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  1. Genres
  2. ›Biography

Best Biography Books

Life stories of notable people

451 summaries

Showing 121–144 of 451

  1. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

    Jean-Dominique Bauby

    ★ 4.0 (60k) average on GoodreadsMemoir

    Trapped in a paralyzed body and able to communicate only by blinking one eyelid, a magazine editor dictates his memoir, turning an impossible situation into a story about the strength of the human spirit.

  2. El Deafo

    Cece Bell

    ★ 4.2 (59k) average on GoodreadsMemoir

    Armed with a powerful hearing aid that grants her unexpected 'superpowers,' a young Cece navigates the isolating and often hilarious journey of finding friendship while embracing her deafness in a new school.

  3. H is for Hawk

    Helen Macdonald

    ★ 3.7 (59k) average on GoodreadsMemoir

    After her father dies, a falconer trains a wild goshawk, mirroring her struggle with loss and the bird's untamed spirit, while also dealing with another falconer's legacy.

  4. A Grief Observed

    C.S. Lewis

    ★ 4.2 (58k) average on GoodreadsMemoir

    After his wife's death, C.S. Lewis struggles with his faith, questioning God and the nature of love and loss with honesty.

  5. Know My Name

    Chanel Miller

    ★ 4.7 (56k) average on GoodreadsMemoir

    Chanel Miller, formerly 'Emily Doe,' uses her story to expose problems in the justice system and cultural biases around sexual assault, turning her trauma into a fight for justice.

  6. I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell

    Tucker Max

    ★ 3.5 (54k) average on GoodreadsMemoir

    Tucker Max, a self-proclaimed 'asshole,' shares outrageous, true stories of his drunken debauchery, disregard for norms, and relentless pursuit of pleasure, which will either appall or inspire readers.

  7. What Happened

    Hillary Rodham Clinton

    ★ 3.9 (53k) average on GoodreadsPolitics

    Hillary Rodham Clinton removes her public persona to offer a raw, personal account of her 2016 presidential campaign, her defeat, and her thoughts on sexism, Russian interference, and a new political era.

  8. A Long Way Home

    Saroo Brierley

    ★ 4.1 (53k) average on GoodreadsMemoir

    A five-year-old boy's accidental train ride across India leads to a 25-year odyssey of survival and adoption, culminating in an extraordinary quest to find his birth family using Google Earth.

  9. Love Warrior

    Glennon Doyle Melton

    ★ 4.1 (53k) average on GoodreadsMemoir

    After her husband's infidelity, Glennon Doyle Melton begins a spiritual journey to find her true self and redefine love, showing that real strength comes from facing pain, not avoiding it.

  10. Flags of Our Fathers

    James D. Bradley

    ★ 4.2 (51k) average on GoodreadsHistory

    The son of a reluctant hero uncovers the harrowing truth behind the iconic Iwo Jima flag-raising, revealing the disconnect between myth and the devastating reality faced by soldiers and those who returned.

  11. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

    Jack Weatherford

    ★ 4.0 (50k) average on GoodreadsHistory

    Before 'globalization' was a buzzword, Genghis Khan created the largest contiguous empire in history, breaking old worlds and starting a new, interconnected one through brutal conquest and unexpected cultural growth.

  12. The End of Your Life Book Club

    Will Schwalbe

    ★ 3.8 (50k) average on GoodreadsMemoir

    With his mother facing a terminal illness, a son and his parent create a book club, turning hospital waiting rooms into places for shared stories and final conversations that show the power of literature and family love.

  13. Survival in Auschwitz

    Primo Levi

    ★ 4.3 (48k) average on GoodreadsMemoir

    In the inferno of Auschwitz, a young chemist confronts systematic dehumanization, showing the resilience of the human spirit amidst cruelty.

  14. Reasons to Stay Alive

    Matt Haig

    ★ 4.2 (48k) average on GoodreadsPsychology

    Matt Haig's memoir, "Reasons to Stay Alive," tells his story of overcoming severe depression, showing how small joys and lasting love can lead back to a fulfilling life.

  15. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

    Amy Chua

    ★ 3.6 (47k) average on GoodreadsMemoir

    A Chinese-American mother starts a cultural debate by sharing her strict, no-playdate, all-piano-and-violin parenting style and the unexpected lessons it taught her.

  16. My Life

    Bill Clinton

    ★ 3.7 (44k) average on GoodreadsPolitics

    From his difficult Arkansas childhood to the White House and impeachment, Bill Clinton openly discusses his life, showing a charming but flawed man dealing with public successes, private struggles, and the constant effort of political maneuvering.

  17. Open Book

    Jessica Simpson

    ★ 4.1 (44k) average on GoodreadsMemoir

    Jessica Simpson's memoir details her journey from childhood abuse and public scrutiny to finding empowerment and building a billion-dollar business, moving beyond her pop star image.

  18. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt

    Edmund Morris

    ★ 4.2 (44k) average on GoodreadsPolitics

    This book follows a privileged, asthmatic boy's journey to becoming the charismatic, trust-busting President who changed American power at the turn of the 20th century.

  19. Theodore Rex

    Edmund Morris

    ★ 4.2 (43k) average on GoodreadsPolitics

    Edmund Morris's biography shows how Theodore Roosevelt's two-term presidency used 'big stick' diplomacy to handle corporate trusts, global conflicts, and conservation, shaping America as a rising world power.

  20. Homage to Catalonia

    George Orwell

    ★ 4.1 (43k) average on GoodreadsPolitics

    Orwell's memoir details his experiences in the Spanish Civil War, exposing the brutal realities and political betrayals that shaped his lifelong commitment to democratic socialism.

  21. Gift from the Sea

    Anne Morrow Lindbergh

    ★ 4.2 (43k) average on GoodreadsMemoir

    Anne Morrow Lindbergh's 'Gift from the Sea' uses the simple wisdom of seashells to reflect on finding balance, solitude, and the changing nature of love in a woman's modern life.

  22. Drawing from Memory

    Allen Say

    ★ 3.9 (39k) average on GoodreadsMemoir

    During WWII in Japan, young Allen Say finds his artistic passion and a father figure in the demanding but inspiring Noro Shinpei, who teaches him drawing and self-discovery.

  23. A Man Without a Country

    Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

    ★ 4.1 (39k) average on GoodreadsPolitics

    Kurt Vonnegut hilariously and movingly examines the absurdities of modern life and the American mind, while also dealing with his own mortality and place in the world.

  24. No One Here Gets Out Alive

    Danny Sugerman

    ★ 3.9 (38k) average on GoodreadsMemoir

    Explore Jim Morrison's complex life, the Doors' frontman, through the eyes of those closest to him, showing the poet, rebel, and self-destructive figure who challenged reality until his early death.

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