What are some of the best biographies to read? What makes them so good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Biographies are a beloved genre. That\u2019s because people love stories, especially true stories about real lives. Biographies allow you to delve into the nitty-gritty of people\u2019s lives, pushing past the fa\u00e7ade of what you know only from the headlines or a paragraph in a history book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With thousands of stories out there, it\u2019s hard to know which ones are truly worth reading, so we selected 10 books that we consider to be the best biography books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
To be considered one of the best biographies, a story should be well told. You must be able to relate to the subject, identifying with some of their experiences and aspects of their character. You should find their weaknesses cautionary and their strengths inspiring. The best biographies are honest\u2014inviting you into people\u2019s lives and allowing you to see them as they truly are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, the best biography books also tend to get a positive reception from critics and readers. They receive five-star ratings and might end up on bestseller lists. Some of the best biographies stay in print for decades, extending their impact to multiple generations. We took all of this into account when we made our list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In no particular order, here are the best biography books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\r\nTITLE: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks In 1951, a 30-year-old African-American woman named Henrietta Lacks entered Johns Hopkins Hospital to be treated for cervical cancer. In a matter of months she was dead, overcome by her cancer\u2019s malignancy. Her cancer cells<\/em>, however, would prove immortal\u2014and change medicine forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks <\/em>tells the story of Henrietta, her family, and her incredible cells. Tracking both the scientific advances owed to \u201cHeLa\u201d cells and the struggles of Henrietta\u2019s descendants, author Rebecca Skloot leads readers through the history of cell research, the ethical implications of scientific study, and the human story of a poor and ailing family whose matriarch contributed to some of 20th-century science\u2019s greatest achievements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks <\/em>a New York Times<\/em> bestseller, but it was also named one of the best books of the year by The New York Times Book Review<\/em>, Publishers Weekly<\/em>, and others. It reads like a novel\u2014one that people can\u2019t put down. Readers use words such as \u201cmoving,\u201d \u201cgripping,\u201d \u201criveting,\u201d and \u201cmesmerizing\u201d to describe it. It\u2019s a well-written, thought-provoking, and influential story that needed to be told.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “One of the most graceful and moving nonfiction books I\u2019ve read in a very long time. … The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks … <\/em>floods over you like a narrative dam break, as if someone had managed to distill and purify the more addictive qualities of Erin Brockovich<\/em>, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil<\/a>,<\/em> and The Andromeda Strain<\/em>. … It feels like the book Ms. Skloot was born to write.\u201d<\/p>Dwight Garner, The New York Times<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Read our in-depth book guide for The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nTITLE: The Blind Side Michael Lewis\u2019s The Blind Side<\/em> is about a black 15-year-old named Michael Oher from the Memphis inner-city projects who beat the odds to become a football star. This story follows Michael\u2019s journey from his impoverished life with his drug-addicted mother to his adoption by a rich white couple in East Memphis. Through the kindness of strangers and some significant events in the NFL, Michael was able to find his path to success<\/a> and became one of the greatest left tackles to play high school and college football in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Blind Side <\/em>weaves together great storytelling with insightful social commentary. It tells an inspiring personal story in the context of thought-provoking social realities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Michael Lewis is a journalist who roots out the story behind the story, shedding light on\u2014and providing insight into\u2014college football, the NFL, and American society in general. Even readers who aren\u2019t football fans consider this book a winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The Blind Side<\/em> is as insightful and moving a meditation<\/a> on class inequality in America as I have ever read\u2015although to put it that way, I realize, makes it sound deadly dull. It isn\u2019t.”<\/p>Malcolm Gladwell, author of Talking to Strangers<\/a><\/em> and The Tipping Point<\/a><\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Read our in-depth book guide for The Blind Side<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \r\nTITLE: Hidden Figures Margot Lee Shetterly\u2019s Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race<\/a> <\/em>tells the story of a group of African-American women who, over a period of more than 25 years, made major contributions to the U.S. space program. Working in the American South during the Civil Rights Era, they overcame both race- and gender-based discrimination to launch brilliant and storied careers as mathematicians and engineers. These women were the unsung protagonists who shaped America\u2019s destiny, playing a major role in the great drama of the nation\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The winner of several awards, Hidden Figures<\/em> beautifully blends personal lives with the bigger cultural picture. It\u2019s included as one of the best biographies because, in the words of one reader, it\u2019s a revelation\u2014It\u2019s an important story that is finally being told.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMuch as Tom Wolfe did in The Right Stuff<\/em>, Shetterly moves gracefully between the women\u2019s lives and the broader sweep of history. … Shetterly … blends impressive research with an enormous amount of heart in telling these stories.\u201d<\/p>Boston Globe<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Read our in-depth book guide for Hidden Figures<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \r\nTITLE: Unbroken Louie Zamperini<\/a> was one of the brightest prospects for the 1940 Olympics in track and field. But when WWII started, his life would take a much different path. The story of Louie\u2019s struggles as a young loner, a rising star, a Pacific POW, and a man trying to reclaim his life after years of torment is as unbelievable as it is inspiring. Through Louie\u2019s tale (told by author Laura Hillenbrand), the depths of the human soul and will to survive are examined. As Louie spirals out of control because of trauma and becomes obsessed with a plot to kill the man who tortured him, he learns that a man is not defined by his history, but rather by the manner in which he seeks a future. Unbroken<\/em> reaches into the heart of terror and shines a light on what it means to triumph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This book is a New York Times<\/em> bestseller and the winner of several awards, including the top nonfiction book of the year by Time<\/em> magazine and the Los Angeles Times<\/em> Book Prize for biography. You will get lost in the story and never forget it\u2014it might even change the way you look at World War II and life in general. Unbroken <\/em>is one of the best biography books because it is a remarkable story in the hands of a remarkable storyteller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRiveting . . . an exceptional portrait . . . So haunting and so beautifully written, those who fall under its spell will never again feel the same way about World War II and one of its previously unsung heroes.\u201d<\/p>The Columbus Dispatch<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Read our in-depth book guide for Unbroken<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nTITLE: Mountains Beyond Mountains Tracy Kidder tells the story of Paul Farmer, who has worked for decades to provide health care to patients in Haiti and around the world. A doctor and anthropologist by training, Farmer saw the health of a nation\u2019s people as a product of its culture and political history. For Haiti, centuries of political strife\u2014often at the hands of imperialist powers\u2014had left it one of the most impoverished countries in the western hemisphere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the prevailing wisdom that it was too costly to treat patients in poor countries for diseases like drug-resistant tuberculosis and AIDS, Farmer strived to treat everyone who needed care. His multi-pronged approach included prioritizing preventive services, changing international healthcare policy, and lowering the cost of important drugs. His organization\u2019s approach is considered a model for providing treatment to patients in poor countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like many biographies, Mountains Beyond Mountains <\/em>is interesting and inspiring. Far beyond that, though, this book is challenging, disturbing, and even shocking. For many, it\u2019s life-changing. Mountains Beyond Mountains <\/em>is one of the best biographies because it is important<\/em>. It\u2019s a story the world needs to hear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Is there anything Tracy Kidder can’t do? This is a beautiful book, and a masterful one. Even better, Mountains Beyond Mountains<\/em> is a page-turner that will crack your conscience open.”<\/p>Stacey Schiff, author of Vera<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Read our in-depth book guide for Mountains Beyond Mountains<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\r\nAUTHOR: Rebecca Skloot<\/a>
\r\nTIME: 45
\r\nREADS: 20.2
\r\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/immortallife-cover.jpg
\r\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks-summary-rebecca-skloot
\r\nAMZN_ID: B00338QENI
\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat Makes It One of the Best Biographies<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\nAUTHOR: Michael Lewis
\nTIME: 42
\nREADS: 31.7
\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/the-blind-side-cover.png
\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: the-blind-side-summary-michael-lewis
\nAMZN_ID: XYZ
\n<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat Makes It One of the Best Biographies<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Hidden Figures<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\r\nAUTHOR: Margot Lee Shetterly
\r\nTIME: 27
\r\nREADS: 20.3
\r\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/hidden-figures-cover.jpg
\r\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: hidden-figures-summary-margot-lee-shetterly
\r\nAMZN_ID: B0166JFFD0
\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat Makes It One of the Best Biographies<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\r\nAUTHOR: Laura Hillenbrand
\r\nTIME: 48
\r\nREADS: 20.2
\r\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/unbroken-cover.jpg
\r\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: unbroken-a-ww2-story-summary-laura-hillenbrand
\r\nAMZN_ID: B003WUYPPG
\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat Makes It One of the Best Biographies<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Mountains Beyond Mountains<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\nAUTHOR: Tracy Kidder<\/a>
\nTIME: 24
\nREADS: 31.2
\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/mountains-beyond-mountains-cover.png
\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: mountains-beyond-mountains-summary-tracy-kidder
\nAMZN_ID: XYZ
\n<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat Makes It One of the Best Biographies<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The Life of Samuel Johnson<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n