100 Biographies & Memoirs to Read in a Lifetime: Readers' Picks (1871 books)

The Amazon books editors got together and chose 100 Biographies & Memoirs to Read in a Lifetime. We want to know what books you would choose. Add titles below, and vote on the titles added by fellow readers.

See all of our picks at www.amazon.com/100biographies.

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All Votes Add Books To This List

1	The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank 4.20 avg rating — 4,147,925 ratings score: 37,058, and 374 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Night by Elie Wiesel 4.38 avg rating — 1,352,335 ratings score: 19,352, and 197 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 618,786 ratings score: 18,991, and 193 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (Goodreads Author) 4.33 avg rating — 1,349,459 ratings score: 17,525, and 178 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand 4.39 avg rating — 992,084 ratings score: 13,832, and 142 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou's Autobiography, #1) by Maya Angelou 4.30 avg rating — 577,188 ratings score: 11,532, and 118 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 798,707 ratings score: 10,420, and 107 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 1,350,681 ratings score: 8,254, and 85 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Playing Ball: Life Lessons from My Journey to the Super Bowl and Beyond by Vernon Davis 4.28 avg rating — 10,150 ratings score: 8,201, and 87 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	The Hiding Place: The Triumphant True Story of Corrie Ten Boom by Corrie ten Boom 4.48 avg rating — 353,717 ratings score: 8,130, and 84 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt, #1) by Frank McCourt 4.15 avg rating — 655,940 ratings score: 7,525, and 78 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	The Trigger: Hunting the Assassin Who Brought the World to War by Tim Butcher (Goodreads Author) 3.81 avg rating — 4,076 ratings score: 7,439, and 75 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X 4.37 avg rating — 289,358 ratings score: 7,317, and 77 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi 4.40 avg rating — 203,627 ratings score: 7,186, and 74 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	The Truth About Aaron: My Journey to Understand My Brother by Jonathan Hernández 4.01 avg rating — 1,795 ratings score: 6,950, and 73 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed (Goodreads Author) 4.07 avg rating — 861,659 ratings score: 6,927, and 72 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	The Yankee Way: The Untold Inside Story of the Brian Cashman Era by Andy Martino 4.25 avg rating — 957 ratings score: 6,684, and 71 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (Goodreads Author) 4.02 avg rating — 1,183,104 ratings score: 6,599, and 69 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership by Bill Walsh 4.21 avg rating — 6,395 ratings score: 6,535, and 69 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	QB: My Life Behind the Spiral by Steve Young 4.27 avg rating — 3,592 ratings score: 6,521, and 69 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	You Can't Make This Up: Miracles, Memories, and the Perfect Marriage of Sports and Television by Al Michaels 3.97 avg rating — 3,738 ratings score: 6,415, and 68 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	The Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson by Jeff Pearlman 4.19 avg rating — 3,693 ratings score: 6,345, and 67 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow 3.95 avg rating — 13,067 ratings score: 6,155, and 65 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 43,377 ratings score: 6,025, and 64 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Belichick: The Making of the Greatest Football Coach of All Time by Ian O'Connor 4.11 avg rating — 2,162 ratings score: 5,856, and 62 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	America's Game: The NFL at 100 by Jerry Rice 4.02 avg rating — 562 ratings score: 5,705, and 60 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Montana: The Biography of Football's Joe Cool by Keith Dunnavant 4.06 avg rating — 696 ratings score: 5,646, and 60 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	SUGAR BEAR: Life Lessons, Leadership, and the Legacy of a High School Coach by Chris Heeb (Goodreads Author) 4.24 avg rating — 437 ratings score: 5,590, and 59 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	The League: How Five Rivals Created the NFL and Launched a Sports Empire by John Eisenberg (Goodreads Author) 4.17 avg rating — 2,065 ratings score: 5,539, and 59 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Browns Town 1964: The Cleveland Browns and the 1964 Championship by Terry Pluto 4.19 avg rating — 504 ratings score: 5,523, and 58 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl 4.37 avg rating — 861,632 ratings score: 5,237, and 55 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer (Goodreads Author) 4.26 avg rating — 562,439 ratings score: 5,186, and 54 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	The Story of My Life by Helen Keller 4.07 avg rating — 150,767 ratings score: 5,151, and 55 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	Talking to GOATs: The Moments You Remember and the Stories You Never Heard by Jim Gray 3.99 avg rating — 1,963 ratings score: 4,707, and 50 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama (Goodreads Author) 3.94 avg rating — 230,643 ratings score: 4,680, and 50 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand 4.23 avg rating — 168,036 ratings score: 4,650, and 49 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	John Adams by David McCullough 4.08 avg rating — 376,341 ratings score: 4,602, and 49 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup 4.23 avg rating — 124,429 ratings score: 4,548, and 49 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman 4.58 avg rating — 251,434 ratings score: 4,494, and 48 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass 4.13 avg rating — 134,046 ratings score: 4,471, and 49 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom (Goodreads Author) 4.20 avg rating — 1,183,891 ratings score: 4,449, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Becoming by Michelle Obama (Goodreads Author) 4.44 avg rating — 1,184,215 ratings score: 4,418, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang 4.30 avg rating — 122,662 ratings score: 4,369, and 46 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris 4.01 avg rating — 718,431 ratings score: 4,236, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah 4.16 avg rating — 193,618 ratings score: 4,071, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	Yes Please by Amy Poehler 3.85 avg rating — 553,291 ratings score: 4,041, and 42 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson 4.07 avg rating — 442,627 ratings score: 3,893, and 41 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	Confessions by Augustine of Hippo 3.99 avg rating — 73,269 ratings score: 3,752, and 40 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton 3.92 avg rating — 60,981 ratings score: 3,689, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama (Goodreads Author) 4.27 avg rating — 96,997 ratings score: 3,680, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	Orange Is the New Black by Piper Kerman (Goodreads Author) 3.72 avg rating — 205,694 ratings score: 3,488, and 37 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Sybil: The Classic True Story of a Woman Possessed by Sixteen Personalities by Flora Rheta Schreiber 3.99 avg rating — 90,707 ratings score: 3,482, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	Just Kids by Patti Smith (Goodreads Author) 4.21 avg rating — 346,817 ratings score: 3,419, and 36 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown (Goodreads Author) 4.39 avg rating — 358,781 ratings score: 3,419, and 36 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser 3.94 avg rating — 38,366 ratings score: 3,274, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.34 avg rating — 315,617 ratings score: 3,097, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway 4.02 avg rating — 165,850 ratings score: 3,020, and 32 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	The Color of Water by James McBride (Goodreads Author) 4.15 avg rating — 133,116 ratings score: 2,869, and 31 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson (Goodreads Author) 4.17 avg rating — 200,909 ratings score: 2,849, and 31 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie 3.94 avg rating — 108,030 ratings score: 2,806, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin 4.28 avg rating — 198,871 ratings score: 2,777, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout (Goodreads Author) 4.28 avg rating — 71,947 ratings score: 2,709, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	シンドラーズ・リスト [Schindlers List] by Thomas Keneally 4.34 avg rating — 165,305 ratings score: 2,706, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	Speaking for Myself: Faith, Freedom, and the Fight of Our Lives Inside the Trump White House by Sarah Huckabee Sanders 4.41 avg rating — 3,267 ratings score: 2,630, and 27 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs (Goodreads Author) 3.77 avg rating — 402,738 ratings score: 2,628, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah 4.49 avg rating — 796,364 ratings score: 2,614, and 27 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	Truman by David McCullough 4.17 avg rating — 91,137 ratings score: 2,528, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	West with the Night by Beryl Markham 4.15 avg rating — 40,780 ratings score: 2,471, and 27 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed - A Memoir of the Cleveland Kidnappings by Michelle Knight 4.18 avg rating — 30,573 ratings score: 2,419, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali 4.20 avg rating — 92,449 ratings score: 2,392, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	My Life in France by Julia Child 4.16 avg rating — 92,963 ratings score: 2,391, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth 4.19 avg rating — 78,533 ratings score: 2,326, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin 4.21 avg rating — 46,691 ratings score: 2,290, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life by C.S. Lewis 4.06 avg rating — 68,717 ratings score: 2,191, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story by Arnold Schwarzenegger 4.17 avg rating — 23,461 ratings score: 2,178, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	The Liars' Club by Mary Karr 3.94 avg rating — 71,754 ratings score: 2,164, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	Why They Marched: Untold Stories of the Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote by Susan Ware 3.90 avg rating — 951 ratings score: 2,125, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard 3.97 avg rating — 144,795 ratings score: 2,088, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	The Confidante: The Untold Story of the Woman Who Helped Win WWII and Shape Modern America by Christopher C. Gorham (Goodreads Author) 4.29 avg rating — 2,762 ratings score: 2,048, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell 4.15 avg rating — 60,328 ratings score: 2,038, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power by Susan Page (Goodreads Author) 4.14 avg rating — 1,859 ratings score: 2,028, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	A Promised Land by Barack Obama (Goodreads Author) 4.32 avg rating — 271,506 ratings score: 2,016, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin 4.11 avg rating — 69,510 ratings score: 2,014, and 24 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	Escape by Carolyn Jessop 3.99 avg rating — 46,335 ratings score: 2,012, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers by Loung Ung 4.36 avg rating — 53,644 ratings score: 2,011, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	Martin Heidegger: Between Good and Evil by Rüdiger Safranski 3.87 avg rating — 1,760 ratings score: 1,974, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	The Chancellor: The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel by Kati Marton 4.32 avg rating — 7,539 ratings score: 1,953, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships by Nina Totenberg 4.11 avg rating — 18,576 ratings score: 1,943, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela 4.36 avg rating — 93,654 ratings score: 1,909, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey 4.15 avg rating — 21,146 ratings score: 1,908, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	My Story by Elizabeth Smart 3.88 avg rating — 47,508 ratings score: 1,896, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West by Blaine Harden (Goodreads Author) 4.01 avg rating — 71,677 ratings score: 1,847, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamist Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs by Elissa Wall 3.95 avg rating — 31,556 ratings score: 1,796, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	Boy: Tales of Childhood (Roald Dahl's Autobiography, #1) by Roald Dahl 4.07 avg rating — 73,339 ratings score: 1,791, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robison (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 69,477 ratings score: 1,781, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard 4.23 avg rating — 83,441 ratings score: 1,754, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts 4.24 avg rating — 28,065 ratings score: 1,735, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	While Time Remains: A North Korean Defector's Search for Freedom in America by Yeonmi Park 3.97 avg rating — 4,980 ratings score: 1,729, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 236,315 ratings score: 1,727, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 172,675 ratings score: 1,711, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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1,871 books · 1,778 voters · list created February 16th, 2015 by Jon (votes) .

Tags: biography, history, memoir

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message 1: by Michelle (new)

Mar 02, 2015 06:19PM

Too many books on this list are not biographies or memoirs. The Catcher in the Rye is a lovely book but it's fiction. Likewise The Great Gatsby. The Bible is not a memoir or a biography.

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message 2: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Mar 02, 2015 11:57PM) (new)

Mar 02, 2015 11:05PM

Michelle wrote: "Too many books on this list are not biographies or memoirs. The Catcher in the Rye is a lovely book but it's fiction. Likewise The Great Gatsby. The Bible is not a memoir or a biography."

I agree, so I have removed all five books (three different versions of the Bible were on the list).

I'm not sure The Bell Jar (#10) qualifies either, as I always thought is was a novel (and Sylvia Platt's only one, as far as I know). Anyone?

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message 3: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Mar 02, 2015 11:58PM) (new)

Mar 02, 2015 11:08PM

I suppose Bill Bryson's In a Sunburned Country (#89) could be seen as a memoir, although to me it is more of a travel story than an actual memoir/biography.

I've read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and that's not a biography but a novel (can't even be a memoir or a biography, as the author left Afghanistan as a toddler...), so I've removed the book.

Peter Carey's True History of the Kelly Gang is also fiction, so again, I've removed the book. (Don't be misled by the book's title!)

I've also removed To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, as it is a novel (it received the Pulitzer Prize for fiction !!). The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck also won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, so that's another one I've removed.

People, please, don't just add books because you think they might be a biography or a memoir, but make absolutely sure before you add! If you have even the slightest doubt, don't add...

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message 4: by Mel (new)

Mar 08, 2015 03:00PM

Removed The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis. Great book, not biography, autobiography, or memoir.

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message 5: by Ruth (new)

Mar 12, 2015 02:58PM

Booklovinglady wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Too many books on this list are not biographies or memoirs. The Catcher in the Rye is a lovely book but it's fiction. Likewise The Great Gatsby. The Bible is not a memoir or a biog..."

Yes, The Bell Jar is a novel. So is The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman. I found so many novels on this list that I gave up.

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message 6: by Ruth (new)

Mar 12, 2015 03:01PM

Yes The Bell Jar is a novel. So is The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. I came across so many novels on this list that I gave up.

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message 7: by Ruth (new)

Mar 12, 2015 03:03PM

The Laura Ingalls Wilder series is fiction. The Souls of Black Folk is an essay collection, not a memoir or biography.

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message 8: by Ruth (new)

Mar 12, 2015 03:04PM

104 Number Theory Problems. I think this list needs restart but perhaps it will end up just as irrelevant the second time around.

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message 9: by Ruth (new)

Mar 12, 2015 03:05PM

Also, some of the biographies are known for being contrived, such as Sybil.

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message 10: by Ruth (new)

Mar 12, 2015 03:07PM

Parting the Waters: Martin Luther King etc is a 3-volume HISTORY of the Civil Rights Movement. Come on-- can't anyone come up with some actual biographies of darker-skinned people?

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message 11: by Mel (last edited Mar 12, 2015 06:01PM) (new)

Mar 12, 2015 05:28PM

Ruth wrote: "Parting the Waters: Martin Luther King etc is a 3-volume HISTORY of the Civil Rights Movement. Come on-- can't anyone come up with some actual biographies of darker-skinned people?"
Ruth, please don't be upset at others--just add it!(That is, if it is bio and not more a history of a movement. I've never read it at all). I already had 13 black bios on my own list of 38, so without scrolling the whole list it seems like you're being a bit hyperbolic. Again, please add valuable bios.

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message 12: by Mel (new)

Mar 12, 2015 05:54PM

Ruth wrote: "Also, some of the biographies are known for being contrived, such as Sybil."
Absolutely! That is my dilemma with some of them. I maintain that some people's autobiographies/bios are more fiction than other people's historical fiction.
I deleted the Little House set as per its Goodreads classification. I also deleted The Souls of Black Folk. There is a bio of W.E.B. Du Bois on the list. (My edition of The Souls of B F began with a powerful account of Du Bois's early adulthood)(and feel free to add other Du Bois bios).

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message 13: by Mel (new)

Mar 12, 2015 06:13PM

Anybody have a good argument for keeping Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises?

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message 14: by Mel (new)

Mar 12, 2015 06:17PM

All quibbling about a few mis-added books aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this list. Happy reading to all! I am excited to read some of these.

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message 15: by Luke (last edited Mar 23, 2015 08:43PM) (new)

Mar 23, 2015 08:37PM

Removed The Bell Jar, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, and The Sun Also Rises for being fiction.

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message 16: by Ruth (new)

Mar 24, 2015 07:05AM

I did finally get through the list and found some to add that I hope will be appreciated. All in all, I think the list is good. Thanks for taking off the more obvious fictions... This is all in good fun.

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message 17: by Donna (new)

Apr 04, 2015 08:25PM

Removed for being fiction: Little House in the Big Woods; Little House on the Prairie; The Long Winter. The same applies to any others in this series that anyone might contemplate adding: historical fiction, not memoir.

The system found and deleted 3 duplicates also.

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message 18: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (new)

Apr 05, 2015 12:22AM

Ruth wrote: "All in all, I think the list is good. ..."

Dito ;-)

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message 19: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Apr 08, 2015 10:19PM) (new)

Apr 08, 2015 10:17PM

Removed for being a novel (fiction) instead of a biography/memoir: Slaughterhouse-Five

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message 20: by Sharon (new)

Feb 15, 2016 12:20PM

Booklovinglady wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Too many books on this list are not biographies or memoirs. The Catcher in the Rye is a lovely book but it's fiction. Likewise The Great Gatsby. The Bible is not a memoir or a biog..."

I just looked at the list today and these books are still on the list. Maybe someone put them back on?

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message 21: by LindaJ^ (new)

Aug 09, 2016 05:23PM

At least some are still there. Memoirs and biographies are NOT FICTION, i.e., not novels nor short stories nor essays.

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message 22: by Peg (new)

May 14, 2019 11:23AM

Please remove Eragon as well, it's ficton.

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message 23: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited May 14, 2019 09:13PM) (new)

May 14, 2019 09:12PM

Peg wrote: "Please remove Eragon as well, it's ficton."

Which number? (There are 13 pages at the moment, which is bit much to search for a book...)

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message 24: by Book2Dragon (new)

Jul 23, 2020 10:33PM

Eragon is definitely fantasy and not biography/memoir. Someone must have slipped that one in.

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message 25: by Mary (new)

Jul 28, 2021 05:38AM

BookLovingLady wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Too many books on this list are not biographies or memoirs. The Catcher in the Rye is a lovely book but it's fiction. Likewise The Great Gatsby. The Bible is not a memoir or a biog..."

Plath

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message 26: by Naomi (new)

Mar 13, 2022 10:15AM

3 duplicates found and removed

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message 27: by Cathleen (new)

Jul 28, 2023 07:12AM

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks very good one

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message 28: by Mel (new)

Jul 28, 2023 08:03AM

Interesting. What is biography?
I think of biography as being about a person, so the fact that Seabiscuit: An American Legend is in the top 20 (beating out a lot of really famous people I should add) is a bit astonishing to me. The Biography of A Grizzly also makes an appearance later in the list, a book I read and enjoyed. I supposed that particularly in these times life stories of animals (which meet the literal etymological meaning of biography) are going to be popular.

Some years back I deleted The Souls of Black Folk due to complaints that it didn't belong. I see 6 people added it back, so I re-added my vote. Some editions have great biographical intros, others perhaps not so.
I do not see how The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness qualifies, as it is a collection of short essays looking at forgiveness from philosophical, theological, and personal perspectives. Of the books in the top of the list this one is the one I most lean towards deleting.

I also appreciate the book Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West, and its power is that Dee Brown builds his narrative around biographical development. But I didn't vote for it because, while it contains biographical sketches of several dozen people, I don't see it as biography per se. It definitely has interest for those looking for biographical writing though and I can understand leaving it.
Overall though this is a great list which takes into account biographies across many centuries and cultures. Happy reading!

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message 29: by Naomi (new)

Sep 17, 2023 02:45PM

16 duplicates found and removed

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