Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare
Stephen Greenblatt

This is an interesting take on a biography. Instead of dealing with the known hard facts of William Shakespeare's life, Greenblatt takes a different approach. He looks at why Shakespeare lived and wrote as he did by way of looking at the world around him. By looking at the players in his life, we find a deeper understanding of the man. Greenblatt does an excellent job of delving into the lives of all the people that may have had an influence on Shakespeare's life. To only see the facts and figures of a person's life doesn't create much of a picture; but by studying his writings and watching the social times, we are able to see connections to Shakespeare's personality.
The best writing of this book is in the first two or three chapters and then again in the last. I found Greenblatt's writing to be long-winded and almost pompous. I also found that he was quite often off on tangents that were unrelated, if at all, to the main subject.
In all I would say this is a very good read. Lengthy, but good. It is a book that not only showcases one of the world's elite writers; but also forces you to ponder your own life. What makes you the way you are? Who makes you the way you are? And lastly, what is it that you are putting out there for the world to know you by?