Best Autobiography To Read



This is a must read if a woman with a passion for life fascinates you. Agatha Christie is known as the best-selling novelist but she kept writing an autobiography secretly. It was published only after her death and soon was acknowledged as her best work! Christie’s voice comes through her sentences, and it is one full of character and humor. The Everything Store Another fascinating biography, if you want to read all about how Jeff Bezos and Amazon conquered the world. Even though Jeff's wife gave it a 1-star review on Amazon, you can still draw lots of lessons from it, especially about management, leadership and inovation. Written by Brad Stone after he conducted tens, perhaps even hundreds of interviews with Amazon employees.

Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others - it's what Otto von Bismarck used to say. And what other better way to do that than by reading the biographies of those you admire? Some of the most popular entrepreneurs admitted that they attribute their success to reading memoirs of the people they admire. Here's a list of the best business biographies recommended by them (is there something missing, any book that we absolutely-definitely-must add to this list? let us know!). There's also one entrepreneur biography - or more - sprinkled in there, as well, so have a blast! Oh, but before that, did you know we have a really good weekly newsletter where we write about things that make us better business people, better entrepreneurs, better professionals. So go HERE and see an example and subscribe!

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1. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Elon Musk mentioned in multiple interviews that he learned a lot from reading biographies. Well, same thing is true regarding his biography. Published by Ashlee Vance in 2015, it's a must-read for everyone who wants to shoot for the stars the same way he does. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future serves a great lesson on the sacrifices you'll need to make when you have ambitious, almost impossible plans, and nobody believes in you. Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, recommended this book, saying that Elon Musk is a man after my own heart: a risk taker undaunted by setbacks and ever driven to ensure a bright future for humanity. Ashlee Vance's stellar biography captures Musk's remarkable life story and irrepressible spirit..

2. The Everything Store

Another fascinating biography, if you want to read all about how Jeff Bezos and Amazon conquered the world. Even though Jeff's wife gave it a 1-star review on Amazon, you can still draw lots of lessons from it, especially about management, leadership and inovation. Written by Brad Stone after he conducted tens, perhaps even hundreds of interviews with Amazon employees, Jeff's former colleagues and family members, this is the most comprehensive book you'll find about how Amazon became the everything store.

3. Alibaba – The House That Jack Ma Built

And speaking of Amazon... If you want to know more about its main competitor, how Jack Ma built the giant empire we now know as Alibaba, read this biography published last year by Duncan Clark. Jack managed to get past China's political obstacles and turned Alibaba into one of the biggest companies in the world. This is what Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP, had to say about this book: Anybody who thinks the Chinese just copy or steal technology from the West should read this book and think again. Jack Ma is part Bill Gates, part Steve Jobs, part Larry Page, part Sergey Brin, and part Mark Zuckerberg, all rolled into one.

4. Steve Jobs

This book probably needs no introduction, as I'm confident it's the most popular biography from this list. Based on more than 40 interviews conducted by Walter Isaacson over 2 years with Steve Jobs, as well as hundreds of interviews with his family members, friends, colleagues and so on. Jobs cooperated for this book and encouraged the people he knew to speak honestly, saying that: I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of, such as getting my girlfriends pregnant when I was 23 and the way I handled that, but I don't have any skeletons in my closet that can't be allowed out.

5. Creativity, Inc

And since we mentioned Steve Jobs, here's another book that might interest you: Creativity, Inc. is the story of Pixar Animation and its co-founder, Ed Catmull. If you want to learn great lessons on leadership and management, check it out. Mark Zuckerberg is one of the CEOs who read and recommend this book.

6. Iacocca: An Autobiography

In his podcast with Tim Ferriss, Ramit Sethi mentioned that he read Iacocca: An Autobiography every few years for the last 20 years. Lee Iacocca's best selling autobiography was originally published in 1984 and follows his career in the auto industry, first with Ford, and afterward with the Chrysler Corporation. Iaccoca's considered an American legend, a businessman who turned around Chrysler when the company was facing a crucial point.

7. Empire State of Mind: How Jay Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office

I’m not a businessman - I’m a business, man. - This book follows Jay Z and how he climbed from the ill famed streets of Brooklyn, where he spent his childhood, to the heights of the business world. Ryan Holiday recommended this biography, saying that: This is a biography that also functions as a business book. It shows how Jay applied hustling techniques to the music business and eventually built his empire.

8. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

This is probably one of the best biographies published in the recent years. Shoe Dog follows Phil Knight's memories, from the times when he was just a young boy, lost and with no idea what to do with his life, until he built the giant sports brand that we know today as Nike. Bill Gates wrote on his blog about this book: [...] is a refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like: messy, precarious, and riddled with mistakes. I’ve met Knight a few times over the years. He’s super nice, but he’s also quiet and difficult to get to know. Here Knight opens up in a way few CEOs are willing to do. I don’t think Knight sets out to teach the reader anything. Instead, he accomplishes something better. He tells his story as honestly as he can. It’s an amazing tale.

9. Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller

This is one huge biography, with more than 800 pages filled with the life and story of John D. Rockefeller. Considered to be the Jekyll-and-Hyde of American capitalism, Rockefeller was known as both a rapacious robber baron, whose Standard Oil Company rode roughshod over an industry, and a philanthropist who donated money lavishly to universities and medical centers.

10. Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

This book is recommended by Warren Buffett, who co-founded Berkshire Hathaway together with Charlie Munger. It's a collection of his speeches and talks.

11. Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!

Autobiography I've been bumping into this book for a long time, as it's one of the most recommended books by entrepreneurs. Filled with stories and memories of Richard Feynman, winner of the Nobel Prize for physics, who was always questioning the status-quo and testing assumptions. In this book he recalls all the experiences he conducted, but also his pranks and adventures (even the ones he pulled in the years he was working on the Manhattan Project). Google's co-founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, are among the fans of this book. Noah Kagan, founder of Sumo, even said that he if you ever meet him in person, he always has an extra copy, because it's just that amazing. I have to agree - I finished it recently, after a few nights of reading Feynman's adventures until 4 AM (yes, it's just that addictive!).

12. The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

We couldn't mention Charlie Munger without bringing up his partner's biography. Lots of books were written about Warren Buffett, the Oracle of Omaha, but this was written with his cooperation and is considered to be the best.

13. Losing My Virginity

And last but not least: the autobiography of the famous entrepreneur Richard Branson. If you want to find out more about how he built the business empire Virgin Group, this is a good place for you to start.

An Autobiography provides readers a great way to know the “unseen side” of the author (mostly a famous & successful personality). In an autobiography, the author walks us through different phases of his/her life. This post is about 5 Best-autobiographies.

Autobiographies comprises of a bundle of emotions the author went through in their journey of becoming “successful”. Through an autobiography, the author describes his life experiences, success tips, tricks, lessons learnt, also mistakes, failures and struggles they came across in their lives.

So, do you want to get a sneak-peak into the lives of some extraordinary people that once walked on this earth? Add these exhilarating autobiographies to your list of must-reads.

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Best Autobiography Titles

Here Are 5 Best Autobiographies Everyone Should Read At Least Once In Their Lives:

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin

Written by Benjamin Franklin, this timeless autobiography is worth reading. Unlike any other story of famous personalities, Franklin’s Autobiography holds a human aspect. It helps you to establish a close relationship with one of the wisest men and the foremost Americans. Also, it’s well written and highly engaging even after 300+ years.

The book is an account of a middle class man who although wasn’t the wealthiest or the most powerful. In spite of that, his perseverance and hard-work raises him to become one of the most remarkable self-made man in the history. Divided into four sections, the historical document is a record of his self-made success,teachings, in-depth understanding of society,exceptional achievements. He wrote it over a course of several decades (from 1771-1790), never finished but even today remains as one of the greatest classics.

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela’s autobiography is a balanced and realistic account of his experiences. He doesn’t sound pompous and writes about the slavery process endured by African people in a straightforward, transparent manner. The book holds an account of his early life, education, adulthood and 27 years in prison. It talks about his journey as a revolutionary freedom fighter and leadership as a president including his role in rebuilding South Africa’s segregated society.

The book includes his struggle to bring an end to the apartheid. It is a must read as you’ll love Mandela’s outlook of life. It will leave you with inspiration and a sense of liberation.

Agatha Christie: An Autobiography by Agatha Christie

What's The Best Autobiography To Read

This is a must read if a woman with a passion for life fascinates you. Agatha Christie is known as the best-selling novelist but she kept writing an autobiography secretly. It was published only after her death and soon was acknowledged as her best work! Christie’s voice comes through her sentences, and it is one full of character and humor. She speaks of her childhood, education, her two marriages and her novels. Don’t hesitate to grab this one as you’re in for a treat!

The Autobiography of Mark Twain by Mark Twain

The Autobiography of Mark Twain is a classic one and explores the many aspects and anecdotes of Mark Twain’s life, as well as the many people who influenced Twain and his work immensely. Controversial, witty and brilliant Twain, reveals his personal thoughts of the people both common, great, and raw confessions of world around him. This book is very rich and full of detail. It is an exhilarating read, and easily one of the best books you can read.

The Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank

Anne Frank became a symbol of courage and determination all around the world. The thoughts she has expressed in her diary might seem to be childish but they project the mindset of a brave individual who refused to give up hope despite being aware of the fact that the odds of survival were not entirely in her favor. If you want to gain knowledge of treatment of Jews during World War 2, history of events, wars then this book is a must read.

So, these were the 5 best autobiographies. So which one will you be picking? Or have you read any of them, do let me know your views? Also, do you want to add any to this list? Feel free to share in the comments section.

Best Autobiography Books To Read 2020

Also, don’t forget to try Kindle Unlimited Membership Plans and get free trail for first month with access to unlimited reading, unlimited listening to thousands of audiobooks. Also, it’s accessible from any device.

Best Autobiography Books To Read In 2020

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