Biography

A poetic life, a fractured family, and a tale of second chances. The best memoirs and biographies of 2021.

Keisha N. Blain offers a manifesto for anyone committed to social justice. Kate Clifford Larson writes an in-depth portrait of the civil rights activist. 

Interested in biographies of Anthony Bourdain? Producer and director Tom Vitale writes a candid account of his longtime friend. Laurie Woolever, Bourdain's longtime assistant, offers a heartfelt retrospective.

Curious about the trees in your backyard, neighborhood, or region? Learn more, whether from a guide by the National Audubon Society, a memoir by Suzanne Simard, or a natural history by Peter Wohlleben.

These selections, both memoirs and sociological reflections, spanning everything from dating to parenting, identity to self-acceptance, are perfect suggestions for Pride Month and all year round.

The biographies and memoirs most in demand by readers are from Barack Obama, Bob Woodward, Michael Cohen, Matthew McConaughey, and Jerry Seinfeld.

William C. Kashatus writes an essential work on the Underground Railroad. Dorothy Wickenden fills a gap in the telling of women's and abolitionist history.

Emily Levesque discusses her path to astronomy. Jo Marchant considers our stars and skies. Sarah Stewart Johnson explores the history of Mars.

Malcolm X, Rose Pastor Stokes, Natasha Trethewey. The best biographies & memoirs published in 2020.