Reading List: Inspiring Biographies

Do you read autobiographies or biographies and personal memoirs for inspiration?

Reading about the lives of other people has always been a source of inspiration for me and no doubt it is the same way for other people too. In fact, if a person is suffering from depression one of the suggested activities to uplift their spirit and pull them out of the dark black hole is reading life stories. Not trying to sound corny but we are all ordinary people and it is encouraging to know that the majority of us endure the same trials and tribulations and most of us overcome or rise above our difficulties and get on with our lives.

But clearly, you do not have to be depressed to draw motivation from reading about the achievements of someone else. For one of my friends, it was the life of Malcolm X. The first biography which influenced my life was about Sammy Davis Jr. It was titled Yes I Can. (I could just kick myself for not keeping the book as it is now considered a collectible. He also published a sequel called Why Me?) 

The first autobiography written by Mr. Davis is also the book that piqued my curiosity and got me interested in reading more and more biographies about anybody – celebrities, men and women in history, people in political circles, etc. I turned this fascination into a hobby and created a Pinterest board called BIO-Snapshots, a collection of trivia, information, and articles about people. Some of my most recent pins link to mini-bios of Nora Baker, Robert Smalls, and Huma Abedin.

Do you get inspired by reading
biographical accounts or personal memoirs?

Click to view my picks.

NOTE: Content previously published elsewhere on the web, however, the site shut down. 

Alexander the Great - Boogie Man or Immortal?

The records of history indicate that is what Alexander the Great said when others informed him about his father’s conquests.

“My father will get ahead of me in everything, and will leave nothing great for me to do.” 

Statue of Alexander the Great in Skopje, the capital of the Republic of Macedonia

Clearly, Alexander the Great was no prophet. However, he is known in Western history as a remarkable military leader. In India’s history, children are told he’s the “boogie man”. - Alexander was born on 21st July 356 B.C. - Although his name is not specifically mentioned in the Bible, many biblical scholars believe that he is the “mighty king” referred to in the book of Daniel the Prophet (Chapter 11). - The meaning of the name Alexander is: “man’s defender, warrior”. The name suited him. Almost everyone knows about this “hero” who set out to conquer and Hellenize the entire world. * Do you have an opinion about him? You can find mine at the link supplied below.

• Alexander the Great: God-King or Mere Mortal?

If you don’t have any thoughts regarding the actual historical person, care to share what you thought about the 2004 movie which starred Colin Farrell, Angelina Jolie and Val Kilmer. Here’s a link to a review by Rebecca Murray, writer for About.com.

• "Alexander" Movie Review: Oliver Stone's Long Anticipated Alexander the Great Epic - movies.about.com

Her opinion as expressed in the article, summarily stated? She gave it a Grade C+. Which means: Eh! She didn’t think it was all that! Me? I thought it sucked! Bad plot. Bad acting. But that’s just me.

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#1 Best Seller in Historical Greece Biographies

Alexander the Great by Philip Freeman

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Bio-Facts About Alexander Graham Bell, The Inventor of the Telephone

Did you know Alexander Graham Bell created his first successful invention at the age of 12?

Did you also know that during his formative years, "Aleck" was home-schooled by his mother?  His family home was in Scotland.

A few quick bio-facts extracted from a very interesting article about one of our favorite famous inventor.  

Learn more at Owlcation ~ Great Inventors.

Portrait of Alexander Graham Bell (1847 - 1922), inventor of the telephone.

Source: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

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Spotlight on Prolific British Author Peter Ackroyd

Who is Peter Ackroyd?

No the name is not a pseudonym for Alfred Hitchcock.

Peter Ackroyd is a man who eats, drinks, and sleeps writing.

His works cover a wide range of genres – both fiction and nonfiction: books for children; history; biography; poetry; mystery; etc.

He has even taken respected literary works such as Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and retold them.

He has been described as “eccentric” because he has quirks . (Don't we all?)

Calling him “prolific” would be a more accurate description.

Haven't read it yet but he wrote a biography of Alfred Hitchcock.

Here is a review, if you're interested. Alfred Hitchcock by Peter Ackroyd: Review.

A good review or bad review won't change my interest.

Hitchcock is the kind of guy you want to get to know up close and personal?

Ackroyd sort of looks like he could pass for Hitchcock's brother or a close relative. Ya think?  :)

Image credit:  Peter Ackroyd (photo by Antony Medley); 2007;  Wikimedia Commons

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Reference and Additional Links:

Rosen, Jody. “Man of Many Words: Up Close and Personal with Peter Ackroyd …” T: New York Times Style Magazine 15 Sept. 2013: 110-14. Print. Men’s Fashion Issue, Arts and Letters

Good Reads: Peter Ackroyd Writes Ghost Stories

Who is Peter Ackroyd? | My Blog Stop!

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• The 13 Alfred Hitchcock movies you need to watch in your lifetime(businessinsider.com)

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