When I was in 3rd grade, my family moved to Taiwan after my father was assigned there by the State Department. I went to the American school on a split shift, as it was the only way they could accommodate the large number of students resulting from the growing American presence. I started my 3rd-grade school day in the afternoon session, and because we had no TV, I found myself quite bored in the mornings. Then I discovered that my father’s office was upstairs from the American library! I was in heaven! There was a fabulous section of children’s books, and I found my way to the “little orange books,” a collection of biographies written specifically for kids my age. Over 200 books in the series were published in the 1940s and ‘50s by the Bobbs-Merrill Company.
I developed my love of biographies from reading about Abigail Adams, Babe Ruth, Clara Barton, and so many more. I still love reading biographies — I think we read biographies not just to learn about great political figures and other famous individuals, but to understand the historical context around their lives and its effect on their decisions. Biographies also inspire us to pursue our dreams and help us in our personal growth. Below are some recent biographies that have inspired me.
- Reagan: His Life and Legend by Max Boot
Max Boot is a journalist and historian who has written a candid biography of President Ronald Reagan. He focuses on much of the untold story of Reagan’s childhood in the Midwest where he was born to deeply religious parents. He also explains how Reagan’s experiences as an actor prepared him for his political career, and how despite becoming a leading conservative voice, he signed pro-abortion and gun control bills as governor of California. However, he opposed civil rights and was oblivious to the rampage of the AIDS epidemic even while it targeted some of his famous entertainment friends. Max’s examination of Reagan and his contradictions puts his life into context within America’s history and its ramifications today.
- Kingmaker: Pamela Harriman’s Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue by Sonia Purnell
Pamela Churchill Harriman was Winston Churchill’s daughter-in-law, a glamorous socialite, and former Ambassador to France. At the age of 20 during World War II, she was able to wine, dine, and seduce diplomats and generals to gain information to help Britain defeat Hitler. After the war, she continued her social life with current and future leaders and her support brought many of them to the international stage. When she moved to the United States, she helped resuscitate the Democratic party and introduced Bill Clinton to a national audience. This fascinating book looks at all aspects of her life and her unexpected effect on history.
- Lovely One: A Memoir by Ketanji Brown Jackson
Ketanji Brown Jackson traces her family and their progress from segregation to her appointment and confirmation to the Supreme Court — all in the span of one generation.
Her name, “Ketanji Onyika” means “Lovely One.” She takes pride in her heritage and honored it by excelling in school and finally graduating magna cum laude from Harvard. Not only was she student body president, but she was also an oratory champion and performed in musical theater and improv. She shares with the reader the joys and challenges of marriage and motherhood balanced against a demanding career.
- On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service by Anthony Fauci, M.D.
We all know Dr. Anthony Fauci from the White House press conferences during Covid-19. He became the most famous doctor and provided us and the world with a calm approach to the pandemic. In this humble autobiography, we learn about the challenges he faced managing this crisis. We also learn about his critical role in HIV and AIDS research and his supervision of treatment methods for Ebola, SARS, West Nile virus, and anthrax as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
- From Here to the Great Unknown: A Memoir by Lisa Marie Presley & Riley Keough
I admit up front that I am a huge Elvis fan. I’ve read several biographies of the King and although it often makes me sad to learn of his difficulties later in life, I still love his music and cannot shake my desire to keep reading more about him. We now have a memoir originally recorded by Lisa Marie Presley, with writing by her own daughter Riley that gives more insight into her life. We learn about the fun-filled days as a little girl growing up at Graceland who tragically found her father’s body when he died, to her own tragic death. Riley faithfully pulls together the memoir from her mother’s tapes and brings together the voices of a mother and daughter who worked to bring healing to each other.
Read CityView magazine’s “New Year New You” January 2025 e-edition here.
