[Flozzin]

The Autobiography of Malcolm X. I always had the impression that Malcolm was the bad boy of his era. His reputation is much worse than King(who is seen as a hero). After reading it, it's all undeserved. He's not a pacifist sure, but the forces acting on him weren't pacifists either. It changed my world view, and did a lot to lift some blinders I had on. Of course he is from a different era, but many of the things he was struggling against are still in the USA today(sadly). So still relevant.

[unzadunza]

This is really high up on my list too. I came in with the same preconception about him that you describe. It was inspiring to see how he changed throughout the book.