Top 4 Autobiographies

Imagine yourself in your favorite bookstore. What do you reach for first? Is it fantasy, fiction, science fiction or the latest gossip magazine? We fail to give credit to the people who sit down and write about their lives through memory and documents such as diaries, photos and random reminiscence. Sometimes we underestimate the lives of individuals of people who we are not familiar with and focus our attention on celebrities who are famous for being celebrities. Instead, put down the magazine, put down that Lord of the Rings novel and engage yourself in a real person who has gone through real experiences to make a difference. I ask you to step outside of your small fiction box and step into someone else’s real life. I challenge you to a history lesson. Today I bring to you the top four autobiographies that have caught my attention and have stuck with me.

Down These Mean Streets
By Piri Thomas

“I had been walking around since 9 p.m. My thoughts were boiling. Poppa ain’t never gonna hit me again. I’m his kid too, just like James, Jose, Pauline and Sis. But I’m the one that always gets the blame for everything. I’m sorry Momma’s gotta worry, but she’s gotta understand that it wasn’t my fault.” Believe it or not, this is an excerpt from Piri Thomas’ autobiography Down These Mean Streets. If you have ever wanted to live in the fast lane but not suffer the consequences, you will be impressed by what Thomas has to offer in Down These Mean Streets.

Piri, who is of Puerto Rican and Cuban descent, struggles with his identity as he grows up on the streets of New York. In 1941, 12-year-old Piri is introduced to drugs, violence, sex and crime and falls victim to all three and more. Throughout these 352 pages Thomas struggles with what it means to be a young Hispanic man growing up in Harlem.

Not only do you get to experience life in the fast lane, but you will also pick up a little Spanish along the way. Due to his Spanish roots, Thomas sprinkles Spanish words throughout the novel, but don’t worry if you don’t understand; expect to find a small Spanish dictionary of terms and phrases used throughout the novel.

If you think you’re ready to shoot this racy novel in your veins, then fasten your seatbelts and get ready for Down These Mean Streets.

My Bloody Life
By Reymundo Sanchez

He may have been born in the back of a 1957 Chevy in Puerto Rico where he was conceived, but the streets are Reymundo’s real home, Humboldt Park in Chicago, IL to be exact. After being constantly beat and abused as a nightly routine, Reymundo began looking for attention in all of the wrong places. Reymundo finds refuge in a notorious Chicago gang -- The Latin Kings -- who have made the colors black and gold their own.

Reymundo’s family travels back to Puerto Rico to avoid the safety risks of Chicago, but Reymundo stays behind, adopting the name ‘Lil Loco’ after becoming a part of the Latin Kings, his new family. Sanchez doesn’t hold back in his autobiography. He uses the reader as his diary, exposing his trials and tribulations. This autobiography is so revealing that the author remains anonymous, using the alias Reymundo Sanchez to protect his himself from divulging the secret life of a Latin King. Sanchez doesn’t hesitate to walk you through the drugs, sex, violence and the feeling of being neglected. This is his Bloody Life. His Bloody Life doesn’’t end here. There is a part two in which he writes about how he escaped his gang life.

Scar Tissue
By Anthony Kiedis

Famous front man of the Red Hot Chili Peppers gives it all away in his autobiography Scar Tissue. Ever wondered what he was thinking about when he came up with those funky lyrics to “Give it Away,” or the heartfelt words to “Under the Bridge” or the catchy lyrics to “Scar Tissue?”

In Kiedis’ autobiography, he doesn’t hesitate to break down the science of his lyrics. Creating a novel out of his comeback song Scar Tissue, after close to a seven year hiatus, Kiedis connects with his reader by telling the story through first person. He walks you through his experiences before becoming a Chili Pepper and the dark side of being a rock star. Dating everyone from Ione Sky to Sofia Coppola, Kiedis uses them as inspiration behind some of his hit songs such as “Breaking the Girl” and “I Could Have Lied.”

Before Kiedis jumps into the story of his past and present rock star status, he doesn’t fail to mention the twisted and confusing lives of his young parents in Michigan and how their lives have affected him and still do today. From the death of a band mate to being robbed and using drugs as a security blanket, Kiedis does not hesitate to bare his Scare Tissue and all.

The Confessions of a Yakuza
By John Bestor (Translator) and Junichi (Author)

If you thought the confession room on the Real World was full of juicy deep dark secrets, you haven’t seen anything until you have picked up The Confessions of a Yakuza. Imagine living in the fast lane having to constantly watch your back. If you make one wrong move it can cost you your life or a limb.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Yakuza, here is a quick history lesson. The Yakuza is a Japanese mafia or organized crime group that refuses to be controlled by the government and goes against the grain.

The Confessions of a Yakuza is the story of a ex-Yakuza boss as told by his physician. This former Yakuza boss is dying and decides to tell his story since he has nothing to lose and knows he is going to meet his fate sooner or later, because of the dangerous life he has led. This abnormal six foot Japanese ex-Yakuza member takes you by the hand under the surface of what Americans see as just “Japan.”

While reading this autobiography expect a history lesson of the Meiji era that is not taught in your average history class. Expect a quick and easy read but disturbing and unforgettable memories of a Yakuza.