Self-help is a huge industry. Go onto Amazon, type self-help in the search bar and you’ll be bombarded with thousands of recommendations. While some of these books will be useful, the majority of them aren’t.
A more helpful category of books, which are often overlooked, is biographies. Whether it’s the autobiography of a famous figure or the thoughts of a biographer on figures from the past, you can learn more from these books than you might think.
I believe it’s easier to learn from the lives of others than it is to wade through multiple self-help books. When you read a biography, you get an intimate look into the life of that individual. You see how they operated, you peel back the layers of their character to see what made them tick.
No one is perfect and that’s exemplified in most biographies. All of us are fallible. We can and will make mistakes. Who better to learn from than people who have been involved in high-pressure situations at the top of their game?
Their lives have been an exaggerated form of the ones we lead. You don’t read biographies to acquire numerous facts about the person’s life, you read a biography to learn from the mistakes and success of others to improve yourself.
I haven’t read as many biographies as I’d like, but I have read a few. Some of these figures are well-known, others are more obscure. All of them faced challenges and tribulations in their lives.
Their stories can teach us more than we realise. They can make show us the right path to take and how to avoid the pitfalls which befell them. These aren’t the six best biographies ever written, but they will teach you some valuable lessons about life.
Open by Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi is one of the most famous tennis players of all time. He’s one of the few players to have won every Grand Slam along with winning a gold medal at the Olympics in 1996.
His autobiography, Open, is different from many other sports stars in that Agassi is very open about his life. The struggles he endured and his triumphs are discussed in equal measure. He doesn’t gloss over unsavoury parts of his past, facing them head-on.
What’s most remarkable about Agassi’s autobiography is how candid he is. He has no issue with telling us that he hated playing tennis. This is remarkable considering his success, but during his childhood he detested tennis.
Likewise, he doesn’t shy away from detailing his struggles off the tennis court and the impact upon his life. This book is a brilliant read and one that makes it clear no matter how successful the heroes we worship are, they remain unfailing human.
Franklin D. Roosevelt by Robert Dallek
I included this biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt on my list of the best books I read in 2020 and I had to include it here too. Dallek’s book is an intriguing look at one of the most fascinating presidents in American history.
Roosevelt has always intrigued me because he’s the only president in American history to have won election to office four times. He also faced arguably the most difficult circumstances of any president during his twelve years in the White House.
When he came to power in 1933, America was still in the midst of the Great Depression following the Wall Street Crash. Roosevelt’s New Deal helped to reinvigorate the economy, although it was not as successful as he hoped.
Then, towards the end of his second term, the Second World War took precedence. America remained outside of the conflict until the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour on December 7, 1941.
The remarkable thing about Roosevelt is that he dealt with all of this, while crippled from a polio infection in his early adulthood. Despite this setback, he managed to lead America during two crises and inspire confidence in his fellow countrymen.
If I was Joe Biden, an incoming president who has to deal with huge challenges of his own, a copy of this biography would be on my reading list.
The Secret Race by Tyler Hamilton
Tyler Hamilton may not be a name everyone is familiar with, but he was teammate to someone who is, Lance Armstrong. The Secret Race is his take on life alongside Lance and what he witnessed.
The Lance Armstrong story is one of the most intriguing in modern sports. His story was too good to be true. The cancer survivor who came back from the brink to win the greatest bike race in the world, the Tour de France, not once, but seven times in a row.
As we now know, his story was too good to be true. But back in those halcyon days for Lance, he was untouchable. Hamilton’s account is illuminating because he was inside the machine. He witnessed what happened daily and was himself culpable in covering up the doping regime at the US Postal Team.
What’s most striking about Hamilton’s account is how far Armstrong went to ensure his secret never got out. It’s a lesson for all of us. We can become consumed by our desires if we’re not careful. It’s important to remember, cheats never prosper in the end.
A Life Too Short by Ronald Reng
A Life Too Short is the tragic biography of the German footballer Robert Enke, who took his own life in 2009 when he was hit by a train.
Enke was the number one goalkeeper for the German National Team at the time of his death and seemed to have everything you’d want in life. A successful career, a loving wife and children. Yet, underneath it all, he was suffering.
Enke was diagnosed with depression early in his career. His condition wasn’t helped by the experiences he had while playing for big teams in Europe such as Benfica and Barcelona.
It seems inconceivable Enke could take his own life when most of us would jump at the chance to be in his shoes. Sure, we could fill his shoes, but we were not inside his head. No matter how successful someone is, they’re still human.
This biography is a harrowing account of the pressures success, fame and sport have on people. With criticism of public figures easier than ever with mediums like Twitter, we must remember these people have feelings no matter how successful they are.
A Life Too Short also highlights how important it is to take care of our mental health. Enke received help, but he wasn’t as open as he could have been. Maybe due to fear, he would be ridiculed, or because he didn’t want to burden his friends and family.
Recognising that it’s ok to not be ok and that you can talk about your mental health without being stigmatised is important. As someone who has suffered from panic attacks in recent years, the sooner we all do this, the better.
The Last Days of Socrates by Plato
The Last Days of Socrates is the oldest biography on the list, but the lessons in it are as important today as they were when Plato wrote his account of Socrates’ final moments on Earth.
While the account might not be strictly accurate, we can still learn a lot from it. Socrates was placed on trial for corrupting the youth of Athens. The rulers of Athens didn’t appreciate his philosophy of asking questions and seeking truth in all matters.
Plato’s account details Socrates’ trial where he defends himself against the accusations and the moments before his death after he is found guilty.
Despite the gravity of his situation, Socrates never felt anger at those who prosecuted him. He took his fate on the chin and even chastised his friends for weeping before he drunk the poison that killed him!
The book looks at Socrates’ predicament and details his thoughts on the soul and the afterlife. Not everyone will subscribe to his belief that the soul is immortal, but the philosophical points are ones that we should consider regardless.
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
Shoe Dog is the autobiography of Phil Knight, the man who founded the sportswear behemoth, Nike. Before reading this book, I didn’t know much about the history of the company, turns out it’s a compelling story.
Knight originally started his career as a reseller for the Japanese shoe company, Onitsuka. Over time, he became disillusioned with them and decided to start his own business.
Today, we take it for granted that Nike is a huge company. It’s almost impossible to imagine a time when they weren’t a massive company, especially if you’re a millennial like me.
Yet, during the early years of Nike, times were tough. The company was short of money and they experienced many of the issues you’d expect from a startup. It was never a given they’d become the company they are today. The odds were stacked against Knight, but he beat them nonetheless.
Shoe Dog is an important reminder of what it takes to succeed in life. You need hard work, dedication and a bit of luck. Knight’s account is an enjoyable ride through his life and the journey that turned Nike into the company it is today.