Why is it a good idea to familiarize yourself with some background information about an author BEFORE reading a biography or autobiography?
It is a waste of time; the whole point in reading a biography is to learn about the author.
This way you can spend more time reading about her experiences and less trying to figure out what time period the story takes place in.
This way you can learn all about her personality before you start to read, and you will be better able to predict what is going to happen next.