Getting back to work after a long time off can feel heavy. But these inspiring autobiographies will help get you motivated and hopefully back on your career track.
Each of us leads their own struggles, they’re unique to us. But there are also surprising similarities between them.
To read well written autobiographies of highly accomplished people, like the ones on our list here, is to appreciate those similarities, feel less lonely, and perhaps—in some cases—receive guidance and fee less lost too. Plus, they can be quite entertaining.
Nawal El Saadawi – A Daughter of Isis
Nawal El Saadawi. Photo Via: Getty Images, David Degner
Following her recent passing in March, we’ve rediscovered our appreciation of this polymath. The book documents her earliest years, setting the stage for all her later revolutionary work.
Huda Sha’arawi – The Harem Years
Huda Sha’arawi. Photo Via: Wikipedia
An Egyptian feminist icon shares her firsthand account of life in a harem in colonial Cairo.
Michelle Obama – Becoming
Parker Looking Up at Michelle Obama. Photo Via: NPR, Mhari Shaw
As the first black woman to serve as the First Lady of the United States, she has inspired many with her grace and poise.
Ernest Hemingway – A Moveable Feast
Ernest Hemingway. Photo Via: Wikipedia
Just as the forged correspondence between Hemingway and Fitzgerald made the rounds on social media earlier in the pandemic, his actual autobiography is equally riveting!
Anthony Bourdain – Kitchen Confidential
Anthony Bourdain in Cairo. Photo Via: Getty Images, Brandan Carr
Again, following his tragic death in 2018, Bourdain’s trip to Cairo as documented in his TV show “No Reservations,” made the rounds on social media. In the episode, he’s seen sampling the famous stuffed pigeon at Farahat and trying Koshary at Abu Tarek. This book addresses his life before fame and world travel!
Steve Jobs – Steve Jobs (by Walter Isaacson)
Steve Jobs. Photo Via: Apple Insider
As the world’s most famous and eccentric entrepreneur, he doesn’t really need an introduction (technically an authorized biography, sorry!)
Maya Angelou – I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
Maya Angelou. Photo Via: Biography.com
The often-quoted poet and activist recounts her young life and the encounters that inspired her later work.
Richard Branson – Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way
Richard Branson. Photo Via: Biography.com
Follows the billionaire entrepreneur through his journey building the empire that is The Virgin Group
Tim Ferriss – The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich
Tim Ferriss. Photo Via: Tim Ferriss Blog.
Aiming to revolutionize how we approach our working lives and how we ascribe value.
We hope this reading list enriches your Eid! Wishing all of you a wonderful break
