Biographies are written retellings of one (usually famous or notable) person’s life. Biographies differ from autobiographies or memoirs in that they are written by an author about another person other than themself.
The best biographies are books that allow readers to feel emotionally connected to the subject while also learning vital historical information. Good biography books cover both what the subject accomplished or did in their life and who they were as a person.
While many biographies focus on already well known figures, some of the best biographies of all time are centered on people whose impacts on society haven’t been widely celebrated. Biographies are one way that these people can get the recognition they are due and have their legacies celebrated.
By reading about the life of one person, we can learn a lot about the time and place they lived in and how their actions have affected the world as we know it.
Here are some of the best biographies for you to get started with right now!
The best biography depends on what you’re interested in! If you are a big music fan, you might want to pick up Maynard Solomon’s Pulitzer Prize finalist Mozart. If you’re a sports fan, consider reaching for Jonathan Eig’s New York Times-bestselling biography of Muhammed Ali, Ali. There are biographies of people who have been influential in almost all areas of society. Some recent best-selling biographies include Rebecca Skloot’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and Alexander Hamilton, Ron Chernow’s biography that inspired the Broadway musical.
It’s important to read biographies in order to gain an understanding of people throughout history and the contexts they lived in. It is important to recognize the achievements and contributions people have made and to remember actions, both heroic and villainous, in order to inform our present and future.
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