"A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius," Dave Eggers: Alphabetically leading Amazon's list is Eggers' 2000 memoir of taking charge of his brother, and himself, after his parents' cancer deaths. His book often doubles back, questions itself and takes an ironic (or post-ironic) view of the whole life-viewing project.
"A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius," Dave Eggers: Alphabetically leading Amazon's list is Eggers' 2000 memoir of taking charge of his brother, and himself, after his parents' cancer deaths. His book often doubles back, questions itself and takes an ironic (or post-ironic) view of the whole life-viewing project.
Simon & Schuster
"American Prometheus," Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin: This 2005 biography of nuclear physicist and Manhattan Project leader J. Robert Oppenheimer won the Pulitzer Prize.
"American Prometheus," Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin: This 2005 biography of nuclear physicist and Manhattan Project leader J. Robert Oppenheimer won the Pulitzer Prize.
Vintage Books
"Angela's Ashes," Frank McCourt: Published in 1996, the first of three volumes about McCourt's life starts off with an arresting image of the author, a New York schoolteacher, as a poor boy in Ireland. "When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while," he writes.
"Angela's Ashes," Frank McCourt: Published in 1996, the first of three volumes about McCourt's life starts off with an arresting image of the author, a New York schoolteacher, as a poor boy in Ireland. "When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while," he writes.
Scribner
"The Diary of Anne Frank": The slender book remains one of the most revealing, and heartbreaking, works in literature -- a first-person story of a Jewish girl hiding from Nazis in Amsterdam during World War II. She perished in a concentration camp, but the book is testament to her lasting humanity.
"The Diary of Anne Frank": The slender book remains one of the most revealing, and heartbreaking, works in literature -- a first-person story of a Jewish girl hiding from Nazis in Amsterdam during World War II. She perished in a concentration camp, but the book is testament to her lasting humanity.
Bantam
"Black Boy," Richard Wright: The 1945 memoir by the famed African-American author chronicles Wright's childhood in the Jim Crow South and his eventual move to Chicago.
"Black Boy," Richard Wright: The 1945 memoir by the famed African-American author chronicles Wright's childhood in the Jim Crow South and his eventual move to Chicago.
Harper Perennial Modern Classics
"Bossypants," Tina Fey: Before she became "Saturday Night Live's" head writer and "30 Rock's" guiding force, Tina Fey was an awkward child in suburban Philadelphia. She has plenty of stories to tell in this 2011 memoir.
"Bossypants," Tina Fey: Before she became "Saturday Night Live's" head writer and "30 Rock's" guiding force, Tina Fey was an awkward child in suburban Philadelphia. She has plenty of stories to tell in this 2011 memoir.
Regan Arthur
"Chronicles, Vol. 1," Bob Dylan: Who would have expected something so linear and forthright from the master of imagery and misdirection? But Dylan's 2004 book describes exactly how he felt about being hailed as "the voice of his generation" and trying to find ANY voice when he felt burned out.
"Chronicles, Vol. 1," Bob Dylan: Who would have expected something so linear and forthright from the master of imagery and misdirection? But Dylan's 2004 book describes exactly how he felt about being hailed as "the voice of his generation" and trying to find ANY voice when he felt burned out.
Simon & Schuster
"Darkness Visible," William Styron: Depression has seldom been so tangible as it is in Styron's 1990 account of his descent into madness.
"Darkness Visible," William Styron: Depression has seldom been so tangible as it is in Styron's 1990 account of his descent into madness.
Vintage
"Drinking: A Love Story," Carolyn Knapp: Styron gave some blame for his depression on quitting alcohol; in her 1996 memoir, Knapp talked about her 20-year battle with alcoholism and how she finally hit bottom.
"Drinking: A Love Story," Carolyn Knapp: Styron gave some blame for his depression on quitting alcohol; in her 1996 memoir, Knapp talked about her 20-year battle with alcoholism and how she finally hit bottom.
Dial Press Trade Paperback
"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," Maya Angelou: The poet's unsparing 1969 autobiography, which describes a brutal childhood and adolescence, made her famous.
"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," Maya Angelou: The poet's unsparing 1969 autobiography, which describes a brutal childhood and adolescence, made her famous.
Ballantine Books
"Just Kids," Patti Smith: Before Smith was a punk icon she was an itinerant New York poet with a close relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. The late '60s and early '70s may have been brutal on the city, but for Smith it was a wonderland of sorts, as she describes in her 2010 book.
"Just Kids," Patti Smith: Before Smith was a punk icon she was an itinerant New York poet with a close relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. The late '60s and early '70s may have been brutal on the city, but for Smith it was a wonderland of sorts, as she describes in her 2010 book.
Ecco
"My Life in France," Julia Child: How does a gawky diplomat's wife become one of the most popular and thoughtful chefs and food writers in history? Child's 2006 memoir, which came out two years after her death, tells the story.
"My Life in France," Julia Child: How does a gawky diplomat's wife become one of the most popular and thoughtful chefs and food writers in history? Child's 2006 memoir, which came out two years after her death, tells the story.
Anchor
"Personal History," Katharine Graham: The 1998 memoir by the former Washington Post publisher is astonishingly revealing, detailing how she went from a shy millionaire's daughter to one of the most powerful media figures of the 20th century. Her book won the Pulitzer Prize.
"Personal History," Katharine Graham: The 1998 memoir by the former Washington Post publisher is astonishingly revealing, detailing how she went from a shy millionaire's daughter to one of the most powerful media figures of the 20th century. Her book won the Pulitzer Prize.
Vintage
"The Years of Lyndon Johnson," Robert Caro: Now up to its fourth volume, Caro's monumental biography of the 36th president hasn't even gotten to the Great Society or Vietnam. Yet its immersive telling of LBJ's life -- don't miss the story of the 1948 Senate election in the second book -- is an incredible feat of storytelling.
"The Years of Lyndon Johnson," Robert Caro: Now up to its fourth volume, Caro's monumental biography of the 36th president hasn't even gotten to the Great Society or Vietnam. Yet its immersive telling of LBJ's life -- don't miss the story of the 1948 Senate election in the second book -- is an incredible feat of storytelling.
Vintage
"The Autobiography of Malcolm X": This book about the African-American leader (actually more a collaboration with author Alex Haley) chronicles his rise from a young numbers runner with a difficult family to a figure of national prominence -- along with his spiritual growth. The book came out months after Malcolm X's 1965 assassination.
"The Autobiography of Malcolm X": This book about the African-American leader (actually more a collaboration with author Alex Haley) chronicles his rise from a young numbers runner with a difficult family to a figure of national prominence -- along with his spiritual growth. The book came out months after Malcolm X's 1965 assassination.
Ballantine Books
"The Basketball Diaries," Jim Carroll: The punk-rock musician grew up rough in 1960s New York and his teenage years are remembered in this book, which was published in 1978. Leonardo DiCaprio later starred in a film version.
"The Basketball Diaries," Jim Carroll: The punk-rock musician grew up rough in 1960s New York and his teenage years are remembered in this book, which was published in 1978. Leonardo DiCaprio later starred in a film version.
Penguin Books
"The Complete Maus," Art Spiegelman: The Holocaust takes on the form of cats (Nazis) and mice (Jews) in Spiegelman's classic graphic novel, based on his father's stories of survival. The complete work -- originally published as entries in Spiegelman's magazine, Raw -- was published in 1991.
"The Complete Maus," Art Spiegelman: The Holocaust takes on the form of cats (Nazis) and mice (Jews) in Spiegelman's classic graphic novel, based on his father's stories of survival. The complete work -- originally published as entries in Spiegelman's magazine, Raw -- was published in 1991.
Pantheon
"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks," Rebecca Skloot: Lacks' cells were taken -- without her knowledge -- in 1951. In the years since they've become central to medicine and the subject of ethical quandaries. Skloot's 2010 book is still on the New York Times bestseller list.
"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks," Rebecca Skloot: Lacks' cells were taken -- without her knowledge -- in 1951. In the years since they've become central to medicine and the subject of ethical quandaries. Skloot's 2010 book is still on the New York Times bestseller list.
Broadway Books
"The Soul of a New Machine," Tracy Kidder: When Kidder published "Soul" in 1981, computing was, in many ways, still in its infancy. His book describes the attempt of some engineers to compete against a rival computer company's product, but the questions it asks -- about intelligence and business sense, among other topics -- are still topical.
"The Soul of a New Machine," Tracy Kidder: When Kidder published "Soul" in 1981, computing was, in many ways, still in its infancy. His book describes the attempt of some engineers to compete against a rival computer company's product, but the questions it asks -- about intelligence and business sense, among other topics -- are still topical.
Back Bay Books
"The Year of Magical Thinking," Joan Didion: In the space of a year, Didion lost her husband, John Gregory Dunne, and saw her daughter, Quintana Roo, hospitalized. How does one cope with grief and yet live life? In sharp but graceful prose, Didion looks at her journey in this 2005 work.
"The Year of Magical Thinking," Joan Didion: In the space of a year, Didion lost her husband, John Gregory Dunne, and saw her daughter, Quintana Roo, hospitalized. How does one cope with grief and yet live life? In sharp but graceful prose, Didion looks at her journey in this 2005 work.
Vintage