
Ask HN: What is the best autobiography you have read? - bfoks
I&#x27;m currently reading Arnold Schwarzenegger’s and really enjoying it. Looking for some next recommendations.
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HiroshiSan
The one that stands out to me the most because it's so quirky is Surely You're
Joking Mr. Feynman. And in second place I'd have to suggest Born Standing Up
by Steve Martin.

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ceezuns
Honestly, Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman is probably the best book I've ever
read. My dad recommended it to me and I was hooked, read it a couple times
over.

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TheAlchemist
That's a very bad question ! I get the feeling I will need to buy some books
once this thread gets 100 answers :) I'm kind of biography / autobiography
geek.

The one I really love is Benjamin Franklin Autobiography - truly fantastic
read (I've read it twice already, it's about time for a 3rd one !)

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helij
I second Benjamin Franklin Autobiography and would like to add Andrew Carnegie
Autobiography as well. Both great and in my opinion worth reading multiple
times.

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openlowcode
Julius Caesar "Gallic Wars" is certainly worth reading, translated from Latine
to French, so probably, the English version is very good also.

In French, some of the best ones include Chateaubriand "Mémoires d'outre
Tombe" (Memoirs from Beyond the Grave), the epic life story of a French writer
from the American Independence war to the end of the French monarchy mid
nineteen's century.

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fjcp
I read the tittle and my first thought was to recommend Schwarzenegger’s
biography. It's a really inspiring trajectory, he chased every goal he wanted
until achieve them.

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TheAlchemist
Indeed, a really surprising man !

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EnderMB
Even if you don't like him, I recommend reading Russell Brand's autobiography,
titled "My Booky Wook" \- a reference to A Clockwork Orange.

It's an interesting dive into a much-misunderstood character, going deep into
his days of substance abuse, his convictions, and his relationship with his
parents. It amazes me that someone with so many problems in their life has
managed to find fame, friendship, and happiness.

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throwaway8879
The Miles Davis autobiography is really really good. It's a great primer in
jazz history too, and how he'd helped shape it. I listened to all the records
by Dizzy/Bird/etc while reading the book and it was sort of transformative
experience. Highly recommended read.

It's crazy how he wasn't just a musical force in terms of writing music or
transforming the genre itself, but how he consistently found/groomed some of
the best musicians as part of his various bands. I suppose Joe Zawinul is
somewhat similar in his Syndicate projects, consistently discovering the best
musicians, especially bassists...

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deathtrader666
Richard Branson's "Losing my Virginity" is pretty cool.

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uptownfunk
Grothendieck's Récoltes et semailles (Harvest and planting)

One of the most underrated mathematicians of the 20th c.

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HiroshiSan
Any particular link? I haven't been able to find a full translation

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uptownfunk
[http://matematicas.unex.es/~navarro/res/](http://matematicas.unex.es/~navarro/res/)

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noso
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight

Bad Blood- Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup The full inside story
of the breathtaking rise and shocking collapse of Theranos. - It is not a
autobiography but I could not put it down.

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ohduran
Not really an autobiography, but something quite similar is George Lois's Damn
Good Advice. Quick and read with great takeaways. I put together some notes on
that book here: [http://alvaroduran.com/damn-good-
advice](http://alvaroduran.com/damn-good-advice)

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lioeters
Papillon and its sequel Banco by Henri Charrière are probably my favorites.
Their authenticity is questionable as actual autobiography, but as novels
they're fantastic.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papillon_(book)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papillon_\(book\))

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eswat
Not solely an autobiography but one I enjoyed reading the most recently was
_The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple_ by _Jeff Guinn_. Starts
off with a deep dive into the Jones family and goes down the chilling path
from there.

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gobayesgo
'The year of magical thinking' by Joan Didion is a beautiful account of what
happens when life suddenly blows in your face.

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perilunar
_Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut 's Journeys_, by Michael Collins.

Read it originally 20 years ago. Re-read parts of it recently due to the
anniversary, and it's still good.

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suh_dude
Vibrations: A Memoir David Amram

American musician who worked with people like Kerouac, Miles Davis, Leonard
Bernstein, Odetta, etc. Wrote 100s of compositions, operas, jazz pieces.

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badpun
"Confessions" by Jean-Jacques Rousseau were pretty good.

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sunstone
I really enjoyed "The Summing Up" by Somerset Maugham

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throwaway89453
Just For Fun - The Story Of An Accidental Revolutionary.

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starkod
\- Report to Greco, Nikos Kazantzakis

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throwAwayCity
Charlie Chaplin

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bigred100
Edith Stein

