100 Biographies & Memoirs to Read in a Lifetime: Readers' Picks

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 4.19 avg rating — 3,800,671 ratings score: 36,465, and 368 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	I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai 4.15 avg rating — 584,221 ratings score: 19,291, and 196 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	Night (The Night Trilogy, #1) by Elie Wiesel 4.37 avg rating — 1,264,364 ratings score: 19,153, and 195 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) 4.32 avg rating — 1,238,395 ratings score: 17,326, and 176 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 4.38 avg rating — 952,109 ratings score: 13,928, and 143 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 4.29 avg rating — 538,653 ratings score: 11,628, and 119 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) 4.12 avg rating — 746,417 ratings score: 10,520, and 108 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	The Hiding Place: The Triumphant True Story of Corrie Ten Boom by Corrie ten Boom 4.47 avg rating — 329,843 ratings score: 8,221, 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	Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 1,262,087 ratings score: 7,968, and 82 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 Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi 4.40 avg rating — 185,847 ratings score: 7,381, and 76 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 — 634,337 ratings score: 7,330, and 76 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 Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X 4.36 avg rating — 271,143 ratings score: 7,322, 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
13	The Trigger: Hunting the Assassin Who Brought the World to War by Tim Butcher (Goodreads Author) 3.80 avg rating — 3,926 ratings score: 7,259, 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
14	Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed (Goodreads Author) 4.06 avg rating — 809,663 ratings score: 6,925, 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
15	Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (Goodreads Author) 4.01 avg rating — 1,105,364 ratings score: 6,439, 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
16	Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl 4.37 avg rating — 736,847 ratings score: 5,238, 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
17	The Story of My Life by Helen Keller 4.08 avg rating — 148,100 ratings score: 5,155, 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
18	Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer (Goodreads Author) 4.24 avg rating — 514,969 ratings score: 5,098, and 53 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	Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand 4.22 avg rating — 163,837 ratings score: 4,670, 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
20	Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama (Goodreads Author) 3.93 avg rating — 226,227 ratings score: 4,590, 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
21	Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass 4.11 avg rating — 125,245 ratings score: 4,570, 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
22	Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup 4.22 avg rating — 118,801 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
23	John Adams by David McCullough 4.08 avg rating — 363,637 ratings score: 4,513, 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
24	The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman 4.57 avg rating — 225,555 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
25	Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang 4.28 avg rating — 114,482 ratings score: 4,366, 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
26	Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom (Goodreads Author) 4.18 avg rating — 1,050,966 ratings score: 4,357, 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
27	Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris 4.01 avg rating — 702,885 ratings score: 4,147, and 44 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	Yes Please by Amy Poehler 3.85 avg rating — 531,815 ratings score: 4,138, 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
29	A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah 4.16 avg rating — 188,281 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
30	Becoming by Michelle Obama (Goodreads Author) 4.45 avg rating — 1,072,855 ratings score: 4,040, 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
31	A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson 4.06 avg rating — 414,414 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
32	What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton 3.93 avg rating — 59,612 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
33	Confessions by Augustine of Hippo 3.97 avg rating — 64,908 ratings score: 3,659, and 39 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	The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama (Goodreads Author) 4.27 avg rating — 83,376 ratings score: 3,594, 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
35	Orange Is the New Black by Piper Kerman (Goodreads Author) 3.72 avg rating — 202,254 ratings score: 3,587, 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
36	Sybil: The Classic True Story of a Woman Possessed by Sixteen Personalities by Flora Rheta Schreiber 3.99 avg rating — 89,675 ratings score: 3,576, and 39 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	Just Kids by Patti Smith (Goodreads Author) 4.21 avg rating — 291,789 ratings score: 3,321, and 35 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	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 — 325,067 ratings score: 3,239, 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
39	On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.34 avg rating — 292,483 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
40	Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser 3.93 avg rating — 37,251 ratings score: 3,093, 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
41	A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway 4.02 avg rating — 153,707 ratings score: 3,037, 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
42	A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout (Goodreads Author) 4.26 avg rating — 66,141 ratings score: 3,005, 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
43	The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride (Goodreads Author) 4.14 avg rating — 125,974 ratings score: 2,962, 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
44	Schindlers List by Thomas Keneally 4.34 avg rating — 161,203 ratings score: 2,894, 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
45	Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 187,911 ratings score: 2,755, 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
46	Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie 3.94 avg rating — 104,463 ratings score: 2,724, 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
47	Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin 4.28 avg rating — 188,391 ratings score: 2,684, 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
48	Speaking for Myself: Faith, Freedom, and the Fight of Our Lives Inside the Trump White House by Sarah Huckabee Sanders 4.42 avg rating — 3,073 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
49	West with the Night by Beryl Markham 4.15 avg rating — 38,754 ratings score: 2,566, 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
50	Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs (Goodreads Author) 3.76 avg rating — 393,183 ratings score: 2,547, 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
51	Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali 4.19 avg rating — 90,469 ratings score: 2,484, 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
52	Truman by David McCullough 4.16 avg rating — 88,203 ratings score: 2,437, 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
53	The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth 4.19 avg rating — 73,882 ratings score: 2,420, 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
54	Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah 4.49 avg rating — 712,911 ratings score: 2,412, 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
55	My Life in France by Julia Child 4.16 avg rating — 90,379 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
56	Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed - A Memoir of the Cleveland Kidnappings by Michelle Knight 4.16 avg rating — 28,425 ratings score: 2,319, 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
57	No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin 4.20 avg rating — 45,385 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
58	A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard 3.95 avg rating — 125,408 ratings score: 2,186, 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
59	Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story by Arnold Schwarzenegger 4.16 avg rating — 21,944 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
60	The Liars' Club by Mary Karr 3.94 avg rating — 69,283 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
61	Why They Marched: Untold Stories of the Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote by Susan Ware 3.90 avg rating — 855 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
62	Escape by Carolyn Jessop 3.98 avg rating — 44,649 ratings score: 2,112, 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
63	Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin 4.11 avg rating — 68,265 ratings score: 2,106, 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
64	Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life by C.S. Lewis 4.06 avg rating — 64,150 ratings score: 2,084, 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
65	The Confidante: The Untold Story of the Woman Who Helped Win WWII and Shape Modern America by Christopher C. Gorham (Goodreads Author) 4.33 avg rating — 2,088 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
66	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 — 50,567 ratings score: 2,030, 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
67	Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power by Susan Page (Goodreads Author) 4.15 avg rating — 1,610 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
68	First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers by Loung Ung 4.34 avg rating — 48,472 ratings score: 2,002, 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
69	Martin Heidegger: Between Good and Evil by Rüdiger Safranski 3.87 avg rating — 1,734 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
70	Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships by Nina Totenberg 4.13 avg rating — 16,195 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
71	Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West by Blaine Harden (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 68,184 ratings score: 1,937, 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
72	Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey 4.15 avg rating — 20,784 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
73	My Story by Elizabeth Smart 3.87 avg rating — 44,124 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
74	Boy: Tales of Childhood (Roald Dahl's Autobiography, #1) by Roald Dahl 4.07 avg rating — 69,469 ratings score: 1,882, 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
75	The Chancellor: The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel by Kati Marton 4.33 avg rating — 6,584 ratings score: 1,853, 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
76	A Promised Land by Barack Obama (Goodreads Author) 4.33 avg rating — 234,998 ratings score: 1,819, 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
77	Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 165,788 ratings score: 1,804, 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
78	Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall 3.94 avg rating — 30,328 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
79	Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robison (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 68,138 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
80	Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard 4.21 avg rating — 76,001 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
81	Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts 4.23 avg rating — 23,685 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
82	While Time Remains: A North Korean Defector's Search for Freedom in America by Yeonmi Park really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3,748 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
83	Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela 4.35 avg rating — 88,036 ratings score: 1,720, 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
84	Levant Fever: True Stories from Syria's Underground by Wajdy Mustafa (Goodreads Author) 3.91 avg rating — 66 ratings score: 1,699, and 17 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	Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington 4.10 avg rating — 34,267 ratings score: 1,683, 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
86	Gandhi: An Autobiography by Mahatma Gandhi 4.10 avg rating — 71,297 ratings score: 1,675, 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
87	Broken by Shy Keenan 4.25 avg rating — 3,834 ratings score: 1,663, and 17 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	Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 222,775 ratings score: 1,632, 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
89	The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story by Ann Rule 4.14 avg rating — 102,249 ratings score: 1,629, 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
90	Open by Andre Agassi 4.31 avg rating — 126,758 ratings score: 1,563, and 17 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	Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heilemann 4.13 avg rating — 22,406 ratings score: 1,544, and 16 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	Life After Darkness: Finding Healing and Happiness After the Cleveland Kidnappings by Michelle Knight 4.02 avg rating — 1,589 ratings score: 1,467, and 15 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	Born Free: A Lioness of Two Worlds (Story of Elsa, #1) by Joy Adamson 4.16 avg rating — 33,535 ratings score: 1,465, and 16 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	The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda French Gates (Goodreads Author) 4.28 avg rating — 61,237 ratings score: 1,458, and 15 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	Obama's Wars by Bob Woodward 3.82 avg rating — 8,858 ratings score: 1,454, and 15 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	Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America by Dahlia Lithwick 4.40 avg rating — 2,488 ratings score: 1,451, and 15 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	Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton 3.76 avg rating — 33,699 ratings score: 1,415, and 15 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	Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow 4.16 avg rating — 74,520 ratings score: 1,400, and 16 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	Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel 4.08 avg rating — 184,370 ratings score: 1,400, and 15 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	God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew 4.36 avg rating — 43,436 ratings score: 1,384, and 15 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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1,790 books · 1,680 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 Aubrey (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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