biography

The term “biography” comes from the Greek terms “bio” meaning “life” and “graphia” meaning “account.” Athletes, presidents, entertainers and other public figures are common subjects of biographies. Some icons, such as Abraham Lincoln and Walt Disney, have had multiple biographies written of their lives. An unauthorized biography is one written without the assistance or consent of the subject of the work. Unauthorized biographies may use this as a selling point inferring that these biographies may be more revealing than an authorized biography. An autobiography is a biography written by the subject of the work. “Auto” is also of Greek origin, meaning “self.” Some popular autobiographies include The Autobiography of Malcolm X, The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi, The Story of My Life by Helen Keller & The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.