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HCPLC's Top Biography of 2018
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Grant
by Ron Chernow
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Washington: A Life presents a meticulously researched portrait of the complicated Civil War general and 18th President, challenging the views of his critics while sharing insights into his prowess as a military leader, the honor with which he conducted his administration and the rise and fall of his fortunes.
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When Breath Becomes Air
by Paul Kalanithi
A Ivy League-trained, award-winning young neurosurgeon describes his how after receiving a terminal diagnosis with lung cancer he explored the dynamics of his roles as a patient and care provider, the philosophical conundrums about a meaningful life and how he wanted to spend his final days.
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Alexander Hamilton
by Ron Chernow
The personal life of Alexander Hamilton, an illegitimate, largely self-taught orphan from the Caribbean who rose to become George Washington's aide-de-camp and the first Treasury Secretary of the United States, is captured in a definitive biography by the National Book Award-winning author of The House of Morgan.
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Leonardo da Vinci
by Walter Isaacson
The best-selling author of Benjamin Franklin draws on da Vinci's remarkable notebooks as well as new discoveries about his life and work in a narrative portrait that connects the master's art to his science, demonstrating how da Vinci's genius was based on the skills and qualities of everyday people, from curiosity and observation to imagination and fantasy.
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In Pieces: A Memoir
by Sally Field
The actress shares insights into her difficult childhood, the artistic pursuits that helped her find her voice, and the powerful emotional legacy that shaped her journey as a daughter and mother.
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Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
by Cheryl Strayed
Traces the personal crisis the author endured after the death of her mother and a painful divorce, which prompted her ambition to undertake a dangerous thousand-mile solo hike that both drove her to rock bottom and helped her to heal.
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Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
by Laura Hillenbrand
Tells the gripping true story of a U.S. airman who was the soul surviver when his bomber crashed into the sea during World War II and had to face thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. By the #1 best-selling author of Seabiscuit.
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The Last Lecture
by Randy Pausch
The author, a computer science professor diagnosed with terminal cancer, explores his life, the lessons that he has learned, how he has worked to achieve his childhood dreams, and the effect of his diagnosis on him and his family.
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Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder
by Caroline Fraser
A comprehensive historical portrait of Laura Ingalls Wilder draws on unpublished manuscripts, letters, diaries and official records to fill in the gaps in Wilder's official story, sharing lesser-known details about her pioneer experiences while challenging popular misconceptions about how her books were ghostwritten.
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Gold Dust Woman: The Biography of Stevie Nicks
by Stephen Davis
"A classic rock biography about the defining face and voice of Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, who at 68 is still one of the most glamorous creatures rock has known and a real rock 'n' roller".
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Robin
by Dave Itzkoff
The New York Times culture reporter and author of Mad as Hell presents a compelling portrait of Robin Williams that illuminates his comic brilliance, conflicting emotions and often misunderstood character, sharing insights into the gift for improvisation that shaped his wide range of characters, his struggles with addiction and depression and his relationships with friends and family members.
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In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin
by Erik Larson
The best-selling author of Devil in the White City documents the efforts of first American ambassador to Hitler's Germany William E. Dodd to acclimate to a residence in an increasingly violent city where he is forced to associate with the Nazis while his daughter pursues a relationship with Gestapo chief Rudolf Diels.
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Bobby Kennedy: A Raging Spirit
by Christopher Matthews
A revelatory new portrait of Robert F. Kennedy by the anchor of MSNBC's Hardball depicts him as a perpetual family underdog, sharing insights into his decision to join the military as a common sailor, his ability to connect with voters from all walks of life and his assassination during his 1968 campaign.
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