Before the White House and The Apprentice, Donald Trump was a real estate mogul whose large-scale projects made him one of the most well-known developers in New York City.

In this autobiography, Trump recounts his early life and career—from building low- and middle-income housing with his father in NYC’s outer boroughs to erecting luxury apartments in Manhattan. Trump outlines the eleven principles that guide his business decisions, and how they played out in the deals that defined his early career, including projects such as Trump Tower in New York, his first casino ventures in Atlantic City, and his gamble on the United States Football League.

Michelle Obama's memoir Becoming delivers candid reflections on the life of the first African-American first lady. Offering a window into her personal evolution, Michelle details how ambition, hard work, and embracing her authentic story helped her journey from her family’s Chicago working-class neighborhood to a 47th-floor law office, then to the White House and beyond.

Becoming provides insights into Michelle’s self-determination: She pushed herself to excel in Ivy League classrooms and achieve a prestigious career by age 26, then mustered the courage to swerve off that path in search of greater fulfillment. It details her relationship with Barack—a love story of two opposites—and their challenging quest to navigate family and political life. Through it all, we witness a woman who perpetually strives to become a better version of herself.

A Promised Land is Barack Obama’s memoir of his early political career and the first two years of his presidency. Obama takes us on his journey from relative obscurity as a biracial kid from Hawaii to becoming a transformative figure as the nation’s first African-American president. At every step of his career, Obama was guided by a deep faith in the fundamental unity of Americans; the potential and promise of America; the necessity of compromise and seeking common ground; and above all, the power of the democratic system to heal our divisions and effect real change for ordinary people.

Jimmy Carter isn’t remembered as a great president, but he’s come to be revered for his work as a humanitarian. However, in His Very Best, biographer Jonathan Alter presents a fresh perspective on the groundbreaking work Carter did in Washington. Instead of focusing on the hardships America suffered during Carter’s time in office, Alter draws attention to the long-term effects of what Carter accomplished while president. Alter paints Carter as deeply principled yet politically short-sighted in a way that let him achieve great things while undermining his legacy.

In this guide, we’ll show how Carter’s early life shaped his political career and his journey to the presidency. We’ll look at the various roles he’s played—politician, reformer, diplomat, and global humanitarian. We’ll also explore the political context that shaped Carter’s years in the White House, as well as the conflict between Carter’s values and the compromises required of anyone in high office.

Best known as the general who led the Union to victory over the Confederacy in the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant has been widely misunderstood by mainstream historians, argues biographer Ron Chernow. According to Chernow, the mainstream narrative characterizes Grant as an inept heavy drinker whose success in the Civil War stemmed primarily from a numbers advantage and whose Presidency was marred by corruption and the failure of Reconstruction. But in his comprehensive 2018 biography, Grant, Chernow seeks to correct this caricature by shedding light on Grant’s achievements as General of the Union, President of the United States, and a person fighting valiantly against an alcohol addiction.

In this guide, we’ll discuss Chernow’s assessment of Grant’s role in the Civil War, his accomplishments as President, and his struggles against unhealthy alcohol use. We’ll also dig deeper into the historical context of Grant’s life and examine accounts from other historians that complement Chernow’s biography.

Many consider Abraham Lincoln the greatest US president of all time. He held the presidency from 1861 to 1865, and during that time, guided the Union to victory in the American Civil War and signed the Emancipation Proclamation—a document that began the process of ending chattel slavery in America. But, in Lincoln on Leadership, author Donald T. Phillips doesn’t just focus on what Lincoln did—he also focuses on how he did it.

In our guide to Lincoln on Leadership, we’ll explore the main components of Lincoln’s leadership style that Phillips identifies in the book: how he communicated, acted ethically, and made his decisions. We’ll also provide historical context and alternative perspectives on Lincoln and leadership through our commentary.

Abraham Lincoln is a central figure in American history: He was the 16th president of the United States, the "Great Emancipator," and the man who led the US through the Civil War. In And There Was Light, historian and biographer Jon Meacham breaks down the myths and legends that have surrounded Abraham Lincoln, arguing that Lincoln had good intentions, and accomplished great things, but was still as flawed and prone to mistakes as anyone else.

In this guide, we’ll present Lincoln’s remarkable life in chronological order, from his birth in rural Kentucky to his assassination in Washington, D.C. We give particular attention to Lincoln’s political career, especially his actions as president during the Civil War.

In our commentary, we’ll add context for Lincoln’s life and the major events in it, especially the historical and economic motivations behind slavery and the Civil War. We’ll also explore where Meacham’s account of Lincoln’s life differs from other accounts.

Are great leaders born, or are they made? In Leadership: In Turbulent Times, bestselling author and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin argues that it’s the latter: Great leaders often grow from personal challenges that shape how they lead later on. In our guide, you’ll discover how the personal crises of four US presidents helped them lead through national crises. Why did a career setback lead Abraham Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation? How did a family tragedy help Theodore Roosevelt end a coal strike that threatened the lives of thousands? Why did Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s polio diagnosis end up helping him lead the country through the Great Depression—and how was Lyndon B. Johnson’s heart attack instrumental to the civil rights movement?

Along the way, you’ll learn how other historians view these presidents, how these presidents’ behaviors reflect the teachings of modern-day experts on leadership and productivity—and how you can apply these lessons to your own life.

Has there been a skill you’ve been wanting to learn, but you’ve been putting it off for years? It can be hard to find the time, energy, and motivation to learn something new. Fortunately, in the international bestseller The First 20 Hours, skill acquisition expert Josh Kaufman provides a simple and effective method for learning almost any skill in just 20 hours. Whether you want to learn how to cook, speak a foreign language, or practice a martial art, by following Kaufman’s rapid skill acquisition process, you’ll pick up and enjoy your new skills as fast as humanly possible.

In this guide, we’ll discuss the misconceptions that hold us back from learning new skills and the science behind skill acquisition. Then, we’ll explore Kaufman’s step-by-step process for mastering the basics of any new skill with only 20 hours of practice. Along the way, we’ll share additional insights from psychologists and performance experts, as well as actionable tips to help you optimize your skill-building experience.

Though we don’t like to think about it, we’re all going to get old. But in Ageless, physicist-turned-biologist Andrew Steele contends that aging isn’t as inevitable as it seems. Steele argues that we can treat—and even cure—aging. He explains that scientists are on the cusp of discovering anti-aging therapies and treatments that could lengthen the human lifespan and enable us to live many more years in good health, thus ensuring our health is no longer dependent on our chronological age.

In this guide, we’ll examine Steele’s explanations of the processes that make us grow sicker and slower as we age, the treatments you can expect to see in the future, and the scientifically proven steps you can take right now to slow your own aging process. We’ll also put Steele’s ideas into the context of the latest research in the field, and we’ll compare his predictions to those of other experts. (Spoiler alert: Steele is very optimistic about your chances of living a long and healthy life!)