Koncocoo

Best Rich & Famous Biographies

The Magnolia Story
By renovating homes in Waco, Texas, and changing lives in such a winsome and engaging way, Chip and Joanna have become more than just the stars of Fixer Upper , they have become America’s new best friends. Even back then Chip was a serial entrepreneur who, among other things, ran a lawn care company, sold fireworks, and flipped houses. Four children and countless renovations later, Joanna garners the attention of a television producer who notices her work on a blog one day. The time Chip ran to the grocery store and forgot to take their new, sleeping baby Joanna’s agonizing decision to close her dream business to focus on raising their children When Chip buys a houseboat, sight-unseen, and it turns out to be a leaky wreck Joanna’s breakthrough moment of discovering the secret to creating a beautiful home Harrowing stories of the financial ups and downs as an entrepreneurial couple Memories and photos from Chip and Jo’s wedding The significance of the word magnolia and why it permeates everything they do The way the couple pays the popularity of Fixer Upper forward, sharing the success with others, and bolstering the city of Waco along the way. Chip Gaines and his wife, Joanna Gaines, are co-founders and co-owners of Magnolia Homes, Magnolia Market, and Magnolia Realty in Waco, Texas.
Reviews
"They have overcome adversity and have built a life full of love, family, talent, professionalism keeping their faith first and foremost."
"Great reading couldn't put it down made me smile,laugh and see some things in life we all go through similar."
"I have been a huge fan of Joanna and Chip right from the very first show."
"This is a must read for all Fixer Upper fans."
"I really didn't know much about Chip and Joanna, other than catching snippets of their nationally-broadcast show Fixer Upper, but now I feel that they're the type of next-door people that you would love to sit down and share a meal with and get to know. Toward the end of the book Joanna says teasingly how Chip is like the President of the United States - always running around shaking hands and kissing babies."
"Jo's sense of style and Chip's sense of humor make the show irresistible and makes me wish I lived in Waco, Texas so I can hire them fix up a house for me. I can honestly say, I had no idea what the hell shiplap was until I watched this show and apparently, Texas homes are loaded with it behind the walls."
"Chip and Joanna solved that problem magnificently - I always knew who was speaking which brought additional richness to the work. It is also a very encouraging book in a time when we all need that little boost to chase our dreams, but don't be deceived into believing all has been rose petals and blue skies."
"Loved, Loved, Loved this story."
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I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons
Put them together and you have the funniest, most heartfelt, and most inspirational memoir on survival, success, and the importance of believing in yourself since Old Yeller . Kevin Hart’s life uniquely qualifies him to write this book by also having a beginning. But Kevin Hart, like Ernest Hemingway, JK Rowling, and Chocolate Droppa before him, was able to defy the odds and turn it around. And that man happens to be the biggest comedian in the world, with tours that sell out football stadiums and films that have collectively grossed over $3.5 billion. His films, including Kevin Hart: What Now?
Reviews
"With a father who was a criminal with substance abuse problems and a mother who was basically raising him on her own in a tough Philadelphia neighborhood, Kevin could have been a bitter, resentful victim of the system. Don't get me wrong, this book is laugh out loud funny, but what kept me reading through the night were the amazing insights and the overwhelming sense of gratitude exuded by Mr. Hart."
"For starters, the writing in 'I Can't Make This Up' is impeccable, feels like conversation with Kevin Hart, himself. There were several instances throughout the early reading that I felt myself wishing that I could reach through a time portal and give that kid a hug. Likewise, I find it courageous and at times, unsettling that he chose to disclose his entire truth, including the ugly parts."
"a phenomenal job by Kevin Hart!"
"But I also care about the technicalities of writing because a good story can go terribly wrong if it is disorganized, under-thought, poorly written, rushed, you name it. I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons delivered on every level for me. And finally, the story: thorough, interesting, free of indulgent self-flattery, brutally honest, raw (by "raw" I mean without frivolous embellishment--what you see is what you get), inspiring, and it may or may not go without saying: hysterically funny despite consistently challenging--even devastatiing--life circumstances. The example he sets in accepting his downfalls, righting his wrongs, transforming his approach to relationships and life, and moving forward with his "grind" with life lessons in tow is commendable."
"I never knew his past, discovering him a few year later than most, and now that I do, Im grateful for his gift of laughter and a peek into his mindset and how it was crafted from experiences."
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I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons
Put them together and you have the funniest, most heartfelt, and most inspirational memoir on survival, success, and the importance of believing in yourself since Old Yeller . Kevin Hart’s life uniquely qualifies him to write this book by also having a beginning. But Kevin Hart, like Ernest Hemingway, JK Rowling, and Chocolate Droppa before him, was able to defy the odds and turn it around. And that man happens to be the biggest comedian in the world, with tours that sell out football stadiums and films that have collectively grossed over $3.5 billion. Kevin Hart is an award-winning actor and comedian.
Reviews
"With a father who was a criminal with substance abuse problems and a mother who was basically raising him on her own in a tough Philadelphia neighborhood, Kevin could have been a bitter, resentful victim of the system. Don't get me wrong, this book is laugh out loud funny, but what kept me reading through the night were the amazing insights and the overwhelming sense of gratitude exuded by Mr. Hart."
"For starters, the writing in 'I Can't Make This Up' is impeccable, feels like conversation with Kevin Hart, himself. There were several instances throughout the early reading that I felt myself wishing that I could reach through a time portal and give that kid a hug. Likewise, I find it courageous and at times, unsettling that he chose to disclose his entire truth, including the ugly parts."
"a phenomenal job by Kevin Hart!"
"But I also care about the technicalities of writing because a good story can go terribly wrong if it is disorganized, under-thought, poorly written, rushed, you name it. I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons delivered on every level for me. And finally, the story: thorough, interesting, free of indulgent self-flattery, brutally honest, raw (by "raw" I mean without frivolous embellishment--what you see is what you get), inspiring, and it may or may not go without saying: hysterically funny despite consistently challenging--even devastatiing--life circumstances. The example he sets in accepting his downfalls, righting his wrongs, transforming his approach to relationships and life, and moving forward with his "grind" with life lessons in tow is commendable."
"I never knew his past, discovering him a few year later than most, and now that I do, Im grateful for his gift of laughter and a peek into his mindset and how it was crafted from experiences."
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Best Boxing, Wrestling & MMA Biographies

Ali: A Life
Jonathan Eig, hailed by Ken Burns as one of America’s master storytellers, radically reshapes our understanding of the complicated man who was Ali. Jonathan Eig’s Ali reveals Ali in the complexity he deserves, shedding important new light on his politics, religion, personal life, and neurological condition. Ali is a story about America, about race, about a brutal sport, and about a courageous man who shook up the world. "Finally Muhammad Ali has a biography as big, complex, and memorable as the man himself—or as close as any book can come. Eig in a knockout.” —Jane Leavy, author of Sandy Koufax and The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America’s Childhood “ Ali is a marvelous biography - deeply reported, illuminating, dripping with detail chapter after chapter—in every way worthy of one of the great figures of 20th century America.” —. David Maraniss, author of When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi "Finally, after so many works focusing on this fight or that, the whole man, the whole life, is presented here. Eig's richly impressive roster of interviews informs an authoritatively critical biography that is both punchy and sure-footed." It is an independent, insightful and masterful assessment of ‘The Greatest!’ Eig’s biography puts flesh and bone on Ali’s fuller humanity. An utterly absorbing and richly detailed account of the most charismatic and controversial athlete of the 20th century.” —Mike Silver, author of The Arc of Boxing. The author of acclaimed books on Lou Gehrig and Jackie Robinson, Eig weaves together Ali’s athletic feats, cultural significance and personal journey. Fortified by hundreds of revealing interviews, 'Ali' vigorously narrates the story of the man who transformed the landscape of race and sports . 'Ali' stirs together the sweet and the spicy, the gifts and the failings, the charm and the rage, the grace and the greed, the pride and the ego. "Eig's revelatory bio traces the late boxer's path from pariah to national treasure." “Drawing on interviews with Muhammad Ali’s friends, family, and colleagues—as well as recently discovered recordings from the 1960s and extensive FBI files—Eig tells the life story of the legendary boxer, political radical, and hero in all its complexity.” — Entertainment Weekly , Fall's 20 Must-Read Books. “Jonathan Eig’s masterful new biography of the champ is both captivating and highly relevant to the current discussions on race in America . Muhammad Ali was one of the most compelling figures in the 20th century, and Eig does ample justice to capturing his extraordinary and enduring legacy.” — Seattle Times. What makes Eig's book stand out is its broad scope, its detailed reportage and its lively, cinematic writing." "Eig’s book is a fine read on the great boxer’s life, taking him on as he was and always seeking the truth that hits closest to bone. It covers the tumultuous middle, and then the oddly sanitized and bland second half of the American Century, an era in which Muhammad Ali was among the biggest and brightest players on the stage — living a life that, far from signifying nothing, will in its outrageous grandeur and stunning humanity, stand the test of time." Locked on that purpose, Eig delivers a biography that reflects his subject well—complex but straightforward, human but legendary.” — Chapter 16 “An appropriately outsized—and first-rate—biography . "Eig skillfully utilizes resources unavailable to previous authors, allowing him to present other aspects of Ali . VERDICT: A must-read for Ali fans, followers of the sweet science in general, and those curious about the maelstrom of events that shaped a generation."
Reviews
"It is too bad that Ali didn't meet Ali earlier in his life when he needed someone to take care of his finances and also to take take if him. But Ali held to his beliefs even until the end when Being a Muslim was not appropriate."
"This book did an incredible job of weaving the most public persona of Muhammad Ali with intimate and personal stories that ushered us behind the scenes."
"fun book."
"The best non-fiction book I've read since Seabiscuit."
"Cassius Clay was an 8-1 underdog in his first fight with Sonny Liston in Miami in 1964; did Eig manage to beat the odds with his ALI: A Life?"
"As Eig so excellently lays out for us, Muhammad Ali’s best fibers offered us a magnificent wealth of substance to replicate and bind to our own psyches. Nevertheless, you’ll be drawn to Ali’s boundless bravery and kindness, reminded of the extreme excellence he displayed in the squared ring, and regaled with stories of his impish ways. Eig’s goal was not to humiliate, but rather to humanize and get it all out on the table, sort it, and reveal the incredibly positive net effect of a sometimes enigmatic Muhammad Ali. The author surely succeeds, as his work is meticulous (while not tedious to follow), presented in a relaxing (though not drawn-out) unfolding of events, smartly crafted (yet not pedantic), and heartfelt (but not sentimentally burdened). Eig fills in virtually all of the blanks, revealing a naked Ali…with some ugly scars, but a wondrous sparkle in his eye, and a warm heart and hand freely extended (sincerely, lovingly, often under the radar) to enrich the lives of so many individuals of all colors, and to meaningfully inspire and uplift a good chunk of a generation in need."
"One of the best biographies I’ve ever read. Ali Had so many things going on his life."
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Best Royalty Biographies

Trump: The Art of the Deal
President Donald J. Trump lays out his professional and personal worldview in this classic work—a firsthand account of the rise of America’s foremost deal-maker. Trump: The Art of the Deal is an unguarded look at the mind of a brilliant entrepreneur—the ultimate read for anyone interested in the man behind the spotlight. conveys Trump’s larger-than-life demeanor so vibrantly that the reader’s attention is instantly and fully claimed.” —Boston Herald “A chatty, generous, chutzpa-filled autobiography.” —New York Post. At the age of 41, Trump, the son of a Queens, New York, developer of moderate-income apartment houses, presides over a vast real estate empire with assets in the billions.
Reviews
"I must read book in leadership, business, and pragmatism."
"Awesome book."
"MAGA!"
"It’s no wonder he beat Hillary Clinton and overcame impossible odds against the media and deep state."
"Good read."
"Trump simply tells the stories of some of the deals he's made."
"This book explains how President Trump thinks."
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Best Religious Leader Biographies

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity
A revised foreword and introduction A substantially extended epilogue that shares how Nabeel told his friend David of his decision to follow Christ, how his parents found out, and much more Expert contributions from scholars and ministry leaders on each section of the book, contributions previously included only in the ebook edition An appendix with a topical table of contents (for teaching from Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus ) An appendix tackling the objection that Ahmadi Muslims are not true Muslims And a sneak peek prologue from Nabeel’s forthcoming new book, No God but One: Allah or Jesus ? Nabeel Qureshi is a speaker with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.
Reviews
"For myself, I was reliving the search I had pursued forty five years ago, when my embrace of existentialism had left me so empty and purposeless that I had to reconsider the claims of Christ, just in case they might be true. I found myself anticipating each next step in Nabeel's intellectual journey, as each critical aspect of the truth of Christianity was substantiated by his investigations. I even experienced to a degree Nabeel's family conflicts, though for me it was my mother's amazement and bitter disappointment with my choice after college of seminary instead of medical school."
"The dedication at the beginning of the book, read by the author himself, had me bawling like a baby. I was unaware of how much disagreement about doctrine that there is within different Muslim beliefs and Qureshi walks through them carefully and respectfully."
"I have to say that as a Christian, before reading this book, I had very little knowledge of the Muslim faith and how Muslim children are raised."
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Best Social Activist Biographies

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
#1 New York Times Bestseller |. Named one of the Best Books of the Year by The New York Times • The Washington Post • The Boston Globe • The Seattle Times • Esquire • Time Winner of the Carnegie Medal for Nonfiction | Winner of the NAACP Image Award for Nonfiction | Winner of a Books for a Better Life Award | Finalist for the Los Angeles Book Prize | Finalist for the Kirkus Reviews Prize | An American Library Association Notable Book A powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice—from one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time. Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. a searing indictment of American criminal justice and a stirring testament to the salvation that fighting for the vulnerable sometimes yields.” —David Cole, The New York Review of Books “Searing, moving . Just Mercy will make you upset and it will make you hopeful.” —Ted Conover, The New York Times Book Review “Inspiring . Stevenson is not only a great lawyer, he’s also a gifted writer and storyteller.” — The Washington Post “As deeply moving, poignant and powerful a book as has been, and maybe ever can be, written about the death penalty.” —The Financial Times “Brilliant.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer “Not since Atticus Finch has a fearless and committed lawyer made such a difference in the American South. Just Mercy is his inspiring and powerful story.” —John Grisham “Bryan Stevenson is one of my personal heroes, perhaps the most inspiring and influential crusader for justice alive today, and Just Mercy is extraordinary. But at the same time that [Bryan] Stevenson tells an utterly damning story of deep-seated and widespread injustice, he also recounts instances of human compassion, understanding, mercy, and justice that offer hope. Just Mercy is a remarkable amalgam, at once a searing indictment of American criminal justice and a stirring testament to the salvation that fighting for the vulnerable sometimes yields.” —David Cole, The New York Review of Books. For decades he has fought judges, prosecutors and police on behalf of those who are impoverished, black or both. Injustice is easy not to notice when it affects people different from ourselves; that helps explain the obliviousness of our own generation to inequity today. Against tremendous odds, Stevenson has worked to free scores of people from wrongful or excessive punishment, arguing five times before the Supreme Court. The message of the book, hammered home by dramatic examples of one man’s refusal to sit quietly and countenance horror, is that evil can be overcome, a difference can be made. Stevenson has been angry about [the criminal justice system] for years, and we are all the better for it.” —Ted Conover, The New York Times Book Review “Inspiring . “As deeply moving, poignant and powerful a book as has been, and maybe ever can be, written about the death penalty.” —The Financial Times “Brilliant.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Not since Atticus Finch has a fearless and committed lawyer made such a difference in the American South. Bryan Stevenson, however, is very much alive and doing God’s work fighting for the poor, the oppressed, the voiceless, the vulnerable, the outcast, and those with no hope. The stories told within these pages hold the potential to transform what we think we mean when we talk about justice.” —Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow “A distinguished NYU law professor and MacArthur grant recipient offers the compelling story of the legal practice he founded to protect the rights of people on the margins of American society. It is inspiring and suspenseful—a revelation.” —Isabel Wilkerson, author of The Warmth of Other Suns “Words such as important and compelling may have lost their force through overuse, but reading this book will restore their meaning, along with one’s hopes for humanity.” —Tracy Kidder, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Mountains Beyond Mountains “Bryan Stevenson is America’s young Nelson Mandela, a brilliant lawyer fighting with courage and conviction to guarantee justice for all. It is as gripping to read as any legal thriller, and what hangs in the balance is nothing less than the soul of a great nation.” —Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
Reviews
"My tendency is to put things into "liberal" and "conservative" buckets and this one seemingly fit into the liberal bucket and I am a professed conservative."
"I have a new hero . Bryan Stevenson. This is a great book."
"This is a system that condemns children to life imprisonment without parole, that makes petty theft a crime as serious as murder, and that has declared war on hundreds of thousands of people with substance abuse problems by imprisoning them and denying them help. JUST MERCY explores a number of devastating cases, including children as young as fourteen facing life imprisonment, and scores of people on death row - mostly poor, and mostly black - who have been unfairly convicted. But the central focus is on Walter McMillan, a black man sentenced to death for the murder of a prominent young white woman. Ours is no longer a country that sees compassion as a virtue; instead, we write harsher and harsher laws that demand longer and longer sentences for those we consider undesirables. It's rare these days to meet someone who truly dedicates himself to those least able to help themselves, especially someone who isn't after media attention or self-promotion."
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Best Political Leader Biographies

What Happened
Now free from the constraints of running, Hillary takes you inside the intense personal experience of becoming the first woman nominated for president by a major party in an election marked by rage, sexism, exhilarating highs and infuriating lows, stranger-than-fiction twists, Russian interference, and an opponent who broke all the rules. In these pages, she describes what it was like to run against Donald Trump, the mistakes she made, how she has coped with a shocking and devastating loss, and how she found the strength to pick herself back up afterward. It is a candid and blackly funny account of her mood in the direct aftermath of losing to Donald J. Trump. Ultimately, the book might be a historical artifact most of all — the chronicling of what, exactly, it was like to run for president as the first woman major-party candidate (and, yes, a Clinton as well). Plenty may disagree with Clinton’s opinions on what went wrong for her, but her story will still be an important part of that history when America looks back on the melee that was the 2016 election.” —. NPR. While What Happened records the perspective of a pioneer who beat an unprecedented path that stopped just shy of the White House, it also covers territory that many women will recognize.... She demonstrates that she can mine her situation for humor.” — People.
Reviews
"She was less convincing on this front as virtually nothing Sanders said against HRC during the primary battle was new; his criticisms of HRC were general talking points before Sanders ever entered the contest. The book whitewashes the DNC's actions against Sanders during the primary, actions that turned a good number of Sanders supporters (HRC continues use of the odious "Bernie Bros." epithet) against her. HRC praises the hard work of Donna Brazile but fails to mention how Brazile was caught stealing debate questions (for the debate with Sanders) from CNN and then leaking those questions to HRC and not to Sanders. What is telling in HRC's memoir and analysis are her own blind spots, her weakness as a campaigner who fails to inspire, her over-reliance on her status as "first female Presidential nominee from a major party" (53% of white women voted for Trump, but HRC doesn't examine why), and her refusal to acknowledge how the DNC, during the primary, alienated the progressive voters she would later need to win the general election. (Even here, though, we have figures now indicating that 12% of Sanders supporters went over to Trump, whereas in 2008, after HRC lost the primary to Obama, 24% of her supporters went over to McCain. In other words, Sanders supporters were still more supportive of HRC than HRC's supporters were of Obama by 2-to-1.)."
"I wrote a verified purchase review and it has been deleted 3 times."
"I'm a non-partisan who has actually read this book and have to agree with many of the negative reviews here."
"what happened to the negative reviews?"
"In my previous review I referenced her book Hard Choices...."Believe it or not I actually liked this book.""
"I voted for her."
"I voted for Bill Clinton in both Presidential elections and voted for Hillary Clinton against Trump last year. I think that there are some good things to be said about Hillary Clinton. But still, this book seems to crystallize for me a lot of the problems that I have with Hillary Clinton at this moment in time, and the problems that I have with the Democratic party, and in general why I think that they are currently doing so badly. Although Clinton does attempt in the book to explain why she lost the election, in the end, she really seems to have no idea. If instead the book had been called "What Campaigning in the 2016 Election Was Like for Me," likely I would feel comfortable giving the book another star. So if the goal of the reader is to learn more about Hillary Clinton, as a person, then perhaps this book is worth reading. What the book does not do is to provide any reasoned or persuasive discussion on what I see as the key questions that political leaders need to be discussing with regard to the 2016 election and the current state of affairs. In my opinion, the biggest question that Clinton does not discuss at all in this book is how much the Democratic party has turned all of its focus toward the goal of making rich people (like Jeff Bezos, no?). Not once in the book does she consider the possibility that perhaps the reason that Sanders was popular was because the Democratic party (as well as the Republican party) had focused too much of its attention on the 1% (or, more specifically, the 0.0001%) and had left the rest of the population out in the cold. In general, the impression that I get from this book about Clinton in general - in terms of her political life and her personal life - is that she believes she is right about everything, that she is very very defensive about the idea that she is right about everything, and that she is very slow to change in the face of new information. All of those are the LAST things that I would use if I got sick, and the idea of Hillary Clinton forcing them on me anyway makes me wonder what other kinds of outmoded, counterproductive things she would have tried to force on the American public had she become President."
"It's an incredible look at how hard a person can work to come up with every reason possible why everyone else is to blame."
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Best Military Leader Biographies

Grant
But these stereotypes don't come close to capturing him, as Chernow shows in his masterful biography, the first to provide a complete understanding of the general and president whose fortunes rose and fell with dizzying speed and frequency. But in war, Grant began to realize his remarkable potential, soaring through the ranks of the Union army, prevailing at the battle of Shiloh and in the Vicksburg campaign, and ultimately defeating the legendary Confederate general Robert E. Lee. More important, he sought freedom and justice for black Americans, working to crush the Ku Klux Klan and earning the admiration of Frederick Douglass, who called him “the vigilant, firm, impartial, and wise protector of my race.” After his presidency, he was again brought low by a dashing young swindler on Wall Street, only to resuscitate his image by working with Mark Twain to publish his memoirs, which are recognized as a masterpiece of the genre. “This is a good time for Ron Chernow’s fine biography of Ulysses S. Grant to appear… As history, it is remarkable, full of fascinating details sure to make it interesting both to those with the most cursory knowledge of Grant’s life and to those who have read his memoirs or any of several previous biographies… For all its scholarly and literary strengths, this book’s greatest service is to remind us of Grant’s significant achievements at the end of the war and after, which have too long been overlooked and are too important today to be left in the dark… As Americans continue the struggle to defend justice and equality in our tumultuous and divisive era, we need to know what Grant did when our country’s very existence hung in the balance. “Ron Chernow’s biography reminds our 21st-century selves of the distinction between character and personality” —. National Review “Chernow’s special gift is to present a complete and compelling picture of his subjects. Grant now lands in the middle, thanks to his extraordinarily progressive work on race relations….Ron Chernow’s 1,100-page biography may crown Grant’s restoration….Mr. Chernow argues persuasively that Grant has been badly misunderstood.”— The Economist “Chernow writes definitive biography of Ulysses S. Grant… [An] essential read… restores Grant to the pantheon of great Americans.”— Newsday “A landmark work….Chernow impressively examines Grant’s sensitivities and complexities and helps us to better understand an underappreciated man and underrated president who served his country extraordinarily well…. “Full of personal and professional insights into a president and military leader that readers will find simultaneously flawed, relatable, and inspiring.” — Money Magazine “Reading Ron Chernow's new biography, a truly mammoth examination of the life of Ulysses S. Grant, one is struck by the humanity - both the pitiful frailty and the incredible strength - of its subject.”— Philadelphia Inquirer. “Masterful and often poignant .… Chernow's gracefully written biography, which promises to be the definitive work on Grant for years to come, is fully equal to the man's remarkable story.”— Minneapolis Star Tribune “Reading this compelling book, it’s hard to imagine that we’ll continue to define Grant by these scandals rather than all he accomplished in winning the war and doing his best to make peace, on inclusive terms that would be fair to all.” — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Chernow’s biography is replete with fascinating details and insight­ful political analysis, a combination that brings Grant and his time to life….
Reviews
"I have always been a history buff, having read most of Mr Chernow’s previous books and many more, but this book changed my mind on a number of issues and convinced me that I had not given Mr Grant the acclaim he is due. The appropriate analogy, I believe,is that if Mr Lincoln was the engineer driving the ship of state during the war, Mr Grant was certainly the train plugging through and getting the work done."
"Chernow does away with rumor, gossip, mystery, and myth to give us Grant the boy, the youth, the young lieutenant, the general, the president, the seer, and finally the greatest American memoir writer of the 19th Century."
"Chernow reminds us of the personal connections of the generals of both the North and South- Grant attended West Point and fought in the Mexican War alongside William T. Sherman, Robert E Lee, and a veritable who's who of later Civil War leaders. While Lincoln is remembered in American history as the President who ended slavery, readers of Grant will see that President U.S. Grant should be remembered as a tireless proponent of civil rights and militant enemy of the Ku Klux Klan. Chernow doesn't turn away from Grant's failures in civilian life: his poverty before rejoining the army for the Civil War, his constant struggle with alcoholism, or Grant's repeated mistakes in trusting the wrong people in matters of finance- and occasionally in government."
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Best Presidents & Heads of State Biographies

Obama: An Intimate Portrait
Relive the extraordinary Presidency of Barack Obama through White House photographer Pete Souza's behind-the-scenes images and stories in this #1 New York Times bestseller--with a foreword from the President himself. During Barack Obama's two terms, Pete Souza was with the President during more crucial moments than anyone else--and he photographed them all. "The book, which distills the 1.9 million photographs that Souza took of Obama's eight years in the White House down to about 300 images, it as once warm and nostalgic, worshipful and respectful, sad and wistful-in a sense, not so different from the framed JFK portraits that everyday Americans hung in living rooms, right through the Nixon administration. In conveying both the weight of the office and President Obama's full engagement with its demands, Souza fuels our admiration--and stokes our regret.
Reviews
"I'd like to say up front here that this is one of those reviews where I am struggling so hard to put thoughts into words, because of how many thoughts I have, and how difficult it is for me to express them. He was funny and personable, and every time I heard him speak I felt suddenly prouder and more patriotic. Because all the rest of that time I wasted being blind and hateful. I'm not really the kind that normally runs off to scrounge around for books they can't afford, but this is the second photography book of the Obamas I've done so for, and it captured my heart as much the second time, as it did the first. UPDATE: Thanks to so many of the kind, heartwarming offers, I have received a copy of this book."
"Well, I guess it is the idea of the unconditional love that I have personally felt by dogs.....and the fact that it least in my mind that is what our former President and First Lady gave us for 8 years. I pray that someday Obama haters or hopefully their children will view the pictures in this “must have” Obama memorabilia and appreciate not only the historical significance of this man to US and world history but also feel his unconditional love of America ; its history, culture and people in every page."
"Obama wasn't perfect, but seeing his two-term administration, not riddled by scandal or buffoonery, captured in this historic volume brought tears to my eyes."
"As I thumb through the pages, I realize how much of my vision of President Obama was formed by the photographs of special moments captured by Souza."
"In capturing the defining moments of the Obama presidency, Mr. Souza has given the common citizen a personal, vulnerable look into the remarkable 8-year tenure of the 44th president."
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