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What is an "Autobiography"? Who usually writes one?

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Question added by Abeer AlSayed , Senior Media Relations Officer , Jordan River Foundation
Date Posted: 2016/11/10
Maryam Sohel
by Maryam Sohel , Customer Care Executive , The Birthplace

An autobiography is an account of a person's life written by that person. For example, if I were to write a book concerning my life then it would me an autobiography. Few other real life examples of autobiographies are: 

  • The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank.
  • Dreams from my Father - Barack Obama.
  • Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela. 

 

I have carved a distinguished stance on what compiles an accurate autobiography ----  a general thought had been understood by every one that an autobiography is what is written by an individual about himself.

The mean is partial because an autobiography is not only about an individual but the findings he has abstracted from the experiences of life.

An autobiography is only meant for the personnel whose life has been taken as a lesson of inspiration --- autobiography serves as a guide to many pass outs.

Simply defined a true autobiography defines a legendary work-- for whom every nation owes a stand of salute.

Olasoji Ojeniyi
by Olasoji Ojeniyi , Music teacher , Corona Schools' Trust Council

An autobiography is the story of someone's life written by the same person. It details significant, special and the defining moments of the author's times.

 

An autobiography is different from a biography only in that the latter is written by someone else rather than the one about whose life the work is. Where an autobiography might be more selective or cautios about the issues written, a biographer (one who writes the story about someone else's life) usually carefully researches areas that the subject may not prefer explored. Yet, the truest accounts of a person's life seem to be the autobiography because the issues raised are done through the eyes of the very one who experienced them. You might want to read "My Life", the autobiography of president Bill Clinton of the U.S. Compare that to a biography about him written by award-winning British author Nigel Hamilton, "Bill Clinton, An American Journey, Great Expectations".

 

What's more? It's good to mention memoirs. A memoir is just like an autobiography since it is written by the person who experienced it, but it is usually an account of the person's work life, rather than all of his/her life. In other words, memoirs don't cover birth, childhood and similar life phases. When they do, they are quite brief about such areas.

Majid Wangade
by Majid Wangade , Senior Accountant , KANTOUR LIMITED COMPANY ( Real Estate, Construction and Asset Management )

An autobiography is a written account of the life of a person written by that person. In other words, it is the story that a person wrote about themselves.

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