Five Super Inspiring Memoirs

Throughout history, there have been those who have set the bar a bit too high for the rest of us. We look at these people and their incredible feats in awe and can't help but wonder how they accomplished so much. Many of these extraordinary people have chronicled the most important events in their life, events that describe their hardships and struggles, revealing how they achieved greatness. These memoirs inspire and amaze us and give us the much-needed optimism to realize the greatness that lies within us all. So, without further ado , here's a collection of 5 truly illuminating autobiographies to give you a little inspiration for 2020.

1. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft - Stephen King

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Stephen King is a literary genius, a creative mind to be rivaled. One of the most prolific horror and suspense writers in American history, his career has spawned so many best-selling works of high-quality fiction it's hard to comprehend how he does it. In this book, which is part autobiography and part masterclass on writing, he reveals the tools and habits that have helped him create the many bone-chilling works he has crafted. This is an illuminating read for aspiring writers, casual readers, as well as fans of Stephen King.

2. Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela

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The man who inspired many and changed the course of history through his lifelong struggle for social justice and reform. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison and remains one of the most influential moral and political leaders the world has seen. Long Walk to Freedom is Mandela's riveting memoir, a story of extreme resilience and triumph, one that recollects his anti-apartheid struggle and his long and grueling journey from captivity to the first black head of state of South Africa.

3. The Story of My Life – Helen Keller

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Helen Keller, a name recognized by nearly everyone, grew up both blind and deaf but went on to become an author, an activist, a lecturer and the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. The Story of My Life is her autobiography that portrays her tenacious struggle to surmount these great handicaps through pain and hard work. The book tells of her early life and experiences and her extraordinary relationship with Annie Sullivan, her teacher and companion. A tale of unshakable human courage and dedication, the book reveals how Annie Sullivan helped Keller break through her isolation and absence of language to thrive, learn, communicate and live a full life.

4. Losing My Virginity - Richard Branson

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Richard Branson is a successful entrepreneur and a dynamic business magnate and investor. His company, The Virgin group, which he created from the ground up in just around 25 years, controls more than 400 profitable businesses in various fields such as airlines, music, financial services, and beverages. Losing My Virginity offers us a glimpse into the colorful life of this lively and hardworking entrepreneur, revealing his personal rules for success and his daring, risk-taking approach when it comes to business. Filled with interesting, colorful stories of experiences such as crash landing a hot air balloon, signing the Sex Pistols and Rolling Stones for his record label, and competing with British Airways, this is a captivating autobiography of an idiosyncratic, audacious entrepreneur, and for anyone out there who wants to start their own business, Branson’s book deserves a place on your bookshelf.

5. I am Malala - Malala Yousafzai

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The story of a girl who stood up to the Taliban. At the age of 15, Malala Yousafzai, a girl from the Swat Valley in Pakistan, paid the ultimate price for speaking up for her right to an education. In a valley under the iron fist of the Taliban, Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education, as a result, she was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus on her way home from school. I am Malala is the tale of her brush with death, her miraculous recovery, and her extraordinary journey from a remote valley in Pakistan to the halls of United Nations in New York. Her captivating memoir shows us how she became a global symbol of female education and the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate at the age of 16, reminding us that the world can be changed by a single person.