5 Biographies You Should Read
Reading biographies is a great way to learn from others who have paved a way that impacted the world. Not all biographies are of famous people, but that doesn’t mean that their lives were not influential. You never know what you might learn from these inspiring stories. You may even find that you can relate to some of their challenges and victories.
Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World, 1914–1948
by Ramachandra Guha, 2018
You may heard of Gandhi, and even may know a few of his famous quotes and sayings. Most people have heard of Mohandas Gandhi, but few actually know the story of his life. This biography goes through his leaving South Africa to the year of his assassination. Historian Ramachandra Guha draws from archived materials to paint an in-depth picture of Gandhi’s motives and complex thinking that pushed for methods non-violence, that would eventually inspire many revolutionary movements in the future.
A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea: One Refugee’s Incredible Story of Love, Loss, and Survival
by Melissa Fleming, 2017
Most people enjoy reading biographies of famous people, but this is not one of those. This moving biography sheds light into a situation we hear a lot in the news, but may not know how it personally affects someone. Follow the story of Doaa Al Zamel, a 19-year-old Syrian refugee and learn more about a crisis from a personal point of view—a story, that unfortunately, is not unique to just Doaa Al Zamel alone. Be inspired by the strength of a human’s spirit in the midst of a brutal civil war.
Steve Jobs
by Walter Isaacson, 2011
Whether or not you have an Apple product, you’ve probably heard of the name Steve Jobs before. But before he paved the way for smartphones and computers, did you know that Steve Jobs enjoyed the hipster lifestyle and was a college drop-out? Drawing from candid interviews, this unfiltered look at Steve Jobs’ life may surprise you. But there are countless lessons to learn about character, perseverance, innovation, passions, and many more.
The Diary of a Young Girl
by Anne Frank, 1947
This is probably one of the most well-known autobiographies there is. This autobiography is a publishing of Anne Frank’s diary, found by Miep Gies, who then gave it to Anne's father, Otto Frank, after he survived the concentration camps at the end of World War II. Read a young girl and her family’s story as they went into hiding in Amsterdam for two years during the Nazi occupation of Netherlands. Appreciate Anne Frank’s humor and young spirit as she navigates her first love, sharing a room with a stranger, and the daily fear of being found out.
Alan Turing: The Enigma
by Andrew Hodges, 1983
Alan Turing is considered the father of computer science. In 1936, he conceived the idea of a universal machine, and made it a reality in 1945. His work greatly helped the Allies during World War II by creating a machine that was able to decipher the German Enigma ciphers. However, Alan Turing life took a devastating turn as he was arrested and forced to undergo a treatment program all because he lived in a society that deemed homosexuality a crime. Find out more about this man whose innovations paved the way for artificial intelligence. This biography was also turned into a movie by the same title Alan Turing: The Enigma starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
