When we are faced with adversity, life often appears to be utterly devoid of hope and meaning. How does one persevere, while feeling condemned to bear the weight of the world on their shoulders? During the most dramatic and turbulent periods of my life, I received lessons in moral courage from biographies.

At times when I raged against the perceived unfairness of my fate, Rubén Gallego offered me a valuable perspective. The moment I felt ready to succumb to self-pity, I reached for the Diving Bell and Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby. When I felt alienated and petulant, Cupcake Brown taught me the importance of a support network and value of patience. After reading Little Failure, I completely absolved myself of any remnants of filial ingratitude. Reading All Who Go Do Not Return and Infidel gave me the courage to stand up for my convictions. On the days when problems threatened to overwhelm me, biographies offered a reprieve from egotism and despair. Reading about Paul Kalanithi's challenging choices during his neurosurgery residence and his options as cancer patient, invited a fresh retrospective. Biographies quickly became my ultimate self-help tool.

Plutarch was the first writer to carefully distinguish the craft of biography from mere history. Unlike most ancient historians, Plutarch was far more concerned with the inward battles that rage inside a single human being. Lives of the Noble Grecian and Romans, commonly known as Parallel Lives, consist of careful character studies. "What we achieve inwardly, will change outer reality," wrote Plutarch. The aim of his work, and perhaps of every other biography that followed it, is moralistic. Biographies of creative and accomplished individuals of all eras can always provide us with inspiration and guidance. While a great number of Plutarch's heroes possess character traits worthy of emulation, I craved to read about lives and situations that were similar to my own.

"If you don't have either arms or legs, you are either a hero or dead," writes Ruben Gallego. The heroes of this post are not paragons of virtue, but survivors. The fact that they became heroes by default, does not diminish their achievements. They found themselves in desperate situations and adamantly refused to surrender. I admire their independent of mind, their determination, their ability to persevere and succeed against the impossible odds. Above all else, I admire their valor. By writing a memoir they had the courage to face their past, come to terms with it and put it behind them. What they achieved inwardly did change their outer reality and might help you change yours. If you are feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders, read a biography.

When searching for a hero, please keep in mind that most biographies are arranged by the last name of the subject. All of the titles below are available at Mid-Manhattan.

White on Black / Ruben Gallego
Белое на черном / Рубен Давид Гонсалес Гальего
Blanco sobre negro / Rubén Gallego

A grandson of the secretary general of the Spanish Communist Party, Rubén David González Gallego was born with severe cerebral palsy. He spend his childhood in Russian orphanages, reserved for physically and mentally disabled children. Pitied for the color of his skin and his lack of physical abilities, his earlier life was marked by neglect and deprivation. Ironically, just as every other child in Soviet Russia, he was expected to show his gratitude to the nation that cherished its younger generation. After graduating to an old age home, a place where all of his former classmates quickly succumbed to malnourishment, David Gallego beat extraordinary odds by surviving. The story of his childhood brought international attention to the plight of all disabled people in Russia. Translated into a number of languages, this book is available at Mid-Manhattan in Russian, English and Spanish.

A Piece of Cake: A Memoir / Cupcake Brown

Astonishing in its candor and the amount of harrowing details, this memoir is an indictment of the foster care system. Abandoned by her biological father and repeatedly placed into the households of abusive foster parents, Cupcake Brown learned to survive by her own wits. Despite her pugnacious struggle for independence, she succumbs to addiction. Determined to transform her life, the author takes to the task with remarkable persistence and determination. I highly recommend an audio book version this biography, as it is read by the author. For information on how to download an audio book, refer to this guide.

Give Me Everything You Have: On Being Stalked / James Lasdun

If you have been the object of unwanted obsession, you will commiserate with the author of this highly disturbing book. Narcissists don't take rejection lightly and will attempt to do everything and anything to destroy your life. Such is the size of their fragile ego and the force of their fury, that they can make your downfall the sole mission of their empty life. They will live to denigrate and blacken your reputation, destroy your family and ruin your career. They will stalk you in life and on social networks, combing through your most innocent posts for "evidence" that can be used against you. They will continuously attempt to invade your privacy. They feed on malice and venom flows through their veins, because you managed to leave them behind, daring to live a happy and fulfilled life. Naively seeking justice in protection though our legal system, this author finally got his day in the court of public opinion by writing this book.

The Glass Castle: A Memoir / Jeannette Walls

Translated into thirty seven languages, this international bestseller clearly resonated with a global audience. Stuck between a self-absorbed mother with artistic pretensions and an alcoholic father, a young protagonist is forced to fend for herself and her siblings. Determined to escape a life of neglect and poverty, she moved to New York City, only to be followed by her parents. In an interview with the New York Times, Jeanette Walls said, "We all have our baggage, and I think the trick is not resisting it but accepting it, understanding that the worst experience has a valuable gift wrapped inside if you’re willing to receive it.”

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly / Jean-Dominique Bauby

A stylish and witty bon vivant in the prime of his life, Jean-Dominique Bauby suffered a massive stroke. While his useless body keeps him hostage, his mind continued to soar above all, recording the beauty and absurdity of life. Bauby is eventually able to express himself by dictating a word at a time. This laborious process involved blinking to select each letter, as the alphabet was recited to him slowly, over and over again. This extraordinary book is written as act of defiance against all those that pitied him for being a "vegetable."
 

Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice / Bill Browder

A son of a generational communist, Bill Browder was raised to revere intelligentsia and despise crass ideas that support capitalism. After graduating from Stanford Business School, he settled in Moscow, eventually making millions. In 2006 he was indicted on charges of tax evasion and expelled from Russia. Determined to fight back, Browder hired a talented and principled tax attorney, whose name was destined to become far more familiar than his own. According to Browder, Sergei Magnitsky uncovered a massive ring of corruption within the Russian tax agency and prepared to testify against the government officials involved in it. Magnitsky's death in jail galvanized Browder into fighting for the Law that would bear his name.

All Who Go Do Not Return: A Memoir / Shulem Deen

Insatiable and exacting intellectual curiosity led Shulem Dean to question and reject the beliefs of his isolated community. Why did he remain living among the insular and restrictive group, obsessed with minutia and dismissive of all progress? Pressure to conform, lack of monetary resources, lack of skills necessary to support oneself, fear of being ostracized, emotional blackmail, absence of psychological support, fear of reprisal, knowledge that the legal system will be manipulated and used against him as a punitive tool, lack of confidence in his abilities, gnawing self-doubt and overwhelming guilt over breaking up a family were his reasons for staying. Read about his reasons for leaving in this courageous memoir.

The Speechwriter: A Brief Education in Politics / Barton Swaim

Have you ever had a boss that loved to hear the sound of his own voice and could not be pleased, no matter hard you tried? Barton Swain did. A graduate of elite educational institutions, Swain was employed as a speechwriter for a certain unnamed governor. Full of energy and idealism, he believed that his job was to write well. Eventually he understood that he simply must write just like the governor. Because he no longer works for the governor, this book is exceptionally well written. Swaim concludes with his astute and thoughtful analysis of what drives modern politicians in this country. A must-read in the election year!

Infidel / Ayaan Hirsi Ali

A refugee from war-torn Somalia and an arranged marriage, Ayaan Hisri Ali achieved the ultimate dream of any successful immigrant. As a remember of Dutch Parliament, she had the courage to speak her mind and advocate for those who could not do so on their own. Despite being condemned to death by fanatics, she never abandoned her beliefs and ideals.

Little Failure: A Memoir / Gary Shteyngart

A small furry boy with asthma, Gary Shteyngart was first lovingly referred to as snotty and weakling. When he dared to betray parental expectations, he became known as Little Failure. When his successful novel exposes old world parenting practices, his parents are enraged by an ungrateful son. In one cathartic moment the author decidedly informs them that their opinion will no longer matter to him.

Crazy Love: A Memoir / Leslie Morgan Steiner

This biography attempts to answers very important questions of why domestic violence victims remain in abusive relationships for years. Love-bombed into a relationship, this author gradually gave up her beloved pet, her friends, as well as her dream job in New York City. After moving into a rural area, she was completely isolated and financially dependent on her abuser. Despite such hardship, she was unwilling to see herself as victim. Leslie Morgan Steiner thought that she was in a unique position of helping a suffering soul mate. Existing in the state of permanent cognitive dissonance, she sincerely hoped to be the agent of change for her abusive husband. She often excused her husband's egregious actions as the traumas of childhood, stress and temporary emotional instability. After gaining financial freedom and doing research on the likelihood of the abuse stopping, she was able to leave him and build a new life for herself.

The Battle for Room 314: My Year of Hope and Despair in a New York City High School / Ed Boland

A successful non-profit manager, Ed Boland was not content with providing a few bright students with opportunities of a lifetime. This candid account of his attempt to try to save as many as he could, describes a traumatic crash of idealism against complex and painful reality. It is always difficult to come to terms with the fact that you can only do so much for so many. Mr. Boland deserves credit for trying. After finishing this book, I was convinced that he did make a difference in his student's lives.

When Breath Becomes Air / Paul Kalanithi

While browsing the reviews of this book, I saw one recommending it specifically to terminally ill patients, families and caregivers. Dr. Kalanithi chose to engage with death on a daily basis in order to understand what makes life valuable. This posthumously published biography invites all of us to reflect on the meaning of life, in view of the fact that time might run out sooner than we plan.