11 Best Autobiography Books
We analyzed 4+ expert sources, curated book lists, and recommendations from successful people to find the 11 best autobiography books according to the internet — not just one person's opinion. Each book on this list was mentioned by at least two independent sources, and the ranking is based on how frequently each title appears across all sources studied. This consensus-based approach ensures you get recommendations backed by multiple experts, not a single reviewer's bias.
Goal: Find the best Autobiography books according to the internet (not just one person's opinion).
Method:
- Search for "best autobiography books" and study the top 4+ pages.
- Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.
- Rank the results neatly here.
11 Best Autobiography Books
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Long Walk to Freedom
The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela
Also recommended by
2 people
Barack Obama recommended this bookBarack Obama
Barack Obama's favorite books of 2018 list.
Barack Obama's recommendation of this book 
Richard Branson recommended this bookRichard Branson
Richard Branson recommended this book on his "70 must-read books" blog post.
Richard Branson's recommendation of this book
Anne Frank
The Diary of a Young Girl
Also recommended by
1 person
Alice Little recommended this bookAlice Little
"I remember being a fourth grader [and] going so far as to have my parents take it to the school board and petition for me to be allowed to read this book." - Alice Little
Alice Little's recommendation of this book
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Maya Angelou's Autobiography, Book 1
Also recommended by
3 people- Richard Branson recommended this book
Richard Branson
Richard Branson recommended this book on his "70 must-read books" blog post.
Richard Branson's recommendation of this book 
Jennifer Lopez recommended this bookJennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez recommended this book on Twitter.
Jennifer Lopez's recommendation of this book 
Jay Shetty recommended this bookJay Shetty
Jay Shetty recommended this book on Twitter.
Jay Shetty's recommendation of this book
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Also recommended by
8 people
Charlie Munger recommended this bookCharlie Munger
Charlie Munger recommended this book in the "Poor Charlie's Almanack" book.
Charlie Munger's recommendation of this book 
Paul Graham recommended this bookPaul Graham
"A great book, probably in my all time top 100." - Paul Graham
Paul Graham's recommendation of this book 
Walter Isaacson recommended this bookWalter Isaacson
"Cast as a letter to his son. It’s not some deep ruminations and things. It’s about how you make your way through this world." - Walter Isaacson
Walter Isaacson's recommendation of this book 
Cory Booker recommended this bookCory Booker
"[The author] didn’t mean to write his autobiography. He wanted to write a note to his family about what he’d learned in his experiments." - Cory Booker
Cory Booker's recommendation of this book 
Brandon Stanton recommended this bookBrandon Stanton
"One of the very first books that I read." - Brandon Stanton
Brandon Stanton's recommendation of this book 
Vince Vaughn recommended this bookVince Vaughn
"[This] is I think the most compelling of books." - Vince Vaughn
Vince Vaughn's recommendation of this book +2
More recommendations
- Elon Musk
"Really good." - Elon Musk
- Jamie Dimon
On Jamie Dimon's list of favorite books.
- Elon Musk
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
As Told to Alex Haley
Also recommended by
6 people
Casey Neistat recommended this bookCasey Neistat
"I’ve read [this book] more times than I can count. I cried at the end of [this book]." - Casey Neistat
Casey Neistat's recommendation of this book 
Jason Calacanis recommended this bookJason Calacanis
Jason Calacanis recommended this book on his blog.
Jason Calacanis's recommendation of this book 
Ryan Holiday recommended this bookRyan Holiday
"[One] of the most inspiring men of the last 150 years." - Ryan Holiday
Ryan Holiday's recommendation of this book 
Jerrod Carmichael recommended this bookJerrod Carmichael
Jerrod Carmichael mentioned this book on "The Tim Ferriss Show" podcast.
Jerrod Carmichael's recommendation of this book 
Steve Aoki recommended this bookSteve Aoki
"[I] was blown away by the determination and commitment that Malcolm X had to his people and to fight against a system that was not designed to support or help him or his people." - Steve Aoki
Steve Aoki's recommendation of this book 
Brian Koppelman recommended this bookBrian Koppelman
"[One of the autobiographies] I have read the most often." - Brian Koppelman
Brian Koppelman's recommendation of this book
Becoming
Also recommended by
5 people
Oprah Winfrey recommended this bookOprah Winfrey
"I want the whole world to read this book." - Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey's recommendation of this book - Barack Obama recommended this book
Barack Obama
"Obviously my favorite [book of 2018]!" - Barack Obama
Barack Obama's recommendation of this book 
Brené Brown recommended this bookBrené Brown
"Good for my heart, my head, and my soul." - Brené Brown
Brené Brown's recommendation of this book 
Selena Gomez recommended this bookSelena Gomez
Selena Gomez recommended this book on Instagram.
Selena Gomez's recommendation of this book 
Tyler Oakley recommended this bookTyler Oakley
Tyler Oakley recommended this book on Twitter.
Tyler Oakley's recommendation of this book
A Promised Land
Also recommended by
1 person
Bill Gates recommended this bookBill Gates
"A fascinating look at what it’s like to steer a country through challenging times." - Bill Gates
Bill Gates's recommendation of this book
I Am Malala
How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World
Also recommended by
1 person
Jon Stewart recommended this bookJon Stewart
"Please, get the book." - Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart's recommendation of this book
The Year of Magical Thinking
Also recommended by
1 person
Harry Styles recommended this bookHarry Styles
Harry Styles was seen purchasing this book.
Harry Styles's recommendation of this book
Autobiography
How to Murder Your Life
A Memoir
Sources
- 1
20 Best Autobiographies of All Time | Reader's Digest
rd.com
- 2
15 Best Autobiographies Everyone Should Read At Least Once - LifeHack
lifehack.org
- 3
Best Autobiographies To Read
elle.com
- 4
19 Of The Best Autobiographies Ranging From Politicians to Pop Stars, Actresses and Activists | Glamour UK
glamourmagazine.co.uk
Edited by
Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.
Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.
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