing Véra out of her husband’s shadow. It’s also one of the most romantic biographies you’ll ever read, with some truly unforgettable images, like Vera’s habit of carrying a handgun to protect Vladimir on butterfly-hunting excursions.
Greenblatt, Stephen Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare, by Stephen Greenblatt
We know what you’re thinking. Who needs another book about Shakespeare?! But Greenblatt’s masterful biography is like traveling back in time to see firsthand how a small-town Englishman became the greatest writer of all time. Like Wroe’s biography of Pontius Pilate, there’s plenty of speculation here, as there are very few surviving records of Shakespeare’s daily life, but Greenblatt’s best trick is the way he pulls details from Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets to construct a compelling narrative.
Crown Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own, by Eddie S. Glaude Jr.
When Kiese Laymon calls a book a “literary miracle,” you pay attention. James Baldwin’s legacy has enjoyed something of a revival over the last few years thanks to films like I Am Not Your Negro and If Beale Street Could Talk , as well as books like Glaude’s new biography. It’s genuinely a bit of a miracle how he manages to combine the story of Baldwin’s life with interpretations of Baldwin’s work—as well as Glaude’s own story of discovering, resisting, and rediscovering Baldwin’s books throughout his life.
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The 21 most captivating biographies of all time
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- Biographies illuminate pivotal times and people in history.
- The biography books on this list are heavily researched and fascinating stories.
- Want more books? Check out the best classics , historical fiction books , and new releases.
For centuries, books have allowed readers to be whisked away to magical lands, romantic beaches, and historical events. Biographies take readers through time to a single, remarkable life memorialized in gripping, dramatic, or emotional stories. They give us the rare opportunity to understand our heroes — or even just someone we would never otherwise know.
To create this list, I chose biographies that were highly researched, entertainingly written, and offer a fully encompassing lens of a person whose story is important to know in 2021.
The 21 best biographies of all time:
The biography of a beloved supreme court justice.
"Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg" by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $16.25
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a Supreme Court Justice and feminist icon who spent her life fighting for gender equality and civil rights in the legal system. This is an inspirational biography that follows her triumphs and struggles, dissents, and quotes, packaged with chapters titled after Notorious B.I.G. tracks — a nod to the many memes memorializing Ginsburg as an iconic dissident.
The startlingly true biography of a previously unknown woman
"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $8.06
Henrietta was a poor tobacco farmer, whose "immortal" cells have been used to develop the polio vaccine, study cancer, and even test the effects of an atomic bomb — despite being taken from her without her knowledge or consent. This biography traverses the unethical experiments on African Americans, the devastation of Henrietta Lacks' family, and the multimillion-dollar industry launched by the cells of a woman who lies somewhere in an unmarked grave.
The poignant biography of an atomic bomb survivor
"A Song for Nagasaki: The Story of Takashi Nagai: Scientist, Convert, and Survivor of the Atomic Bomb" by Paul Glynn, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $16.51
Takashi Nagai was a survivor of the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki in 1945. A renowned scientist and spiritual man, Nagai continued to live in his ruined city after the attack, suffering from leukemia while physically and spiritually helping his community heal. Takashi Nagai's life was dedicated to selfless service and his story is a deeply moving one of suffering, forgiveness, and survival.
The highly researched biography of Malcolm X
"The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X" by Les Payne and Tamara Payne, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $18.99
Written by the investigative journalist Les Payne and finished by his daughter after his passing, Malcolm X's biography "The Dead are Arising" was written and researched over 30 years. This National Book Award and Pulitzer-winning biography uses vignettes to create an accurate, detailed, and gripping portrayal of the revolutionary minister and famous human rights activist.
The remarkable biography of an Indigenous war leader
"The Journey of Crazy Horse: A Lakota History" by Joseph M. Marshall III, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $14.99
Crazy Horse was a legendary Lakota war leader, most famous for his role in the Battle of the Little Bighorn where Indigenous people defeated Custer's cavalry. A descendant of Crazy Horse's community, Joseph M. Marshall III drew from research and oral traditions that have rarely been shared but offer a powerful and culturally rich story of this acclaimed Lakota hero.
The captivating biography about the cofounder of Apple
"Steve Jobs" by Walter Isaacson, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $16.75
Steve Jobs is a cofounder of Apple whose inventiveness reimagined technology and creativity in the 21st century. Water Issacson draws from 40 interviews with Steve Jobs, as well as interviews with over 100 of his family members and friends to create an encompassing and fascinating portrait of such an influential man.
The shocking biography of a woman committed to an insane asylum
"The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear" by Kate Moore, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $22.49
This biography is about Elizabeth Packard, a woman who was committed to an asylum in 1860 by her husband for being an outspoken woman and wife. Her story illuminates the conditions inside the hospital and the sinister ways of caretakers, an unfortunately true history that reflects the abuses suffered by many women of the time.
The defining biography of a formerly enslaved man
"Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $12.79
50 years after the Atlantic slave trade was outlawed in the United States, Cudjo Lewis was captured, enslaved, and transported to the US. In 1931, the author spent three months with Cudjo learning the details of his life beginning in Africa, crossing the Middle Passage, and his years enslaved before the Civil War. This biography offers a first-hand account of this unspoken piece of painful history.
The biography of a famous Mexican painter
"Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo" by Hayden Herrera, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $24.89
Filled with a wealth of her life experiences, this biography of Frida Kahlo conveys her intelligence, strength, and artistry in a cohesive timeline. The book spans her childhood during the Mexican Revolution, the terrible accident that changed her life, and her passionate relationships, all while intertwining her paintings and their histories through her story.
The exciting biography of Susan Sontag
"Sontag: Her Life and Work" by Benjamin Moser, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $20.24
Susan Sontag was a 20th-century writer, essayist, and cultural icon with a dark reputation. Drawing on hundreds of interviews, archived works, and photographs, this biography extends across Sontag's entire life while reading like an emotional and exciting literary drama.
The biography that inspired a hit musical
"Alexander Hamilton" by Ron Chernow, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $11.04
The inspiration for the similarly titled Broadway musical, this comprehensive biography of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton aims to tell the story of his decisions, sacrifice, and patriotism that led to many political and economic effects we still see today. In this history, readers encounter Hamilton's childhood friends, his highly public affair, and his dreams of American prosperity.
The award-winning biography of an artistically influential man
"The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke" by Jeffrey C Stewart, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $25.71
Alain Locke was a writer, artist, and theorist who is known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. Outlining his personal and private life, Alain Locke's biography is a blooming image of his art, his influences, and the far-reaching ways he promoted African American artistic and literary creations.
The remarkable biography of Ida B. Wells
"Ida: A Sword Among Lions" by Paula J. Giddings, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $15.99
This award-winning biography of Ida B. Wells is adored for its ability to celebrate Ida's crusade of activism and simultaneously highlight the racially driven abuses legally suffered by Black women in America during her lifetime. Ida traveled the country, exposing and opposing lynchings by reporting on the horrific acts and telling the stories of victims' communities and families.
The tumultuous biography that radiates queer hope
"The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk" by Randy Shilts, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $11.80
Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected official in California who was assassinated after 11 months in office. Harvey's inspirational biography is set against the rise of LGBTQIA+ activism in the 1970s, telling not only Harvey Milk's story but that of hope and perseverance in the queer community.
The biography of a determined young woman
"Obachan: A Young Girl's Struggle for Freedom in Twentieth-Century Japan" by Tani Hanes, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $9.99
Written by her granddaughter, this biography of Mitsuko Hanamura is an amazing journey of an extraordinary and strong young woman. In 1929, Mitsuko was sent away to live with relatives at 13 and, at 15, forced into labor to help her family pay their debts. Determined to gain an education as well as her independence, Mitsuko's story is inspirational and emotional as she perseveres against abuse.
The biography of an undocumented mother
"The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez: A Border Story" by Aaron Bobrow-Strain, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $18.40
Born in Mexico and growing up undocumented in Arizona, Aida Hernandez was a teen mother who dreamed of moving to New York. After being deported and separated from her child, Aida found herself back in Mexico, fighting to return to the United States and reunite with her son. This suspenseful biography follows Aida through immigration courts and detention centers on her determined journey that illuminates the flaws of the United States' immigration and justice systems.
The astounding biography of an inspiring woman
"The Black Rose: The Dramatic Story of Madam C.J. Walker, America's First Black Female Millionaire" by Tananarive Due, available on Amazon for $19
Madam C.J. Walker is most well-known as the first Black female millionaire, though she was also a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and born to former slaves in Louisiana. Researched and outlined by famous writer Alex Haley before his death, the book was written by author Tananarive Due, who brings Haley's work to life in this fascinating biography of an outstanding American pioneer.
A biography of the long-buried memories of a Hiroshima survivor
"Surviving Hiroshima: A Young Woman's Story" by Anthony Drago and Douglas Wellman, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $15.59
When Kaleria Palichikoff was a child, her family fled Russia for the safety of Japan until the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima when she was 22 years old. Struggling to survive in the wake of unimaginable devastation, Kaleria set out to help victims and treat the effects of radiation. As one of the few English-speaking survivors, Kaleria was interviewed extensively by the US Army and was finally able to make a new life for herself in America after the war.
A shocking biography of survival during World War II
"Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival" by Laura Hillenbrand, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $8.69
During World War II, Louis Zamperini was a lieutenant bombardier who crashed into the Pacific Ocean in 1943. Struggling to stay alive, Zamperini pulled himself to a life raft where he would face great trials of starvation, sharks, and enemy aircraft. This biography creates an image of Louis from boyhood to his military service and depicts a historical account of atrocities during World War II.
The comprehensive biography of an infamous leader
"Mao: The Unknown Story" by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $15.39
Mao was a Chinese leader, a founder of the People's Republic of China, and a nearly 30-year chairman of the Chinese Communist Party until his death in 1976. Known as a highly controversial figure who would stop at very little in his plight to rule the world, the author spent nearly 10 years painstakingly researching and uncovering the painful truths surrounding his political rule.
The emotional biography of a Syrian refugee
"A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea: One Refugee's Incredible Story of Love, Loss, and Survival" by Melissa Fleming, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $15.33
When Syrian refugee Doaa met Bassem, they decided to flee Egypt for Europe, becoming two of thousands seeking refuge and making the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean. After four days at sea, their ship was attacked and sank, leaving Doaa struggling to survive with two small children clinging to her and only a small inflation device around her wrist. This is an emotional biography about Doaa's strength and her dangerous and deadly journey towards freedom.
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Whether you're looking for new biographies , or outstanding works written decades or even centuries ago, we have some recommendations. To help find a book about a specific person or group of people, we've set up the following lists:
The best historical biographies Some of our favourite philosophical biographies Lives of the classical composers The best literary biographies (Separately, we also have a section with interviews dedicated to specific literary figures , including, for example, an interview on Shakespeare’s life , recommended by James Shapiro of Columbia University). The lives of scientists Artists' lives
The Best Biographies of 2023: The National Book Critics Circle Shortlist , recommended by Elizabeth Taylor
G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century by Beverly Gage
The Grimkés: The Legacy of Slavery in an American Family by Kerri K. Greenidge
Mr. B: George Balanchine’s Twentieth Century by Jennifer Homans
Metaphysical Animals: How Four Women Brought Philosophy Back to Life by Clare Mac Cumhaill & Rachael Wiseman
Up from the Depths: Herman Melville, Lewis Mumford, and Rediscovery in Dark Times by Aaron Sachs
Talented biographers examine the interplay between individual qualities and greater social forces, explains Elizabeth Taylor —chair of the judges for the 2023 National Book Critics Circle award for biography. Here, she offers us an overview of their five-book shortlist, including a garlanded account of the life of J. Edgar Hoover and a group biography of post-war female philosophers.
Talented biographers examine the interplay between individual qualities and greater social forces, explains Elizabeth Taylor—chair of the judges for the 2023 National Book Critics Circle award for biography. Here, she offers us an overview of their five-book shortlist, including a garlanded account of the life of J. Edgar Hoover and a group biography of post-war female philosophers.
Notable Memoirs of 2023 , recommended by Cal Flyn
Stay True by Hua Hsu
Still Pictures: On Photography and Memory by Janet Malcolm
Pageboy: A Memoir by Elliot Page
The Light Room: On Art and Care by Kate Zambreno
O Brother by John Niven
Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn selects the best recent autobiographical writing in this round-up of notable memoirs of 2023—taking in new work from such literary giants as Janet Malcolm and Annie Ernaux, the writer other writers are raving about, and a humorous debut depicting life in a haunted antiquarian bookshop.
The Best Literary Biographies , recommended by Lyndall Gordon
Selected Essays by T S Eliot
The Ballad of Dorothy Wordsworth by Frances Wilson
Reading Chekhov by Janet Malcolm
Lost in Translation by Eva Hoffman
Jane's Fame by Claire Harman
The inner life is a mystery but the best biographies expose the hidden kernel of a person, says literary biographer and academic, Lyndall Gordon . She picks five books that push the boundaries of the genre.
The inner life is a mystery but the best biographies expose the hidden kernel of a person, says literary biographer and academic, Lyndall Gordon. She picks five books that push the boundaries of the genre.
Award Winning Biographies of 2022 , recommended by Sophie Roell
All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days: The True Story of the Woman at the Heart of the German Resistance to Hitler by Rebecca Donner
The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III by Andrew Roberts
Burning Boy: The Life and Work of Stephen Crane by Paul Auster
The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World by Jonathan Freedland
Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne by Katherine Rundell
Chasing Me to My Grave: An Artist's Memoir of the Jim Crow South by Winfred Rembert
In telling stories of lives that are often very different from our own and yet connected to us by our common humanity, biographies are some of the most compelling nonfiction books around. Five Books editor Sophie Roell rounds up some of the biographies that have won or been shortlisted for prizes in 2022.
The Best Memoirs: The 2022 NBCC Autobiography Shortlist , recommended by Marion Winik
A Little Devil in America: Notes In Praise Of Black Performance by Hanif Abdurraqib
Gay Bar: Why We Went Out by Jeremy Atherton Lin
A Farewell to Gabo and Mercedes: A Son's Memoir of Gabriel García Márquez and Mercedes Barcha by Rodrigo Garcia
A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa
Concepcion: An Immigrant Family’s Fortunes by Albert Samaha
Autobiography is evolving; increasingly we find the field dominated by 'genre-fluid' books that plait memoir together with strands of cultural criticism, history, journalism or even poetry. Here, Marion Winik , the memoirist and critic, talks us through the five books that have been shortlisted in the National Book Critic's Circle autobiography category—and describes the face of memoir in 2022.
Autobiography is evolving; increasingly we find the field dominated by 'genre-fluid' books that plait memoir together with strands of cultural criticism, history, journalism or even poetry. Here, Marion Winik, the memoirist and critic, talks us through the five books that have been shortlisted in the National Book Critic's Circle autobiography category—and describes the face of memoir in 2022.
The Best Biographies: the 2021 NBCC Shortlist , recommended by Elizabeth Taylor
Stranger in the Shogun's City: A Japanese Woman and Her World by Amy Stanley
The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes by Zachary D. Carter
The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X by Les Payne & Tamara Payne
Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath by Heather Clark
The Equivalents: A Story of Art, Female Friendship, and Liberation in the 1960s by Maggie Doherty
Elizabeth Taylor , the author, critic and chair of the National Book Critics' Circle biography committee, discusses their 2021 shortlist for the title of the best biography—including a revelatory new book about the life of Malcolm X, a group biography of artists in the 1960s, and a book built from a cache of letters written in Japan's shogun era.
Elizabeth Taylor, the author, critic and chair of the National Book Critics’ Circle biography committee, discusses their 2021 shortlist for the title of the best biography—including a revelatory new book about the life of Malcolm X, a group biography of artists in the 1960s, and a book built from a cache of letters written in Japan’s shogun era.
The Best of Biography: the 2020 NBCC Shortlist , recommended by Elizabeth Taylor
Gods of the Upper Air: How a Circle of Renegade Anthropologists Reinvented Race, Sex, and Gender in the Twentieth Century by Charles King
The Queen: The Forgotten Life Behind an American Myth by Josh Levin
L.E.L.: The Lost Life and Scandalous Death of Letitia Elizabeth Landon, the Celebrated "Female Byron" by Lucasta Miller
Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century by George Packer
A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purcell
How do you find the perfect subject for a biography? “Pick a real bitch, or real bastard, and make sure they're dead,” a famous biographer once told Elizabeth Taylor . The author, critic and chair of the National Book Critics' Circle biography committee talks us through the books that made their 2020 shortlist.
How do you find the perfect subject for a biography? “Pick a real bitch, or real bastard, and make sure they're dead,” a famous biographer once told Elizabeth Taylor. The author, critic and chair of the National Book Critics' Circle biography committee talks us through the books that made their 2020 shortlist.
The Best Fashion Biographies , recommended by Justine Picardie
The Allure of Chanel by Paul Morand
Dior by Dior by Christian Dior
Shocking Life by Elsa Schiaparelli
The Unexpurgated Beaton by Cecil Beaton (Author), Hugo Vickers (Editor)
Diana Vreeland by Eleanor Dwight
Justine Picardie , editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar UK and author of Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life , chooses her favourite fashion biographies, and considers whether fashion and art are inextricably linked.
Justine Picardie, editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar UK and author of Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life , chooses her favourite fashion biographies, and considers whether fashion and art are inextricably linked.
The Best Biographies: the 2019 NBCC Shortlist , recommended by Elizabeth Taylor
Flash: The Making of Weegee the Famous by Christopher Bonanos
Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret by Craig Brown
Inseparable: The Original Siamese Twins and Their Rendezvous with American History by Yunte Huang
The Man in the Glass House: Philip Johnson, Architect of the Modern Century by Mark Lamster
The Big Fella: Babe Ruth and the World He Created by Jane Leavy
Biography is booming, says the longtime book critic and biographer Elizabeth Taylor . Here she highlights the five fantastic books shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle 2019 biography award, and how historical lives provide insight into contemporary culture.
Biography is booming, says the longtime book critic and biographer Elizabeth Taylor. Here she highlights the five fantastic books shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle 2019 biography award, and how historical lives provide insight into contemporary culture.
The Best Royal Biographies , recommended by Hugo Vickers
Queen Mary by James Pope-Hennessy
King George V by Kenneth Rose
The Memoirs of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester by Princess Alice
Ask Sir James by Michaela Reid
Chips: The Diaries of Sir Henry Channon by Sir Henry Channon
Hugo Vickers talks about what makes a good royal biography, and how he helped Helena Bonham Carter prepare for her film role as the Queen Mother
We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.
This site has an archive of more than one thousand seven hundred interviews, or eight thousand book recommendations. We publish at least two new interviews per week.
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© Five Books 2024
50 Must-Read Biographies
Rebecca Hussey
Rebecca holds a PhD in English and is a professor at Norwalk Community College in Connecticut. She teaches courses in composition, literature, and the arts. When she’s not reading or grading papers, she’s hanging out with her husband and son and/or riding her bike and/or buying books. She can't get enough of reading and writing about books, so she writes the bookish newsletter "Reading Indie," focusing on small press books and translations. Newsletter: Reading Indie Twitter: @ofbooksandbikes
View All posts by Rebecca Hussey
The best biographies give us a satisfying glimpse into a great person’s life, while also teaching us about the context in which that person lived. Through biography, we can also learn history, psychology, sociology, politics, philosophy, and more. Reading a great biography is both fun and educational. What’s not to love?
Below I’ve listed 50 of the best biographies out there. You will find a mix of subjects, including important figures in literature, science, politics, history, art, and more. I’ve tried to keep this list focused on biography only, so there is little in the way of memoir or autobiography. In a couple cases, authors have written about their family members, but for the most part, these are books where the focus is on the biographical subject, not the author.
The first handful are group biographies, and after that, I’ve arranged them alphabetically by subject. Book descriptions come from Goodreads.
Take a look and let me know about your favorite biography in the comments!
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All We Know: Three Lives by Lisa Cohen
“In All We Know , Lisa Cohen describes their [Esther Murphy, Mercedes de Acosta, and Madge Garland’s] glamorous choices, complicated failures, and controversial personal lives with lyricism and empathy. At once a series of intimate portraits and a startling investigation into style, celebrity, sexuality, and the genre of biography itself, All We Know explores a hidden history of modernism and pays tribute to three compelling lives.”
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly
“Set amid the civil rights movement, the never-before-told true story of NASA’s African-American female mathematicians who played a crucial role in America’s space program. Before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of professionals worked as ‘Human Computers,’ calculating the flight paths that would enable these historic achievements. Among these were a coterie of bright, talented African-American women.”
The Life You Save May Be Your Own: An American Pilgrimage by Paul Elie
“In the mid-twentieth century four American Catholics came to believe that the best way to explore the questions of religious faith was to write about them – in works that readers of all kinds could admire. The Life You Save May Be Your Own is their story – a vivid and enthralling account of great writers and their power over us.”
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester
“As definitions were collected, the overseeing committee, led by Professor James Murray, discovered that one man, Dr. W. C. Minor, had submitted more than ten thousand. When the committee insisted on honoring him, a shocking truth came to light: Dr. Minor, an American Civil War veteran, was also an inmate at an asylum for the criminally insane.”
The Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser
“In a sweeping narrative, Fraser traces the cultural, familial and political roots of each of Henry’s queens, pushes aside the stereotypes that have long defined them, and illuminates the complex character of each.”
John Adams by David McCullough
“In this powerful, epic biography, David McCullough unfolds the adventurous life-journey of John Adams, the brilliant, fiercely independent, often irascible, always honest Yankee patriot — ‘the colossus of independence,’ as Thomas Jefferson called him.”
A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea: One Refugee’s Incredible Story of Love, Loss, and Survival by Melissa Fleming
“Emotionally riveting and eye-opening, A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea is the incredible story of a young woman, an international crisis, and the triumph of the human spirit. Melissa Fleming shares the harrowing journey of Doaa Al Zamel, a young Syrian refugee in search of a better life.”
At Her Majesty’s Request: An African Princess in Victorian England by Walter Dean Myers
“One terrifying night in 1848, a young African princess’s village is raided by warriors. The invaders kill her mother and father, the King and Queen, and take her captive. Two years later, a British naval captain rescues her and takes her to England where she is presented to Queen Victoria, and becomes a loved and respected member of the royal court.”
John Brown by W.E.B. Du Bois
“ John Brown is W. E. B. Du Bois’s groundbreaking political biography that paved the way for his transition from academia to a lifelong career in social activism. This biography is unlike Du Bois’s earlier work; it is intended as a work of consciousness-raising on the politics of race.”
Invisible: The Forgotten Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America’s Most Powerful Mobster by Stephen L. Carter
“[Eunice Hunton Carter] was black and a woman and a prosecutor, a graduate of Smith College and the granddaughter of slaves, as dazzlingly unlikely a combination as one could imagine in New York of the 1930s ― and without the strategy she devised, Lucky Luciano, the most powerful Mafia boss in history, would never have been convicted.”
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang
“An engrossing record of Mao’s impact on China, an unusual window on the female experience in the modern world, and an inspiring tale of courage and love, Jung Chang describes the extraordinary lives and experiences of her family members.”
Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff
“Her palace shimmered with onyx, garnet, and gold, but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Above all else, Cleopatra was a shrewd strategist and an ingenious negotiator. Though her life spanned fewer than forty years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world.”
Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson
“Einstein was a rebel and nonconformist from boyhood days, and these character traits drove both his life and his science. In this narrative, Walter Isaacson explains how his mind worked and the mysteries of the universe that he discovered.”
Enrique’s Journey: The Story of a Boy’s Dangerous Odyssey to Reunite with His Mother by Sonia Nazario
“In this astonishing true story, award-winning journalist Sonia Nazario recounts the unforgettable odyssey of a Honduran boy who braves unimaginable hardship and peril to reach his mother in the United States.”
The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann
“After stumbling upon a hidden trove of diaries, New Yorker writer David Grann set out to solve ‘the greatest exploration mystery of the 20th century’: What happened to the British explorer Percy Fawcett & his quest for the Lost City of Z?”
Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman
“Amanda Foreman draws on a wealth of fresh research and writes colorfully and penetratingly about the fascinating Georgiana, whose struggle against her own weaknesses, whose great beauty and flamboyance, and whose determination to play a part in the affairs of the world make her a vibrant, astonishingly contemporary figure.”
Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik Ping Zhu
“Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg never asked for fame she was just trying to make the world a little better and a little freer. But along the way, the feminist pioneer’s searing dissents and steely strength have inspired millions. [This book], created by the young lawyer who began the Internet sensation and an award-winning journalist, takes you behind the myth for an intimate, irreverent look at the justice’s life and work.”
Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston by Valerie Boyd
“A woman of enormous talent and remarkable drive, Zora Neale Hurston published seven books, many short stories, and several articles and plays over a career that spanned more than thirty years. Today, nearly every black woman writer of significance—including Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and Alice Walker—acknowledges Hurston as a literary foremother.”
Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life by Ruth Franklin
“ Shirley Jackson reveals the tumultuous life and inner darkness of the literary genius behind such classics as ‘The Lottery’ and The Haunting of Hill House .”
The Path to Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert A. Caro
“This is the story of the rise to national power of a desperately poor young man from the Texas Hill Country. The Path to Power reveals in extraordinary detail the genesis of the almost superhuman drive, energy, and ambition that set LBJ apart.”
The Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell
“Poet, lexicographer, critic, moralist and Great Cham, Dr. Johnson had in his friend Boswell the ideal biographer. Notoriously and self-confessedly intemperate, Boswell shared with Johnson a huge appetite for life and threw equal energy into recording its every aspect in minute but telling detail.”
Barbara Jordan: American Hero by Mary Beth Rogers
“Barbara Jordan was the first African American to serve in the Texas Senate since Reconstruction, the first black woman elected to Congress from the South, and the first to deliver the keynote address at a national party convention. Yet Jordan herself remained a mystery.”
Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera
“This engrossing biography of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo reveals a woman of extreme magnetism and originality, an artist whose sensual vibrancy came straight from her own experiences: her childhood near Mexico City during the Mexican Revolution; a devastating accident at age eighteen that left her crippled and unable to bear children.”
Florynce “Flo” Kennedy: The Life of a Black Feminist Radical by Sherie M. Randolph
“Often photographed in a cowboy hat with her middle finger held defiantly in the air, Florynce ‘Flo’ Kennedy (1916–2000) left a vibrant legacy as a leader of the Black Power and feminist movements. In the first biography of Kennedy, Sherie M. Randolph traces the life and political influence of this strikingly bold and controversial radical activist.”
The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel
“In 1986, a shy and intelligent twenty-year-old named Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the forest. He would not have a conversation with another human being until nearly three decades later, when he was arrested for stealing food.”
The Lady and the Peacock: The Life of Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma by Peter Popham
“Peter Popham … draws upon previously untapped testimony and fresh revelations to tell the story of a woman whose bravery and determination have captivated people around the globe. Celebrated today as one of the world’s greatest exponents of non-violent political defiance since Mahatma Gandhi, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize only four years after her first experience of politics.”
Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” by Zora Neale Hurston
“In 1927, Zora Neale Hurston went to Plateau, Alabama, just outside Mobile, to interview eighty-six-year-old Cudjo Lewis. Of the millions of men, women, and children transported from Africa to America as slaves, Cudjo was then the only person alive to tell the story of this integral part of the nation’s history.”
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
“Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells—taken without her knowledge—became one of the most important tools in medicine.”
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
“Acclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Lincoln’s political genius in this highly original work, as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals of national reputation to become president.”
The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke by Jeffrey C. Stewart
“A tiny, fastidiously dressed man emerged from Black Philadelphia around the turn of the century to mentor a generation of young artists including Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Jacob Lawrence and call them the New Negro — the creative African Americans whose art, literature, music, and drama would inspire Black people to greatness.”
Warrior Poet: A Biography of Audre Lorde by Alexis De Veaux
“Drawing from the private archives of the poet’s estate and numerous interviews, Alexis De Veaux demystifies Lorde’s iconic status, charting her conservative childhood in Harlem; her early marriage to a white, gay man with whom she had two children; her emergence as an outspoken black feminist lesbian; and her canonization as a seminal poet of American literature.”
Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary by Juan Williams
“Thurgood Marshall stands today as the great architect of American race relations, having expanded the foundation of individual rights for all Americans. His victory in the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, the landmark Supreme Court case outlawing school segregation, would have him a historic figure even if he had not gone on to become the first African-American appointed to the Supreme Court.”
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
“In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself.”
The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk by Randy Shilts
“ The Mayor of Castro Street is Shilts’s acclaimed story of Harvey Milk, the man whose personal life, public career, and tragic assassination mirrored the dramatic and unprecedented emergence of the gay community in America during the 1970s.”
Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay by Nancy Milford
“The most famous poet of the Jazz Age, Millay captivated the nation: She smoked in public, took many lovers (men and women, single and married), flouted convention sensationally, and became the embodiment of the New Woman.”
How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at An Answer by Sarah Bakewell
This book is “a vivid portrait of Montaigne, showing how his ideas gave birth to our modern sense of our inner selves, from Shakespeare’s plays to the dilemmas we face today.”
The Silent Woman: Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes by Janet Malcolm
“From the moment it was first published in The New Yorker, this brilliant work of literary criticism aroused great attention. Janet Malcolm brings her shrewd intelligence to bear on the legend of Sylvia Plath and the wildly productive industry of Plath biographies.”
Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick
“Based on hundreds of interviews and nearly a decade of research, [this book] traces the evolution not just of the man but of the music and of the culture he left utterly transformed, creating a completely fresh portrait of Elvis and his world.
Mrs. Robinson’s Disgrace: The Private Diary of a Victorian Lady by Kate Summerscale
“Kate Summerscale brilliantly recreates the Victorian world, chronicling in exquisite and compelling detail the life of Isabella Robinson, wherein the longings of a frustrated wife collided with a society clinging to rigid ideas about sanity, the boundaries of privacy, the institution of marriage, and female sexuality.”
Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt
“A young man from a small provincial town moves to London in the late 1580s and, in a remarkably short time, becomes the greatest playwright not of his age alone but of all time. How is an achievement of this magnitude to be explained?”
The Invisible Woman: The Story of Charles Dickens and Nelly Ternan by Claire Tomalin
“When Charles Dickens and Nelly Ternan met in 1857, she was 18: a professional actress performing in his production of The Frozen Deep . He was 45: a literary legend, a national treasure, married with ten children. This meeting sparked a love affair that lasted over a decade, destroying Dickens’s marriage and ending with Nelly’s near-disappearance from the public record.”
Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol by Nell Irvin Painter
“Slowly, but surely, Sojourner climbed from beneath the weight of slavery, secured respect for herself, and utilized the distinction of her race to become not only a symbol for black women, but for the feminist movement as a whole.”
The Black Rose by Tananarive Due
“Born to former slaves on a Louisiana plantation in 1867, Madam C.J. Walker rose from poverty and indignity to become America’s first black female millionaire, the head of a hugely successful beauty company, and a leading philanthropist in African American causes.”
Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow
“With a breadth and depth matched by no other one-volume life, [Chernow] carries the reader through Washington’s troubled boyhood, his precocious feats in the French and Indian Wars, his creation of Mount Vernon, his heroic exploits with the Continental Army, his presiding over the Constitutional Convention and his magnificent performance as America’s first president.”
Ida: A Sword Among Lions by Paula J. Giddings
“ Ida: A Sword Among Lions is a sweeping narrative about a country and a crusader embroiled in the struggle against lynching: a practice that imperiled not only the lives of black men and women, but also a nation based on law and riven by race.”
Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser
“But the true saga of [Wilder’s] life has never been fully told. Now, drawing on unpublished manuscripts, letters, diaries, and land and financial records, Caroline Fraser—the editor of the Library of America edition of the Little House series—masterfully fills in the gaps in Wilder’s biography.”
Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Her Daughter Mary Shelley by Charlotte Gordon
“Although mother and daughter, these two brilliant women never knew one another – Wollstonecraft died of an infection in 1797 at the age of thirty-eight, a week after giving birth. Nevertheless their lives were so closely intertwined, their choices, dreams and tragedies so eerily similar, it seems impossible to consider one without the other.”
Virginia Woolf by Hermione Lee
“Subscribing to Virginia Woolf’s own belief in the fluidity and elusiveness of identity, Lee comes at her subject from a multitude of perspectives, producing a richly layered portrait of the writer and the woman that leaves all of her complexities and contradictions intact.”
Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable
“Of the great figures in twentieth-century American history perhaps none is more complex and controversial than Malcolm X. Constantly rewriting his own story, he became a criminal, a minister, a leader, and an icon, all before being felled by assassins’ bullets at age thirty-nine.”
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
“On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.”
Want to read more about great biographies? Check out this post on presidential biographies , this list of biographies and memoirs about remarkable women , and this list of 100 must-read musician biographies and memoirs .
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The 30 best biographies to add to your reading list
Some stories involve incredible, larger-than-life characters. these are the best biographies ever written..
Writing a great biography is no easy task. The author is charged with capturing some of the most iconic and influential people on the planet, folks that often have larger than life personas. To capture that in words is a genuine challenge that the best biographers relish.
The very best biographies don't just hold a mirror up to these remarkable characters. Instead, they show us a different side of them, or just how a certain approach of philosophy fueled their game-changing ways. Biographies inform, for certain, but they entertain and inspire to no end as well.
Below, we gathered a comprehensive list of the best biographies ever written. Some of these biographies were selected because of the subject matter and others were chosen because of the biographer. It’s often said that reading biographies is the best way to gain new knowledge, so we suggest you start with these great selections. If you love history, you’ll certainly want to include these best history books to your home library.
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert Caro
The former parks commissioner of New York, Robert Moses was a man who got power, loved power, and was transformed by power. This 1,000-plus page biography could be the definitive study of power and legacy. It’s a great learning tool of mostly what not to be and who not to become.
Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi
Totto-Chan is a special figure in modern Japanese culture and is on the same celebrity status level as Oprah is to us here in the United States. The book describes the childhood in pre-World War II Japan of a misunderstood girl who suffered from attention disorders and excessive energy and who later was mentored by a very special school principal who truly understood her. The book has sold more than 5 million copies in Japan.
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Eisenhower in War and Peace by Jean Edward Smith
The man who was responsible for winning World War II, twice prevented the use of nuclear weapons, and attempted to keep our soldiers out of Vietnam, all while making it look easy, is none other than Dwight D. Eisenhower. This biography is a history lesson as well as an opportunity to get inside the mind of a brilliant man.
Edison: A Biography by Matthew Josephson
This particular biography dates back more than 50 years, which means it was written without the worry of being politically correct or controversial, but instead focused on providing a conclusive picture of the man. Modern enough to be historically accurate, this biography details a lot of the little-known facts about Mr. Edison in addition to his accomplishments, as well as his failures.
Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office by Zach O’Malley Greenburg
Empire State of Mind is both an unofficial biography of the rap mogul Jay-Z as well as a business book. It shows how the rapper hustled his way to the top of the music industry to become one of the most powerful and influential people in music.
Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer
The story of the professional football player who gave up a $3 million NFL contract to join the Army Rangers after 9/11, only to die under suspicious circumstances in the hills of Afghanistan, is a book about everything that is right and wrong with the U.S. military. Pat Tillman wasn’t perfect, but he was a man we could all learn something from. His incredible story is one of bravery and selflessness -- and will forever be tied to the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Titan: The Life of John. D. Rockefeller Sr. by Ron Chernow
Ron Chernow has written some of the best biographies of our time. In this 832-page biography of John. D. Rockefeller, he shares the main lessons you would take away from someone like Rockefeller, a strangely stoic, incredibly resilient, and -- despite his reputation as a robber baron -- humble and compassionate man. Most successful people get worse as they age, but Rockefeller instead became more open-minded and more generous. The biography also details his wrongdoings and permits you the opportunity to make your own judgment on Rockefeller’s character.
Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow
Another example of Chernow’s brilliance in biographical writing is given in his biography of George Washington. Today, we study Washington not only for his against-the-odds military victory over a superior British Army but also for his strategic vision, which is partially responsible for many of the most enduring American institutions and practices. It’s another long read of the type Chernow is famous for, but it's also a page-turner. Although it’s intimidating to look at, the reading time goes by quickly.
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Walter Isaacson has written some of the greatest biographies in contemporary literature. Our modern-day genius, Steve Jobs, will forever be remembered as the mastermind who brought us Apple. This biography shows Jobs at his best, which includes illustrations of his determination and creativity but also details the worst of him, including his tyrannical and vicious ways of running a business (and his family). From this book, you will learn to appreciate the man for the genius that he was, but it will most likely not inspire you to follow in his path.
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford
Most depictions show the Mongols as bloodthirsty pillagers, but in this biography, we are also shown how they introduced many progressive advances to their conquered nations. You will learn how Genghis Khan abolished torture, permitted universal religious freedom, and destroyed existing feudal systems.
Dostoevsky: A Writer in His Time by Joseph Frank
his five-volume retelling of the life and times of Russian literary giant Fyodor Dostoevsky is considered the best biography available on the subject. The mammoth exploration sheds light on Dostoevsky's works, ideology, and historical context. For those who are not specifically interested in the famous author, the also book paints a picture of 19th-century Russia.
Leonardo da Vinci: The Marvelous Works of Nature and Man by Martin Kemp
Kemp’s account of da Vinci’s life and work is considered the go-to biography of the famous Renaissance figure. This incredible book sheds light on one of the most creative figures who ever lived, guiding readers through a fully integrated account of his scientific, artistic, and technological works, as well as the life events that helped form the man that made them.
Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury by Leslie-Ann Jones
After the massive success of the movie recently released about rock legend Freddie Mercury and his band, Queen, you might be interested in learning more about the frontman. This biography draws from hundreds of interviews with key figures in his life to create a revealing glimpse into Mercury’s life.
Empire: The Life, Legend, and Madness of Howard Hughes by Donald Barlett
This is an epic biography of an epic man. It shows the heights of his incredible success as well as the depths of his inner struggles. Readers learn about the tough but eccentric figure in a story that details his incredible success as an aviator, film producer, and more.
Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges
The brilliant mathematician, cytologist, and computer pioneer Alan Turing is beautifully depicted in this biography. It covers his heroic code-breaking efforts during World War II , his computer designs and contributions to mathematical biology in the years following, and the vicious persecution that befell him in the 1950s when homosexual acts were still a crime and punishable by law.
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
Of course, we couldn’t highlight Ron Chernow’s best works without including his biography on Alexander Hamilton , which is not only the inspiration for a hit Broadway musical but also a work of creative genius itself. Another more than 800-page book (an ongoing theme for Chernow biographies), this book details every knowable moment of the youngest Founding Father’s life, from his role in the Revolutionary War and early American government to his sordid affair with Maria Reynolds. If you’ve seen the musical, this book will help answer a lot of those burning questions that you may have.
Frida: The Biography of Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera
The focal point of this biography is not the suffering that was endured by Frida Kahlo, but instead, her artistic brilliance and her immense resolve to leave her mark on the world. Herrera’s 1983 biography of one of the most recognizable names in modern art has since become the definitive account of her life.
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Recommended reading for any adventurer or explorer -- the story of Christopher McCandless, aka Alexander Supertramp, who hitchhiked to Alaska and disappeared into the Denali wilderness in April 1992 only to have his remains discovered in his shelter five months later -- Into the Wild retraces his steps along the trek, attempting to discover what the young man was looking for on his journey. Krakauer delivers one of the best biography books in recent memory.
Prince: A Private View by Afshin Shahidi
Compiled after the superstar’s untimely death in 2016, this intimate snapshot into the life of Prince is largely visual. The author served as the musician’s private photographer from the early 2000s until his passing. You already know the expression, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” and in this case, they are worth a lot more.
Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter by Kate Clifford Larson
The “Kennedy Curse” didn’t bring forth an assassination or a mysterious plane crash for Rosemary Kennedy, although her fate might have been the worst of them all. As if her botched lobotomy that left her almost completely incapacitated weren’t enough, her parents then hid her away from society, almost never to be seen again. Penned by Kennedy scholar Kate Larson, the full truth of her post-lobotomy life is finally revealed.
Trump Revealed: The Definitive Biography of the 45th President by Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher
Love him or hate him, Donald Trump is likely the most divisive U.S. president of modern times. The comprehensive biography of Trump is reported by a team of award-winning Washington Post journalists and co-authored by investigative political reporter Michael Kranish and senior editor Marc Fisher. The book gives the reader an insight into Trump, from his upbringing in Queens to his turbulent careers in real estate and entertainment to his astonishing rise as the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination.
Mao: The Unknown Story by Jung Chang
Most are familiar with the revolutionary Mao Zedong. This carefully curated biography by Jung Chang digs deeper into the life of the "Red Emperor." You won't find these interviews and stories about the world leader in history books alone. This extensive account of the man known simply as Mao begins with a horrific statistic: He was responsible for the deaths of more than 70 million people during his regime.
A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell
Biographies often give us the stories of people we know and love, but they can also reveal new stories about people that may have been lost to history. In her bestseller, Sonia Purnell tells the story of Virginia Hall, a prolific and heroic spy from World War II who took down the Axis Powers on one leg.
Black Boy by Richard Wright
A standard biography is usually given by a historian after years and years of research and writing, but sometimes it’s better to go straight to the source. In his memoir, Richard Wright details his life as he recalls it as a black American in the 20th century. Black Boy is a harsh, painful, beautiful, and revealing read about race in the United States -- and about a towering figure of literature.
Leonardo Da Vinci by Walter Isaacson
Isaacson represents the gold standard for contemporary biographers, and his tome on Leonardo da Vinci was a bestseller for a reason. Isaacson is able to show a detailed, intimate portrait of the most famous painter of all time from centuries away.
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
Want to know how the biggest sports company of all time came to be? Hear it from the man himself. Phil Knight’s book takes you through how his little sneaker company in Oregon became the worldwide leader in sportswear.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley
One of the most famous biographies ever, The Autobiography of Malcolm X remains a classic and an important read. Malcolm X’s politics, though controversial at the time and today, is a valuable and provocative perspective that will make you reconsider how you think about America and the American Dream.
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Long before becoming Jon Stewart’s successor on The Daily Show, Trevor Noah lived many, many lifetimes. Born to apartheid South Africa, Noah’s story is one of perseverance and triumph, and one that he manages to make funny by some sort of magic trick.
The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae
Of course, today, you know Issa Rae as the writer, actor, and star of HBO’s Insecure, but before her hit show came her webseries and book of the same name, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl. Rae’s memoir wrestles with the idea of being an introvert in a world that considers Black people inherently cool.
Robin by Davie Itzkoff
One of the most beloved comedians and actors of all time, Robin Williams' passing in 2014 shook fans across generations. In his book, New York Times culture reporter Dave Itzkoff covers the life, work, and emotions of one of the most complicated and misunderstood comedians ever. Oh captain, my captain...
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Anytime you're wondering what's on TV, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of new shows and movies at your disposal. Every weekend brings new debuts across a wide array of streaming services, and it can be hard to keep track of what's worth checking out and what you can skip. Thankfully, we've got you covered with recommendations for movies and TV shows across a wide array of different streaming services. This is what to watch this weekend.
Best new shows to watch What to watch on Netflix
"In order to write about life first you must live it," is a quote by the late Hemingway himself. Not only did he quite literally live up to those words but his life was seemingly a never-ending adventure. It is arguably what made him charismatic as a man and an even larger-than-life figure during his time on earth.
It's also been said that after Ernest Hemingway, one either tried to write like Hemingway or one tried not to write like Hemingway. Such was the enormous impact on the craft of English letters by the late writer, and for his contribution, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. Many are first introduced to "Papa" and his work in middle school or high school with The Sun Also Rises, The Old Man and the Sea, or one of his numerous short stories, all of which are damn fine, to borrow his verbiage. While some of these titles are a century old, his books continue to influence and inspire in the present. But there are many more Ernest Hemingway books that he wrote or was writing that, while overshadowed by the titans of his canon, are nevertheless worth a read by more than just the die-hard fan.
Over the past decade, Adam Driver has emerged as one of the more talented actors working in Hollywood today. Whether he's starring in science fiction epics or much more intimate character dramas, Driver seems to have full command of what he's capable of as an actor and uses his physically imposing presence and versatility to inhabit a wide array of different roles. Because Driver has been so experimental throughout his long career, it can be hard to pick the best movies he's ever been in as an actor. In this list, we've tried to combine.
10. Silence (2016)
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Best biographies and memoirs of 2021
Brian Cox is punchy, David Harewood candid and Miriam Margolyes raucously indiscreet
In a bonanza year for memoirs, Ruth Coker Burks got us off to a strong start with All the Young Men (Trapeze), a clear-eyed and poignant account of her years spent looking after Aids patients in Little Rock, Arkansas, in the 1980s. While visiting a friend in hospital, Burks witnessed a group of nurses drawing straws over who should enter a room labelled “Biohazard”, the ward for men with “that gay disease”. And so she took it upon herself to sit with the dying and bury them when their families wouldn’t. Later, as the scale of fear and prejudice became apparent, she helped patients with food, transport, social security and housing, often at enormous personal cost. Her book, written with Kevin Carr O’Leary, finds light in the darkness as it reveals the love and camaraderie of a hidden community fighting for its life.
Sadness and joy also go hand-in-hand in What It Feels Like for a Girl (Penguin), an exuberant account of Paris Lees’s tearaway teenage years in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, where “the streets are paved wi’ dog shit”. Her gender nonconformity is just one aspect of an adolescence that also features bullying, violence, prostitution, robbery and a spell in a young offenders’ institute. Yet despite the many traumas, Lees finds joy and kinship in the underground club scene and a group of drag queens who cocoon her in love and laughter.
Miriam Margolyes’s This Much Is True (John Murray) traces her path from cherished child of an Oxford GP to Bafta-winning actor to chat-show sofa staple, in a raucously indiscreet memoir replete with fruity tales of sexual experimentation, tricky co-stars and Olympic-level farting. And Bob Mortimer’s winningly heartfelt And Away… (Gallery) reveals the brilliant highs and terrible lows of his childhood as the “irritating runt” of four brothers, his initial career as a solicitor and subsequent reinvention as a celebrated comic alongside his partner in crime, Vic Reeves.
Themes of identity and belonging underpin Beautiful Country (Viking), Qian Julie Wang’s elegantly affecting account of her move from China to New York where she lived undocumented and under threat of deportation, and Nadia Owusu’s powerful Aftershocks (Sceptre), in which the author recalls a peripatetic childhood as the daughter of a volatile Armenian-American mother and a Ghanaian father, a United Nations official who died when she was 13. Both books tell remarkable stories of displacement, heartache and resilience.
1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows (Bodley Head) is another tale of extraordinary resilience, as the artist Ai Weiwei vividly reflects on his own life and that of his father, who was a poet. Both men fell foul of the Chinese authorities: Ai’s father, Ai Qing, was exiled to a place nicknamed “Little Siberia”, where he lived with his young son in a dug-out pit with a roof made from mud and branches, while Ai himself was imprisoned in 2011 for 11 weeks on spurious tax charges. Lea Ypi’s Free: Coming of Age at the End of History (Penguin) is a beautifully written account of life under a crumbling Stalinist system in Albania and the shock and chaos of what came next. In telling her story and examining the political systems in which she was raised, the author and LSE professor asks tough questions about the nature of freedom.
In Maybe I Don’t Belong Here (Bluebird), the actor David Harewood lays bare his struggles with racial injustice and mental illness, and shows how these things are connected. Harewood’s childhood was punctuated by racist abuse; later, as he tried to get his career off the ground, he was bullied by colleagues and critics. At 23, he had a psychotic breakdown during which it took six police officers to restrain him, and was dispatched to a psychiatric ward where, he learns from his hospital records, he was described as a “large black man” and administered drugs at four times the recommended dose. His recollections of his unravelling, treatment and recovery are acutely drawn.
Huma Abedin’s electrifying memoir Both/And: A Life in Many Worlds (Simon & Schuster) grapples with her multiple identities as a woman with Indian parents, who was born in Michigan and raised in Saudi Arabia. It is also a brave and unflinching account of her job as aide to Hillary Clinton and her years as the wife of Anthony Weiner , the congressman at the centre of a sexting scandal that landed him in prison, prompted an investigation by child services and ultimately derailed Clinton’s presidential campaign. Of the night Abedin learned her work emails had been discovered on her husband’s laptop, which would lead to the FBI reopening its investigation into Clinton’s handling of classified information, she recalls: “I wrote one line in my notebook. ‘I do not know how I am going to survive this. Help me God.’”
The actor Brian Cox lost his father to pancreatic cancer when he was eight years old, his mother battled with mental illness and his childhood was one of almost Dickensian poverty. But you won’t find self-pity in his meandering but amusingly irreverent memoir, Putting the Rabbit in the Hat (Quercus). Instead, we get a whistlestop tour of his working life, during which he takes entertaining pot-shots at Johnny Depp (“overrated”), Steven Seagal (“ludicrous”) and Edward Norton (“a pain in the arse”).
Finally, two terrific biographies. Frances Wilson’s smart and scholarly Burning Man: The Ascent of DH Lawrence (Bloomsbury) paints a vivid picture of a brilliant writer who was “censored and worshipped” in his lifetime, and remained furious at the world and at those not sufficiently cognisant of his genius.
And Paula Byrne’s The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym (William Collins), about the British postwar novelist whom Philip Larkin compared to Jane Austen, is a touching and revealing portrait of a flawed romantic and a free spirit.
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The 55 Best Biographies of All Time
POSTED ON Nov 6, 2023
Written by Nicole Ahlering
There’s something special about a good biography . It can give us insight into the life of someone we admire, entertain and inspire us, and help us learn from other people’s trials.
Thankfully, there’s no shortage of books out there documenting people’s life stories, be it in the form of autobiography or biography .
If you’re looking for a new one to pick up, which offers a captivating third-person account of another person’s life, here’s a list of the 55 best biographies to read (in our humble opinion)!
1. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Isaacson explores how the innovative Steve Jobs grew up to co-found Apple, Inc. If you’re interested in the tech industry or entrepreneurship, this is a good read for you. You’ll learn about Jobs’ pioneering spirit and the impacts he made on modern technology.
2. Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson
You’ll see a few biographies by Isaacson on this list. He’s a lauded and prolific author (not to mention former editor of Time, among other impressive positions). He wrote this biography to explore the man behind the groundbreaking work in physics and more. Read to satiate your intellectual curiosity.
3. The Wright Brothers by David McCullough
We all know these two dynamic brothers changed aviation history, but do you know how they got there? McCullough set out to find out. Read this biography if you want to be inspired by two men who followed their dreams—all the way up into the sky.
4. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
An intriguing title for an equally captivating biography! Lacks’ cells were—unbeknownst to her—used for medical research. Skloot wrote this biography to explore the ethics behind that decision. Read if you’re interested in the intersection between privacy and making medical advances.
5. Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
History enthusiasts will love Chernow’s profile of one of America’s founding fathers. Not only will you learn about Hamilton’s personal life, but you’ll witness the ways he shaped a nation.
6. The Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell
Samuel Johnson did it all: he was a poet, an essayist, a literary critic, and many other things—including a biographer himself! Boswell wrote this biography to explore the mind behind Johnson’s prolific body of work. This one is a fun read if you’re interested in the 18th-Century England literary scene.
7. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas
If the title of this biography alone doesn’t make you want to read it, we don’t know what to tell you! Bonhoeffer—a German pastor who resisted the Nazis—is an excellent inspiration for any reader looking to summon more courage in their life.
8. Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff
If you’re under the impression that Cleopatra was Egyptian, exceptionally beautiful, or died from a snake bite, read this biography. Because none of those things are true! Schiff offers a fresh perspective on the famed leader. It’s a great read for any ancient history buff.
9. The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks by Jeanne Theoharis
Did you know Parks did a lot of activism work outside of her famous bus encounter? Get a more comprehensive look into the life of this civil rights icon in Theoharis’ biography.
10. Pablo Picasso: A Biography by Patrick O’Brian
Did you know Picasso wrote poems and plays and created ceramics? There’s more to this famous artist than his abstract portraits. O’Brian gives us an inside look at this creative genius. Don’t miss this one if you’re in the visual arts.
11. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris
Interested in American History? Grab this biography by Morris. It details Roosevelt’s political ascent and the indomitable spirit required of him to get there.
12. Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler
If you’ve ever loved a Disney movie, you’ll want to read Gabler’s biography. He takes readers on a journey through the magical world Disney created and gives us insight into one of the most imaginative brains of the 20th century.
1 3. Queen Victoria by Lytton Strachey
Did you know that Queen Victoria was the second longest-reigning monarch? Learn about her life in this biography by Strachey. It’s a great read for anyone intrigued by the Victorian era (which, yes, was named after the queen).
14. Mozart: A Life by Maynard Solomon
Can’t get enough of Symphony No. 40 in G Minor? This is the biography for you. Solomon takes a deep dive into Mozart’s creative talent and the world of classical music.
15. The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T.J. Stiles
Interested in entrepreneurship ? There’s no better read for you than Stiles’ biography of Cornelius Vanderbilt, a ruthless businessman who dramatically influenced America’s economic landscape.
16. Grant by Ron Chernow
Another presidential biography by Chernow, this one profiles Ulysses S. Grant’s journey as the Union general and president of the United States. Read this biography if you’re intrigued by the tumultuous time in American history over which Grant presided.
17. The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone
We can all agree there aren’t enough biographies written about badass women. (Maybe you’ll be the next to write one ?) But we’re thankful for this epic profile by Fagone. It profiles Elizabeth Smith Friedman, a World War II codebreaker who contributed heavily to the field of cryptography. Read for a serious dose of girl power.
18. CoCo Chanel: The Legend and the Life by Justine Picardie
Got a bottle of Chanel No. 5 sitting on your shelf? You should pick up this biography by Picardie. In it, we get a glimpse of the iconic fashion designer’s career journey, and also her personal life.
19. Charles Dickens: A Life by Claire Tomalin
Fans of A Tale of Two Cities will want to grab a copy of Tomalin’s excellent memoir . You’ll learn about the famous Victorian novelist, including about his lesser-known social activism.
20. Kafka: The Early Years by Reiner Stach
Calling all existentialists. You’ll want to get your hands on Stach’s biography of Kafka. Learn about this enigmatic writer’s relationships, struggles, and unique creative process. (P.S. Be sure to read the other books in this three-volume series on Kafka.)
21. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance
Looking for something contemporary? Try Vance’s biography of Elon Musk. In it, you’ll get a glimpse of Musk’s efforts to transform various industries. It’s a great read for all the innovative thinkers out there!
22. Indira: The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi by Katherine Frank
Gandhi was India’s first female prime minister. In her fascinating biography, Frank explores the personal and political challenges Gandhi faced during her tenure. Read this one to be reminded you can overcome any challenge.
23. Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith
Explore the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II in this well-researched biography. Anyone into the monarchy should pick this book up–Elizabeth II is one of the most enduring (and iconic) queens.
24. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Learn how Lincoln won over his opposition and steered the country through civil war in this fascinating biography. It’s a great read if you want to learn more about the early leaders who shaped the United States, or if you're looking for inspiration on how to write a book about war .
25. The Power Broker: Robert Moses and The Fall of New York by Robert A. Caro
Robert Moses, a power-hungry city planner, is the fascinating subject of this biography by Caro. Read it to understand how one man’s vision can transform an entire city.
26. Mao: The Unknown Story by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday
Learn the sordid history of the scheming Chairman Mao Zedong. The authors of this biography spent a decade researching and interviewing to put together a book that will upend everything you know about this infamous leader.
27. Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie
Experience the life of Russian empress, Catherine the Great in vivid detail, courtesy of this biography by Massie. As one of the most remarkable female rulers, Catherine has an interesting story—and a tumultuous personal life—to share.
28. The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill by William Manchester and Paul Reid
Learn about one of the United Kingdom’s most famous prime ministers and how he guided his country through World War II and beyond. This is a great biography for anyone looking to become a leader; Churchill’s invincible spirit will inspire you.
29. Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser
Did you know Antoinette didn’t actually say “Let them eat cake”? She also wasn’t as frivolous, dim-witted, or out-of-touch as she is often portrayed. To get the real picture of what Antoinette was like, read Fraser’s biography. We promise you’ll learn something new about this infamous queen.
30. Charles Darwin: A Biography , Vol. 1 and 2 by Janet Browne
Interested in science and biology? Don’t miss this two volume biography about Charles Darwin, who developed the theory of evolution by natural selection. You’ll learn that he was not only a scientist but deeply interested in literature and the arts.
31. Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones
Learn about the bearded dreamer behind the creation of the beloved Muppets. This is a great biography to pick up when you need an infusion of joy and inspiration.
32. Ruth Bader Ginsberg: A Life by Jane Sherron De Hart
RBG continues to inspire women everywhere, even after her passing. If you’re one of her admirers, you’ll like De Hart’s biography. It details Ginsberg’s journey to the Supreme Court, following her legal career, gender advocacy work, and more.
33. Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life by Jon Lee Anderson
Learn about the Argentine Revolutionary in this biography by Anderson. You’ll gain new insights about his ideology and the massive impact he had on Latin American politics.
34. The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America’s First Superhero by William Kalush and Larry Sloman
Want to learn some of the secrets of the world’s most famous escape artist and magician? This is the biography for you. Get a glimpse into his world of illusion and escape reality for a little while.
35. Appetite for Life: The Biography of Julia Child by Noël Riley Fitch
We all know and love the ebullient Julia Child. Now you can learn about how she rose to culinary stardom in this biography by Fitch. Read this when you want to feel inspired to get back into the kitchen.
36. Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France by Leonie Frieda
Learn about the life of this powerful queen in Frieda’s biography. It’s a great read for anyone interested in the Renaissance, the French court, and the monarchy.
37. Andrew Carnegie by David Nasaw
Want to know more about one of America’s most famous industrialists? Track down a copy of Nasaw’s biography. It covers not only Carnegie’s business empire but his philanthropic legacy too. Carnegie made many enduring contributions to libraries, education, and more.
38. Shakespeare: The Biography by Peter Ackroyd
Here’s one for the classic literature students. Learn all about the poet and playwright’s life and literary achievements. This biography would make a great gift for the Romeo and Juliet fan in your life.
39. The Queen’s Agent: Sir Francis Walsingham and the Rise of Espionage in Elizabethan England by John Cooper
Need a break from mystery novels but still want to read something spy-centric? Cooper’s biography is for you. In it, you’ll explore the life of Elizabeth I’s spymaster, who had a large hand in shaping modern espionage.
40. The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Want to read a biography about something other than a person? Here’s an interesting—if morbid—alternative. Get a comprehensive overview of the history and science of cancer. Plus learn about the progress we’re making to fight the disease.
41. Madame Curie: A Biography by Eve Curie
This very special biography of Madam Curie—the first woman to win a Nobel prize—was written by her own daughter. Get Eve’s personal perspective on her mother’s life, her groundbreaking work in the field of radioactivity, and more. This one is a can’t-miss.
42. Nikola Tesla: Imagination and the Man Who Invented the 20th Century by Sean Patrick
Interested in inventor and engineer Nikola Tesla? Here’s the biography for you. Get insights into the brilliant mind behind major innovations in electricity and technology.
43. The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujan by Robert Kanigel
Torn between your love of math and reading? You don’t have to choose with this biography by Kanigel. It details the life of Srinivasa Ramanujan, a genius Indian mathematician who changed the game with his contributions to number theory.
44. The Man Who Invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits by Les Standiford
Ready to get in the holiday spirit? Read Standiford’s biography to learn about Dickens’s life and how his classic literary masterpiece changed the holidays forever.
45. The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom by Simon Winchester
Are you a Sinophile? You’ll love this biography by Winchester. It details the life of Joseph Needham, a British biochemist who did extensive work on the history of science in China. Read to learn about his contributions to cross-cultural understanding.
46. The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss
Curious about the man who inspired the character in The Count of Monte Cristo ? Read this biography about Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, a mixed-race soldier who had a notable influence on literature and history.
47. The Monk of Mokha by Dave Eggers
Did you know Yemen has a rich coffee heritage? Eggers profiles Mokhtar Alkhanshali, a Yemen-American who revitalizes Yemen’s coffee industry amidst the country’s turmoil.
48. The Lives of the Muses: Nine Women and the Artists They Inspired by Francine Prose
How about a biography of nine people instead of one? In this unique book, Prose shares a glimpse into the lives of the women behind some of our most famous artists’ influential works.
49. The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became an American Hero by Timothy Egan
Interested in the intersection of Irish and American history? Read Egan’s biography to learn about Thomas Francis Meagher, an Irish revolutionary who played a key role in both the Irish Rebellion and the American Civil War.
50. Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery and Murder in Medieval England by Alison Weir
Intrigued by the bold queen who helped to overthrow her husband? Pick up Weir’s biography. You’ll get to know the life and politics of one of the most infamous members of the monarchy.
51. Hannibal: The Enemy of Rome by Leonard Cottrell
Love learning about epic battles and warfare? Learn about the Carthaginian general and his legendary campaigns against Rome in Cottrell’s biography.
52. Galileo: A Life by James Reston Jr.
Want to learn more about the famed Italian scientist and astronomer? This biography delves deep into not only Galilieo’s contributions to the scientific revolution but also his turbulent relationship with the Catholic church.
53. Mary S he lley by Miranda Seymour
Shelley was just 18 years old when she wrote Frankenstein , an achievement all the more remarkable when you consider the decade in which she wrote it. If you’d like to learn more about this genius author, Seymour’s book is for you.
54. Casanova: The World of a Seductive Genius by Laurence Bergreen
In the mood for something sensual and informative? Look no further than Bergreen’s biography of Casanova. The Italian libertine made a lasting impact on European culture and now you can follow along with his escapades.
55. Joan of Arc: A Life Transfigured by Kathryn Harrison
Want to be inspired by some serious girl power? Read this biography about the French Heroine who helped alter the course of the Hundred Years’ War. You’ll learn about her faith, her mission, and her incredible leadership prowess.
Final thoughts
Now that you know what biographies are a must-read, it’s time to hit the library. Or if you’d like to, you can start writing your own biography . If this sounds insurmountable, we’re here to help. After all, when you have a clear plan and someone holding your hand along the way, the process is much easier to complete.
We’ve helped thousands of writers self-publish their own books, and we can help you too. To get started, just schedule a book consultation or download your Ebook below. We can’t wait to meet you!
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50 best autobiographies & biographies of all time
Enlightening and inspiring: these are the best autobiographies and biographies of 2023, and all time. .
Reading an autobiography can offer a unique insight into a world and experience very different from your own – and these real-life stories are even more entertaining, and stranger, than fiction. Take a glimpse into the lives of some of the world's most inspiring and successful celebrities, politicians and sports people and more in our edit of the best autobiographies and biographies to read right now.
- New autobiographies & biographies
- Inspiring autobiographies & biographies
- Sports autobiographies & biographies
- Celebrity autobiographies & biographies
- Political & historical autobiographies
- Literary autobiographies & biographies
The best new autobiographies and biographies
Charles iii, by robert hardman.
Meet the man behind the monarch in this new biography of King Charles III by royal expert and journalist Robert Hardman. Charting Charles III’s extraordinary first year on the throne, a year plighted by sadness and family scandal, Hardman shares insider details on the true nature of the Windsor family feud, and Queen Camilla’s role within the Royal Family. Detailing the highs and lows of royal life in dazzling detail, this new biography of the man who waited his whole life to be King is one of 2024’s must-reads.
Lisa Marie Presley's memoir
By lisa marie presley.
Lisa Marie Presley was never truly understood . . . until now. Before her death in 2023, she’d been working on a raw, riveting, one-of-a-kind memoir for years, recording countless hours of breathtakingly vulnerable tape, which has finally been put on the page by her daughter, Riley Keough.
Went to London, Took the Dog: A Diary
By nina stibbe.
Ten years after the publication of the prize-winning Love, Nina comes the author’s diary of her return to London in her sixty-first year. After twenty years, Nina Stibbe, accompanied by her dog Peggy, stays with writer Debby Moggach in London for a year. With few obligations, Nina explores the city, reflecting on her past and embracing new experiences. From indulging in banana splits to navigating her son's dating life, this diary captures the essence of a sixty-year-old runaway finding her place as a "proper adult" once and for all.
Beyond the Story
In honor of BTS's 10th anniversary, this remarkable book serves as the band's inaugural official release, offering a treasure trove of unseen photographs and exclusive content. With Myeongseok Kang's extensive interviews and years of coverage, the vibrant world of K-pop springs to life. As digital pioneers, BTS's online presence has bridged continents, and this volume grants readers instant access to trailers, music videos, and more, providing a comprehensive journey through BTS's defining moments. Complete with a milestone timeline, Beyond the Story stands as a comprehensive archive, encapsulating everything about BTS within its pages.
Queen of Our Times
This is the definitive biography of Queen Elizabeth II by one of Britain’s leading royal authorities. With original insights from those who knew her best, interviews with world leaders and access to unseen papers, bestselling author Robert Hardman explores the full, astonishing life of our longest reigning monarch in this compellingly authoritative yet intimate biography.
Finding Hildasay
By christian lewis.
After hitting rock bottom having suffered with depression for years, Christian Lewis made an impulsive decision to walk the entire coastline of the UK. Just a few days later he set off with a tent, walking boots and a tenner in his pocket. Finding Hildasay tells us some of this incredible story, including the brutal three months Christian Lewis spent on the uninhabited island of Hildasay in Scotland with no fresh water or food. It was there, where his route was most barren, that he discovered pride and respect for himself. This is not just a story of a remarkable journey, but one of depression, survival and the meaning of home.
by Carolyn Hays
This moving memoir is an ode to Hays' transgender daughter – a love letter to a child who has always known herself. After a caseworker from the Department of Children and Families knocked on the door to investigate an anonymous complaint about the upbringing of their transgender child, the Hays family moved away from their Republican state. In A Girlhood, Hays tells of the brutal truths of being trans, of the sacrificial nature of motherhood and of the lengths a family will go to shield their youngest from the cruel realities of the world. Hays asks us all to love better, for children everywhere enduring injustice and prejudice.
by Prince Harry
The fastest-selling non-fiction book of all time and packed with revelations, Spare is Prince Harry's story. Twelve-year-old Harry was known as the carefree one; the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir until the loss of his mother changed everything. Then, at twenty-one, he joined the British Army, resulting in post-traumatic stress. Amidst this, the Prince also couldn't find love. Then he met Meghan. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty.
Is This Ok?
By harriet gibsone.
Harriet spent much of her young life feeding neuroses and insecurities with obsessive internet searching and indulging in whirlwind ‘parasocial relationships'. But after a diagnosis of early menopause in her late twenties, her relationship with the internet took a darker turn, as her online addictions were thrown into sharp relief by the corporeal realities of illness and motherhood. An outrageously funny, raw and painfully honest account of trying to find connection in the age of the internet, Is This Ok? is the stunning literary debut from music journalist, Harriet Gibsone.
Winner of Pulitzer Prize in Memoir, Stay True is a deeply moving and intimate memoir about growing up and moving through the world in search of meaning and belonging. When Hua Hsu first meets Ken in a Berkeley dorm room, he hates him. A frat boy with terrible taste in music, Ken seems exactly like everyone else. For Hua, Ken represents all that he defines himself in opposition to – the mainstream. The only thing Hua, the son of Taiwanese immigrants, and Ken, whose Japanese American family has been in the US for generations, have in common is that, however they engage with it, American culture doesn’t seem to have a place for either of them.
What Are You Doing Here?
By floella benjamin.
Actress, television presenter, member of the House of Lords – Baroness Floella Benjamin is an inspiration to many. But it hasn't always been easy: in What Are You Doing Here? she describes her journey to London as part of the Windrush generation, and the daily racism that caused her so much pain as a child. She has gone on to remain true to her values, from breaking down barriers as a Play School presenter to calling for diversity at the BBC and BAFTA to resisting the pressures of typecasting. Sharing the lessons she has learned, imbued with her joy and positivity, this autobiography is the moving testimony of a remarkable woman.
Life's Work
By david milch.
Best known for creating smash-hit shows including NYPD Blue and Deadwood, you’d be forgiven for thinking that David Milch had lived a charmed life of luxury and stardom. In this, his new memoir, Milch dispels that myth, shedding light on his extraordinary life in the spotlight. Born in Buffalo New York to a father gripped by drug-addiction, Milch enrolled at Yale Law befire being expelled and finding his true passion for writing. Written following his diagnosis with Alzheimer’s in 2015, in Life’s Work Milch records his joys, sadnesses and struggles with startling clarity and grace.
Will You Care If I Die?
By nicolas lunabba.
In a world where children murder children, and where gun violence is the worst in Europe, Nicolas Lunabba's job as a social organizer with Malmö's underclass requires firm boundaries and emotional detachment. But all that changes when he meets Elijah – an unruly teenage boy of mixed heritage whose perilous future reminds Nicolas of his own troubled past amongst the marginalized people who live on the fringes of every society. Written as a letter to Elijah, Will You Care If I Die? is a disarmingly direct memoir about social class, race, friendship and unexpected love.
The best inspiring autobiographies and biographies
By yusra mardini.
After fleeing her native Syria to the Turkish coast in 2015, Yusra Mardini boarded a small dinghy full of refugees headed for Greece. On the journey, the boat's engine cut out and it started to sink. Yusra, her sister, and two others took to the water to push the overcrowded boat for three and a half hours in open water, saving the lives of those on board. Butterfly is Yusra Mardini's journey from war-torn Damascus to Berlin and from there to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Game. A UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and one of People magazine's 25 Women Changing the World, discover Yusra and her incredible story of resilience and unstoppable spirit.
The Happiest Man on Earth
By eddie jaku.
A lesson in how happiness can be found in the darkest of times, this is the story of Eddie Jaku, a German Jew who survived seven years at the hands of the Nazis. Eddie Jaku always considered himself a German first, and a Jew second. All of that changed in November 1938, when he was beaten, arrested and taken to a concentration camp. But through his courage and tenacity he still came to live life as 'the happiest man on earth'. Published at the author turns one hundred, The Happiest Man on Earth is a heartbreaking but hopeful memoir full of inspiration.
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3 lessons to learn from Eddie Jaku
I know why the caged bird sings, by maya angelou.
A favourite book of former president Obama and countless others, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings , recounts Angelou’s childhood in the American south in the 1930s. A beautifully written classic, this is the first of Maya Angelou's seven bestselling autobiographies.
I Am Malala
By malala yousafzai.
After speaking out about her right to education almost cost her her life, Malala Yousafzi refused to be silenced. Instead, her amazing story has taken her all over the world. This is the story of Malala and her inspirational family, and of how one person's voice can inspire change across the globe.
In Extremis: The Life of War Correspondent Marie Colvin
By lindsey hilsum.
In her job as a foreign correspondent, Marie Colvin reported from some of the most dangerous places in the world. It was a job that would eventually cost her her life. In this posthumous biography of the award-winning news journalist, Lindsey Hilsum shares the story of one of the most daring and inspirational women of our times with warmth and wit, conveying Colvin's trademark glamour.
The best memoirs
This is going to hurt, by adam kay.
Offering a unique insight into life as an NHS junior doctor through his diary entries, Adam Kay's bestselling autobiography is equal parts heartwarming and humorous, and oftentimes horrifying too. With 97-hour weeks, life and death decisions and a tsunami of bodily fluids, Kay provides a no-holds-barred account of working on the NHS frontline. Now a major BBC comedy-drama, don't miss this special edition of This Is Going To Hurt including a bonus diary entries and an afterword from the author.
The Colour of Madness
By samara linton.
The Colour of Madness brings together memoirs, essays, poetry, short fiction and artworks by people of colour who have experienced difficulties with mental health. From experiencing micro-aggressions to bias, and stigma to religious and cultural issues, people of colour have to fight harder than others to be heard and helped. Statistics show that people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds in the UK experience poor mental health treatment in comparison to their white counterparts, and are more likely to be held under the Mental Health Act.
Nothing But The Truth
By the secret barrister.
How do you become a barrister? Why do only 1 per cent of those who study law succeed in joining this mysterious profession? And why might a practising barrister come to feel the need to reveal the lies, secrets, failures and crises at the heart of this world of wigs and gowns? Full of hilarious, shocking and surprising stories, Nothing But The Truth tracks the Secret Barrister’s transformation from hang ‘em and flog ‘em, austerity-supporting twenty-something to a campaigning, bestselling, reforming author whose writing in defence of the law is celebrated around the globe.
by Michelle Obama
This bestselling autobiography lifts the lid on the life of one of the most inspiring women of a generation, former first lady Michelle Obama. From her childhood as a gifted young woman in south Chicago to becoming the first black First Lady of the USA, Obama tells the story of her extraordinary life with humour, warmth and honesty.
Kitchen Confidential
By anthony bourdain.
Regarded as one of the greatest books about food ever written, Kitchen Confidential lays bare the wild tales of the culinary industry. From his lowly position as a dishwasher in Provincetown to cooking at some of the finest restaurants across the world, the much-loved Bourdain translates his sultry, sarcastic and quick-witted personality to paper in this uncensored 'sex, drugs, bad behaviour and haute cuisine' account of life as a professional chef. Bourdain's tales of the kitchen are as passionate as they are unpredictable, as shocking as they are funny.
Everything I Know About Love
By dolly alderton.
Dolly Alderton, perhaps more than any other author, represents the rise of the messy millennial woman – in the very best way possible. Her internationally bestselling memoir gives an unflinching account of the bad dates and squalid flat-shares, the heartaches and humiliations, and most importantly, the unbreakable female friendships that defined her twenties. She weaves together personal stories, satirical observations, a series of lists, recipes, and other vignettes that will strike a chord of recognition with women of every age. This is a memoir that you'll discuss with loved ones long after the final page.
The best sports autobiographies and biographies
By chris kamara.
Presenter, commentator, (sometimes masked) singer, footballer, manager and campaigner, Kammy's action-packed career has made him a bona fide British hero. Kammy had a tough upbringing, faced racism on the terraces during his playing career and has, in recent years, dealt with a rare brain condition – apraxia – that has affected his speech and seen him say goodbye to Sky Sports. With entertaining stories of his playing career from Pompey to Leeds and beyond; his management at Bradford City and Stoke; his crazy travels around the world; of Soccer Saturday banter; presenting Ninja Warrior ; and the incredible friendships he's made along the way, Kammy is an unforgettable ride from one of Britain's best-loved broadcasters.
Alone on the Wall
By alex honnold.
In the last forty years, only a handful of climbers have pushed themselves as far, ‘free soloing’ to the absolute limit of human capabilities. Half of them are dead. Although Alex Honnold’s exploits are probably a bit too extreme for most of us, the stories behind his incredible climbs are exciting, uplifting and truly awe-inspiring. Alone on the Wall is a book about the essential truth of being free to pursue your passions and the ability to maintain a singular focus, even in the face of mortal danger. This updated edition contains the account of Alex's El Capitan climb, which is the subject of the Oscar and BAFTA winning documentary, Free Solo .
On Days Like These
By martin o'neill.
Martin O’Neill has had one of the most incredible careers in football. With a story spanning over fifty years, Martin tells of his exhilarating highs and painful lows; from the joys of winning trophies, promotion and fighting for World Cups to being harangued by fans, boardroom drama, relegation scraps and being fired. Written with his trademark honesty and humour, On Days Like These is one of the most insightful and captivating sports autobiographies and a must-read for any fans of the beautiful game.
Too Many Reasons to Live
By rob burrow.
As a child, Rob Burrow was told he was too small to be a rugby player. Some 500 games for Leeds later, Rob had proved his doubters wrong: he won eight Super League Grand Finals, two Challenge Cups, three World Club Challenges and played for his country in two World Cups. In 2019 though, Rob was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and given just two years to live. He went public with the news, determined to fight it all the way. Full of love, bravery and kindness, this is the story of a man who has awed his fans with his positive attitude to life.
With You Every Step, a celebration of friendship by Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield
At home with muhammad ali, by hana yasmeen ali.
Written by his daughter Ali using material from her father's audio journals, love letters and her treasured family memories, this sports biography offers an intimate portrait of one of boxing's most legendary figures, and one of the most iconic sports personalities of all time.
Belonging: The Autobiography
By alun wyn jones.
This is the tale of a lad from Mumbles who became the most capped rugby player of all time. Having watched the 1997 Lions Tour of South Africa in the hall of his school, he ascended the sport to become named the 2021 Lions Captain. This is a stirring story about physical achievement, but also about perthyn , or belonging. Belonging to the team, to the legions of fans, to the great players of the past, and to the country of Wales itself.
They Don't Teach This
By eniola aluko.
In her autobiography, footballer Eni Aluko addresses themes of dual nationality, race and institutional prejudice, success, gender and faith through her own experiences growing up in Britain. Part memoir, part manifesto for change, They Don't Teach This is a must-read book for 2020.
Touching The Void
By joe simpson.
A million-copy bestseller, Touching The Void recounts Joe Simpson and Simon Yate's near fatal dscent after climbing Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes. A few days after reaching the summit of the mountain, Simon staggered into Base Camp, exhausted and frost-bitten, with news that that Joe was dead. What happened to Joe, and how the pair dealt with the psychological traumas that resulted when Simon was forced into the appalling decision to cut the rope, makes not only an epic of survival but a compelling testament of friendship.
The best celebrity autobiographies and biographies
By adrian edmondson.
From brutal schooldays to 80s anarchy, through The Young Ones and beyond, Berserker! is the one-of-a-kind, fascinating memoir from an icon of British comedy, Adrian Edmondson. His star-studded anecdotes and outrageous stories are set to a soundtrack of pop hits, transporting the reader through time and cranking up the nostalgia. But, as one would expect, these stories are also a guaranteed laugh as Ade traces his journey through life and comedy.
Being Henry
By henry winkler.
Brilliant, funny, and widely-regarded as the nicest man in Hollywood, Henry Winkler shares the disheartening truth of his childhood, the difficulties of a life with severe dyslexia and the pressures of a role that takes on a life of its own. Since the glorious era of Happy Days fame, Henry has endeared himself to a new generation with roles in such adored shows as Arrested Development and Barry , where he’s revealed himself as an actor with immense depth and pathos. But Being Henry is about so much more than a life in Hollywood and the curse of stardom. It is a meaningful testament to the power of sharing truth and of finding fulfillment within yourself.
Life Lessons
By jay blades.
‘Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.’ Let Jay’s words of wisdom – gleaned from his own triumphs over adversity – help you to find your best path through life. Filled with characteristic warmth and humour, Jay talks about the life lessons that have helped him to find positivity and growth, no matter what he’s found himself facing. Jay shares not only his adventures and escapades but also the way they have shaped his outlook and helped him to live life to the fullest. His insight and advice give you everything you need to be able to reframe your own circumstances and make the best of them.
A Funny Life
By michael mcintyre.
Comic Michael McIntyre specialises in pin-sharp observational routines that have made him the world's bestselling funny man. But when he turns his gaze to himself and his own family, things get even funnier. This bracingly honest memoir covers the highs, lows and pratfalls of a career in comedy, as Michael climbs the greasy pole of success and desperately attempts to stay up there.
by Elton John
Elton John is one of the most successful singer/songwriters of all time, but success didn't come easily to him. In his bestselling autobiography, he charts his extraordinary life, from the early rejection of his work to the heady heights of international stardom and the challenges that came along with it. With candour and humour, he tells the stories of celebrity friendships with John Lennon, George Michael and Freddie Mercury, and of how he turned his life around and found love with David Furnish. Me is the real story of the man behind the music.
Gotta Get Theroux This
By louis theroux.
After three decades reporting on the lives of some of the world's most extreme people, now Louis Theroux is telling his own story. From his socially awkward (his words, not ours) TV debut in 1994, to his journeys across America and his interview with now disgraced Jimmy Saville, Louis looks back on his career with his trademark razor-sharp observation and self-deprecating humour.
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And away..., by bob mortimer.
National treasure and beloved entertainer, Bob Mortimer, takes us from his childhood in Middlesborough to working as a solicitor in London in his highly acclaimed autobiography. Mortimer’s life was trundling along happily until suddenly in 2015 he was diagnosed with a heart condition that required immediate surgery and forced him to cancel an upcoming tour. The book covers his numerous misadventures along his path to fame but also reflects on more serious themes, making this both one of the most humorous and poignant celebrity memoirs of recent years.
by Walter Isaacson
Based on interviews conducted with Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson's biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is filled with lessons about innovation, leadership, and values and has inspired a movie starring Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet and Seth Rogen. Isaacson tells the story of the rollercoaster life and searingly intense personality of creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized the tech industry. Although Jobs cooperated with this book, he asked for no control over what was written and put nothing off limits, making this an unflinchingly candid account of one of the key figures of modern history.
Maybe I Don't Belong Here
By david harewood.
When David Harewood was twenty-three, his acting career began to take flight and he had what he now understands to be a psychotic breakdown. He was physically restrained by six police officers, sedated, then hospitalized and transferred to a locked ward. Only now, thirty years later, has he been able to process what he went through. In this powerful and provocative account of a life lived after psychosis, critically acclaimed actor, David Harewood, uncovers a devastating family history and investigates the very real impact of racism on Black mental health.
Scenes from My Life
By michael k. williams.
When Michael K. Williams died on 6 September 2021, he left behind a career as one of the most electrifying actors of his generation. At the time of his death, Williams had nearly finished his memoir, which traces his life in whole, from his childhood and his early years as a dancer to his battles with addiction. Alongside his achievements on screen he was a committed activist who dedicated his life to helping at-risk young people find their voice and carve out their future. Imbued with poignance and raw honesty, Scenes from My Life is the story of a performer who gave his all to everything he did – in his own voice, in his own words.
Celebrating the Seasons with the Yorkshire Shepherdess
By amanda owen.
From the rural heart of Swaledale, Yorkshire shepherdess Amanda Owen shares stories of life with a large family and a large herd of sheep, as the year turns from lambing to haymaking to midwinter feeds in the snow. From leaping hares to rare moorland flowers, her beautiful photos help bring the text to life, as do the interspersed recipes for the seasonal meals she feeds her family. Yorkshire curd tart anyone?
More Myself
By alicia keys.
Alicia Keys' More Myself is a celebrity autobiography with a difference. After years of playing sold-out arenas and topping the charts, Keys is now stepping back and asking, ‘who am I, really?’ Part memoir, part narrative documentary, More Myself offers an insight into the life and mind of one of the world's most celebrated musicians through her quest for her truth.
Read an extract from Alicia Keys's autobiography
The best political and historical autobiographies, the fall of boris johnson, by sebastian payne.
Sebastian Payne, Whitehall Editor for the Financial Times, tells the behind-the-scenes story of the fall of former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. After being touted saviour of the Conservative Party, it took Johnson just three years to resign after a series of scandals. From the blocked suspension of Owen Patterson to Partygate and the Chris Pincher allegations, Payne gives us unparalleled access to those who were in the room when key decisions were made, ultimately culminating in Boris's downfall. This is a gripping and timely look at how power is gained, wielded and lost in Britain today.
by Sung-Yoon Lee
The Sister , written by Sung-Yoon Lee, a scholar and specialist on North Korea, uncovers the truth about Kim Yo Jong and her close bond with Kim Jong Un. In 2022, Kim Yo Jong threatened to nuke South Korea, reminding the world of the dangers posed by her state. But how did the youngest daughter of Dear Leader Kim Jong Il, his ‘sweet princess’, become the ruthless chief propagandist, internal administrator and foreign policymaker for her brother’s totalitarian regime? Readable and insightful, this book is an invaluable portrait of a woman who might yet hold the survival of her despotic dynasty in her hands.
Long Walk To Freedom
By nelson mandela.
Deemed 'essential reading for anyone who wants to understand history' by former US President, Barack Obama, this is the autobiography of one of the world's greatest moral and political leaders, Nelson Mandela. Imprisoned for more than 25 years, president of the African National Congress and head of South Africa's anti-apartheid movement, the Nobel Peace Prize winner's life was nothing short of extraordinary. Long Walk to Freedom vividly tells this story; one of hardship, resilience and ultimate triumph, written with the clarity and eloquence of a born leader.
The Truths We Hold
By kamala harris.
Born the daughter of immigrants and civil rights activists in California, Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris grew up with a strong sense of social justice. In her bestselling memoir The Truths We Hold , she shares how her childhood and the lessons she's learnt in her career as a lawmaker have inspired and shaped the person and politician that she is today, and her manifesto for a fairer future.
The Diary of a Young Girl
By anne frank.
No list of inspiring autobiographies would be complete without Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl . Charting the thirteen-year-old's time hiding in a 'Secret Annex' with her family to escape Gestapo detection, this book (which was discovered after Anne Frank's death), is a must-read, and a testament to the courage shown by the millions persecuted during the Second World War.
The best literary autobiographies
A fortunate woman, by polly morland.
Funny, emotional and imbued with great depth, A Fortunate Woman is an exploration of the life of a country doctor in a remote and wild wooded valley in the Forest of Dean. The story was sparked when writer and documentary maker Polly Morland found a photograph of the valley she lives in tucked inside a tattered copy of John Berger’s A Fortunate Man . Itself an account of the life of a country doctor, the book inspired a woman doctor to follow her vocation in the same remote place. And it is the story of this woman that Polly Morland tells, in this compelling portrait of landscape and community.
Father and Son
By jonathan raban.
On 11 June 2011, three days short of his sixty-ninth birthday, Jonathan Raban suffered a stroke which left him unable to use the right side of his body. Learning to use a wheelchair in a rehab facility outside Seattle and resisting the ministrations of the nurses overseeing his recovery, Raban began to reflect upon the measure of his own life in the face of his own mortality. Together with the chronicle of his recovery is the extraordinary story of his parents’ marriage, the early years of which were conducted by letter while his father fought in the Second World War.
Crying in H Mart
By michelle zauner.
This radiant read by singer, songwriter and guitarist Michelle Zauner delves into the experience of being the only Asian-American child at her school in Eugene, Oregon, combined with family struggles and blissful escapes to her grandmother's tiny Seoul apartment. The family bond is the shared love of Korean food, which helped Michelle reclaim her Asian identity in her twenties. A lively, honest, riveting read.
I Heard What You Said
By jeffrey boakye.
Before Jeffrey Boakye was a black teacher, he was a black student. Which means he has spent a lifetime navigating places of learning that are white by default. Since training to teach, he has often been the only black teacher at school. At times seen as a role model, at others a source of curiosity, Boakye’s is a journey of exploration – from the outside looking in. In the groundbreaking I Heard What You Said, he recounts how it feels to be on the margins of the British education system. Thought-provoking, witty and completely unafraid, I Heard What You Said is a timely exploration of how we can dismantle racism in the classroom and do better by all our students.
The Reluctant Carer
By the reluctant carer.
The phone rings. Your elderly father has been taken to hospital, and your even older mother is home with nobody to look after her. What do you do? Drop everything and go and help of course. But it's not that straightforward, and your own life starts to fall apart as quickly as their health. Irresistibly funny, unflinching and deeply moving, this is a love letter to family and friends, to carers and to anyone who has ever packed a small bag intent on staying for just a few days. This is a true story of what it really means to be a carer, and of the ties that bind even tighter when you least expect it.
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15 Memoirs and Biographies to Read This Fall
New autobiographies from Jemele Hill, Matthew Perry and Hua Hsu are in the mix, along with books about Martha Graham, Agatha Christie and more.
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By John Williams , Joumana Khatib , Elizabeth A. Harris and Alexandra Alter
- Published Sept. 8, 2022 Updated Sept. 15, 2022
Solito: A Memoir , by Javier Zamora
When he was 9, Zamora left El Salvador to join his parents in the United States — a dangerous trek in the company of strangers that lasted for more than two months, a far cry from the two-week adventure he had envisioned. Zamora, a poet, captures his childhood impressions of the journey, including his fierce, lifesaving attachments to the other people undertaking the trip with him.
Hogarth, Sept. 6
A Visible Man: A Memoir , by Edward Enninful
The first Black editor in chief of British Vogue reflects on his life, including his early years as a gay, working-class immigrant from Ghana, and his path to becoming one of the most influential tastemakers in media.
Penguin Press, Sept. 6
Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman , by Lucy Worsley
Not many authors sell a billion books, but Christie’s nearly 70 mysteries helped her do just that. Born in 1890, she introduced the world to two detectives still going strong in film adaptations and elsewhere: Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Her life even included its own mystery, when she vanished for 11 days in 1926 . Worsley, a historian, offers a full-dress biography.
Pegasus Crime, Sept. 8
Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands , by Kate Beaton
This graphic memoir follows Beaton, a Canadian cartoonist, who joins the oil rush in Alberta after graduating from college. The book includes drawings of enormous machines built to work the oil sands against a backdrop of Albertan landscapes, boreal forests and northern lights.
Drawn and Quarterly, Sept. 13
Like a Rolling Stone: A Memoir , by Jann S. Wenner
In 2017, Joe Hagan published “Sticky Fingers,” a biography of Wenner, the co-founder of Rolling Stone magazine. Now Wenner recounts his life in his own words, offering an intimate look at his time running the magazine that helped to change American culture.
Little, Brown, Sept. 13
Stay True: A Memoir , by Hua Hsu
A New Yorker staff writer reflects on a life-changing college friendship cut short by tragedy. Hsu — interested in counterculture, zines and above all music — seemed to have little in common with Ken, a Dave Matthews Band-loving fraternity brother, with the exception of their Asian American heritage. In spite of their differences, they forged a close bond; this is both a memoir of their relationship but also Hsu’s journey to adulthood as he makes sense of his grief.
Doubleday, Sept. 27
Wild: The Life of Peter Beard: Photographer, Adventurer, Lover , by Graham Boynton
A biography of the photographer Peter Beard, who had a fondness for risk, drugs and beautiful women. Boynton, a journalist and author, was a friend of Beard’s for more than 30 years.
St. Martin’s, Oct. 11
The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man: A Memoir , by Paul Newman
When Newman and his iconic blue eyes died in 2008, the actor left behind taped conversations about his life, which he had put together with hopes of writing his life story. Now, with the participation of Newman’s daughters, the transcripts have been turned into this book, which sees Newman on his early life, his troubles with drinking and his shortcomings as a husband and parent, as well as his decorated career.
Knopf. Oct. 18
Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman
Rickman, the English stage and screen actor who died in 2016, was famous for his roles in “Die Hard,” the Harry Potter movies, “Love Actually” and many other films. He kept a diary for 25 years, about his work, his political activism, his friendships and other subjects, and they promise to be “anecdotal, indiscreet, witty, gossipy and utterly candid.”
Henry Holt, Oct. 18
README.txt: A Memoir , by Chelsea Manning
Manning, a former Army analyst, shared classified documents about the U.S. military’s operations in Iraq with WikiLeaks. In this memoir, she explores her childhood and what drew her to the armed services, her eventual disillusionment with the military and her life as a trans woman.
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Oct. 18
The White Mosque: A Memoir , by Sofia Samatar
Samatar, a novelist, turns to nonfiction in this complex work combining religious and personal history. Raised in the United States, the daughter of a Swiss-Mennonite and a Somali-Muslim, Samatar recounts her life while relating a pilgrimage she undertook retracing the route of German-speaking Mennonites who founded a village in Central Asia in the 1800s.
Catapult, Oct. 25
Martha Graham: When Dance Became Modern , by Neil Baldwin
The biographer Baldwin’s eclectic list of subjects has included William Carlos Williams, Man Ray, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. Here he turns his attention to Martha Graham, the American choreographer who revolutionized modern dance and founded her own company, which is still going strong, in 1926.
Knopf, Oct. 25
Uphill: A Memoir , by Jemele Hill
Hill, now a contributing writer at The Atlantic, rose to fame as a TV anchor on ESPN. Her memoir covers the time in 2017 when ESPN suspended her (she had criticized the politics of the Dallas Cowboys’ owner, Jerry Jones, and had called President Trump a white supremacist). But the book offers a much broader canvas that includes her upbringing in Detroit and the trauma of generations of women in her family.
Henry Holt, Oct. 25
Friends, Lovers and the Terrible Thing: A Memoir , by Matthew Perry
Perry, who played Chandler Bing on “Friends,” has been candid about his substance abuse and sobriety. In this memoir, he returns again to discussions of fame and addiction, but also reaches back to his childhood.
Flatiron, Nov. 1
I Want to Die, but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki: A Memoir , by Baek Sehee. Translated by Anton Hur.
A best seller in South Korea, Baek’s memoir recounts her struggles with depression and anxiety, told through discussions with her therapist, which she recorded over a 12-week period. The therapy sessions are interspersed with short essays that explore her self-doubt and how feelings of worthlessness were reinforced by sexism.
Bloomsbury, Nov. 1
Elizabeth A. Harris writes about books and publishing for The Times. More about Elizabeth A. Harris
Alexandra Alter writes about publishing and the literary world. Before joining The Times in 2014, she covered books and culture for The Wall Street Journal. Prior to that, she reported on religion, and the occasional hurricane, for The Miami Herald. More about Alexandra Alter
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12 Inspiring Biographies That’ll Change Your Perspective
Updated 09/26/2023 Published 06/17/2020
Kate Wight, BA in English
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Biographies and autobiographies are some of the most life-changing books that exist. They allow us to learn more about individuals, both famous and relatively unknown.
Jump ahead to these sections:
Best inspiring biographies, most inspiring autobiographies, inspiring autobiographies for children and young adults.
We may find we form a deep connection to a stranger when we read about them based on shared life experiences. Or we may just learn more about someone who has a totally different background. Most of all, we can find ourselves inspired by witnessing the way a person has lived their life.
Here, we’ll explore some of the best memoirs and biographies published in recent years that will make you see the world in a new light.
People often want to be moved by the world around them. We look to other people to inspire us so that we can learn and grow. The right sources of inspiration can help us believe in ourselves.
They can even transform the way we live our lives. These biographies are sure to inspire you and challenge you.
1. Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder
Over the past several years, infectious diseases have dominated the national consciousness.
Global pandemics, the anti-vaccination movement, and preventative HIV medication are all part of this conversation. This biography focuses on the work of Dr. Paul Farmer. Farmer, a physician and anthropologist, fought tuberculosis in Haiti, Peru, and Russia. His story gives us hope that dedicated individuals are fighting to protect our health.
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2. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
In 1936, distance runner Louis Zamperini competed in the Berlin Olympics as a teenager, an astonishing feat. But while that would be a notable enough accomplishment to warrant a biography, it’s only the beginning of his story.
In 1941 he was commissioned into the United States Air Force, where he served as a bombardier. When he was just 26 years old, his plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean on a search and rescue mission. Miraculously, he lived through the crash and went on to survive 47 days adrift at sea. Unfortunately, he was then captured in the Japanese-occupied Marshall Islands. He was taken to a prison camp and tortured as a POW for two and a half years until the end of World War II.
Despite all of the ups and downs he encountered in his life, he discovered faith and the power of forgiveness. His story is proof that even after unimaginable hardship, the human spirit perseveres.
3. Young Mandela by David James Smith
Many people know the name and the legacy of Nelson Mandela. He was a political leader, activist, and philanthropist who spent 27 years in prison, much of it in solitary confinement. His crime? Fighting to dismantle the oppressive South African apartheid regime.
Upon his release, he became the first black president of South Africa and the first elected in a truly democratic election. Many people remember the benevolent, gray-haired Mandela from the latter part of his life.
This book focuses on his drive and leadership and his willingness to put himself on the line to invoke change. He is proof that one person can have enough of an impact to change the course of an entire nation.
View This Book on Amazon
4. Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times by Thomas Hauser
Some people think celebrities and sports figures should keep their mouths shut about their personal beliefs and just do what they’re paid to do. One recent example of this is Colin Kaepernick. But sports figures have a lengthy history of fighting for their beliefs. Famed fighter Muhammad Ali was one of the earliest and most vocal.
Like Kaepernick, his morals cost him years of his career. When he refused to be drafted to the Vietnam War as a conscientious objector, he was found guilty of draft evasion and stripped of his titles. But he appealed his decision all the way up to the Supreme Court, proving he was a tireless fighter in more ways than one.
Biographies often focus on famous people, political figures, or other high-profile individuals. While celebrities also write memoirs, some of the most moving autobiographies come from people who are less well-known. Here are our picks for especially inspiring autobiographies.
5. Sully: My Search for What Really Matters by Chesley B. Sullenberger with Jeffrey Zaslow
On January 15, 2009, Americans were riveted by news reports of a near tragedy. A US Airways flight was forced into making an emergency landing after both of its engines were taken out by a flock of Canada geese.
Miraculously, pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and his co-pilot were able to land the plane on the Hudson River without a single life lost. This story shows that on an average workday, a regular person can become a hero.
6. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
Bird by Bird is ostensibly a guide to help aspiring writers hone their craft. But it is so much more than that.
Lamott meditates on her awkward childhood, her history of addiction, and her journey toward faith. She also delves into deeply painful topics like the death of her beloved father.
This book shows how you can mine all your life’s experiences in aid of helping you tell compelling stories. It also demonstrates that you can overcome an incredible array of challenges and become a teacher and leader.
7. Educated by Tara Westover
We trust our parents to prepare us for the world around us. Tara Westover’s parents raised her as a survivalist in the mountains of Idaho. She stewed herbs and canned fruits to sustain her family through the winter. What her parents didn’t do was allow her to seek an education or medical care.
At the age of 17, Westover stepped foot in a classroom for the first time in her life. She taught herself math and grammar and made it into college, and has traveled the world in pursuit of knowledge. Her story shows we can overcome the most hardscrabble and deprived upbringing.
8. When I Fell From the Sky by Juliane Koepcke
When she was just 17, Koepcke miraculously survived a plane crash. Lightning struck her plane midflight and tore it apart. She plummeted two miles to the earth, still strapped to her seat.
She was flung far enough away from the wreckage that she had to spend 11 days navigating her way through the wilderness, even with grievous wounds. This tale of perseverance is unparalleled.
Kids and young people often gravitate towards fictional stories. But autobiographies can be a great way to get them more interested in nonfiction books.
All children need people to look up to. These autobiographies can inspire the next generation to follow their dreams.
9. I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb
For a lot of kids, school is tedious and boring. For Malala Yousafzai, the chance to go to school was worth risking her life. Malala grew up in the Swat Valley of Pakistan, which was seized by the Taliban. This extremist group is opposed to girls receiving any form of education. Malala refused to be intimidated and continued seeking an education.
She nearly paid the ultimate price. When she was just fifteen years old, she was shot point-blank in the head on her bus ride home from school. Miraculously she survived and inspired the world with her courage and perseverance.
10. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
The atrocities perpetrated against Jewish people during World War II can feel far removed from modern times. This memoir brings the harsh reality of living in Nazi-occupied Holland to life.
Anne Frank and her family spent two years living in hiding in cramped quarters. But the war is really just the backdrop. This memoir provides a human face to the sweeping historical injustices of the 1940s. It’s impossible to read the inner thoughts of a thirteen-year-old girl and not feel personally connected to her struggles.
11. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Jacqueline Woodson is a Newbery Honor award-winning author who is known for her poetic and evocative writing style. In her memoir-in-verse, Brown Girl Dreaming , Woodson talks about what it was like growing up as a young African-American girl in the 1960s.
In particular, she talks about the juxtaposition of living in New York vs. the segregated town of Greenville, South Carolina. This book will be especially inspiring for young African-American girls who don’t always get to see characters that look like them.
12. Firebird by Misty Copeland
Misty Copeland is a ballet dancer for the American Ballet Theatre (ABT). The ABT is one of just a few leading classical ballet companies in the United States. In 2015, Copeland became the first African-American principal dancer in the company’s 75 years of existence.
This children’s book depicts a young ballerina who, much like Copeland herself, gets to dance the lead role in Firebird . It’s a great inspiration for children to show that they can achieve their dreams through hard work and dedication.
Read These Inspirational Biographies for a Brand-New Perspective
There are so many books to read before you die . In truth, there’s no way to read all of the books you want to. But if you’re looking for inspiration, there’s nothing like a good memoir or biography to really move you.
Every one of us, young and old, can find something in someone else’s story to challenge us to become better. Someone’s life story told well can change your own life.
If you're looking for more recommendations, read our guides on the best inspiring fiction and non-fiction books .
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Are you looking for an interesting person to write about? You'll find that the more you are intrigued or inspired by your subject, the more time you'll give to this assignment.
This list may inspire you. Try to find a biography subject you enjoy reading about!
- Albert Einstein (scientist)
- Alexander Fleming (scientist)
- Alexander Graham Bell (inventor)
- Alexander the Great (leader)
- Amelia Earhart (aviation)
- Anne Frank (Holocaust)
- Benjamin Franklin (Founding Father)
- Betty Ford (inspirational)
- Carl Sagan (scientist)
- Charles Lindbergh (aviation)
- Clarence Birdseye (inventor)
- Eli Whitney (inventor)
- Elie Wiesel (Holocaust)
- Frank Lloyd Wright (architect)
- George Eastman (inventor)
- George Washington Carver (agricultural chemist)
- Henry Ford (industrialist)
- Isaac Newton (scientist)
- Jacques Cousteau (explorer)
- Jane Goodall (anthropologist)
- Johann Gutenberg (inventor)
- John Deere (inventor)
- John F. Kennedy (political leader)
- John James Audubon (nature)
- Jonas Salk (scientist, inventor)
- Karl Benz (inventor)
- Leonardo da Vinc i (scientist and artist)
- Lewis Braille (inventor)
- Margaret Mead (anthropologist)
- Marie Curie (physicist and chemist)
- Martin Luther King, Jr. (civil rights)
- Medgar Evers (civil rights)
- Mohandas Gandhi (political leader)
- Mother Teresa (Nobel Prize winner)
- Nelson Mandel a (political leader)
- Patrick Henry (Founding Father)
- Rachel Carson (conservationist)
- Robert Goddard (physicist and inventor)
- Rosa Parks (civil rights)
- Samuel Morse (inventor)
- Sandra Day O'Connor (political leader)
- Stephen Hawking (scientist)
- Susan B. Anthony (famous women)
- Thomas Edison (inventor)
- W.E.B. Dubois (civil rights)
- Wright Brothers (inventors)
- Winston Churchill (political leader)
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27 of the Best Professional Bio Examples I've Ever Seen [+ Templates]
Published: December 20, 2023
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As a writer, I have to let readers and potential clients know my expertise, my skills, and why they should work with me or be interested in what I say. So, a professional bio is a must in my industry.
Though I'm definitely familiar with professional bios, I can admit they can be challenging. What do I include? What do readers need to know?
As daunting as writing a professional bio can be, professional bios are crucial when applying for jobs, seeking new clients, or networking. A professional bio also gives the world a brief snapshot of you and your professional ideals.
If you‘re at a loss for how to write a professional bio that packs a punch, I’ve got you covered. In this journey, tools like HubSpot’s user-friendly drag-and-drop website builder can be instrumental in showcasing your professional bio online with ease and style.
I will walk you through how to write a professional bio that you can proudly publish, provide professional bio templates, and show you the best professional bio examples you can get inspiration from.
What is a professional bio?
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A professional bio or biography is a short overview of your experience. Professional bios usually include details about education, employment, achievements, and relevant skills.
Purpose of Professional Bios
A bio tells an audience about who you are, what you've done, and what you can do. It can help potential employers, fans, or customers understand your personality and what you stand for.
Writing a bio without a clear starting point is challenging — believe me, I've tried. To ease the process, here are some templates I put together to get you started.
I‘ve found it’s best to keep your professional bio honest and to the point. Too long of a bio, and you risk losing your audience's attention. After all, audiences will only read a web page for less than a minute before clicking elsewhere.
And honesty is key because most consumers and clients won‘t invest in someone or something if it doesn’t seem trustworthy. In fact, 67% of consumers say they must trust a brand before investing in its products or services.
"Plus," she adds, "I'm always happy to talk about my cats at any given moment. You never know when a fellow cat mom could be reading."
Values and Work Approach
Your values can sometimes show your work ethic more effectively than your career path. It can also help you endear yourself to employers and colleagues who want to work with people with similar values.
So don‘t be shy: Share how you incorporate your values into your work. Whether it’s a commitment to innovation, customer satisfaction, or ethical decision-making, explain what drives you and be enthusiastic about it.
Your Personality
Remember: Your bio should always include a taste of your personality! Your sense of humor, creativity, or collaborative nature could all give readers a sense of who you are. This helps readers connect with you on a more personal level.
Remember to tailor your bio for different platforms and audiences. Also, keep it concise and impactful while highlighting the most relevant information in each context.
First-Person Bio vs. Third-Person Bio
While first-person bios are common, third-person bios can be more effective in formal situations.
Your decision to write your professional bio in the first or third person depends on your desire to leave a more personable or assertive impression.
Both approaches work, provided you tailor them to your goals and audience. What’s important is to be clear and tell your story in a way that connects with your reader.
How to Write a First-Person Bio
Writing in the first person can be a great way to connect with your audience when building a personal brand. When you write a first-person bio, use "I" or "me" to make yourself relatable and approachable.
Here's one way I’d write a first-person bio:
"I'm a freelance writer specializing in small business content. I've worked with companies in a variety of industries like home care to fine leather goods."
Speaking in the first person here connects you with a client or brand based on your experience and opinions. Put another way, writing a first-person bio is like telling your story to your audience.
Here are a few tips to make your first-person bio great:
Don’t start every sentence with "I."
Showing instead of telling is a great approach.
Let’s say you’re a writer who wants to create a short professional bio. Instead of saying, "I love to write," you can say, "Writer. Bad but enthusiastic dancer."
This portrays your writing skill, shows your personality outside of writing as a dancer, and includes a little sense of humor, which is essential for a writer.
Remember, you know yourself better than anyone.
Adding a back story to your bio helps create context for the roles and successes you write about. Think of it like a case study about who you were, what you are now, and the process that got you to your current position.
Focus on valuable details.
Quick facts about you can showcase your identity and values. For example, if you're writing a bio for LinkedIn, think about how to tie your hobby into what you do.
Let's say Animal Crossing is your hobby. Does it align with your career aspirations? It can be a great addition to your bio if you want to pursue a video game career.
However, if your interests lie elsewhere, including a more relevant hobby is better.
How to Write a Third-Person Bio
Third-person bios sound more authoritative and objective. So, if you’re job searching in a formal industry, applying for grants, or trying to get published, you may want to stick to the third person.
For instance, when you write a third-person bio, you may start with:
"Jasmine Montgomery is a Senior Hiring Manager at L’Oreal based in New York. She recruits across several business units to connect with the brightest talent from around the globe."
By only using your name and pronouns to speak about yourself here, you are letting your title and skill set speak for themselves.
These bios create distance between the subject of the bio (you) and the reader through a third person. This person could be anyone, but they usually speak in a tone emphasizing their expertise.
This makes third-person bios feel aloof or overly formal sometimes.
Ideally, your third-person bio should sound friendly but polished, like a message from a close colleague at work. Here are a few tips on how to write a great third-person bio.
Write from the perspective of someone you know and trust.
It can be challenging to write about yourself, so try to see yourself from the perspective of your favorite person at work or a mentor you trust. This can help you write from a position of authority without feeling self-conscious.
Show the reader why they should trust your opinion.
A professional bio often reflects a specific industry or niche. With this in mind, your text should include relevant details that professionals in your industry know. Avoid jargon whenever you can.
Remember, you're telling a story.
If you want a third-person bio, but you're used to writing in first-person, it may help to write it the most comfortable way for you.
Your professional bio is an essential piece of writing, so edit it carefully. Edit your writing from both points of view and see which works best for your target audience.
Here's how to write a professional bio, step by step.
- Create an 'About' page for your website or profile.
- Begin writing your bio with your first and last name.
- Mention any associated brand name you might use.
- State your current position and what you do.
- Include at least one professional accomplishment.
- Describe your values and how they inform your career.
- Briefly tell your readers who you are outside of work.
- Use humor or a personal story to add flavor to your professional bio.
If you’re anything like me, you probably don't think about your professional bio until you’re asked to "send one over via email."
You have one afternoon to come up with it, so you scramble together a bio that ends up reading like this:
"Rodney Erickson is a content marketing professional at HubSpot, a CRM platform that helps companies attract visitors, convert leads, and close customers.
Previously, Rodney worked as a marketing manager for a tech software startup. He graduated with honors from Columbia University with a dual degree in Business Administration and Creative Writing."
To be fair, in certain contexts, your professional bio needs to be more formal, like Mr. Erickson's up there. But there are also cases where writing a personable and conversational bio is good.
Whether you choose the formal or casual route, use the following steps to create a perfect bio.
1. Create an 'About' page for your website or profile.
You need an online space to keep your professional bio. Here are a few to consider (some of these you might already have in place):
- Facebook Business page .
- Industry blog byline .
- Instagram account .
- Personal website .
- LinkedIn profile .
- Industry website .
- Personal blog .
As you'll see in the professional bio examples below, the length and tone of your bio will differ depending on the platforms you use.
Instagram, for example, allows only 150 characters of bio space, whereas you can write as much as you want on your website or Facebook Business page.
2. Begin writing your bio with your first and last name.
If your readers remember nothing else about your bio, they should remember your name. Therefore, it's a good idea for your first and last name to be the first two words of your professional bio.
Even if your name is printed above this bio (hint: it should), this is a rare moment where it's okay to be redundant.
For example, if I were writing my bio, I might start it like this:
Lindsay Kolowich
Lindsay Kolowich is a Senior Marketing Manager at HubSpot.
3. Mention any associated brand name you might use.
Will your professional bio represent you or a business you work for? Ensure you mention the brand you associate with in your bio. If you're a freelancer, you may have a personal business name or pseudonym you advertise to your clients.
Here are a few examples:
- Lindsay Kolowich Marketing.
- SEO Lindsay.
- Kolowich Consulting.
- Content by Kolowich (what do you think ... too cheesy?).
Maybe you founded your own company and want its name to be separate from your real name. Keep it simple like this: "Lindsay Kolowich is the founder and CEO of Kolowich Consulting."
4. State your current position and what you do.
Whether you're the author of a novel or a mid-level specialist, use the following few lines of your bio to describe what you do in that position. Refrain from assuming your audience knows what your job title entails.
Make your primary responsibilities known so readers can know you and understand what you offer to your industry.
5. Include at least one professional accomplishment.
Just as a business touts its client successes through case studies, your professional bio should let your audience know what you've achieved.
What have you done for yourself — as well as for others — that makes you a valuable player in your industry?
6. Describe your values and how they inform your career.
Why do you do what you do? What might make your contribution to the market different from your colleagues? What are the values that make your business a worthwhile investment to others?
Create a professional bio that answers these questions.
7. Briefly tell your readers who you are outside of work.
Transition from describing your values in work to defining who you are outside of work. This may include:
- Your family.
- Your hometown.
- Sports you play.
- Hobbies and interests.
- Favorite music and travel destinations.
- Side hustles you're working on.
People like connecting with other people. The more transparent you are about who you are personally, the more likable you'll be to people reading about you.
8. Use humor or a personal story to add flavor to your professional bio.
End your professional bio on a good or, more specifically, a funny note. By leaving your audience with something quirky or unique, you can ensure they'll leave your website with a pleasant impression of you.
Following the steps above when writing your bio is important, but take your time with one section. People consume lots of information daily. So ensure your bio hooks 'em in the first line, and you won’t lose them.
(P.S. Want to boost your professional brand? Take one of HubSpot Academy's free certification courses . In just one weekend, you can add a line to your resume and bio that over 60,000 marketers covet.)
Why Good Bios Are Important for a Professional
You may think, "How many people read professional bios, anyway?"
The answer: A lot. Though there's no way to tell who is reading it, you want it catchy. Your professional bio will delight the right people coming across it on multiple platforms.
Professional bios can live on your LinkedIn profile , company website, guest posts, speaker profiles, Twitter bio , Instagram bio , and many other places.
And most importantly, it‘s the tool you can leverage most when you’re networking.
Bottom line? People will read your professional bio. Whether they remember it or it makes them care about you is a matter of how well you present yourself to your intended audience.
So, what does a top-notch professional bio look like? Let‘s review a few sample bios for professionals like you and me. Then, we’ll cover bio examples from some of the best people in the industry.
Short Sample Bios
Your bio doesn't have to be complicated. Here are five samples to glean inspiration from.
Example 1: Friendly Sample Bio
"Hey! My name is Ryan, and I'm a marketing specialist passionate about digital advertising. I have five years of experience managing various online campaigns and improving brand visibility for clients across multiple verticals. I love analyzing consumer behavior and leveraging data-driven strategies to maximize ROI. Outside work, I enjoy traveling, taking funny photos, and exploring new hiking trails."
Example 2: Mid-Career Sample Bio
"Jennifer Patel is a versatile graphic designer known for her creative approach and attention to detail. With a background in visual arts and eight years of experience, Jennifer has worked on diverse projects ranging from logo designs to website layouts. Her ability to understand and translate client needs into visually striking designs sets her apart. Jennifer finds inspiration in nature, music, and pop culture."
Example 3: Sales Sample Bio
"I'm a seasoned sales executive with a track record of exceeding targets and building strong client relationships. With a background in B2B sales, I've built a natural ability to understand customer needs and consistently exceed quota every month. I pride myself in my communication skills and strategic approaches, which have helped me thrive in highly competitive markets such as SaaS sales. Outside work, I enjoy playing basketball and volunteering at local charities."
Example 4: HR Sample Bio
"I am a dedicated human resources professional with a passion for fostering a positive workplace culture and facilitating employee development. With eight years of experience in talent acquisition and HR operations, I've played a key role in building high-performing teams. I'm known for my strong interpersonal skills and ability to create inclusive and supportive work environments. In my free time, I enjoy practicing yoga and exploring new culinary experiences."
Example 5: Software Engineer Sample Bio
"David Chang is a senior software engineer specializing in backend development. With a strong background in computer science and six years of experience, David has successfully built scalable and efficient solutions for complex technical challenges. He is well-versed in various programming languages and frameworks like C++, Java, and Ruby on Rails. In his spare time, David enjoys reading science fiction novels and playing the guitar."
Below, we've curated some of the best professional bio examples we've ever seen on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and the various places you might describe yourself.
Check 'em out and use them as inspiration when crafting your own.
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Author
- Chima Mmeje: SEO Content Writer
- DJ Nexus: DJ
- Lena Axelsson: Marriage & Family Therapist
- Mark Levy: Branding Firm Founder
- Audra Simpson: Political Anthropologist
- Marie Mikhail: Professional Recruiter
- Wonbo Woo: Executive Producer
- Chris Burkard: Freelance Photographer
- Lisa Quine: Creative Consultant
- Nancy Twine: Hair Care Founder
- Trinity Mouzon: Wellness Brand Founder
- Alberto Perez: Co-Founder of Zumba Fitness
- Ann Handley: Writer and Marketer
1. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie : Author
Bio platform: personal website.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie begins her professional bio with an invitation to her roots.
In a few paragraphs, she describes when and where she was born, her family, her education, her honorary degrees, and the depth of her work, which has been translated into 30 languages and several publications.
She can keep readers engaged by leading with a powerful hook that aligns with her target audience’s marketing needs.
- There’s clarity about who Chima serves.
- The hook is bold, catchy, and compels anyone to read further.
- Including client results makes clients visualize what they can expect.
3. DJ Nexus : DJ
Bio platform: facebook.
This New England-based DJ has single-handedly captured the Likes of over 2,000 people in and beyond Boston, MA. And even if you don‘t listen to the type of music he produces, it’s hard not to read his compelling Facebook bio.
For instance, consider his tagline, under "About" — " Quiet during the day. QUITE LOUD at night! " DJ Nexus tells you when he works awesomely. I got goosebumps just imagining a dance club where he might play music.
The second is the "long version," which is even more interesting than the first. Why? It reads like a story — a compelling one, at that. In fact, it gets hilarious in some parts.
The second sentence of the bio reads: "He was frightened of public school, loved playing baseball and football, ran home to watch ape films on the 4:30 Movie, listened to The Jam and The Buzzcocks, and read magic trick books."
Here's another excerpt from the middle:
It's a well-put value proposition that sets her apart from the rest of the HR industry.
Marie concludes her bio with a smooth mix of professional skills, like her Spanish fluency, and personal interests, such as podcasting and Star Wars (she mentions the latter with just the right amount of humor).
- Straight off the bat, Marie uses a story to share her experiences of how she began as a recruiter.
- It provides a subtle pitch for readers to check out her podcast.
- The bio exudes Maries approachable, fun, and playful personality.
8. Wonbo Woo : Executive Producer
Wonbo Woo is the executive producer of WIRED's video content and has several impressive credits to his name. What does this mean for his professional bio? He has to prioritize.
With this in mind, Wonbo opens his bio with the most eye-catching details first (if the image below is hard to read, click it to see the full copy ).
I wouldn‘t necessarily be inclined to follow Chris if his bio had simply read, "I post beautiful images." But images that inspire me to travel? Now that’s something I can get behind.
Last, he ends on a humble, sweet note: "He is happiest with his wife Breanne raising their two sons." So inject personal information into your bio — it makes you seem approachable.
- It highlights Chris’s achievement without bragging.
- The last sentence portrays Chris as a responsible man who loves his family.
- The well-written bio speaks to nature lovers who like the outdoors, surfing, and more. This gives them reasons to follow Chris.
10. Lisa Quine : Creative Consultant
Bio platform: portfolio website.
Creative professionals who specialize in visual art may find it challenging to balance the writing of their bio and displaying of their portfolio. Not Lisa Quine. Lisa has an exceptional balance of her professional bio and creative work.
Throughout her bio, you'll notice the number of murals she's completed and a brief timeline of her career. This helps her paint the picture of who she is as a professional.
The rest of her bio similarly focuses on Twine's strengths as someone who’s able to take hair care "back to basics."
Mouzon effectively grips the reader's attention with this introduction and then dives into some of her impressive accomplishments — including a brand now sold at Urban Outfitters and Target.
The language used throughout Mouzon's bio is authentic, real, and honest.
For instance, in the second paragraph, she admits:
"While building a brand may have looked effortless from the outside, starting a business at age 23 with no resources or funding quickly forced me to realize that early-stage entrepreneurship was anything but transparent."
As an avid Zumba fan, I was excited to include this one. Perez styles his LinkedIn bio as a short story, starting with his background as a hard-working teen who held three jobs by age 14.
His bio tells the fun and fascinating origin story of Zumba, in which Perez, an aerobics teacher in Florida at the time, forgot his music for class and used a Latin music cassette tape instead ... "And it was an instant hit!"
His bio continues:
"Shortly after he was connected to Alberto Periman and Alberto Aghion, and Zumba was officially created ... What started as a dream now has 15 million people in more than 200,000 locations in 186 countries who take Zumba classes every week."
There's something in there for everyone.
- The last section of the bio shows Ann’s warm personality — "Ann lives in Boston, where she is Mom to creatures two- and four-legged."
- Written in the third person, this bio has lots of proof (like followers), which shows Ann is a terrific marketing leader.
If you're posting a bio on a social media account or sending a quick blurb to a client, you want to keep it short and sweet while showcasing your accomplishments.
To get started, use these best practices for writing your short professional bio:
- Introduce yourself.
- State what you do.
- Add key skills or areas of expertise.
- Include a personal mission statement
- Celebrate your wins.
- Provide your contact information.
- Show them your personality.
1. Introduce yourself.
Your introduction is your first impression, so always begin by telling people who you are. You may start with a greeting like, "Hello, my name is" or "Hi! Let me first introduce myself …" when sending your bio as a message.
If you’re writing a bio for an online platform, stating your name at the beginning works as well.
Leading with your name — even as a question — is important for recognition and building relationships.
2. State what you do.
Give people an idea of what you do daily and where you work. Your job title is how the people put you into context and consider whether your profession relates to their industry.
So detail your most relevant work in your short bios, like CEO, professor, and author.
Take a cue from Angela Duckworth , who specifies what she does in her LinkedIn bio:
3. Add key skills or areas of expertise.
If you send a bio to a client or potential employer, highlight your most valuable skills. For instance, if your expertise is in social media marketing and content creation, like Ivanka Dekoning , list these skills.
- A joke. "Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once. At least that’s what I learned when I created…"
- Mention a hobby. "I’ll be honest: for me, tennis is life — Go Nadal!"
- A fun fact. "Every year, I watch 100 new films! I’m a cinephile and love every movie genre."
- A few emojis related to your interests. "🎶🤖🎾🎬🎭"
Whichever way you choose to get personal, give people a glimpse into who you are as an individual.
When writing a short bio, it can be tempting to pack in as much relevant information about yourself as possible — but this isn’t the most effective approach.
Instead, focus on including the details that you and your audience care about most and leave out the fluff.
Let's dive into a few examples of short professional bios.
Short Professional Bio Examples
- Tristen Taylor: Marketing Manager
- Lianna Patch: Copywriter
- Precious Oboidhe: Content Strategist and Writer
- Rebecca Bollwitt: Writer
- Megan Gilmore: Cookbook Author
- Bea Dixon: Feminine Care Founder
- Tammy Hembrow: Instagram Influencer
- Dr. Cody: Chiropractor
- Larry Kim: Founder
- Dharmesh Shah: Founder and CTO
- Lily Ugbaja: Content Strategist
- Ian Anderson Gray: Marketer
- Van Jones: Political Commentator, Author, and Lawyer
1. Tristen Taylor: Marketing Manager
Bio platform: blog byline.
Tristen Taylor is a Marketing Manager here at HubSpot. She's written content for HubSpot's Marketing, Sales, and Customer Service blogs; her blog author bio is one of my favorites.
What I love most about Tristen's bio is that it’s a great example of how to deliver information about yourself that is relevant to your work while also sharing fun details that audiences will find relatable.
Her bio reads:
"Building from her experience with GoCo.io and Southwest Airlines, Tristen's work has been recognized by Marketing Brew and BLACK@INBOUND. She lives in Washington, DC, attending anime conventions and painting in her free time."
Gilmore further includes a CTA link within her Instagram bio that leads followers to free, ready-to-use recipes. You might think, " Why would she do that since it discourages people from buying her book?"
But that couldn't be further from the truth.
By giving her followers the chance to try out her recipes, she's slowly turning leads into customers. After I tried a few of her Instagram recipes and loved them, I bought her book, knowing I'd like more of what she offered.
- The bio is short and direct.
- The CTA link includes an invitation for people to join her newsletter. Meaning, she can build her email list.
6. Bea Dixon : Feminine Care Founder
Bea Dixon, Founder and CEO of The Honey Pot Company, efficiently uses the space on her Instagram profile to highlight who she is as a well-rounded human — not just a businesswoman.
For instance, while she highlights her girl boss attitude with a tiara emoji, she equally calls attention to her fashion interests (Free People), her pets, Boss and Sadie, and her love for ramen noodles.
What more do you need to know?
Ian doesn't take his bio too seriously but uses every character to highlight everything about him.
He includes his skills as a marketer and podcast host, who he is outside work as a dad, and what he can help you do. His smiles also give the bio a sense of humor and realness.
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41 Celebrity Memoirs That Are Actually Worth Reading
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Anyone who has glanced at a bestseller list lately can tell you that we are in the midst of (yet another?) celebrity memoir boom. From Britney Spears to Prince Harry, it seems like just about everyone is spilling their secrets via book deal —meaning ’tis the season for pages upon pages of Hollywood gossip, rock-and-roll road drama, and the darker sides of show business.
At their best, celebrity memoirs provide unusually candid portraits of the “real person” behind the public persona—and they don’t skimp on the dirty details. At worst, they can be ghostwritten fluff.
Ahead, Vogue rounds up the best of the genre for your reading pleasure.
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
Britney Spears
“Emerging from the shadows of a past marked by paparazzi harassment and betrayal by the people she trusted, Britney Spears finally speaks her truth in this highly anticipated—and then much celebrated—memoir. With a blend of deep sincerity and good humor, Spears fearlessly asserts her autonomy, leaving no doubt about who is truly in control of her life.” —Gia Yetikyel
Spare by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
Spare by Prince Harry
“Even for those who don’t keep up with the Royal Family, the central themes of grief, love, and creating a home apart from everything you’ve known in Prince Harry ’s shockingly intimate Spare make it a story very much worth reading.” —G.Y.
Paris: The Memoir by Paris Hilton
“ Paris Hilton’s 336-page book takes an in-depth look at the many labels she’s adorned and shed over the decades. Unpacking her childhood, episodes of teenage rebellions, and experience with verbal and physical abuse, she creates a place for readers to understand the origins of her pink paradise—and the strength it took to withstand years of extraordinary public pressure.” —G.Y.
One Life by Megan Rapinoe
“Olympic medalist and two-time Women's World Cup champion Megan Rapinoe shows a whole new side of herself in this memoir, in which she recounts coming out as gay in 2011—well before ‘inclusivity in sports’ was widely discussed, let alone prioritized—as well as her experience of taking a knee alongside former NFL player Colin Kaepernick to protest racial injustice and police brutality. For those who prefer their celebrity memoirs with a side of romance, Rapinoe also dishes on her courtship with now-wife, WNBA champion Sue Bird.” —Emma Specter
Becoming by Michelle Obama
“For months after reading this, I had to stop myself from thinking of Michelle as my friend. After spending a week (or, let’s be honest, an entire weekend under a blanket) reading a celebrity’s memoir, you feel as though you’ve spent time with them. It makes them more accessible and reminds you that at the end of the day, everyone is still human. I’m coming to grips with the fact that Michelle Obama is not actually my friend Michelle, but Becoming is still one of the best books I’ve read.” —Grace Atwood, founder of TheStripe.com
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
“This bestselling memoir is hardly lighthearted fare, revolving as it does around child star McCurdy’s years of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her fame-obsessed mother, but the rush to purchase it was no empty fanfare; it really is that good.” —E.S.
Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl
“Whether you’re a fan of food, legacy media gossip, or writer Ruth Reichl herself, you'll find plenty to dine out on in this account of Reichl’s time serving as the editor-in-chief of the now-defunct Gourmet magazine. Reichl freely admits that the glamorous world of New York publishing was a new one to her at the start of her Gourmet tenure, but I think it’s safe to say we could use a little more of her independence, irreverence and commitment to genuine creativity in the industry. (Bonus: her descriptions of meals are effortlessly mouth-watering, so make sure to eat with a delicious snack at the ready.)” —E.S.
The Vanity Fair Diaries by Tina Brown
“Perhaps more of a memoir of brushes with celebrity than actual celebrity memoir, Tina Brown’s Vanity Fair Diaries is nonetheless a phenomenal read, for the journalism nerd or anyone else who is interested in the inner workings of glossy magazine-making in its heyday. The book recounts the British editor's years as the editor in chief of the storied magazine, the feathers she unapologetically ruffled in pursuit of a more lively publication (the rates she paid Martin Amis for a single story would make a 2020s editor swoon!), the glamor of the gig, the grind of being a working mother. Brown kept meticulous notes when she occupied this role, and it shows; this is a book in which the delicious dirt is in the details.” —Chloe Schama
My Name Is Barbra by Barbra Streisand
My Name Is Barbra
“Ruminative and dishy, funny and smart, Barbra Streisand’s nearly 1,000-page memoir deftly captures the voice that first bewitched American audiences in the early 1960s—plus her weird dynamic with Marlon Brando, the nightmare of making Yentl with Mandy Patinkin, her lifelong fondness for baked potatoes, and other delicious bits.” —Marley Marius
Love, Pamela: A Memoir of Prose, Poetry, and Truth by Pamela Anderson
“With Pamela Anderson’s memoir, readers meet the woman behind the va-va-voom persona—she is, in fact, just a shy girl from Vancouver Island—through childhood memories and reflections on pursuing her dreams. Blending prose and poetry, it’s a refreshing and empowering read.” —G.Y.
Bossypants by Tina Fey
“If you haven’t read Fey’s 2011 memoir yet, you’re sleeping at the wheel. It follows her journey to stardom and is filled with amazing behind-the-scenes stories from her time on Saturday Night Live . Candid, self-deprecating, funny (duh): the perfect before-bed read.” —Christian Allaire
Just the Funny Parts by Nell Scovell
“The second female Letterman writer and creator of Sabrina the Teenage Witch , Scovell brings all the humor of Bossypants but with the added bite of coming up in the mighty sexist man’s world of TV. Scovell names names and calls it like she sees it.” —Michelle Ruiz, Vogue.com contributing editor
Fresh Off the Boat by Eddie Huang
“This memoir by the celebrity chef behind New York’s Baohaus inspired the ABC show of the same name—but the book version is far less fuzzy. Huang gives an unapologetically real look at his upbringing in a hardworking and often strict Chinese-American family. And his sumptuous descriptions of food make you really, really hungry.” —M.R.
Finding Me by Viola Davis
“A Rhode Island childhood marked by trauma and abuse gives way to an adulthood in the spotlight as one of the most recognizable actresses in Hollywood, and Davis relays the topsy-turviness of her life’s circumstances with a compelling mix of emotional honesty and grace.” —E.S.
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
“Mindy Kaling holds a rarefied position in Hollywood these days, but the writer, actress and director's bestselling 2011 memoir proves that her ascent to the top wasn’t always an easy one. In Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? , Kaling recounts her growth from the shy, bookish child of immigrants to off-Broadway sensation to the youngest writer on the staff of the hit NBC sitcom The Office ; what’s most notable about the memoir, though, is the way Kaling's singular voice shines through, lending even the wildest of L.A. tales a crucial degree of relatability.” —E.S.
Open Book by Jessica Simpson
“I went into Open Book expecting a light, fun read from one of my favorite reality stars (remember Newlyweds ?) of all time—instead, I was blown away by an honest, funny, and touching memoir, which is so rarely the case with celebrity ‘tell-alls.’ Simpson candidly discusses her recovery journey after years of struggling with drugs and alcohol abuse; she also examines the darker side of her early-fame days as a singer, when she was constantly—and at times, brutally—compared to her counterparts like Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera. It was my favorite book of 2020, and I recommend it to any pop culture fan, Simpson fans or not.” —C.A.
This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps
“A pitch-perfect example of the genre, Philipps serves up a funny and unflinching look at being a woman in Hollywood. She dives into her days as a Barbie spokes-kid and, bravely, her abortion as a teen, before moving on to her best friendship with Michelle Williams, details of James Franco’s douchey-ness on Freaks and Geeks , and struggles in her marriage. The best celebrity memoirs are as unsparingly honest as Philipps’ is.” —M.R.
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir by Matthew Perry
“In his book, the late actor delves into his early life and rise to fame amidst an intense struggle with drug and alcohol addiction. Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is written in such a way that you can imagine Perry speaking it to you—his voice is comforting, heartbreaking, and oh-so-familiar to the many of us who grew up watching him in the 1990s and early 2000s.” —G.Y.
Life by Keith Richards
“You might not think of Keith Richards as an elegant truth-teller, but his Life is a bracing tonic—straightforward but exciting, glamorous but heartfelt. I’m not a regular rock memoir reader, but this is a book that transcends whatever you might think the genre entails. Just go along with the music and don’t think too hard about it.” —Chloe Schama
You’ll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again by Julia Phillips
“Not sure she’s a straight-up A-list celeb, but Phillips made the A-list celebs. The Hollywood producer’s story is so full of wild pleasures and OMG moments that it’s easy to overlook the sheer brilliance that’s on offer.” —Lauren Mechling, Vogue contributor and author of How Could She
Horror Stories by Liz Phair
“The first of a planned two-part set (the second of which will be titled Fairy Tales ), Horror Stories is less of a traditional memoir and more of a series of vignettes that tackle some of the ‘small indignities that we all suffer daily, the silent insults to our system, the callous gestures that we make toward one another.’ Most of us won’t suffer the indignities of an anesthesiologist asking for our autograph during labor (we’re not all Gen X rock stars, after all), but we can wince at the, yes, horror, and relate to the rest of Phair’s not-so-tall tales .” —Danny Feekes, former managing editor at Goodreads
The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl
“Not to stereotype straight white men over 30, but all the ones I know happen to love Dave Grohl, making this memoir—which focuses on the Nirvana and Foo Fighter musician’s years on the road—an absolutely smashing birthday or holiday gift when another coffee mug just won’t do.” —E.S.
Open by Andre Agassi
Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi
“We’ve all read (or carefully avoided) the triumphal sports-star memoir: The thousands of solitary hours spent in pursuit of excellence while stoically avoiding everything else, leading up to that magical breakthrough when everything was deemed to be Worth It. This isn’t that memoir: Agassi, arguably the best player of his generation and certainly the flashiest and most-visible, is remarkably frank here about how much he seemed to loathe the entire experience, which was foisted on him by a kind of ur-Tennis Dad. Thankfully, we also get the other side of that: A late- career resurgence, followed by a blissful second marriage and a philanthropic turn that’s both heartfelt and, for the underprivileged children it focuses on, life-changing. For the king of neon and acid-washed jeans who became even more famous for saying ‘image is everything,’ this book is a tragic opera with a happy ending.” —Corey Seymour
Dear Mr. You by Mary Louise Parker
"Parker’s 2015 memoir has really stayed with me. Written as a series of letters to men she’s encountered, imagined, or loved, it’s a formal experiment, a wonderful portrait of an established artist claiming new territory. She’s not really in the tell-all business, but what she’s written reveals plenty.” —Julia Felsenthal, Vogue contributor
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
“When Noah was born under apartheid in South Africa, his parents’ interracial union was, literally, a crime, punishable by five years in prison. That’s just the beginning of The Daily Show host’s remarkable story. At turns harrowing and hilarious, it’s perhaps best consumed via audiobook , read by the author.” —M.R.
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
“Based on decades’ worth of his own diary entries (which also included poems, photographs, prescriptions, and many, many bumper stickers), Matthew McConaughey’s memoir discusses his personal philosophy for handling life’s challenges, and what it means to keep catching the green lights through hardships.” —G.Y.
Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama
“The world rightfully knows Obama as a brilliant orator. But even before he was president (or even state senator), he wrote the hell out of this 1995 memoir (later re-released to great fanfare) about his upbringing in Hawaii and Kansas; his solitary, scholarly Columbia years; and his distant relationship with his dad. Now I spend my days waiting for his presidential memoir-in-the-works.” —M.R.
Sometimes I Feel Like a Nut by Jill Kargman
“As a fellow native New Yorker and NYC mom, Kargman’s dishing on ‘the city’ has always been hilarious and spot-on, even before her show Odd Mom Out came out. The essays in this book are so Jill : Honest, irreverent, slightly dark. full of curse words—yet imminently likable and, in fact, addictive.” —Zibby Owens, host of the Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books podcast
The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey
The Office BFFs: Tales of ‘The Office’ from Two Best Friends Who Were There by Jenna Fischer and and Angela Kinsey
“ The Office stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey may have been rivals on the show, but in real life, their sweet and silly bestie-dom is contagious, making this recollection of working on one of history’s most popular sitcoms a genuine pleasure to read.” —E.S.
The Dirt by Motley Crue
The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band by Tommy Lee
“I never thought that one of my favorite books of all time would have a cover featuring a lady in a G-string whose disembodied form we see dancing inside a whiskey bottle. But at least you’ve been warned: What you see is what you get in this group memoir from the glam metal band. The sheer magnitude of debauchery at their peak in the 1980s is too compelling to look away.” —Maris Kreizman, host of The Maris Review podcast
In Pieces by Sally Field
“Sally Field took her sweet time with In Pieces , her first memoir, written over seven years without the assistance of a ghostwriter. To call Field’s writing vulnerable doesn’t give enough credit to the way she recounts with crippling honesty the highs and lows of her personal and professional lives. She’s always been beloved as a performer, but In Pieces shows there’s so much more to admire about Field than the trophies on her mantle.” —Keaton Bell
I.M. by Isaac Mizrahi
“Mizrahi is well-known as a man of many talents, so adding ‘writer’ to the list isn’t a stretch. Still, the quality of his memoir, I.M. , is notable. He talks schmattas and sex with typical sass, but what makes this book memorable is that Mizrahi’s coming-of-age and coming-to-terms tale is bigger than fashion. —Laird Borelli-Persson, Vogue archive editor
Making a Scene by Constance Wu
“Often told that ‘good girls don’t make scenes,’ the TV and film star writes about finding an outlet for her feelings through community theater and how it eventually led to her pursuing an acting career. Authentic and very moving.” —G.Y.
Touched by the Sun: My Friendship With Jackie by Carly Simon
“Simon’s first book, Boys in the Trees , is what all celebrity memoirs should aspire to be, toggling between childhood struggles, musical stardom, and a highly publicized marriage to James Taylor with plenty of wit and revelations sprinkled throughout. Touched by the Sun is more scaled back, focusing on the iconic singer-songwriter’s unlikely but enduring friendship with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Detailing the lunches, movie dates, and nights out on the town that the two women shared before Onassis’s death in 1994, Simon highlights the woman beneath the public persona.” —K.B.
Wildflower by Drew Barrymore
“If you’re a completist, start with Drew’s first memoir, the propulsive Little Girl Lost (out of print but easy to find secondhand), which she wrote when she was 14. It recounts a young Barrymore’s stratospheric rise and quick drug-fueled descent, while Wildflower finds an older, more assured Barrymore looking back at a larger-than-life existence, one in which she emancipated from her parents, forged out on her own, and paved her distinctive path. As Drew writes, “I wanted to rescue myself. And I did.” —D.F.
Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business by Dolly Parton
“Before picking up Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics , take a peek at Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business from the 1990s. Get to know the rhinestone-studded, smooth-talking country singer as she discusses her personal philosophies, marriage, and her transformation from a music-loving teenager into one of the world’s most iconic women.” —G.Y.
Just Kids by Patti Smith
“Smith’s National Book Award–winning memoir is a portrait of a place and time—New York, Summer of Love—and a love letter to a bygone era that produced two iconoclasts: poet and musician Smith, and late photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. The story follows the duo’s trials and tribulations as they traverse Brooklyn, Coney Island, and Times Square, before settling at the infamous Chelsea Hotel. Smith has said that she didn’t write the book to be cathartic, but to fulfill a vow she made to Mapplethorpe on his deathbed. Ultimately, it’s the reader who reaps the rewards of that request.” —D.F.
Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe
“It’s over 10 years later, and I’m still crushed by Sam Seaborne’s departure from The West Wing , so I couldn’t resist Lowe’s memoir. It’s packed with plenty of sordid stories from his wild days as part of the Brat Pack, but also has so many great behind-the-scenes memories from some of my favorite TV shows and movies. While it probably won’t win a Pulitzer, any fan of ’80s rom-coms will still find this delightful!” —Becca Freeman, co-host of the Bad on Paper podcast
Me by Elton John
“Honest, charming, and all too real, Me follows the extraordinary life of Elton John from his origins in a London suburb to his rise to fame, legendary friendships, struggles with drug addiction, and philanthropy work.” —G.Y.
My Life So Far by Jane Fonda
“I’ve been reading this in fits and starts for about a decade, and I’ve still yet to encounter another life story so dutifully (and beautifully) re-examined. It’s easy to take Fonda’s cool self-assuredness—even in handcuffs!—for granted these days, but before Firebrand Jane there was “plain Jane,” woefully uncomfortable in her skin and desperate for outside validation. To chart her path from then until now (and to think of all that’s still to come) is something I wouldn’t mind doing for another 10 years.” —M.M.
The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher
“All three of Fisher’s memoirs reflect her trademark cool demeanor and self-deprecating nature, but her final release is my favorite. The beating heart of the book is the story of teenage Fisher’s secret three-month-long affair with Harrison Ford, then 33 and married with two kids. Fisher was hopelessly, naively in love with him, and Ford took advantage of the situation. You won’t find much behind-the-scenes Star Wars intel, but you will find an honest, painful account of Fisher’s experience as a young woman in love and at the mercy of so many patriarchal forces.” —Cristina Arreola, senior publicity and marketing manager, Sourcebooks
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11 Famous Black Inventors Who Changed Your Life
From Madam C.J. Walker’s hair care products Mark Dean’s computer innovations, the creations from these Black inventors continue to impact everyday life.
In 1821, Thomas L. Jennings, who was emancipated from slavery, became the first Black inventor to be granted a U.S. patent. He opened the door for many other African Americans inventors—like Madam C.J. Walker , Frederick McKinley Jones , Patricia Bath , and Mark Dean —to similarly make their marks.
These 11 famous Black inventors developed ingenious products, machinery, and technology that continues to impact everyday life.
Keep Reading: How Lonnie Johnson Invented the Super Soaker • These Black Doctors and Nurses Broke New Ground in Health Care
Thomas L. Jennings
The first African American U.S. patent recipient, Thomas L. Jennings was working as a tailor and businessman in New York City when he invented a process for dry-cleaning delicate clothing known as “dry-scouring.” Jennings applied for a patent in 1820 and received his history-making approval the following year. With the money he earned from his invention, the formerly enslaved person donated to abolitionist causes and even reportedly freed his still-enslaved family members.
Sarah Boone
In 1892, Sarah Boone patented a design improvement to Elijah McCoy ’s ironing board. The North Carolina native wrote in her application that the purpose of her invention was “to produce a cheap, simple, convenient, and highly effective device, particularly adapted to be used in ironing the sleeves and bodies of ladies’ garments.”
Alexander Miles
Anyone who’s ridden modern elevators has Alexander Miles to thank for the stair alternative’s automatic doors. Prior to his design’s 1867 patent, riders had to manually open and close two sets of doors when entering and exiting elevator cars. If a passenger happened to forget to close one of the doors, subsequent elevator riders risked a potentially fatal fall down the elevator shaft. Because, as the adage goes, necessity is the mother of invention, Miles created a mechanism that forced both elevator doors to close simultaneously, thus preventing dangerous accidents.
Elijah McCoy
Of the 57 patents Elijah McCoy —reportedly the namesake for the popular, complimentary phrase “the real McCoy”—received over his lifetime, the portable ironing board might be one of the most timeless. As the story goes, having to iron on uneven surfaces frustrated his wife, Mary Eleanor Delaney, and so he created the ironing board to make her life a little easier. McCoy received the patent for this particular creation in May 1874. He is also the man behind another major invention beloved by homeowners: the lawn sprinkler.
Read More about Elijah McCoy
Madam C.J. Walker
Philanthropist and entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker was born to formerly enslaved sharecroppers and orphaned at just 7 years old. After later suffering hair loss from a scalp condition, Walker invented an innovative line of Black hair care products in 1905 that led to her distinction as one of America’s first self-made millionaires. Her highly successful cosmetics brand is still around today.
Read More about Madam C.J. Walker
Related: How Madam C.J. Walker Invented Her Hair Care Products
Garrett Morgan
Garrett Morgan was a prolific Black inventor whose early patent for an improved sewing machine design provided financial security for him and his family. The Kentucky native was also concerned about the welfare of others. His “safety hood,” patented in 1914, was a breathing device that filtered out harmful elements and became the prototype for the World War I–era gas mask. He also created a more sophisticated traffic signal by adding a warning light, similar to what we use on streets today.
Read More about Garrett Morgan
Frederick McKinley Jones
Before Frederick McKinley Jones developed the automatic refrigeration equipment used in long-haul trucks that transport perishables in the late 1940s, the only way to keep food cold en route to delivery destinations was by using ice. Thanks to his invention, grocery stores were able to buy and sell products (many of which you probably purchase regularly) from far distances without the risk of them spoiling during transport. Jones’ technology was also used to transport blood during World War II .
Read More about Frederick McKinley Jones
Alice H. Parker
1895-death unknown
The central heating furnace design that Alice H. Parker patented in December 1919 made use of natural gas for the first time to keep homes warm and toasty. Inspiring her innovation: the limited efficiency of fireplaces (along with the smoke and ash they produce) during the cold winters at her Morristown, New Jersey, house. Many modern homes still employ a similar forced air heating system for which her idea was a precursor.
Marie van Brittan Brown
Another New York City resident, Marie Van Brittan Brown created an early version of the modern home security system. Feeling unsafe due to her neighborhood’s high crime rate, the full-time nurse rigged a motorized camera to record her home entryway and project images onto a TV monitor. Also included in her setup was a two-way microphone in order to communicate with visitors without opening the door, as well as a panic button to notify police of any potential emergency in progress. After filing to patent the closed circuit TV security system in 1966, Brown received her approval in December 1969.
Patricia Bath
A true visionary, Patricia Bath became the first Black female doctor to receive a medical patent when she invented a laser cataract treatment device called a Laserphaco Probe in 1986. It was one of several firsts the ophthalmologist achieved. The co-founder of the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness patented her invention in 1988. Now used around the world, Bath’s device has improved sight for millions of people.
Read More about Patricia Bath
1957-present
We have Mark Dean to thank for several computer innovations that we might take for granted today. The color PC monitor (that you might be using right now) is just one of them. With more than 20 patents to his name, Dean also led the IBM team that created the first gigahertz chip, a groundbreaking innovation that can handle a billion calculations per second, and co-created a system to allow peripheral devices like monitors and printers to plug directly into computers.
Read More about Mark Dean
Adrienne directs the daily news operation and content production for Biography.com. She joined the staff in October 2022 and most recently worked as an editor for Popular Mechanics , Runner’s World , and Bicycling . Adrienne has served as editor-in-chief of two regional print magazines, and her work has won several awards, including the Best Explanatory Journalism award from the Alliance of Area Business Publishers. Her current working theory is that people are the point of life, and she’s fascinated by everyone who (and every system that) creates our societal norms. When she’s not behind the news desk, find her hiking, working on her latest cocktail project, or eating mint chocolate chip ice cream.
Black Inventors
George Washington Carver
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22 Famous Scientists You Should Know
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The 10 Best Super Bowl 2024 Commercials and Ads
From the star-studded Uber Eats ad to Beyoncé's viral Verizon spot, watch the best Super Bowl 2024 commercials
Popeyes/Youtube; Verizon/Youtube
The 2024 Super Bowl was certainly a star-studded event — and we're not just talking about the game.
While the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers game brought out some big celebrities (including halftime show performer Usher and No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs fan Taylor Swift) the ads during commercial breaks were just as starry.
Last year’s game brought us hilarious and heartwarming TV spots from businesses such as Budweiser and Doritos, and this year’s commercial breaks were just as engaging.
David and Victoria Beckham teamed up with Uber Eats for a memorable commercial about forgetting big moments , while Ben Affleck put his love for Dunkin’ on full display with a celebrity cameo-filled commercial featuring his closest friends (and wife Jennifer Lopez ).
Read ahead as we recap the best commercials from the 2024 Super Bowl.
State Farm’s Super Bowl ad featured Arnold Schwarzenegger, who's been cast to play Agent State Farm in a movie. However, when he has a hard time pronouncing “neighbor,” he gets a little help from his former Twins costar Danny DeVito.
Uber Eats created a memorable commercial about forgetting, which included A-listers such as Friends costars Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer and all-star couple David and Victoria Beckham, who poke fun at their viral "be honest" moment from Netflix's Beckham documentary.
Ben Affleck put his love for Dunkin’ to music in the coffee brand's Super Bowl commercial . Featuring several celebrity cameos , including his wife Jennifer Lopez, the ad sees Affleck put together the ultimate boy band, the DunKings.
Zach Braff and Donald Faison welcome Jason Momoa to the neighborhood with a song and dance about T-Mobile Home Internet in this Super Bowl ad.
Google Pixel
Google Pixel moved many viewers to tears with their heartwarming commercial about how the phone uses special technology to make it easier for people with vision impairment to capture photos of big life moments.
e.l.f. Cosmetics
Judge Judy serves up justice and beauty looks in this e.l.f. Cosmetics ad that features everyone from former Suits costars to Meghan Trainor (to even a PEOPLE staffer !).
The one and only Beyoncé tries (and fails) to break Verizon’s network in this commercial for the brand. (Funnily enough, she did end up breaking the internet when she teased new music at the end of the commercial.)
In this witty Hellman’s ad, Kate McKinnon plays a cat owner whose animal goes viral for saying the word “mayo,” leading to a wild turn of events for the superstar pet, including a spoof cover story for PEOPLE that details the cat’s relationship with Pete Davidson.
After defrosting from the year 1972, Ken Jeong plays a man who discovers all the new things life has to offer, including Popeye’s chicken wings, in this funny Super Bowl ad.
Ice Spice, who attended the big game alongside Taylor Swift , says goodbye to her ex (ex-lemon-lime soda that is) in this fizzy commercial for Starry.
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1. A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar Buy on Amazon Add to library This biography of esteemed mathematician John Nash was both a finalist for the 1998 Pulitzer Prize and the basis for the award-winning film of the same name.
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The bets biographies include books about Malcolm X, Frida Kahlo, Steve Jobs, Alexander Hamilton, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Amazon; Rachel Mendelson/Insider When you buy through our links, Business...
Jennifer Brozak Tria Wen Updated: Feb. 01, 2024 From your favorite figures to hidden stories you've never heard, this list of biographies will keep you glued to the page. Our editors and experts...
The former British foreign secretary, Douglas Hurd, recommends five highly readable political biographies, looking at the lives of some of Britain's best-known prime ministers of the last 150 years. The best biographies, as recommended by some of the most eminent authors and critics in the field. Read about philosophers, literary figures and ...
John Adams by David McCullough Master historian David McCullough was probably the best person to write this riveting biography of America's founding father. John Adams, who also became the second president of the United States, is a great inspiration to many young Americans.
John Adams by David McCullough "In this powerful, epic biography, David McCullough unfolds the adventurous life-journey of John Adams, the brilliant, fiercely independent, often irascible, always honest Yankee patriot — 'the colossus of independence,' as Thomas Jefferson called him."
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert Caro. $24 Bookshop.org. The former parks commissioner of New York, Robert Moses was a man who got power, loved power, and was ...
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Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson You'll see a few biographies by Isaacson on this list. He's a lauded and prolific author (not to mention former editor of Time, among other impressive positions). He wrote this biography to explore the man behind the groundbreaking work in physics and more.
50 best autobiographies & biographies of all time - Pan Macmillan by Sam Book 15/01/2024 9 minutes to read 50 best autobiographies & biographies of all time Enlightening and inspiring: these are the best autobiographies and biographies of 2023, and all time.
Long Walk to Freedom, by Nelson Mandela autobiography. The Story of My Experiments with Truth, by Ghandi (I think I have to assume this is either memoir or autobiography, given the word "My" in the title) Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt, by Eleanor Roosevelt. Marley and Me. The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
I recently listed some of my favorite history books of all-time and because people are the most interesting aspects of history, I included a few great biographies of significant historical...
6. Living for Change: An Autobiography by Grace Lee Boggs (1998) We listed the dual biography of Grace Lee Boggs and her husband James Boggs on our best biographies list, but even if you've read ...
15 Memoirs and Biographies to Read This Fall. New autobiographies from Jemele Hill, Matthew Perry and Hua Hsu are in the mix, along with books about Martha Graham, Agatha Christie and more. 58. By ...
Best Inspiring Biographies. People often want to be moved by the world around them. We look to other people to inspire us so that we can learn and grow. The right sources of inspiration can help us believe in ourselves. They can even transform the way we live our lives. These biographies are sure to inspire you and challenge you. 1.
flag. All Votes Add Books To This List. 1. I've Got Some Lovin' to Do: The Diaries of a Roaring Twenties Teen, 1925-1926. by. Julia Park Tracey (Goodreads Author) (editor) 3.95 avg rating — 80 ratings. score: 1,100 , and 11 people voted. Want to Read.
[1] And this is right. The life lessons from these autobiographies can always inspire us to think and live differently. 15 Best Autobiographies You Need to Read Here're some of the best autobiographies for your perusal. 1. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin $7.37
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27 of the Best Professional Bio Examples I've Ever Seen [+ Templates] Download Now: 80+ Free Bio Templates Lindsay Kolowich Cox Published: December 20, 2023 As a writer, I have to let readers and potential clients know my expertise, my skills, and why they should work with me or be interested in what I say.
Love, Pamela: A Memoir of Prose, Poetry, and Truth by Pamela Anderson. $15. AMAZON. "With Pamela Anderson's memoir, readers meet the woman behind the va-va-voom persona—she is, in fact, just ...
Langston Hughes summed up his mission in a 1926 manifesto, "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain," writing, "We younger Negro artists who create now intend to express our individual dark ...
1791-1859. The first African American U.S. patent recipient, Thomas L. Jennings was working as a tailor and businessman in New York City when he invented a process for dry-cleaning delicate ...
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From the star-studded Uber Eats ad to Beyoncé's viral Verizon spot, watch the best Super Bowl 2024 commercials Kelsie Gibson is the SEO Editor of PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2021 ...