Take careful notes as you read the autobiography. In these notes you will want to jot down in list form the major events and accomplishments of this individual's life.
Use post-it notes to designate the pages from which you've taken notes. Use four different colors to designate the following areas of the individual's life (or whichever areas you choose): childhood and education, work and achievements, personal life, and philosophy and quotations.
Use the markers to label the notes you took as you read. As you get ready to write, you'll be able to simply organize your material, referring back to the text only when you need to confirm facts or add additional information.
Write an introduction in which you introduce the subject of the autobiography, give his or her major accomplishments and in what field (or, instead, tell what reason the subject had for writing an autobiography,) and tell where and during what time period the subject lived.
Create a paragraph that gives the reader a picture of the subject's childhood and education. Talk generally about his or her relationship with his family and in what ways education (or lack of it) was a factor in the individual's life. Remember to check your notes as well as the text you marked.
Make the longest section of your summary about the individual's work and achievements. Chronologically explain the events that led to the field of work the individual chose and the successes and pitfalls that occurred along the way. Again, check your notes and the text as you worked.
Include next a section about the individual's personal life - if this is included in the autobiography. Choose information that gives the reader a fuller idea of the individual's character and personality.
Use the final paragraph as a conclusion by including any self-reflection, statements of personal philosophy, and/or quotes made by the subject of the autobiography. In other words, give the subject the opportunity to speak for herself or himself as the summary ends.