Biography & Memoir

Learn from the experiences of the most interesting people in the world.

Interests in Biography & Memoir

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Featured Reading Lists

Recommendations From Top Influencers

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Editors’ Picks: Biography & Memoir

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Unstoppable read…
“When Breath Becomes Air,” written in the last year of Dr. Kalanithi’s life, is an unstoppable read and a moving memoir about coming to terms with death from a man who worked to prevent others’, and then finally faced his own.
Fascinating history…
This fascinating story of the people who built computers and the Internet follows the winding path toward our current world through innovators like Ada Lovelace through Alan Turing up to Larry Page and Bill Gates. It's an inspiring journey that makes you appreciate the ingenuity of our connected world all the more.
Powerful & necessary…
In this book addressed to his teenage son, Coates handles the tragedy of America’s history of racism and the most recent displays of police violence with a poetry and an honesty that make the book impossible to put down.
Raunchy, juicy, sweaty & delicious...
Bourdain’s raunchy, juicy, sweaty, and — yes — delicious follow-up to “Kitchen Confidential” is full of hilarious personal anecdotes, along with a dash of invaluable life lessons, like never touch the hollandaise at a buffet.
Smashing every expectation…
This biography of the Founding Father without a father inspired the hottest musical currently running on Broadway. Chernow maps how young, scrappy & hungry Hamilton became an integral part of American politics.
Beautifully rendered…
Patti Smith’s beautifully rendered memoir—set in the bohemian glamour of the Chelsea Hotel in the late ’60s—chronicles her loving relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe and their early years as struggling artists.
Passionate & vulnerable…
Didion’s passionate and vulnerable memoir is an honest portrayal of coming to terms with the loss of both a partner and a child. A moving depiction of love and loss from one of America’s most famous writers.
Imaginative & impactful…
Isaacson’s exclusive biography brings this generation’s leading innovator to life again, illustrating the impact of imagination through interviews and anecdotes.
Freedom found…
The true story behind the Oscar-winning film, this first-hand account of Solomon Northup, a free man who was kidnapped and enslaved for a decade, captures—and celebrates—the ferocity of human hope.

Extreme Experiments

In these memoirs, authors live without electricity, decide to produce no trash, strictly adhere to the Bible’s rules, and much more. The experiments may be fleeting, but their lessons are not.

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How to be Confident Like YouTube’s Biggest Stars

Learn how these YouTube stars got over their insecurities to become some of the world’s biggest influencers.

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Biography & Memoir Scribd Selects

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Be on the Front Lines

These doctors, paramedics & cops explain what it’s really like in their jobs & how to handle high-pressure situations.

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the Scribd Editorial Team, Scribd Editor

From the Editors

Solitude in the wilderness…

Originally an article for GQ (the magazine’s most-read story of all-time), “The Stranger in the Woods” is a riveting account of what it was like living as the world’s most isolated man. Finkel’s detailed account (and dash of humor) brings the story to life and makes it a truly captivating read.

Alex P., Scribd Editor

From the Editors

The Boss is back…

Bruce Springsteen’s much-anticipated memoir is especially intimate in his self-narrated audiobook. Written with his characteristic lyricism and honesty, it’s a memoir as much about an American rock star as about America itself.