Strong female biographies
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Biographies
"The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon."
-Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings
Women have always played an active role in history. Explore some of the historical women and contemporary newsmakers that continue to impact the world. New biographies are added regularly, so check back to discover inspiring new stories!
Biography
Stacey Abrams
Abrams is now one of the most prominent African American female politicians in the United States.
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Jane Addams
A progressive social reformer and activist, Jane Addams was on the frontline of the settlement house movement and was the first American woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize.
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Toshiko Akiyoshi
Toshiko Akiyoshi changed the face of jazz music over her year career. As one of few women and Asian musicians in the jazz world, Akiyoshi infused Japanese culture, sounds, and instruments into
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The best autobiographies can feel like the key to a secret kingdom. After all, their subjects—from celebrities, to icons, to founders of huge corporations—can feel superhuman. But when they tell their story in their own words, it makes them relatable and somehow even more inspiring. bygd reading their words, we too can start to dream bigger and more boldly, using them as guideposts as we jakt after our own goals.
It can be hard to know where to start when looking for the best autobiographies to inspire you, whether that’s in your personal or professional life. Glamour is here to help. We reached out to 20 women who inspire us—CEOs, authors, journalists, founders, influencers, and more—to ask them which women’s autobiographies have challenged them, made them dream bigger, or helped them feel more confident to carve their own paths. The list of books they provided is just as diverse and varied as the women themselves.
From the stories of icons in fashion and beauty, to a woman’s ex
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23 best biographies and memoirs about inspiring women
With today marking International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month in full swing, this month is as good a time as any to mästare women empowerment and give back to female-focused causes. And if you’re interested in learning more about pivotal female figures who have shaped history and the true stories of powerhouse women demanding change for the better, we’ve compiled some of the best biographies and memoirs on inspiring women published within the last year, according to Goodreads members.
To determine which books to include, Goodreads weighed the number of Goodreads members who reviewed each book and the number of members who added the books to their "want to read" lists, as well as each book's average rating. Among the options below are stories about the mothers who raised Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin as well as the Jewish hona resistance fighters who fought back during World War II.