The lives of famous people fascinate many of us.
We recommend eight biographies that you probably haven't read yet.
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Reading biographies gives us the opportunity to discover and learn from other people's lives and experiences.
We can identify with the challenges they have overcome and be inspired to achieve our own goals.
In addition, reading biographies can increase our empathy by putting ourselves in other people's perspectives and emotions, thereby improving our social skills.
How Jeff Bezos creates the most powerful company in the world
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The origin of the term "biography" can be traced back to ancient Greek and literally means "to write life".
It is therefore creative writing, but based on actual events and facts and is therefore not fictional.
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© IanMurray/Imago
Brad Stone is a highly respected business journalist from the USA, who is one of the best known of his profession.
Before joining Bloomberg News in San Francisco, he wrote for renowned media outlets such as the New York Times and Newsweek.
Thanks to his extensive contacts with friends and foes of big tech companies such as Apple, Google, Facebook and of course Amazon, he has unparalleled behind-the-scenes insights into the technology industry.
Amazon has managed to reach every household in the world from Seattle.
First with an unbeatable online shopping offer, then through a merciless expansion into all areas of our lives: smart home offers, cloud computing solutions, logistics services, food deliveries - the online giant even provides our television programs with a smile.
blurb/Ariston
Brad Stone "Amazon Unstoppable"
2021, Ariston, ISBN 13-978-3-424-20225-0
Price: hardback €26, e-book €14.99, number of pages: 544 (deviating from the format)
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Two brothers who made history
Those who only know the Brothers Grimm from "Grimm's Fairy Tales" should definitely read this biography.
It not only offers exciting insights into the life of the Brothers Grimm, but also a lively picture of the first half of the 19th century between arbitrary rulers and burgeoning bourgeois self-confidence.
The Brothers Grimm determined the sound of our childhood.
Her collection of children's and household tales is the most widely read German book in the world.
They were passionate heroes of scholarship and revolutionized the knowledge of our language and history.
blurb/Rowohlt
Steffen Martus "The Brothers Grimm: A Biography"
2013, Rowohlt, ISBN 13-978-3-499-63015-6
Price: paperback €16, e-book €14.99, number of pages: 608 (deviating from the format)
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A readable journey through time into the era of racial segregation
Malcolm X is one of the most well-known and controversial figures in American history.
He mercilessly denounced the white racism of his time and advocated the right of black people to armed self-defense.
To mark the 50th anniversary of his murder, Britta Waldschmidt-Nelson wrote the first German biography of Malcolm X.
To this day, the United States is periodically shaken by race riots?
A phenomenon that cannot be understood without the long history of American racism.
Probably no other has campaigned for black rights as radically and eloquently as Malcolm X, who was considered "the angriest man in America".
Cover text/CH Beck
Britta Waldschmidt-Nelson "Malcolm X"
2015, CH Beck, ISBN 13-978-3-406-67537-9
Price: paperback €18.95, e-book €12.99, number of pages: 384 (deviating from the format)
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The life story of the megastar - emotional and inspiring
In his inspirational autobiography, co-authored with NYT #1 bestselling author Mark Manson, Smith reveals the secret behind his unprecedented success while reviewing some of his defining moments in life.
These include his childhood with a strict, violent father, the rapid success in music as a teenager and the deep fall and rise again as the Prince of Bel Air.
How does one become Will Smith - one of Hollywood's biggest stars?
The musician, actor and producer mainly blames his iron will and perseverance for his great success.
He had to learn early on what it means to push through and never give up.
Cover text/Heyne Verlag
Will Smith and Mark Manson "WILL: The Autobiography"
2021, Heyne Verlag, ISBN 13-978-3-453-20729-5
Price: hardback €25, e-book €14.99, number of pages 528 (deviating from the format)
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Ultimate Bestsellers: The ten best-selling books worldwide
Ultimate Bestsellers: The ten best-selling books worldwide
More open than ever: the new official autobiography of the soccer star
In his autobiography, the "God of Football" provides intimate insights into his personal development and how he has matured over the years into a man who can above all be content with himself.
He describes how he found a balance between adrenaline and balance and defined his place both on the pitch and in life.
Zlatan Ibrahimović has nothing more to prove to himself or the others on the pitch.
His successes in the most internationally renowned clubs speak for themselves;
and they have made him one of the best players in the world, feared by journalists and opponents alike for his eccentric nature, but at the same time considered a down-to-earth family man.
blurb/Malik
Zlatan Ibrahimović "Adrenaline: What I haven't told you yet"
2022, Malik, ISBN 13-978-3-890-29564-0
Price: hardback €22, e-book €18.99, number of pages: 288 (deviating from the format)
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Ranked among the best business books and autobiographies
The book details the many unpredictable risks Knight encountered along the way, including devastating setbacks, ruthless competitors, numerous doubters and adversaries, and unwelcoming bankers.
As a young, adventurous business school graduate looking for a challenge, Phil Knight borrowed $50 from his father and founded a company with a clear mission: import high-quality but affordable running shoes from Japan.
That first year, 1963, Knight sold running shoes out of the trunk of his Plymouth Valiant and made $8,000 in sales.
Cover text/FinanzBuch Verlag
Phil Knight "Shoe Dog"
2016, FinanzBuch Verlag, ISBN 13-978-3-898-79992-8
Price: hardback €19.99, e-book €15.99, number of pages: 448 (deviating from the format)
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The textbook hustle and bustle behind the scenes of fashion
In the book, the couturier Christian Dior gives insights into the personal conflict he experienced between his shy nature and the glamorous fashion business.
At the same time, he describes the processes behind the scenes of the fashion world in a timeless and instructive way.
When Christian Dior opened his couture house on Avenue Montaigne in Paris in 1946, a new star rose in the fashion sky – one that has lost none of its brilliance even today, 70 years later.
Within a few months, Dior's "New Look" - tight corsages, narrow waists and lavish fabric in the skirts as an alternative to the austere clothing of the war years - conquered the western world ...
Cover text/Schirmer Moselle
Christian Dior "Dior and I: The Autobiography"
2016, Schirmer Moselle, ISBN 13-978-3-829-60766-7
Price: hardback €24.80, number of pages: 260
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In search of freedom
Harry and Meghan are still a constant topic in the media today, but their actual history is unknown to many.
Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand are among a select group of journalists who have direct access to the British royal family and know the couple very well.
In their book "Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family" they give a behind-the-scenes look at how the couple finally broke up with the royal family.
When the budding romance between Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle became known, it sparked an international press frenzy.
The globe follows the couple's every step as headline after headline rolls in - from their engagement, their wedding, the birth of their son Archie to their brave decision to retire from royal life and emigrate to North America.
blurb/mvg publisher
Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand "Harry and Meghan: Searching for Freedom"
2020, mvg Verlag, ISBN 13-978-3-747-40295-5
Price: hardback €19.99, e-book €2.99, number of pages: 400 (deviating from the format)
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Rubric list image: © IanMurray/Imago