Seeing the World Through Someone Else’s Eyes

Biography is my favorite type of book to read. Each biography gives me an opportunity to experience second-hand (in the case of an autobiography) or third-hand (in the case of a biography) events that I have not actually lived through, to visit places I have not actually traveled to, to live through another person’s experiences and learn from them or be entertained by them. Reading through others’ eyes helps me get another perspective—on world events, on travel, on everyday life, on personal tragedy.

A biography is a book written about a particular person’s life. In an autobiography, the author writes about themself—with or without some degree of help from a coauthor or ghostwriter. Memoirs are a collection of memories about specific events in a person’s life, like a book of short stories. 

History

You could spend years reading the many biographies written about popular historical figures such as Queen Elizabeth II or Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Titles include The Last Queen: Elizabeth II's Seventy Year Battle to Save the House of Windsor, by Clive Irving; and I Have a Dream, by Martin Luther, King, Jr. The books give perspective on the individual, as well as the events they lived through. I would much rather read a biography than a textbook! Learn about the Kosovo Conflict in Madam Secretary, by Madeleine Korbel Albright, Secretary of State during the Clinton administration. Another Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, provides details about the Benghazi attacks during the Obama administration in Hard Choices.

Sports

What drives an athlete to put in the work required to become an elite athlete? Lindsey Vonn tells us what drove her to be an Olympian, in her autobiography Rise: My Story. Jonathan Eig discusses Muhammed Ali’s rise and fall—and subsequent rises and falls—in Ali: A Life. He tells not only of Ali’s boxing exploits but also of his generosity, loyalty to family and friends, and efforts in the Civil Rights movement. 

Music

As a music lover who cannot play an instrument, I turn to books to read about musicians’ lives. It’s exhilarating to read about living legends who are still performing, setting records, and winning awards, such as Paul McCartney. Sir James Paul McCartney was first the subject of a biography in 1968, when he was just 26 years old. Since publication of The Beatles, by Hunter Davies, many more biographies have been written about McCartney, including Paul McCartney: The Life, by Philip Norman. Chances are pretty good that someone will write another book about “the most successful songwriter” (according to Guinness World Records).

More recently, I enjoyed as an audiobook the very well written book The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music, by Dave Grohl. This production had a bonus: the author as narrator! Grohl told his stories with the passion that only the author can lend to narration. I had not known much about Dave Grohl before I listened to the audiobook; now I’m borrowing Foo Fighters, Nirvana, and Them Crooked Vulture CDs to learn more about the musician!

Biopics

Biographical films, or biopics, are a great way to learn about the life of a famous person. These productions vary in quality, of course. And some screenwriters choose to change a few details for dramatic effect. Some of them are excellent films and are sure to entertain you. A couple of my favorites are A Beautiful Mind (also available as a book), depicting the life of mathematician John Forbes Nash, Jr.; and Rocketman, a fantastical telling of musician Elton John’s life.

If biography is not your genre of choice, consider giving it a try—or a second try. There’s so much good writing in this genre that something is sure to please you.

- by Mary Astarita, Hickory Corner Branch