Creative Biography

In YouTubers: How YouTube Shook Up TV and Created a New Generation of Stars, author Chris Stokel-Walker delves into the world of YouTube influencers and the impact they have had on entertainment and media. Focusing on the rise of YouTubers as a new breed of celebrities, Stokel-Walker explores the evolution of the platform from a simple video-sharing site to a powerhouse of influence and creativity.

In 1803, Meriwether Lewis was offered the chance of a lifetime. The president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, asked him to lead an expedition across North America, through the Louisiana Territory and Oregon Country to the Pacific Ocean. Lewis jumped at the opportunity and called on his friend William Clark to share in the command of the exploration. The two men organized a small unit of volunteers they called the Corps of Discovery. They had little idea of what dangers lay ahead in the mysterious lands.

In July 2009 Geraint (Gez) Jones was sitting in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, with the rest of The Firm - Danny, Jay, Toby and Jake, his four closest friends, all junior NCOs and combat-hardened infantrymen. Thanks to the mangled remains of a Jackal vehicle left tactlessly outside their tent, IEDs were never far from their mind. Within days they’d be on the ground in Musa Qala with the rest of 3 Platoon - a mixed bunch of men Gez would die for.

Telling the inspiring human story behind the creation of the Paralympics, this young listener's biography showcases a riveting narrative to honor the life of Ludwig Guttmann, whose work profoundly changed so many lives. Dedicating his life to helping patients labeled incurables, Ludwig Guttmann fought for the rights of paraplegics to live a full life. The young doctor believed - and eventually proved - that physical movement is key to healing, a discovery that led him to create the first Paralympic Games.

Taken from her family in Africa at the age of seven, Phillis Wheatley arrived in Boston as a slave in 1761. After she was purchased by the Wheatley family, Phillis quickly learned to speak and read English. The bright young girl soon began writing poetry. By 1771, her poems had been published in newspapers all over the colonies, and critics were praising the "extraordinary negro poetess." In this engaging biography, author Maryann Weidt tells the story of how a young slave girl in revolutionary Boston became an internationally famous poet and the first black American to publish a book.

From his vantage point harnessed to a tree overlooking the town of Huntsville (he tended to wander), a very young Roy MacGregor got in the habit of watching people—what they did, who they talked to, where they went. He has been getting to know his fellow Canadians and telling us all about them ever since.

The Creative Voice, a memoir-album, is the inspirational story of a singer, Naomi Sutherland, who loses her voice at school and goes on a quest to find it again. It tracks the journey of the human voice through its history, and shows how life has the power to shape and silence all our voices. Exploring ideas from ancient anthropology, neuroscience, the sociology of class and education, culture, psychology, philosophy and economics, Naomi shows us the power of creative originality and the importance of protecting it.

This book has quite a few unique stories about personal life and what it takes to be successful in making a living through your work and passion. We all go through life and sometimes the journey is very similar to yours and what you might have experienced and lived through. We can all relate to our personal feelings, common sense, and judgment in all that we encounter. It all seems that we lived several lives in one as we get older and wiser.

George the Poet knows better than anybody the importance of understanding your surroundings. Born to Ugandan parents on the St Raphael's Estate in Neasden, north-west London, George Mpanga has always been aware of his community. It was both his teacher and his inspiration - giving him the language, the experiences, and the skills to become the person he is today. In Track Record, George unveils the power dynamics that shape our world, shedding light on the forces that restrict Black creativity and put limits on Black excellence.

Brought to you by the author of the widely-acclaimed Single Dad Laughing and Dan Pearce Knows Nothing blogs, The All-Important, Well-Fed, Giant White Man will make you laugh as often as it makes you squirm (in all the right ways) as Dan shares his sidesplitting life stories, moments of incredible stupidity, colossal mistakes, and the awesome (albeit sometimes strange) lessons learned through it all.

This short piece of nonfiction is important to me. As a writer, I have been influenced by many things, none of which more than "Star Trek".

People's experiences of coming out as gay to friends and families are often very diverse, sometimes amusing, and sometimes very sad. Through this series, TV presenter Kristian Digby uncovers the true stories from well-known gay celebrities, finding out how hard it is to say the words "I'm gay”. First up, Kristian tells his own story of coming out.

Joerg Kundrath and Kai Klement met in college and discovered they had more in common than just a math class - they both wanted to build a company. There was one issue; they had to figure out what to sell. Four years later, they are one of the biggest iPad and iPhone genuine leather case sellers on Amazon. This is the story of how they built their successful friendship, thriving company, and fulfilling lives. It also serves as a blueprint for you to do the same thing.

Andy was born into a family with a loving mother and a violent father. His mother was his rock, his safe place, the person he cherished most. Soon after he graduated high school, she was hit and killed by a drunk driver. Plunged into a deep depression, he spent the next two decades running away from his pain. Eventually, his pain caught up with him. He was forced to confront it once and for all. What he discovered in his healing process is that suffering can be a profound source of guidance and comfort. For much of his life, sadness sabotaged and crippled him. But he learned to transform it into vulnerability and then action.

Many people - perhaps four out of five or more - are dissatisfied with their jobs. Why not pursue a dream? It’s up to you to create your custom-tailored career and define success your way. But how? Combine your burning passion with drive, determination, strategy, and commitment to pay it forward; find and nurture mentor support, stay steady on your path, and see the fireworks. Success on Your Own Terms will show you exactly how to do it.

The powerful and inspiring story of a man who, instead of despairing over his own impoverished plight or the systems that make it hard for others to climb out of poverty, created a solution that's breaking cycles of poverty and bringing hope to a new generation.

A book for young listeners, Mary Lou Retton: America's Sweetheart tells the inspirational life story of the most celebrated gymnast in United States history. Discover how a young girl from West Virginia achieved her dream of winning gymnastics' all-around title at the 1984 Olympics. Includes anecdotes from her personal life and career highlights.

What were the first words you spoke this morning? You possess the most powerful life changing tool known to mankind that will change your life! That tool is words. This dynamite power is yours and yours alone. No one, not even God can take that away from you. When I discovered this powerful tool, I began to build bridges to freedom from circumstances that were meant to kill and destroy me. It was my words that brought the destruction, and it was my words that restored my life, as I crossed the bridge over circumstances that looked like raging rivers and deep canyons.

It’s the business of saving lives. Miracle Medicines goes behind the scenes of the pharmaceutical industry and into the high-security laboratories to tell the stories of the men and women - chemists, physiologists, medical and clinical researchers, engineers - who have chosen to toil for years in the lab in order to transform scientific theories into new lifesaving medicines. You’ll witness the day-to-day labors, victories and defeats of the dedicated professionals who are waging a war against the diseases that still plague mankind.

Moments Matter offers a firsthand account of surviving a plane crash as well as lessons from his 30+ year career as a successful sales manager and behind-the-scenes stories as head of security for peak performance coach and world-renowned speaker Anthony Robbins.