AUTOBIOGRAPHY-BIOGRAPHY
-Narahari
-Ravikiran
Autobiography
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Biography
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1)Autobiography:
A book about the life of a person written by
that person.
2)Statement of Purpose:
A brief and focused essay on one's career or
research goals written by Author.
3)Biography:
A detailed description or account of
someone's life (not written by the subject).
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 1&2
1)Autobiography- More general account
2)SOP- More Academic (School Application)
They should maintain
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Distinctness;
Specificity (don’t not use empty words or
exaggerate!!!);
Substance (Uniformity)
AUTOBIOGRAPHY
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In a story telling mode
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The special, unique, distinctive and impressive
qualities of the author (Life story)
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Interests, experiences and Qualifications of author
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Skills-Academic and Non-academic (Leadership,
Management, Cultural etc.)
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Carrer Goals (specifically for Job application type
Abs)
SOP
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Purpose in graduate study
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Future Objectives (study of specialization)
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Future Goals
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Past Preparation
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Special Mentions (for the problems in past)
BIOGRAPHY
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More than a list of impersonal facts (education, work,
relationships, and death)
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Portrays the subject's experience of those events
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Life story of something ( animal, coin or building etc.)
-story telling mode
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Interests ,Experiences & Feelings
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Depicts the life of an individual in ways that allow the
reader to question, evaluate, and analyze the
narrative.
Examples of Autobiographies and Biographies
Few examples of people who have been understood both by their autobiographies and
biographies
1.Charles Darwin
2.Che Guevara
3.Martin Luther King,Jr.
Charles Darwin’s autobiogrphy
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Darwin wrote the book, which he entitled Recollections of
the Development of my Mind and Character, for his family.
The book was edited by Charles Darwin's son Francis
Darwin, who removed several passages about Darwin's
critical views of God and Christianity. It was published in
London by John Murray as part of The life and letters of
Charles Darwin, including an autobiographical chapter.
The omitted passages were later restored by Darwin's
granddaughter Nora Barlow in a 1958 edition to
commemorate the 100th anniversary of the publication of
The Origin. This edition was published in London by
Collins under the title of The Autobiography of Charles
Darwin 1809-1882.
One long argument: charles darwin and the genesis of modern
evolutionary thought by Ernst Mayr
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Mayr has achieved a remarkable distillation of Charles
Darwin's scientific thought and his enormous legacy to
twentieth-century biology.
Describing Darwin’s treatise as "one long argument," .
This is an important book for students, biologists, and general
readers interested in the history of ideas—especially ideas that
have radically altered our worldview. This is a book by a grand
master that spells out in simple terms the historical issues and
presents the controversies in a manner that makes them
understandable from a modern perspective
The Motorcycle Diaries
The Motorcycle Diaries is a book that traces the early travels
of Marxist revolutionary Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, then a 23year-old medical student, and his friend Alberto Granado, a
29-year-old biochemist.
Guevara travelled 8,000 kilometres across South America on
an old 500cc single cylinder Norton motorcycle.
During the journey he is transformed by witnessing the social
injustices of exploited mine workers, persecuted communists,
ostracized lepers, and the tattered descendants of a once-great
Incan civilization.
The book ends with a declaration by Guevara, originally
born into an upper middle class family, displaying his
willingness to fight and die for the cause of the poor, and his
dream of seeing a united Latin America.
Che Guevara: A revolutionary life by Jon Lee Anderson
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Combining unprecedented access to the personal archives
maintained by Guevara's widow, carefully guarded Cuban
government documents, and extensive interviews with both
Che's comrades and the CIA men and Bolivian officers who
hunted him down, this acclaimed biography stands as "an
enduring achievement" , illuminating as never before this
mythic figure who embodied the greatest moment of
revolutionary communism as a force in history.
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
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Written in his own words, this historymaking autobiography
is Martin Luther King: the mild-mannered, inquisitive child
and student who chafed under and eventually rebelled
against segregation; the dedicated young minister who
continually questioned the depths of his faith and the limits
of his wisdom; the loving husband and father who sought to
balance his family’s needs with those of a growing,
nationwide movement; and the reflective, world-famous
leader who was fired by a vision of equality for people
everywhere.
Martin Luther King, Jr. (Penguin Lives biographies) by Marshall
Frady
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The Penguin Lives aren't just short biographies; they are
profiles with a purpose.
In this case, civil rights observer Marshall Frady explores the
life and character of minister-activist Martin Luther King Jr.
with candor and insight.
While presenting the central landmarks and pitfalls of King's
life, Frady tackles questions of strategy and ethics, including
recent accusations of plagiarism.
He writes compellingly about the development of King's anti–
Vietnam War stance and his changing views of other black
leaders.
Frady presents King as a politician with a spiritual mission; a
gifted yet flawed man; and a major figure in our shared history.