I listened to the audiobook, if that counts, but Total Recall, Arnold Schwarzeneggar’s autobiography. When I started it I was like “holy shit, this is 25 hours? Dude must be milking it”.
Turns out, he actually glosses over a lot, he’s done THAT much in his life, and his drive and ideologies are inspiring. He was raised dirt poor without running water, was in the Austrian military, became a world class bodybuilder, a real estate mogul, a movie star, and a governor.
Just a riveting life’s story.
I love that in his autobiography, Total Recall, Arnold Schwarzenegger fails to totally recall all of his accomplishments, since he’s had too many.
Unironically I’d love a “Lord of the Rings Extended Edition” version of his book. There are a lot of smaller details about some of the things he worked on that I would’ve loved to hear expanded on, but yeah, there’s just TOO much
I listened to the audiobook, if that counts
lol audiobooks are just books.
Autobiography of Malcom X. I’d had it for years without getting through more than ~30 pages. I couldn’t sleep and opened it to the middle and started reading and holy shit couldn’t put it down. I just needed to get to his activism for it to really grab me. I went back and read the first half after finishing the second half.
I’ve heard really good things about this one. It’s on my list.
I can think of a few that I would want others to read. None of them are “feel good” stories and all get you out of your comfort zone a bit.
“Know my Name” by Chanel Miller.
- about how being assaulted by Brook Allen Turner behind a dumpster at Stanfort University changed and impacted her life.
“The White Rose: Munich 1942-1943” by Inge Scholl
- about Hans and Sophie Scholl and their student resistance group ‘Die weisse Rose’, their arrest and execution by the Nazi regime.
“I Am a Girl From Africa” by Elizabeth Nyamayaro
- Humanitarian and award-winning Activist, about her journey from a starving child in Zimbabwe, saved by a UN aid worker, to executive director for UN Women.
David Attenborough’s Life on Air. He reviews how he got started at the BBC and many of the adventures he took while trying to get some of the world’s animals captured on film, often for the very first time ever. It’s a short chapter when he discusses his wife’s passing but damn does it bring the tears
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
It’s a very easy read and it’s in the public domain. It’s also an incredibly important part of American history.
Harpo Speaks! - Harpo Marx An amazing story. That guy had a wild life!
Total Recall - Arnold Schwarzenegger Nothing happened to Arnold by accident. He is the ultimate man with a plan.
Read each chapter of Captain Richard Winters in sync with Band of Brothers HBO series. It’s uncanny.
Edit: Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters
I liked Trevor Noahs “Born a Crime” a lot. He tells some pretty rough stories in way that’s lighthearted and funny enough to keep you hooked without becoming too shallow to learn something.
Born Twice. It’s the autobiography of a Green Beret fighting in the US military’s most highly-decorated unit of all time, MACV-SOG. He read the audiobook himself, so if you go that route, it has a “Grandpa telling you stories” vibe to it, except that you’re an adult now and he doesn’t have to hold anything back anymore.
Mighty Be Our Powers by Leymah Gbowee
It’s an autobiography by the woman who is probably most famous for leading a Lysistra-like sex strike in Liberia for peace but she’s also done other cool organizing of woman, and Christians and Muslims in Africa.
Permanent Record by Edward Snowden. You really get to hear just how much the government spied on people and how he got the files. It is very interesting, I do recommend a read!
I devoured Billion Dollar Loser, about Adam Neumman, and more specifically how he destroyed WeWork.
Also really enjoyed Charlie Chaplin’s autobiography.
Now he didn’t really lose, did he…
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American Caesar.
Wyatt Earp Speaks
Black Elk Speaks
The fact that the title is those books are in the same theme is pure coincidence!
Also, I realized that both dictated to somebody that wrote their memoirs and/or autobiography. Nevertheless, fantastic reads.
Endurance: A Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery
