Ask HN: What biographies/memoirs to read in 2018?

[spenrose]

Two works lauded by many that lived up to the hype for me by changing my understanding of science and the modern world are

David Wootton's biography of Galileo: http://www.watcheroftheskies.org/

Janet Browne's biography of Darwin: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/nov/10/biography.high...

[danieltillett]

For one of interest to entrepreneurs that is not immediately obvious is the autobiography of Henry Bessemer [1]. The problems he faced (and solved) getting his inventions used still has value today [2].

1. https://archive.org/details/sirhenrybessemer00bessuoft

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Bessemer

[SirLJ]

This one:

"A Man for All Markets: From Las Vegas to Wall Street, How I Beat the Dealer and the Market" by Edward O. Thorp

http://www.edwardothorp.com/books/a-man-for-all-markets/

[boysabr3]

I really liked:

https://goo.gl/Wb8YoH When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi - Goodreads

https://goo.gl/gzGxAo Dying: A Memoir by Cory Taylor - Goodreads

[throwaway636]

Here are few great ones http://cherrypick.club/post/QmxvZ1Bvc3QtLS00Ng==

[memoir2comment]

Shrill by Lindy West and Hunger by Roxane Gay. They are both memoirs by excellent women writers talking about being a woman and about being fat in American society.

[itamarst]

Biographies I enjoyed in 2017:

"The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism"

"Worldly Philosopher The Odyssey of Albert O. Hirschman"

[saikatsg]

'Shoe Dog' added in my list

[koolhead17]

Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

[dasmoth]

“Skunk Works” by Ben Rich.

It’s showing its age a little bit in places, but seems as pertinent as ever.

[sukhadatkeereo]

Leonardo Da Vinci by Walter Isaacson is a gem.