Choose Your Mentors
Browse 91 mentors from history and literature. Build your personal board of advisors.
91 mentors found
Benjamin Franklin
Colonial & Revolutionary America
Known for
Practical wisdom, self-improvement, and diplomacy
"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
From: Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
68 mentor adoptions
Sun Tzu
Ancient China
Known for
Strategy, preparation, and winning without fighting
"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting."
From: The Art of War
67 mentor adoptions
Oscar Wilde
19th Century
Known for
Wit and social commentary
From: Oscar Wilde, His Life and Confessions. Volume 2 (of 2)
66 mentor adoptions
Leonardo da Vinci
Renaissance Italy, 15th-16th Century
Known for
Embodying the Renaissance ideal through art, science, engineering, and insatiable curiosity
Learning never exhausts the mind.
From: The Renaissance: Studies in Art and Poetry
64 mentor adoptions
Elizabeth Bennet
19th Century England
Known for
Wit, independence, and navigating society
"I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine."
From: Pride and Prejudice
55 mentor adoptions
Cleopatra VII
Ancient Egypt/Rome (1st Century BCE)
Known for
Last Pharaoh of Egypt, diplomat, and political survivor
"I will not be triumphed over."
From: Cleopatra — Complete
54 mentor adoptions
Marcus Aurelius
Ancient Rome
Known for
Stoic philosophy, self-discipline, and ruling with wisdom
"You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength."
From: Meditations
53 mentor adoptions
Marie Curie
Known for
Scientific discovery and persistence against all odds
From: Pierre Curie
33 mentor adoptions
Jesus Christ
Known for
The Divine Savior and central figure of Julian's revelations
From: Revelations of Divine Love
68 mentor adoptions
Henry David Thoreau
19th Century America
Known for
Transcendentalist philosopher and civil disobedience advocate
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
From: Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience
66 mentor adoptions
J.P. Morgan
Late 19th-Early 20th Century America
Known for
Financier who dominated corporate finance, reorganized railroads, and bailed out the U.S. government
A man always has two reasons for what he does—a good one, and the real one
From: High Finance
66 mentor adoptions
Charles Dickens
Victorian Era
Known for
Novelist who championed the poor and transformed English literature
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
From: The Life of Charles Dickens, Vol. I-III, Complete
65 mentor adoptions
George Washington
Revolutionary America, 18th Century
Known for
Leading the revolution and voluntarily surrendering power, setting the standard for principled leadership
It is better to be alone than in bad company.
From: Hero Tales from American History
65 mentor adoptions
Thomas Edison
19th-20th Century America
Known for
The light bulb, phonograph, and relentless experimentation
"Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration."
From: Historical Figures Collection
64 mentor adoptions
Winston Churchill
20th Century Britain
Known for
Wartime leadership, oratory, and indomitable spirit
"Never, never, never give up."
From: Historical Figures Collection
64 mentor adoptions
St. Thomas Aquinas
13th century Europe
Known for
Greatest medieval philosopher-theologian who synthesized faith and reason
Faith and reason are not enemies but partners in the search for truth
From: Moral Theology: A Complete Course Based on St. Thomas Aquinas and the Best Modern Authorities
64 mentor adoptions
Ralph Waldo Emerson
19th Century America
Known for
Transcendentalist essayist and philosopher of self-reliance
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
From: Ralph Waldo Emerson
64 mentor adoptions
Jane Austen
Victorian Era
Known for
Author and letter writer
From: The Letters of Jane Austen: Selected from the compilation of her great nephew, Edward, Lord Bradbourne
63 mentor adoptions
Confucius
Ancient China, 6th-5th Century BC
Known for
Teaching principles of family harmony, respect, self-cultivation, and social order
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.
From: The Sayings of Confucius: A New Translation of the Greater Part of the Confucian Analects
62 mentor adoptions
James Madison
American Founding Era
Known for
Co-author of The Federalist Papers, emphasizing the importance of checks and balances and the prevention of tyranny.
From: The Federalist Papers
62 mentor adoptions
James Watt
Known for
The central figure, an inventor and mechanical genius.
From: James Watt
61 mentor adoptions
Seneca
Known for
Stoic philosopher, statesman, and dramatist, author of the text.
From: Seneca's Morals of a Happy Life, Benefits, Anger and Clemency
60 mentor adoptions
Carl Gustav Jung
20th Century Switzerland
Known for
Psychiatrist who developed analytical psychology, explored archetypes, the collective unconscious, and individuation
Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes
From: Psychology of the Unconscious: A Study of the Transformations and Symbolisms of the Libido. A Contribution to the History of the Evolution of Thought
60 mentor adoptions
Otto von Bismarck
19th century Prussia/Germany
Known for
Iron Chancellor who unified Germany through Realpolitik and strategic brilliance
Politics is the art of the possible
From: The Life of Bismarck, Private and Political: With Descriptive Notices of His Ancestry
59 mentor adoptions
Florence Hartley
19th Century
Known for
Victorian etiquette authority
From: The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness: A Complete Hand Book for the Use of the Lady in Polite Society
59 mentor adoptions
George Eliot
Victorian Era
Known for
Novelist and philosopher who challenged Victorian conventions
It is never too late to be what you might have been.
From: George Eliot; a Critical Study of Her Life, Writings and Philosophy
59 mentor adoptions
St. Francis of Assisi
12th-13th century Italy
Known for
Founder of the Franciscan Order who embraced radical poverty and simplicity
In giving we receive, in pardoning we are pardoned
From: Life of St. Francis of Assisi
57 mentor adoptions
Siddhartha
Ancient India (literary creation)
Known for
Spiritual seeker who found enlightenment through lived experience, not doctrine
Wisdom cannot be taught—it must be lived
From: Siddhartha
57 mentor adoptions
Mahatma Gandhi
19th-20th Century India
Known for
Nonviolent resistance, Indian independence, and moral leadership
"Be the change you wish to see in the world."
From: Historical Figures Collection
57 mentor adoptions
Alexander Graham Bell
19th century America/Canada
Known for
Inventor of the telephone and tireless advocate for deaf education
When one door closes, another opens—but we often look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened
From: The Story of My Life: With her letters (1887-1901) and a supplementary account of her education, including passages from the reports and letters of her teacher, Anne Mansfield Sullivan, by John Albert Macy
56 mentor adoptions
Frederick Douglass
19th Century America
Known for
Escaping slavery to become the most influential voice for abolition and human dignity
If there is no struggle, there is no progress.
From: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
56 mentor adoptions
Sigmund Freud
19th-20th Century Vienna
Known for
Founder of psychoanalysis who explored the unconscious mind, dreams, and human motivation
The mind is like an iceberg; it floats with one-seventh of its bulk above water
From: The Interpretation of Dreams
55 mentor adoptions
Michael Faraday
19th century England
Known for
Self-taught scientist who discovered electromagnetic induction and founded the field of electrochemistry
Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature
From: Lord Kelvin: An account of his scientific life and work
54 mentor adoptions
Marco Polo
13th-14th Century Venice/China
Known for
The Silk Road and bridging East and West
"I have not told half of what I saw."
From: The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1
53 mentor adoptions
Jules Verne
19th century France
Known for
Father of science fiction who envisioned submarines, space travel, and technologies decades before their invention
Anything one man can imagine, other men can make real
From: Nellie Bly's Book: Around the World in Seventy-Two Days
53 mentor adoptions
H.G. Wells
Late 19th-Early 20th century England
Known for
Visionary author of The Time Machine, War of the Worlds, and pioneer of social science fiction
History is a race between education and catastrophe
From: Books and Persons; Being Comments on a Past Epoch, 1908-1911
52 mentor adoptions
Mrs. F.L. Gillette
19th Century America
Known for
The Whitehouse Cookbook and comprehensive Victorian home management
"A well-ordered household is the foundation of a happy life."
From: The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887): Cooking, Toilet and Household Recipes, Menus, Dinner-Giving, Table Etiquette, Care of the Sick, Health Suggestions, Facts Worth Knowing, Etc., Etc.; The Whole Comprising a Comprehensive Cyclopedia of Information for the Home
52 mentor adoptions
Florence Nightingale
19th Century England
Known for
Founding modern nursing through data-driven reform and tireless dedication to service
I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse.
From: Lessons from the life of Florence Nightingale
51 mentor adoptions
James Clerk Maxwell
19th Century Scotland
Known for
Physicist who unified electricity, magnetism, and light into electromagnetic theory
In science, there are no authorities; only evidence and reason
From: James Clerk Maxwell and Modern Physics
51 mentor adoptions
Don Quixote
17th Century Spain
Known for
Idealism, courage to dream, and noble purpose
"When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies?"
From: Don Quixote
50 mentor adoptions
George Bernard Shaw
Victorian/Edwardian Era
Known for
Playwright, critic, and socialist wit
Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.
From: George Bernard Shaw, his life and works : $b a critical biography (authorized)
50 mentor adoptions
Sir Ernest Shackleton
20th Century Ireland/England
Known for
Antarctic survival and bringing every man home alive
"Difficulties are just things to overcome, after all."
From: Shackleton's Last Voyage: The Story of the Quest
49 mentor adoptions
Susan B. Anthony
Known for
Main character, a tireless advocate for women's rights, temperance, and abolition.
From: Susan B. Anthony: Rebel, Crusader, Humanitarian
49 mentor adoptions
Martin Luther
16th Century Germany
Known for
Theologian and reformer who challenged the Catholic Church and sparked the Protestant Reformation
Here I stand, I can do no other. God help me.
From: Selections from the Table Talk of Martin Luther
48 mentor adoptions
Napoleon Bonaparte
18th-19th Century France
Known for
Military genius, Emperor, and architect of modern Europe
"Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools."
From: Famous leaders among men
46 mentor adoptions
Albert Einstein
20th Century Germany/USA
Known for
Relativity, imagination, and seeing the universe differently
"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."
From: Einstein, the searcher : $b his work explained from dialogues with Einstein
45 mentor adoptions
Abraham Lincoln
Known for
The measure of a leader is not avoiding conflict but navigating it with both principle and pragmatism.
From: Memoirs of General William T. Sherman — Complete
44 mentor adoptions
Nellie Bly
19th Century America
Known for
Around the world in 72 days and pioneering investigative journalism
"Energy rightly applied and directed will accomplish anything."
From: Nellie Bly's Book: Around the World in Seventy-Two Days
44 mentor adoptions
Theodore Roosevelt
Known for
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.
From: Etiquette
44 mentor adoptions
G. Westinghouse
19th-20th Century America
Known for
Air brakes, AC power systems, and ethical business leadership
"If someday they say of me that in my work I have contributed something to the welfare and happiness of my fellow man, I shall be satisfied."
From: Historical Figures Collection
43 mentor adoptions
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Known for
Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.
From: Winds Of Doctrine: Studies in Contemporary Opinion
43 mentor adoptions
Queen Victoria
Known for
Duty must guide us even when—especially when—grief threatens to overwhelm.
From: Lessons from the life of Florence Nightingale
43 mentor adoptions
David Livingstone
19th Century Scotland/Africa
Known for
Exploring Africa and fighting the slave trade
"I am prepared to go anywhere, provided it be forward."
From: How I found Livingstone : $b Travels, adventures, and discoveres in Central Africa, including an account of four months' residence with Dr. Livingstone
43 mentor adoptions
Sherlock Holmes
Known for
Consulting detective investigating the Baskerville case.
From: The Hound of the Baskervilles
42 mentor adoptions
Auguste Escoffier
19th-20th Century France
Known for
Father of modern French cuisine and kitchen organization
"Good cooking is the foundation of genuine happiness."
From: A guide to modern cookery
42 mentor adoptions
Columbus
15th-16th Century Spain/Italy
Known for
Discovery of the Americas and opening the Age of Exploration
"You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore."
From: The Life of Columbus: From His Own Letters and Journals and Other Documents of His Time
42 mentor adoptions
Niccolò Machiavelli
Renaissance Italy (15th-16th century)
Known for
Political philosopher whose name became synonymous with cunning statecraft and ruthless pragmatism
It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both
From: Machiavelli, Volume I
42 mentor adoptions
Margaret Carnegie
Known for
Instill values that will outlast you.
From: Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie
40 mentor adoptions
Jesse Livermore
Early 20th Century America
Known for
Legendary stock trader known for making and losing multiple fortunes and his insights on market psychology
There is nothing new in Wall Street. There cannot be because speculation is as old as the hills
From: Reminiscences of a Stock Operator
40 mentor adoptions
Samuel Johnson
18th Century England
Known for
Lexicographer, essayist, and literary critic
The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.
From: Boswell's Life of Johnson: Abridged and edited, with an introduction by Charles Grosvenor Osgood
39 mentor adoptions
Brillat-Savarin
18th-19th Century France
Known for
The Physiology of Taste and the philosophy of gastronomy
"Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are."
From: The Physiology of Taste; Or, Transcendental Gastronomy
39 mentor adoptions
Mary Wollstonecraft
Known for
Virtue requires reason, and reason requires education—for all people equally.
From: Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great - Volume 13: Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Lovers
39 mentor adoptions
Abigail Adams
Known for
A strong partnership requires two independent minds united in purpose.
From: Abigail Adams and Her Times
37 mentor adoptions
G. K. Chesterton
Early 20th century England
Known for
Prolific writer and master of paradox who illuminated truth through wit and wonder
The world will never starve for want of wonders, only for want of wonder
From: Gilbert Keith Chesterton
37 mentor adoptions
James Cook
18th Century England
Known for
Three voyages of discovery and mapping the Pacific
"Ambition leads me farther than any other man has been before me."
From: Captain Cook's Journal During His First Voyage Round the World: Made in H. M. Bark "Endeavour", 1768-71
37 mentor adoptions
William James
Known for
Act as if what you do makes a difference—it does.
From: Winds Of Doctrine: Studies in Contemporary Opinion
37 mentor adoptions
Audubon
19th century America
Known for
Naturalist and artist who documented American birds with unprecedented beauty and scientific accuracy
A true conservationist knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children
From: Audubon the Naturalist: A History of His Life and Time. Vol. 2 (of 2)
35 mentor adoptions
Denis Diderot
Known for
Question everything, especially what you think you know.
From: Voltaire: A Sketch of His Life and Works
34 mentor adoptions
Apicius
Ancient Rome (1st Century CE)
Known for
Ancient Roman gastronome and author of the oldest surviving cookbook
"The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star."
From: Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome
34 mentor adoptions
Mozart
18th century Austria
Known for
Musical prodigy and composer of transcendent works including operas, symphonies, and concertos
Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination—the capacity to feel and create beauty is the mark of genius
From: Life of Mozart, Vol. 1 (of 3)
33 mentor adoptions
Otto H. Kahn
Early 20th Century America
Known for
Investment banker and arts patron who helped finance American industry and supported the Metropolitan Opera
The financier who merely knows how to make money is a poor financier indeed
From: High Finance
32 mentor adoptions
Sojourner Truth
19th Century America
Known for
Finding her voice to speak truth to power as an abolitionist and women`s rights activist
Truth is powerful and it prevails.
From: The Narrative of Sojourner Truth
32 mentor adoptions
J. S. Bach
18th Century Germany
Known for
Composer and musician whose works represent the pinnacle of Baroque music and contrapuntal technique
The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul
From: Johann Sebastian Bach: His Life, Art, and Work
32 mentor adoptions
John Calvin
16th Century Geneva
Known for
Theologian and reformer whose ideas on predestination, work ethic, and discipline shaped Western thought
We are not our own; therefore neither our reason nor our will should predominate in our deliberations
From: Letters of John Calvin, Volume II: Compiled from the Original Manuscripts and Edited with Historical Notes
31 mentor adoptions
Nikola Tesla
19th-20th Century Serbia/America
Known for
Alternating current, wireless power, and visionary genius
"The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine."
From: The inventions, researches and writings of Nikola Tesla: With special reference to his work in polyphase currents and high potential lighting
29 mentor adoptions
Johann Goethe
18th-19th century Germany
Known for
Towering literary genius who wrote Faust, shaped Romanticism, and contributed to science and philosophy
Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it—boldness has genius, power, and magic in it
From: The Autobiography of Goethe: Truth and Poetry: From My Own Life
28 mentor adoptions
Marie Antoinette
18th Century France/Austria
Known for
Queen of France and symbol of aristocratic excess
"Let them eat cake." (Though I never actually said this.)
From: Memoirs of the Court of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, Complete: Being the Historic Memoirs of Madam Campan, First Lady in Waiting to the Queen
26 mentor adoptions
Richard Wagner
19th century Germany
Known for
Revolutionary opera composer who transformed music into total art
The artwork of the future must unite all the arts
From: My Life — Volume 1
25 mentor adoptions
Henry M. Stanley
19th Century Wales/America/Africa
Known for
Finding Dr. Livingstone and exploring Central Africa
"Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"
From: How I found Livingstone : $b Travels, adventures, and discoveres in Central Africa, including an account of four months' residence with Dr. Livingstone
25 mentor adoptions
Gertrude Stein
Early 20th Century
Known for
Avant-garde writer and Paris salon hostess who shaped modernism
A rose is a rose is a rose.
From: The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas
24 mentor adoptions
Kierkegaard
19th Century Denmark
Known for
Philosopher who pioneered existentialism and explored anxiety, authenticity, and the leap of faith
Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards
From: Selections from the Writings of Kierkegaard
24 mentor adoptions
Helen Keller
Known for
The main character, a deaf and blind girl who overcomes her disabilities through education.
From: The Story of My Life: With her letters (1887-1901) and a supplementary account of her education, including passages from the reports and letters of her teacher, Anne Mansfield Sullivan, by John Albert Macy
24 mentor adoptions
Humboldt
18th-19th Century Germany/Americas
Known for
Father of ecology and scientific exploration of the Americas
"The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have not viewed the world."
From: Letters of Alexander von Humboldt to Varnhagen von Ense.: From 1827 to 1858. With extracts from Varnhagen's diaries, and letters of Varnhagen and others to Humboldt
22 mentor adoptions
Alexander Hamilton
American Founding Era
Known for
One of the authors of The Federalist Papers, advocating for a strong, centralized federal government.
From: The Federalist Papers
21 mentor adoptions
John Marshall
18th-19th Century America
Known for
Fourth Chief Justice of the United States who established judicial review and shaped constitutional interpretation
It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is
From: The Life of John Marshall, Volume 3: Conflict and construction, 1800-1815
20 mentor adoptions
Leopold Bloom
Known for
An advertisement canvasser and the main protagonist, navigating a day in Dublin.
From: Ulysses
19 mentor adoptions
Ferdinand Magellan
16th Century Portugal/Spain
Known for
First circumnavigation of the Earth and proving the world's true size
"The sea is dangerous and its storms terrible, but these obstacles have never been sufficient reason to remain ashore."
From: The Story of Magellan and The Discovery of the Philippines
18 mentor adoptions
Krishna
Ancient India (Mahabharata era)
Known for
Divine teacher of the Bhagavad Gita on duty, dharma, and liberation
Do your duty without attachment to the fruits of action
From: The Song Celestial; Or, Bhagavad-Gîtâ (from the Mahâbhârata): Being a discourse between Arjuna, Prince of India, and the Supreme Being under the form of Krishna
17 mentor adoptions
E.H. Harriman
Late 19th-Early 20th Century America
Known for
Railroad magnate who rebuilt the Union Pacific into one of the most efficient transportation systems in the world
The way to make money is to buy when blood is running in the streets
From: High Finance
17 mentor adoptions
Jean Valjean
Known for
Redemption and transformation through mercy
From: Les Misérables
17 mentor adoptions
Adam Smith
18th Century Scotland
Known for
The Wealth of Nations and the invisible hand of markets
"It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest."
From: An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
17 mentor adoptions