Best biographies of all time new york times

Recommendations from 80 articles, Barack Obama, Rihanna, Jimmy Fallon and 210 others.

Discover the life and genius of history's most creative figure in this new biography. In it, Walter Isaacson weaves a narrative that shows how Leonardo da Vinci's art and science intersected, and how his innovative studies of anatomy, fossils, birds, flying machines, and more made him a true Renaissance man. With the help of thousands of pages from Leonardo's notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Isaacson shows how we can learn from Leonardo's passionate curiosity, careful observation, and imaginative mind.

This Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Power Broker, uncovers the untold story behind the shaping (and mis-shaping) of 20th-century New York City and State. Robert Moses, the single most powerful man of his time in New York, led urban renewal efforts with a political machine that was virtually the fourth branch of government. By mobilizing banks, contractors, labor unions, insurance firms, and even the press and the Church, Moses created an empire, living like an emperor and completing public works costing $27 billion. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the inner workings of power in American cities.