Collection: Biography & Memoir

Your favorite characters are now part of the Who HQ library!

One of the most iconic monsters of all time comes to life in our What Is the Story Of? series.

From his origins in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel, through his many movie portrayals in the twentieth century, Frankenstein is one of the most recognizable characters in the world. His iconic look is a go-to Halloween costume for kids and adults alike. But how did the mad scientist and his creation become so popular? Author Sheila Keenan explains his spooky origin story, the history of the movies, and what lies ahead for this monstrous creature.

From "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens" to "Doe, a deer, a female deer," many people have grown up humming the tunes or singing the lyrics to the songs from the beloved movie The Sound of Music. But what is the real story behind the brave von Trapp family? V is for von Trapp: A Musical Family Alphabet gives a behind-the-headlines look at this real-life singing family made famous in the classic movie. Starting with their idyllic early life in Austria where their love of music and performing began, author William Anderson takes readers along on the family's courageous mountaintop escape from Nazi authorities to their new life in America and the famous von Trapp family lodge in the Vermont hills. Meet determined Maria, the dashing Captain, and their talented children; the famous von Trapps whose life story captivated thousands and continues to inspire with its legacy of hope and achievement. Author, historian, and lecturer William Anderson did extensive research and interviews with the von Trapp family. His previous book with Sleeping Bear is M is for Mount Rushmore: A South Dakota Alphabet. William lives in Lapeer, Michigan. Linda Graves is the illustrator of over 30 children's books, published worldwide. She was born in Eureka, California, and graduated with a degree in illustration from San Jose State University. Linda is a member of the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild, and lives in the woods of Berkshire County, Massachusetts.

In this new edition of his acclaimed autobiography -- long out of print and rare until now -- Alan Watts tracks his spiritual and philosophical evolution from a child of religious conservatives in rural England to a freewheeling spiritual teacher who challenged Westerners to defy convention and think for themselves. From early in this intellectual life, Watts shows himself to be a philosophical renegade and wide-ranging autodidact who came to Buddhism through the teachings of Christmas Humphreys and D. T. Suzuki. Told in a nonlinear style, In My Own Way wonderfully combines Watts' own brand of unconventional philosophy and often hilarious accounts of gurus, celebrities, psychedelic drug experiences, and wry observations of Western culture. A charming foreword written by Watts' father sets the tone of this warm, funny, and beautifully written story of a compelling figure who encouraged readers to "follow your own weird" -- something he always did himself, as his remarkable account of his life shows.

Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction
Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction
Winner of the WSU AOS Bonner Book Award

The New York Times bestseller from physician and award-winning writer Louise Aronson--an essential, empathetic look at a vital but often disparaged stage of life, as revelatory as Atul Gawande's Being Mortal.

For more than 5,000 years, "old" has been defined as beginning between the ages of 60 and 70. That means most people alive today will spend more years in elderhood than in childhood, and many will be elders for 40 years or more. Yet at the very moment that humans are living longer than ever before, we've made old age into a disease, a condition to be dreaded, denigrated, neglected, and denied.

Reminiscent of Oliver Sacks, noted Harvard-trained geriatrician Louise Aronson uses stories from her quarter century of caring for patients, and draws from history, science, literature, popular culture, and her own life to weave a vision of old age that's neither nightmare nor utopian fantasy--a vision full of joy, wonder, frustration, outrage, and hope about aging, medicine, and humanity itself.

Elderhood is for anyone who is, in the author's own words, "an aging, i.e., still-breathing human being."

Introduce your brilliant baby to the American icon Johnny Appleseed.

John Chapman, known as "Johnny Appleseed," planted apple tree nurseries all over Pennsylvania, Ontario, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and West Virginia. He believed nobody should ever harm a living thing, so he advocated for animal rights, became a vegetarian, and planted seeds instead of grafting tree branches like most other orchardists. Kate Coombs and Seth Lucas recreate Johnny Appleseed's adventures for young readers, encouraging them to Be Adventurous and to Be Kind to every person, animal, and plant they meet.

A gripping tale of personal revolution by a man who went from Crips co-founder to Nobel Peace Prize nominee, author, and anti-gang activistWhen his L.A. neighborhood was threatened by gangbangers, Stanley Tookie Williams and a friend formed the Crips, but what began as protection became worse than the original gangs. From deadly street fights with their rivals to drive-by shootings and stealing cars, the Crips' influence--and Tookie's reputation--began to spread across L.A. Soon he was regularly under police surveillance, and, as a result, was arrested often, though always released because the charges did not stick. But in 1981, Tookie was convicted of murdering four people and was sent to death row at San Quentin in Marin County, California. Tookie maintained his innocence and began to work in earnest to prevent others from following his path. Whether he was creating nationwide peace protocols, discouraging adolescents from joining gangs, or writing books, Tookie worked tirelessly for the rest of his life to end gang violence. Even after his death, his legacy continues, supported by such individuals as Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Snoop Dogg, Jesse Jackson, and many more. This posthumous edition of Blue Rage, Black Redemption features a foreword by Tavis Smiley and an epilogue by Barbara Becnel, which details not only the influence of Tookie's activism but also her eyewitness account of his December 2005 execution, and the inquest that followed. By turns frightening and enlightening, Blue Rage, Black Redemption is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and an invaluable lesson in how rage can be turned into redemption.

With a foreword by Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee.

Ruth Gruener was a hidden child during the Holocaust. At the end of the war, she and her parents were overjoyed to be free. But their struggles as displaced people had just begun.In war-ravaged Europe, they waited for paperwork for a chance to come to America. Once they arrived in Brooklyn, they began to build a new life, but spoke little English. Ruth started at a new school and tried to make friends -- but continued to fight nightmares and flashbacks of her time during World War II.The family's perseverance is a classic story of the American dream, but also illustrates the difficulties that millions of immigrants face in the aftermath of trauma.This is a gripping and human account of a survivor's journey forward with timely connections to refugee and immigrant experiences worldwide today.

A clever, charmingly quirky portrayal of painter Jackson Pollock - and the first in a series of picture-book biographies of contemporary artists

Jackson Pollock was unlike any other painter. Instead of sitting in front of an easel with brushes, he poured paint over canvases rolled-out across the floor, moving, splashing, and making the vivid liquid run with energy and rhythm. Pollock's story is told here with wit and eccentricity, perfectly paired with black-line illustrations - and splatters galore. Fausto Gilberti brings movement, life, and whimsy to the true life story of one of the most important contemporary artists of our time.

Ages 4-7

First off let me start by saying I never thought that I would ever write a book.I say that because I have never liked to read a book for self gratification nor for school purposes.

I asked myself back in 2007 when I started this journey is it ok to question God? Do you know I did question God on March 25th 2023 for the 1st time. But I didn't get my answer until May 13th 2023. I received my answer from a person with a lot of wisdom that yes it is ok to question

God as long as your respectful.

I said all of that to say my purpose from my Father in this life was to learn how to love God, love myself, help people, lead by example, Inspire, show forgiveness, have patiences encourage, motivate, have integrity and always be humble;

so I can continue to be a vessel and a servant for God.

Lastly, always remember everything rather good or bad has a purpose, a lesson and an opportunity for learning and growth. By reading my book Figure 8: Faith In God You Reach Enterity note that Enterity has a beginning and a end; but if you put an 8 on it's side it is the Infinity sign that symbolizes a beginning but no end. Every individual will experience one or more of these situations by the end of my story. Thanks for the love and support God Bless Enjoy!

Life in Hiroshima during the war was difficult for six-year-old Keiji and the Nakazawa family, but they made the best of it.

On his way to school one bright August morning, Keiji was unaware his hometown would soon be turned into a world of horrors.

That morning, he watched as a single airplane soared through the clear blue sky, carrying with it the most powerful weapon that had ever been created, the atomic bomb, code named "Little Boy."

It was about to fall on Keiji's city, changing his life forever.

This is the true story of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and it's effects, seen through the eyes of cartoonist Keiji Nakazawa.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The inspiring true story of transgender actor and activist Nicole Maines, whose identical twin brother, Jonas, and ordinary American family join her on an extraordinary journey to understand, nurture, and celebrate the uniqueness in us all.

Nicole appears as TV's first transgender superhero on CW's Supergirl

When Wayne and Kelly Maines adopted identical twin boys, they thought their lives were complete. But by the time Jonas and Wyatt were toddlers, confusion over Wyatt's insistence that he was female began to tear the family apart. In the years that followed, the Maineses came to question their long-held views on gender and identity, to accept Wyatt's transition to Nicole, and to undergo a wrenching transformation of their own, the effects of which would reverberate through their entire community. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Amy Ellis Nutt spent almost four years reporting this story and tells it with unflinching honesty, intimacy, and empathy. In her hands, Becoming Nicole is more than an account of a courageous girl and her extraordinary family. It's a powerful portrait of a slowly but surely changing nation, and one that will inspire all of us to see the world with a little more humanity and understanding.

Named One of the Ten Best Books of the Year by People - One of the Best Books of the Year by The New York Times Book Review and Men's Journal - A Stonewall Honor Book in Nonfiction - Finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Nonfiction

"Fascinating and enlightening."--Cheryl Strayed

"If you aren't moved by Becoming Nicole, I'd suggest there's a lump of dark matter where your heart should be."--The New York Times

"Exceptional . . . 'Stories move the walls that need to be moved, ' Nicole told her father last year. In telling Nicole's story and those of her brother and parents luminously, and with great compassion and intelligence, that is exactly what Amy Ellis Nutt has done here."--The Washington Post

"A profoundly moving true story about one remarkable family's evolution."--People

"Becoming Nicole is a miracle. It's the story of a family struggling with--and embracing--a transgender child. But more than that, it's about accepting one another, and ourselves, in all our messy, contradictory glory."--Jennifer Finney Boylan, former co-chair of GLAAD and author of She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders

The classic biography of reggae legend Bob Marley, updated and revised for the twenty-fifth anniversary of his death

Bob Marley left an indelible mark on modern music, both as a reggae pioneer and as an enduring cultural icon. Catch a Fire, now a classic of rock biography, delves into the life of the leader of a musical, spiritual, and political explosion that continues today.

Under the supervision of the author's widow and with the collaboration of a Marley expert, this fourth edition contains a wealth of new material on the Jamaican singer, songwriter and musician, including many revisions made by the author before his untimely death. An appendix to the new edition chronicles Marley's legacy in recent years, as well as the ongoing controversy over the possibility that Marley's remains might be exhumed from Nine Mile, Jamaica, and reburied in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where hundreds of Rastafarians live. The new edition also contains an expanded discography and is factually updated throughout.

"Probably the finest biography ever written about a popular musician." --San Francisco Chronicle

"As close as rock journalism comes to transcendent literature."
--Playboy

A young Aretha Franklin captivates her community with the song "Respect" during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, in this striking picture book biography that will embolden today's young readers to sing their own truth.

When Aretha Franklin sang, she didn't just sing...she sparked a movement. As a performer and a civil rights activist, the Queen of Soul used her voice to uplift freedom fighters and the Black community during the height of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Her song "Respect" was an anthem of identity, survival, and joy. It gave hope to people trying to make change. And when Aretha sang, the world sang along.

With Hanif Abdurraqib's poetic voice and Ashley Evans's dynamic illustrations, Sing, Aretha, Sing! demonstrates how one brave voice can give new power to a nation, and how the legacy of Aretha Franklin lives on in a world still fighting for freedom.

Un divertido y conmovedor libro de memorias en ensayo de la comediante Aida Rodríguez sobre el poder de superar las dificultades y transformar el dolor en risa.

Aida Rodríguez ha vivido, por decir poco, una vida de torbellino. La historia de cómo pasó de la pobreza a la opulencia es alucinante: cuando era niña, su madre la secuestró y se la llevó de la República Dominicana a los Estados Unidos. Más tarde, un nuevo secuestro, esta vez a manos de su abuela y su tío, la dejó en Florida. Ya de adulta, escapó de un matrimonio tormentoso y terminó, junto con sus hijos, mendigando por las calles de Los Ángeles. Durante todas esas adversidades, Aida nunca perdió su sentido del humor.

Nacida con un maravilloso ingenio y un espíritu irrefrenable, Aida ha utilizado su talento y trabajado sin descanso para convertir la tragedia y el dolor en una comedia mordaz que abarca todo, desde la misoginia y el racismo hasta las redes sociales y los titulares de prensa. Con el tiempo, lanzó un exitoso especial en HOB Max que la llevó a múltiples acuerdos de desarrollo, un logro que le ganó una audiencia nacional, le abrió puertas y la ayudó expandir la forma en que los latinos están representados en la comedia.

En este, su tan esperado primer libro, Aida dibuja sus muchos altibajos. Desde los contratiempos personales hasta los éxitos profesionales, Hija legítima es entrañable, impactante y, en última instancia, vivificante.

A hilarious and heartbreaking memoir-in-essays from comic Aida Rodriguez on the power of overcoming hardship and transforming pain into laughter.

Aida Rodriguez has, to put it mildly, lived a whirlwind life. Her rags to-riches story is mind-blowing: She was kidnapped as a child by her mother in the Dominican Republic and brought to the US. She was later kidnapped again by her grandmother and uncle, and moved from New York to Florida. As an adult, she ended a difficult marriage and endured homelessness with her children in Los Angeles. But through it all she never lost her sense of humor.

Born with a wonderful wit and an irrepressible spirit, Aida used her gifts and worked tirelessly, turning tragedy and pain into biting comedy that takes on everything from misogyny and racism to social media and news headlines. She eventually released a hit HBO Max special which led to multiple development deals--success that won her a nationwide audience, opened doors, and helped her expand the way Latinos are represented in comedy.

In this, her highly anticipated first book, Aida charts her many ups and downs. From personal setbacks to career highs and everything in between, Legitimate Kid is endearing, shocking, and ultimately life-affirming.

"Making movies is a lot like life - a swirling chaotic clusterf*ck."

With these opening words, Rob Ryder grabs you by the scruff, jacks you into a subway car and starts spitting out Warriors stories, one after another, as that D train, the 6th Avenue Express, hurtles into the night.

It's the summer of 1978, and Ryder's been hired onto The Warriors as a P.A. then quickly bumped up to location scout. Six weeks later, a stuntman smashes up his leg and Ryder is suddenly a Baseball Fury. A weird turn of events - what with that purple make-up and long black wig and Yankees uniform...

PURPLE FURY: Rumbling with the Warriors is fast, smart and funny. Not your typical glamorous movie memoir -

• "On my first day I opened the front passenger door to a van, stuck out my hand to the Teamster behind the wheel and said, "Hi. I'm Rob Ryder." His reply - "So what?"

• Just that fast, Ryder finds himself caroming across Brooklyn looking for a street to blow up a car. (Without pissing off the neighbors.)

• Slogging up and down Manhattan, searching out a giant grimy bathroom for the Warriors/Punks fight. (Paramount eventually had to build one.)

• Escaping a brawl with some old-school Coney Island gangsters over a pair of giant bolt-cutters. (They never got them back.)

This book is no scholarly tome - but a cold plunge into the hot mess of real-life movie production - Ryder rough-shodding you into the spooky depths of Riverside Park or the stink and grime and squealing of trains in the NYC subways.

And just when New York's becoming all too much, you find yourself yanked across the country to Los Angeles - the land of milk and honey - where Ryder found work as a screenwriter and sports production specialist.

These Hollywood interludes include the likes of Whoopi Goldberg, Tommy Lee Jones, Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Martin and other (un)savory characters.

But it's always back to New York, where The Warriors barrels along, Ryder offering insights and inside dope with each new set-up.

After the Warriors/Furies bat fights, director Walter Hill makes Ryder a Punk in the subway bathroom brawl. 16 gangbangers in an enclosed space, shooting one of the greatest bare-knuckled fight scenes of all time.

Then all too soon, this train screeches to a halt - Stillwell Avenue Station - end of the line - Coney Island. Where you're dumped out onto the platform, feeling a lot like the Warriors did - battered, bruised, but still standing. And weirdly exhilarated.

Reading the Room is Paul Yamazaki's love letter to the work of bookselling and an engaged life of the mind.

Over twenty-four hours, Paul Yamazaki leads us through the stacks of storied City Lights Booksellers in San Francisco; the care and prowess of his approach to book buying; his upbringing in a Japanese American family in Southern California and moving to San Francisco at the height of revolutionary foment; working with legendary figures in the book publishing industry like Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Sonny Mehta, and others; and his vision for the future of bookselling. Navigating building trust with readers and nurturing relationships across the literary industry, Yamazaki testifies to the value of generosity, sharing knowledge, and dialogue in a life devoted to books.