--Lee Strobel, Best-Selling Author of The Case for Christ and In Defense of Jesus | --Louie Giglio, Pastor of Passion City Church, Founder of Passion Conferences, Author of Goliath Must Fall | is the book for you." --Dr. Tony Evans, Senior Pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship and President of The Urban Alternative | --Joni Eareckson Tada, Founder/CEO, Joni and Friends International Disability Center |
About the author.
For over 60 years Josh McDowell has provided breakthrough moments for more than 45 million people in 139 countries about the evidence for Christianity and the difference the Christian faith makes in the world. Through his work with Cru and the global outreach of Josh McDowell Ministry, millions of people worldwide have been exposed to the love of Christ. He is the author or coauthor of more than 150 books, including such classics as More Than a Carpenter and Evidence That Demands a Verdict.
Dr. Sean McDowell is a gifted communicator with a passion for equipping the church, especially young people, to make the case for the Christian faith. He connects with audiences through humor and stories while imparting hard evidence and logical support of a biblical worldview. Sean is an associate professor in Talbot School of Theology’s Christian Apologetics program at Biola University. Sean is an internationally recognized speaker and the author, co-author, or editor of numerous books. He has a popular YouTube channel in which he discusses apologetics, culture, and worldview issues and regularly hosts conversations with non-Christians. He blogs regularly at seanmcdowell.org and engages a range of different social media platforms.
Evidence that demands a verdict, life-changing truth for a skeptical world, thomas nelson.
I. Introduction
People often say to us, "Oh, you don't read the Bible, do you?" Or they say, "The Bible is just another book. You really ought to read ..." Then they name some of their favorite books. Others have a Bible in their library, describing how it sits on the shelf next to other "greats," such as Homer's Odyssey, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, or Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Their Bible may be dusty, not broken in, but they still recognize its historical influence, thinking of it as one of the classics. Still others make degrading comments about the Bible because they are surprised that anyone might take it seriously enough to spend time reading it. I (Josh) was once like them. I even tried to refute the Bible as God's Word to humanity. I finally concluded, however, that not accepting the Bible must result from being either biased, prejudiced, or simply unread.
Voices like those above brought up many issues with which I grappled. As a result of all my research about the Bible, I concluded that the best word to describe the Bible is the word unique.
This chapter focuses exclusively on the unique origin and nature of the Bible, the profound impact it has had on western civilization, and its responsibility for much of the progress of human history. This chapter will not attempt to demonstrate the validity or truth of the Bible, nor its claims to inspiration, infallibility, or inerrancy, which will be addressed in subsequent chapters.
II. Unique in Character
There are several uncommon and distinctive features of the Bible's history, composition, and content. F. F. Bruce, former Rylands Professor of Biblical Criticism and Exegesis at the University of Manchester, summarizes these characteristics:
The Bible, at first sight, appears to be a collection of literature — mainly Jewish. If we enquire into the circumstances under which the various Biblical documents were written, we find that they were written at intervals over a space of nearly 1400 years. The writers wrote in various lands, from Italy in the west to Mesopotamia and possibly Persia in the east. The writers themselves were a heterogeneous number of people, not only separated from each other by hundreds of years and hundreds of miles but belonging to the most diverse walks of life. In their ranks we have kings, herdsmen, soldiers, legislators, fishermen, statesmen, courtiers, priests and prophets, a tentmaking rabbi and a Gentile physician, not to speak of others of whom we know nothing apart from the writings they have left us. The writings themselves belong to a great variety of literary types. They include history, law (civil, criminal, ethical, ritual, sanitary), religious poetry, didactic treatises, lyric poetry, parable and allegory, biography, personal correspondence, personal memoirs and diaries, in addition to the distinctively Biblical types of prophecy and apocalyptic. (Bruce, BP, 79)
Now let us look in more detail into some of these specific characteristics.
A. Unique in Its Time Span
While most scholars agree that all the books of the New Testament were completed by the second half of the first century AD (Kitchen, OROT, 500), there is sufficient evidence to confirm that the earliest forms of the Bible were written during the time of the Hebrew exodus out of Egypt (c. 1400–1200 BC). This means that the composition of the biblical writings, from the earliest book of the Bible to the last of the New Testament writings, spans a period of 1,300 to 1,500 years. In comparison to other literary and historical works, the Bible is exceptional in that it was written and assembled over a vast number of generations.
B. Unique in Its Geographical Production
Unlike most other literary works, the composition and transmission of the biblical books did not emerge from a homogenous community located in a single region of the ancient world. Rather, these works were written by peoples in areas as diverse as Rome in the West, Egypt in the South, and Mesopotamia in the East. This amazing geographical and ethnic diversity distinguishes the Bible's origins from that of all other books.
C. Unique in Its Authorship
The Bible is as diverse in its authorship as it is in its production over a long period of time and the multiple geographical regions in which it originated. Authored by approximately forty different people (some known, some unknown) and edited and preserved by countless scribal schools and communities, the Bible preserves for us the writings of a vast array of different personalities from widely divergent social circumstances. We discover kings surrounded by power and wealth (e.g., Solomon) on the one hand, to lower class Galilean fishermen (e.g., Peter and John) on the other. Between these two socioeconomic extremes one finds an exiled prince (Moses), military leaders (e.g., Joshua and David), trained philosophers (e.g., the authors of Job and Ecclesiastes), a tax collector (Matthew), a historian (Luke), and a zealous Pharisee (Paul). These authors recorded the stories of all kinds of people. Professor Mary Ellen Chase remarks:
The story-tellers of the Bible ... understood men and women of all sorts and in all conditions. There is literally no type of person whom they have neglected. All are here: the wise and the foolish, the rich and the poor, the faithful and the treacherous, the designing and the generous, the pitiful and the prosperous, the innocent and the guilty, the spendthrift and the miser, the players of practical jokes and their discomfited victims, the sorry, the tired, the old, the exasperated young, misled and impetuous girls, young men who lusted and young men who loved, friends who counted no cost for friendship, bad-mannered children and children well brought up, a little boy who had a headache in a hay-field, a little servant girl who wanted so much her master's health that she dared to give him good, if unpalatable, advice. Once one discovers such persons as these, still alive after many centuries, they become not only fascinating in themselves but typical of persons whom we know today. (Chase, BCR, 5)
D. Unique in Its Literary Genres
The Bible is also unique in that a multitude of distinct literary forms and genres can be found within its pages, as complete compositions consisting of a single genre (e.g., Song of Songs) or complete compositions imbued with multiple genres (e.g., Exodus). Gerd Theissen, professor of New Testament at the University of Heidelberg, highlights the importance of biblical genres:
Biblical texts are of various sorts. Treatment of one sort of text provides practice in dealing with all texts of the same sort. Narrative, poetic, legal, and argumentative texts of the Bible can therefore be treated as exemplary, as well as the various biblical genres identified by that area of biblical scholarship called form criticism. In principle no single sort of text is privileged. Central themes appear in all forms: creation is recorded as narrative; trust is expressed in prayer (Psalm 23); monotheism is mandated in a commandment (Exod. 20:2); justification is expounded in a disputatious letter (Romans); theodicy — the question of God's justice — is examined in wisdom dialogue (Job). The Bible is not a homogenous text but a compendium of different forms and genres. Each must be appreciated on its own terms. (Theissen, BCC, 30–31)
Other ancient literary works utilize a multiplicity of literary genres, but the biblical authors use them in order to focus their audience's attention on one supreme metanarrative. Alison Jack, professor of Bible and Literature at the University of Edinburgh, illustrates the interplay between this unifying biblical motif and the multiplicity of literary forms:
While one overarching story may be discerned, involving the central character of the one God, creator and sustainer of the earth, and his relationship with those who accept a relationship with him, and those who do not, there are many different voices behind the books of the Bible. A multitude of literary genres are found here, from long and short narratives to poetry and song, genealogies and historical accounts, biography, letters and apocalyptic writing. These voices tell different versions of the story, from a variety of perspectives. (Jack, BL, 6)
E. Unique in Its Languages
The Bible is written in three different languages (two Semitic and one Indo-European), each with a unique character and essence. Larry Walker, former professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, outlines each of the biblical languages:
Hebrew is actually one of several Canaanite dialects which included Phoenician, Ugaritic, and Moabite. Other Canaanite dialects (for example, Ammonite) existed but have left insufficient inscriptions for scholarly investigation. Such dialects were already present in the land of Canaan before its conquest by the Israelites. ... Hebrew belongs to the Semitic family of languages; these languages were used from the Mediterranean Sea to the mountains east of the Euphrates River valley, and from Armenia (Turkey) in the north to the southern extremity of the Arabian peninsula. ... Hebrew, like the other early Semitic languages, concentrates on observation more than reflection. That is, things that are generally observed according to their appearance as phenomena, not analyzed as to their inward being or essence. Effects are observed but not traced through a series of causes. Hebrew's vividness, conciseness, and simplicity make the language difficult to translate fully. It is amazingly concise and direct. For example, Psalm 23 contains fifty-five words; most translations require about twice that many to translate it. ... Hebrew is a pictorial language in which the past is not merely described but verbally painted. Not just a landscape is presented but a moving panorama. The course of events is reenacted in the mind's sight. ... Many profound theological expressions of the Old Testament are tightly bound up with Hebrew language and grammar. Even the most sacred name of God himself, "the Lord" (Jehovah or Yahweh), is directly related to the Hebrew verb "to be" (or perhaps "to cause to be"). (Walker, BL, 218–221)
Walker also explains:
Aramaic is linguistically very close to Hebrew and similar in structure. Aramaic texts in the Bible are written in the same script as Hebrew. In contrast to Hebrew, Aramaic uses a larger vocabulary, including many loan words, and a greater variety of connectives. It also contains an elaborate system of tenses, developed through the use of participles with pronouns or with various forms of the verb "to be." Although Aramaic is less euphonious and poetical than Hebrew, it is probably superior as a vehicle of exact expression. Aramaic has perhaps the longest continuous living history of any language known. It was used during the Bible's patriarchal period and is still spoken by a few people today. Aramaic and its cognate, Syriac, evolved into many dialects in different places and periods. Characterized by simplicity, clarity, and precision, it adapted easily to the various needs of everyday life. It could serve equally well as a language for scholars, pupils, lawyers, or merchants. Some have described it as the Semitic equivalent of English. ... Gradually, especially after the Babylonian exile, Aramaic influence pervaded the land of Palestine. Nehemiah complained that children from mixed marriages were unable to speak Hebrew (Neh. 13:24). The Jews seem to have continued using Aramaic widely during the Persian, Greek, and Roman periods. Eventually the Hebrew Scriptures were translated into Aramaic paraphrases, called Targums, some of which have been found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. ... Aramaic served as a transition from Hebrew to Greek as the language spoken by Jews in Jesus' day. In that sense Aramaic connects Old Testament Hebrew with New Testament Greek. (Walker, BL, 228–230)
Walker continues:
The Greek language is beautiful, rich, and harmonious as an instrument of communication. It is a fitting tool both for vigorous thought and for religious devotion. During its classic period, Greek was the language of one of the world's greatest cultures. During that cultural period, language, literature, and art flourished more than war. The Greek mind was preoccupied with ideals of beauty. The Greek language reflected artistry in its philosophical dialogues, its poetry, and its stately orations. The Greek language was also characterized by strength and vigor. It was capable of variety and striking effects. Greek was a language of argument, with a vocabulary and style that could penetrate and clarify phenomena rather than simply tell stories. ... The conquests of Alexander the Great encouraged the spread of Greek language and culture. Regional dialects were largely replaced by "Hellenistic" or "koine" (common) Greek. Koine Greek is a dialect preserved and known through thousands of inscriptions reflecting all aspects of daily life. The koine dialect added many vernacular expressions to Attic Greek, thus making it more cosmopolitan. Simplifying the grammar also better adapted it to a worldwide culture. ... Translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek was an epochal event. The Septuagint (the earliest Greek translation of the Old Testament) later had a strong influence on Christian thought. ... The New Testament epistles blend the wisdom of Hebrew and the dialectic philosophy of Greek. Sermons recorded in the New Testament combine the Hebrew prophetic message with Greek oratorical force. (Walker, BL, 230–234)
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Josh mcdowell.
A trailblazer for truth and relationships, Josh McDowell has been at the forefront of cultural trends and ground-breaking ministry for over six decades.
Josh shares the essentials of the Christian faith in everyday language so that youth, families, churches, leaders, and individuals of all ages are prepared for the life of faith and the work of the ministry. This includes leveraging resources based on years of experience, new technologies and strategic partnerships.
Since 1961, Josh has spoken to approximately 46 million people in 139 countries. Josh has written or co-authored more than 156 books in over 128 languages including "More Than a Carpenter" with over 27 million copies distributed and "Evidence that Demands a Verdict," named one of the twentieth century’s top 40 books and one of the thirteen most influential books of the last 50 years on Christian thought by World Magazine.
Josh and his wife, Dottie, are quick to acknowledge that after their love for the Lord, family is their greatest joy and top priority. They have been married 52 years and have four wonderful children and eleven beloved grandchildren.
Josh McDowell Ministry is a division of Cru (the U.S. division of Campus Crusade for Christ International).
Please visit: www.josh.org
Sean McDowell, Ph.D. is an associate professor of Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He graduated summa cum laude from from Talbot Theological Seminary with a double master's degree in philosophy and theology. He earned his PH.D. in Apologetics and Worldview Studies from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author, co-author, or editor of over fifteen books including Evidence that Demands a Verdict, So the Next Generation Will Know, Ethix: Being Bold in a Whatever World, Understanding Intelligent Design, the Apologetics Study Bible for Students, Same-Sex Marriage: A Thoughtful Approach to God's Design for Marriage, and Is God Just a Human Invention?. Sean was named Educator of the Year for San Juan Capistrano in 2007-08. His apologetics training has received exemplary status from the Association of Christian Schools International. He is a regular guest on various radio and TV shows. You can read Sean's blog and contact him for speaking events at http://www.seanmcdowell.org. In April 2000, Sean married his high school sweetheart, Stephanie. They have three children, Scottie, Shauna, and Shane and live in San Juan Capistrano, California.
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Customers find the book's content well-written, knowledge-filled, and honest. They appreciate the writing quality as extremely technical, pleasantly surprised at the layout, and strong. Readers say the book is useful and helps students feel confident in their beliefs. Opinions are mixed on depth, with some finding it complete and well organized, while others say it's intellectually taxing.
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Customers find the book well-written, fascinating, and informative. They appreciate the charts, key facts, and opposing views. Readers also say the book is a one-stop shop for detailed apologetics on a wide variety of important challenges.
"...to the author for writing this very well thought out and carefully researched treasure .I first read this book in my college days...." Read more
"...Plus, it also has a very extensive interactive table of contents , which makes navigating through this huge book so easy and quick...." Read more
" Wonderful book for seekers . This is a fantastic book to help you have a deeper understanding of the Lord!" Read more
" Great book " Read more
Customers find the book well written, thorough, and logical. They also appreciate the academic excellence and genuine love for others. Readers also mention that the book provides preparation for when people ask them to give an answer. They are pleasantly surprised at the layout and describe the book as impressive and suited to academics.
"...I owe a great debt to the author for writing this very well thought out and carefully researched treasure...." Read more
"...It gives us preparation for when people ask us to give an answer and to give a reason of our hope that you have...." Read more
"...You will find well-reasoned arguments from some of the best Christian scholars and apologists today like Michael Byrd, Gary Habermas, J.P. Moreland,..." Read more
"Book definitely covers many of the science/skeptic questions. Incredibly thorough and well presented." Read more
Customers find the book useful for serious Bible students and doubting Thomases. They say it's inspirational, helps with momentary doubts, and provides needed evidence for a variety of topics. Readers also say it helps students feel confident in their beliefs and be prepared to effectively defend their faith. They describe the book as a massive resource and reference manual for those apologetically inclined.
"...The archaeological section was very powerful . There has not been a true archaeological find that has ever contradicted Scripture...." Read more
"...This is a amazing reference. It strengthens faith , and it has great information for believers and unbelievers as well!..." Read more
"...As one can tell from the large volume of topics, this is a compendium of the best evidence for the authenticity and historicity of the Christian..." Read more
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"...The section on Truth is worth double the price of the book...." Read more
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"...A number of chapters in this book are easily worth the price of the book ; The Resurrection: Hoax or History?, Is Christianity a Copycat Religion?,..." Read more
Customers are mixed about the depth of content. Some mention it's one of the most complete and well organized books on the veracity of the Bible. They appreciate the tons of charts, key facts, and opposing views. However, others say that it'll intellectually tax you, with certain matters not well researched.
"...He is very pleased with this book!! He said the book is very organized in the progression of evidence and facts layed out in the book." Read more
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No mention of the war on drugs, reagan's role and response to iran contra in 'reagan' are frighteningly brief, reagan isn't responsible for the berlin wall coming down.
Reagan , the latest biopic about President Ronald Reagan, offers an expansive look at the former Commander in Chief. Dennis Quaid plays the titular character alongside Penelope Ann Miller as First Lady Nancy Reagan. With a cast comprised of everyone from veteran actor John Voight to former Creed frontman Scott Stapp, Reagan delves into Reagan's childhood, traverses his career as an actor, and provides a comprehensive look at his political career.
Based on Paul Kengor's book The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism , Reagan begins with the assassination attempt on President Reagan's life in 1981 and then delves into the multifaceted man. As much as Reagan covers, many details are left out of the movie. Reagan's presidency was full of ups and downs , contributing to his complicated legacy and overall reputation.
None of the less-than-favorable details about Reagan's life and career are included in Reagan . The book that the movie is based on focuses on Communism during Reagan's life, but it's impossible to separate that from everything about Reagan. This is especially true for his failure to respond to the so-called "War on Drugs" and Iran-Contra. Still, the suggestion that Reagan single-handedly ended the Cold War is the most egregious error.
Told from the perspective of a fictionalized Soviet KGB agent, Viktor Petrov ( played by John Voight), Reagan spends much of the movie focusing on Ronald Reagan's role in the Cold War. As a result, some of the domestic aspects of his presidency are lost, notably the so-called "War on Drugs." There's no actual mention of the efforts Reagan and his administration undertook to combat drug abuse and the illegal drug trade during the 1980s.
Perhaps more identifiable with First Lady Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" campaign, efforts to quell drug use in the United States during the Reagan presidency resulted in mass incarceration and limited success in terms of actual deterrence. The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 implemented minimum sentences for drug-related offenses and increased existing punishments for drug possession.
In a speech to the nation on September 14, 1986, Reagan explained his overall goal,
[To] toughen our laws against drug criminals, encourage more research and treatment, and ensure that illegal drugs will not be tolerated in our schools or in our workplaces... Let us not forget that in America people solve problems and no national crusade has ever succeeded without human investment. Winning the crusade against drugs will not be achieved by just throwing money at the problem.
Funding for law enforcement agencies was substantially increased, however, and he pledged $3 billion to fight drugs. Once the policies were underway, the delineation between "crack" (cheaper to make and used in lower-class areas) and "cocaine" (more expensive and associated with the upper classes) was made clear.
With few problematic events included in Reagan , the short part of the movie dedicated to the Iran-Contra Affair is somewhat refreshing. It is quite brief and does not accurately reflect the extent to which the entire scandal — an incredibly complicated matter — characterized Reagan's presidency.
When Reagan is shown dealing with Iran-Contra, he acts as though anyone looking into the matter — much less trying to hold someone accountable — is defiant and openly antagonistic to him and his administration. In reality, the individuals searching for the truth about Iran-Contra unearthing a secret US arms deal that sent money from weapons purchased by Iran to support the anti-Communist Contras in Nicaragua.
The Iran-Contra Affair nearly brought down the Reagan presidency . Despite the Commander in Chief's lack of transparency to the American people about it, the Commander in Chief was never implicated in any crimes after an eight-year investigation was complete. For such a long, web-like scandal, it is woefully neglected.
The White House has proven to be fertile ground for TV over the years. Here are the best shows to come from it.
On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, and said,
General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate.
Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate!
Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
The Berlin Wall did come down two and a half years later, with the Soviet Union dissolving soon after. The collapse of the Wall and the Soviet Union had little to do with Reagan and his call to the Soviet leader. It had already been underway for years. When Gorbachev took power of the Soviet Union in 1985, the economy was in shambles and the political system was rapidly deteriorating. He introduced two reform policies, glasnost and perestroika .
Glasnost emphasized openness in the Soviet Union as well as in how the USSR interacted with other world powers. Less repression and censorship accompanied efforts to open Soviet elections to non-Communist residents. Perestroika was a plan to restructure the economy with the slow introduction of capitalist practices and policies.
These big- and small-screen presidents range from incompetent to corrupt to straight-up megalomaniacal.
Both policies failed to save the Soviet Union but did create a situation that made independence movements within the USSR possible. Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria were among the many countries where revolutions ushered in democracy while Eastern and Western Germany paved the way to reunification. The Berlin Wall came down in November 1989, by which time Reagan was out of office and George H. W. Bush was president.
The Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986, internal political strife, and the failed effort of the Soviets in Afghanistan all further compounded the challenges faced by the USSR . By the end of 1991, Gorbachev resigned and the Soviet Union ceased to exist. While much of this took place on Reagan's watch, the President wasn't the man who made it happen.
Matt Haig’s follow-up to his worldwide bestseller, “The Midnight Library,” finds ordinary characters once again doing extraordinary things
“Reality is not always probable, or likely.” That’s the quote from the late Argentine poet Jorge Luis Borges that prefaces Matt Haig’s new novel, “The Life Impossible.” If you fundamentally take issue with it, don’t bother turning the page.
But if you’re willing to suspend disbelief when reading fiction, this is an engaging story. Some readers, like my teenage daughter who devoured Haig’s bestselling book, “The Midnight Library,” may not vibe as well with the septuagenarian narrator recovering from varicose vein surgery, but the book’s plot takes care of her physical deterioration soon enough.
The action is set in Ibiza, the Spanish island famous for its nightclubs. When the narrator, Grace Winters, suddenly inherits a rundown house there, she leaves behind her tragic life as a childless and widowed mathematics teacher in England for an adventure. And, oh, what an adventure! As Grace pieces together the fate of a collegiate acquaintance, Christina, who gifted her the house, she meets Alberto Ribas, a “once respected marine biologist” who now gives diving tours in the Mediterranean and who Grace describes as “not so much of a pirate but a castaway, with the unkempt hair and the beard escaping his face in every direction.” On one of those dives, Grace’s life is forever altered by a blue phosphorescent light she swims toward under the water. “La Presencia,” or “The Presence,” imbues her with actual superpowers, the details of which are too much fun to spoil here.
And while at this point the plot proudly strays from reality, it’s not embarrassed by it. Grace is a reliable narrator and the structure of the novel is her telling her story to a former student. “Mathematics is… as mysterious and enigmatic as the whole of life, and expecting it — or anything — to confirm to what I wanted it to be was a mistake,” she writes. Grace’s reawakening to the wonders of the natural world forms the second half of the story, as she and a cast of characters work to save parts of Ibiza from development.
The entire book will take an average reader just a few hours to read. Really short chapters — some just a sentence long — help the pages fly. And while some may finish the last sentence shaking their head at the implausibility of it all, Grace’s realization that everything on Earth is worthy of admiration and preservation is a message the whole world can get behind.
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A biography is the story of a real person's life, based on facts and research. Learn about the origins, types, and examples of biographies, from ancient to modern, from historical to contemporary.
A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. ... The book was an account of the life of the fabled King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Following Malory, ...
A biography is what we call the written account of someone's life. It is written by someone other than whom the book is about. For example, an author named Walter Isaacson has written biographies on Steve Jobs, Leonardo da Vinci, and Einstein. A biography is what focuses on the significant events that occurred in a person's life, along with ...
A biography (from the Greek words bios meaning "life", and graphos meaning "write") is a non-fictional account of a person's life. Biographies are written by an author who is not the subject/focus of the book.
autobiography. hagiography. memoir. Costa Book Awards. character writer. biography, form of literature, commonly considered nonfictional, the subject of which is the life of an individual. One of the oldest forms of literary expression, it seeks to re-create in words the life of a human being—as understood from the historical or personal ...
12. The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann. Another mysterious explorer takes center stage in this gripping 2009 biography. Grann tells the story of Percy Fawcett, the archaeologist who vanished in the Amazon along with his son in 1925, supposedly in search of an ancient lost city.
A biography is a written account of one person's life by another person. Learn about the history, types, and examples of biographies, as well as how they are used in film and literature.
The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk by Randy Shilts (1982) Read More. Shop Now. 3. The Crusades of Cesar Chavez: A Biography by Miriam Pawel (2014) Read More. Shop Now. 4 ...
A biography is a non-fiction account of a person's life, written by someone who is not the subject. Learn about the common examples, types, and features of biographical works, and how they differ from autobiography and memoir.
The three primary formats of a memory book, used to tell a life story, are a biography, an autobiography, and a memoir. Distinguishing between the three can feel a bit confusing since they all share several similarities. But there are some distinct differences. Simply put, a biography is the life history of an individual, written by someone else.
1. King: A Life by Jonathan Eig (2023) Hailed by the New Yorker, Washington Post, Time and Chicago Tribune as one of the best books of 2023, King is a definitive biography of civil rights leader ...
Writing biography books: How to write, structure, and outline a biography. The different types of biographies, some tips and strategies for writing, and how many chapters and how many words (word count) in a chapter and in a biography book. In this author resource, I dish my expertise as a nonfiction publishing coach and editor.
By acknowledging both successes and challenges, readers gain a more honest understanding of their journey. Balancing positives and negatives helps readers empathise with the subject, connecting them on a deeper level and offering a more genuine insight into their lives. Emotions are a potent tool in biography writing.
Our Top Picks for the Best Biography Books of All Time. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow. Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson.
The Invisible Woman: The Story of Charles Dickens and Nelly Ternan by Claire Tomalin. "When Charles Dickens and Nelly Ternan met in 1857, she was 18: a professional actress performing in his production of The Frozen Deep. He was 45: a literary legend, a national treasure, married with ten children.
See why leading organizations rely on MasterClass for learning & development. Biographies are how we learn information about another human being's life. Whether you want to start writing a biography about a famous person, historical figure, or an influential family member, it's important to know all the elements that make a biography worth ...
7. Get feedback and polish the text. If you're going to publish your own biography, you'll have to polish it to professional standards. After leaving your work to rest for a while, look at it with fresh eyes and edit your own manuscript eliminating passive voice, filler words, and redundant adverbs.
How to Write a Biography in 11 Simple Steps. Here are the steps you need to take to learn how to write a biography: 1. Read other biographies . Austin Kleon, Author of Steal Like an Artist, says "the writer tries to master words. All of these pursuits involve the study of those who have come before and the effort to build upon their work in some way."
Now 18% Off. $23 at Amazon. Dean Jobb is a master of narrative nonfiction on par with Erik Larsen, author of The Devil in the White City. Jobb's biography of Leo Koretz, the Bernie Madoff of the ...
Biography, autobiography and memoir are three different types of books that revolve around true life stories. An autobiography is a life story written by the subject of the book. A biography is a life story written by someone other than the subject of the book. A memoir is a book written about a specific time in the author's life. Popular ...
I feel most capable of judging, if it is a book I have read. Here's another teaser: the book on James Herriot has the word "Memoir" in the title, but it is "a memoir of my father", so although maybe it's mistitled, one can't say it's misplaced, provided that the son did the writing. Tricky business.
Reading this book was a joy. This is one of the best biography books, interesting to read about those times Benjamin Franklin was grown. My Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi. There are many books written on Gandhiji, but this one is self-revealing and fascinating to read and one of the best biography books ever written. The autobiography ...
A biography is an account of the life of someone other than the author. An autobiography is an account of the author's own life. However, the definition may be blurry in cases when a ghostwriter helps someone write his autobiography. A ghostwriter is a writer who helps another person in creating a book.
Learn how to write a biography in 5 proven steps. From research to publishing, our experts will help you create a compelling story your readers will love!
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance (Paperback) by. Barack Obama (Goodreads Author) (shelved 1673 times as biography) avg rating 3.93 — 226,724 ratings — published 1995. Want to Read. Rate this book. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars.
Mixing the raw pathos of the Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir "Angela's Ashes," by family friend Frank McCourt, with the snarky humor of J.D. Salinger's eternal "The Catcher in the Rye," Burns ...
- Louie Giglio, Pastor of Passion City Church, Founder of Passion Conferences, Author of Goliath Must Fall "This book changed my life. It showed me the staggering welter of evidence for the historicity of the bible -- and convinced me that having faith in the biblical God is infinitely more rational than not having such faith. Any agnostic or ...
Told from the perspective of a fictionalized Soviet KGB agent, Viktor Petrov (played by John Voight), Reagan spends much of the movie focusing on Ronald Reagan's role in the Cold War.As a result ...
Book Review: Matt Haig extols the magic of Ibiza in 'The Life Impossible' ... The entire book will take an average reader just a few hours to read. Really short chapters — some just a sentence ...
The Friends of Elizabethtown Public Library's Fall Book Sale got underway Tuesday. Continuing through Saturday, the fundraiser's offerings include hundreds of used paperback and hardcover ...