Biographies

[Famous Mortimer]

So I just read Clothes Clothes Clothes Music Music Music Boys Boys Boys, the autobiography of Viv Albertine, the guitarist from The Slits.

It was really really good. The first half is about her time in the punk community, being involved with Sid Vicious, Johnny Rotten, Mick Jones, and various other famous people.

The second half, which I was expecting to be a slog, was actually just as good, if more much depressing. It was all about trying to have a baby, getting cancer, and her horrible marriage.

Anyway, I basically just wanted to say that this was a good book and everyone should read it. Even if you're not interested in punk but especially if you are.

I thought that was too narrow of a topic to make a new thread for though so I thought I'd make it about biographies in general. Read any good biographies or autobiographies lately?

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Good autos I read recently:

-An Appetite for Wonder - Richard Dawkins
-Hard Choices - Hillsberry Clintonius (memoir)
-A Fighting Chance - Liz Warren
-Off the Sidelines - Kirsten Gillibrand

[Spamage]

Currently reading Robert Massie's Peter the Great. Though it's a bit long, it's highly interesting. I read Catherine the Great by him just about a week earlier. Two very interesting and exciting lives. 

[Famous Mortimer]

Autobiographies or, more likely, "autobiographies" by current politicians tend to be horrible. They have to keep things very safe.

[bedstuy]

The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt.  Great book and just an amazing history of America through the story of one person.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I'd recommend the LBJ biographies by Caro to anyone.

[Mr. Smith]

I read Cary Elwes experiences on the making of The Princess Bride, and I read Peter Falk's (the guy who played Columbo) autobiography.

The first only works if you're a fan of The Princess Bride, it's adequately written, but it won't awe people straight over.

Peter Falk's on the other hand is hilarious, though it runs anachronically at points and is very very light-hearted, even in places where it probably could've run something more somber.

And I read not that long ago, The Disaster Artist, which is about how so-bad-its-good cult-classic The Room got made, and actor Greg Sestero's experiences with Tommy himself beforehand.

And yeah, Clinton's Hard Choices too.

[MisSkeptic]

Currently I'm reading a biography of Pope John Paul II. It's a hulking book that dives into his history, character, and faith. Supposedly it tries to help the viewer learn how Pope John Paul thinks, in other words how his Polish heritage, Catholic faith, and experiences shaped who he is as a person and leader.

The author is Tad Szulc and the book is titled Pope John Paul II the biography.