I gave this a 5-star rating because the other reviewer gave it a 2. A TWO? Catherine Drinker Bowen has written biographies about Oliver Wendell Holmes and John Adams, among others. She's also written an excellent family memoir about her talented, fascinating family. I was completely captivated by this book. I love biographies and I do a lot of writing; at one time I thought I might write biographies, but that was in another lifetime. Regardless of whether you've ever thought of writing a biography or not, if you like reading them, CDB gives some fascinating insight into the process of creating biography. She writes chapters about openings and endings, the biographer's relationship with the subject, the perils and pleasures of research, the problems of biographical description, handling quoted material, handling things we do not know. CDB definitely knew her craft, and we're lucky she shared with us what she knew. The book ought to be better known. ( )