I remember the first time I got my hands on self-improvement books. I was baffled. At that moment, I realized my fate was not set in stone. I could become my own drill master and coach. The best self-improvement books that I read would set out the training course for me to overcome. All I had to do was listen to that voice that aspired to climb higher and higher.
Every time I committed to a new challenge, I knew it was going to be outside of my comfort zone. But after enough iterations, I also knew it will not just be part of my repertoire, it will be part of me.
Not all personal development books are made equal. Some help in starting you out on your journey, others give you a boost when you’ve achieved experience in certain areas.
Best Self-Improvement Books to Read
Here are the best self-help books that I recommend to read no matter how old you are:
1. Whatcha Gonna Do with That Duck? by Seth Godin
This is one of the best books for self-improvement. Unlike most self-improvement books, this one targets an infinite array of areas in which you can, and ultimately must, improve.
With its ruthless honesty and genuine inspiration, Godin makes you ponder the difficult questions you wouldn’t ever dare to ask yourself. The result is a completely new perspective of the world- a fresher, more vibrant perspective, packed with new and bold possibilities.
If you need a friend who understands you, a boss that forces you to venture deep in your non-comfort zone, a wise guru that tells you what needs to be left behind and a sage that proclaims the coming of a new age, then look no further; you will find these shrewd voices all tied together in this magnificent book. Make sure to get this one.
2. Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
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Perhaps it is the fact that randomness played such a significant role in my years as a poker player that I find this book utterly important.
We often attribute skill where there is only luck; we confuse correlation with causation and we underestimate the incredible effect small changes can have.
This book gave me a perspective that I unfortunately rarely encounter in others: you can do everything right and still lose, or do everything wrong and still win. It is thus not about the outcome; it is about your actions that have lead you there.
This important message is central to many of my decisions I make in my life. This book by Taleb helps you develop such a perspective so you will be able to live in a world one cannot fully understand, where the results are not always clear markers of performance and where chance seems to play games with our fates. Stop being fooled by randomness!
3. The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
I read this book in a time where I thought power was something I should attain. Power for power’s sake. And while I disagree with my former self on this point, the fact remains that power is very real, it forms the invisible scepter of all hierarchical relations around us.
I still recommend this book. I believe it is important to know how people use power for their own benefit and what to do to protect yourself from certain abuses of power.
Besides the fact that all stories in this book gravitate around power. It contains many life lessons, amazing historical anecdotes. If read in a certain light, the ability to use power for good.
From Caesar to Goethe, Sun-Tzu to Machiavelli, this eye opening book spans a wide range of human development. If you, like me, would rather be interested in something less egotistical, perhaps Greene’s latest book Mastery will suffice (I haven’t read that one myself).
Another great self-development book in the same style, but this time around; covering a wider scope, and perhaps, something that will make the world make a better place.
4. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen. R. Covey
The title of this book doesn’t capture it all. Covey shares with us seven habits one should adapt to become truly effective in whatever you would like to achieve.
Of course, it is not as easy as it sounds. He stresses the fact that we need to go through a paradigm shift – a fundamental change in how we perceive the world and ourselves.
This book can be read as a guide, with practices and everything, to go through the stages in order to make such a shift happen. Part shock-therapy, part ageless spiritual wisdom, Covey’s book is packed with wisdom that actually makes a difference.
And as I mentioned, don’t let the title of the book fool you; it is about much more than just becoming more effective. It is about becoming a whole integer person who not only seeks the best in oneself, but also in the people around her.
A must read for anyone who feels there is always something left to learn.
5. The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide by James Fadiman
While finding a book on psychedelics in this list of books on self-improvement might come as a surprise, I believe any metaphysical distinction between tools such as books, meditation or molecules hold no ground. They should all be solely judged on their merits. And the merits of certain chemical keys, used in a constructive way, are perhaps bigger than any book in this list.
The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide will teach you how to prepare yourself and your surroundings, what and how much to take, and what do when something goes wrong. So you can safely enhance your thinking, creativity, introspection and emotional balance.
This book contains everything you need to know about using psychedelics as a tool for self-improvement while drawing on extensive scientific literature and personal wisdom. A must have for the beginning and experienced psychonaut alike.
6. Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy
We all know how that destructive downward spiral feels.
We have to do some big tasks of which the thought alone triggers resistance. We aren’t sure how and where to begin and feeling overwhelmed before we even start. We get easily distracted to get rid of that feeling, only to suddenly realize that hours went by- precious hours- and then find ourselves in the same position as before, still not knowing where and how to begin, but now, feeling guilty on top of it which expresses itself in more craving for distraction.
To break this spell of procrastination before it paralyzes us, Tracy advises us to Eat That Frog: to set our priorities straight, deconstruct larger tasks into smaller ones, learn when to tackle the big frog first or to start out with something else.
Tracy is truly a motivational speaker and one of the best personal development writers. While I wished he had gone a bit deeper into the psychological reasons why people procrastinate, it is still a must have for anyone who wants to break the spell and get shit done.
7. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
A from 1937, this book by Hill is a masterpiece. Don’t bother with the edited versions since they all omit important and controversial information: some historical, and some pertaining to the goal of the book, which is to think and grow rich.
The word rich might imply that this book is all about material gain, and while it certainly covers that area, it is about much more than that.
This is perhaps the first explicit mention of positive thinking on how to care not just about the cash in your pocket, but also the thoughts in your head.
This book for self-development has been able to withstand the destruction of time. It covers all the basics from planning, decision making and persistence, to the more advanced techniques as auto-suggestion, transmutation and what we can learn from fear.
This is not a grow rich book, but a timeless guide to find out what actually matters. As it says clearly in the beginning ‘Riches can’t always be measured in money!’
8. The Attention Revolution by Alan Wallace
In a world that is dominated by ever stronger technologies designed to grab your attention, a way to empower yourself is to bring that attention back to where you want it to shine. This book offers just that.
In The Attention Revolution, Wallace describes the path to attaining Shamatha, a buddhist meditation state of mind that is free from any flickering of distraction. It is a hard and long path, probably not possible for us to reach in this lifetime. However, even getting to stage two or three will make everything in life easier.
A wonderful introduction to meditation, The Attention Revolution will inspire you to take on the challenge and see what training your mind can actually achieve.
Once you have achieved such level of focus, you can put it to use to open your heart with the practice of The Four Immeasurables or deepen the practice with this wonderful commentary by Dudjom Lingpa, both by Alan B. Wallace.
9. The Paleo Manifesto by John Durant
In the last 10,000 years or so, it seems we have been propelled into an ever faster paced world forged by our own hands and minds. Only recently have we been able to reconstruct our journey and reflect back upon our humble origins.
This amazing book is such a reflection. It goes back to the paleolithic searching for answers to health and longevity.
Between science and his personal experiments, Durant weaves a mind-blowing story that will convey the importance of an evolutionary perspective on how to live well.
It covers everything from nutrition to exercise, from sleep to fasting, from ancient practices to modern biohacking and even has an outline for a vision of the future where depression and obesity have become obsolete.
If you only have room for a couple of books on this list, make sure this one is included.
10. Mindsight by Daniel J. Siegel
As my Burmese meditation teacher often proclaimed, ‘Mindfulness alone is not enough!’ Siegel seems to have taken this to heart and made an unique synthesis between meditation, psychoanalysis and neuroscience which he calls ‘Mindsight‘. As he says himself, a potent combination between emotional and social intelligence.
All of us deal with one disorder or another, something that seems to disturb the very core of our being at ease; and while it might not always be the best strategy to want to get rid of it, it certainly helps to understand and have compassion for that little aspect that upsets that perfect image of ourselves.
Brimming with techniques, insights and epiphanies, this book contains everything you need to know to reprogram your brain and to optimally use its capacity of neuroplasticity. A great book for spiritual seekers and scientists alike.
11. How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
This is the first self-improvement book I have ever read and it is also probably one of the oldest in this category.
Written in 1937, mainly for the door to door salesman of that era, this book by Carnegie can truly be called a classic. It shows what we all intuitively know:
It doesn’t matter what your line of work is or what you want to achieve. If you are doing business of any kind, you need to make it about the other person.
Being nice helps, a lot. And while I might not fully defend the premise of this book because it doesn’t distinguish between genuine interest and faking it to get what you want; it still contains a treasure chest full of timeless wisdom.
Everybody wants to feel appreciated, and rightfully so. Learning to take a small effort to make someone’s day will make the world better no matter what your goal is.
I still spontaneously remember some of his guidance, and perhaps this quality is the reason why this book still draws millions of readers to this day.
12. Feeling Good by David D. Burns
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the most effective therapy used by psychologists today. It consists of identifying thought patterns that have a detrimental effect on your self-image and mood; and deconstructing these in order to break out of these destructive cycles.
If you want to know how this works, which moods are central in your life, what thought patterns are causing your depression, how to overcome self-judgment and guilt, how to defeat approval and love addiction and how your self-perfectionism is hindering you, then don’t look further.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has helped millions of people and it can help you, and this is the best book for the job. Packed with scientific research, exercises and examples, this is the best improvement your self is going to get.
13. The New Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
What can a plastic surgeon tell us about happiness?
By dealing with his patients, Dr. Maxwell Maltz experienced firsthand that having your expectations come true doesn’t automatically result into a more positive life experience. Their outward appearances did indeed change but their inner insecurity remained.
This caused him to find other means to help his patients, resulting in visualization techniques. He found a person’s outer success can never rise above the one visualized internally.
This book carries a very honest and humbling story, loaded with fundamental truths about our psychology and how our own philosophy affects us. This is all told by a very compassionate writer.
Of some books it can be said that it will be valuable for years to come, and I am absolutely positive that this is one of them.
14. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
This brilliant book by Nobel prize winner Daniel Kahneman is a lucid account of all the amazing research he has done over the years. He is the founder of behavioral economics – the way our psychology affects our decisions – and explains in simple prose how our thinking is divided in two systems: one fast and one slow. (Here’s an explanation on how these two systems work.)
The fast one is almost instant; it consists of the hardwired instincts that govern emotions, a remnant of an evolutionary past, an unconscious irrational machine.
The slow one is deliberate, self-reflexive and logical, but can easily be distracted and takes a lot of effort.
Both play a large role in our lives and Kahneman explores when the fast system fails and why the slow system is often not utilized.
Packed with mind-blowing examples and sharp analyses, this book teaches you how to learn to make sound judgments, and use the best of both systems.
15. An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield
A few extraordinary people journey to the edge of our world and come back with a unique story to tell. Colonel Hadfield is such a person, and his story is perhaps the most important one in this list.
While the other books in this list teach you to be independent, visualize your future and dream big, this astronaut’s guide turns these all upside down.
A truly remarkable book, overflowing with mind-blowing stories that illustrate the life lessons he learned as one of the most accomplished astronauts that ever lived.
Full of compassion, warmth and genuine self-reflexive humor, he conveys to us to be prepared for the worst and never let yourself be swayed from enjoying every moment.
Part action story, part no-nonsense hard truth and part timeless spiritual wisdom, this book makes you feel like you stepped onto a rocket ship and experienced what he did while learning these most valuable lessons on the way.
16. Perfect Health Diet by Paul Jaminet & Shou-Ching Jaminet
No self-improvement list is complete without a nutrition book and the Perfect Health Diet is arguably the best diet book on the market now.
If you are overweight or not, feel sick, or just looking for an extra boost in health (and keep it this way), then look no further.
From reading decades of studies the authors construct the optimal way to eat, destroying popular food fads in the process. They explain in sufficient details the optimal macro-ratios of which starches are safe, which vitamins and supplements to take and what foods, or what they call toxins, to avoid.
This book is a great supplement to the Paleo Manifesto as it shares its basic evolutionary perspective; we were evolved to eat non-toxic, high fat, moderate protein and carbohydrates.
And sometimes, going around with no food at all, can be a very healthy thing. If your body is not in optimal health, then it is almost no use to read the other books. Make this your priority number one.
17. Failing Forward by John C. Maxwell
At one time or another, we will all fail. What matters most is how you deal with it once you do.
Will you give up? Or will you use it as a stepping stone for success?
I recently read an article about new start-ups in silicon valley. Its hypothesis was the more you had failed in the past, the more likely you were going to get funding.
Why?
Because failing teaches you invaluable lessons, and if you decide to continue after you hit the pavement, the more you have it in you to deliver.
Now, this is not in anyway our instinctual reaction to failing. Most of us dread it, avoid it or refuse to fail at all costs. All three are by far sub-optimal. It is far better to accept failure where it arises, to accept responsibility and use it as a way to learn about yourself and your weaknesses.
Only when you are absolute honest with yourself with respect to failure can you hope to grow. This wonderful book will teach you how to do exactly this. A honest book for everyone searching for a clean mirror.
18. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
The Power of Now hardly needs any introduction. It is perhaps the book that has had the most impact on our collective consciousness in recent years.
It inspired millions of people all over the world to live a more fulfilling and compassionate life, all through the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness consists of moment to moment non-judgmental awareness.
It is a technique that alleviates depression, increases emotional intelligence and develops compassion. And only recently has come to the west, which remained weary and skeptical until science had validated a wide array of its claims.
The brain can be trained. The Power of Now teaches you how to release your attachment to certain thoughts and states of mind, thereby clearing the mind to fully embrace the present moment.
If you already have read this book and are looking for deeper understanding, readWherever You Go, There You Are.
19. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
At some point or another, almost all of us has come across The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. (If you haven’t, watch this powerful message here.)
What would you say when you only have a few months left to live? This was probably Pausch’s question he posed to himself when he had to deliver his lecture a week later.
But being confined to an academic setting and short time frame, he felt he had more to share, thus marking the birth of this book.
Filled with stories about his childhood, it is a very down to earth exploration of what it means to chase your dreams, to be a good person and live a life that gives value to others.
A beautiful mixture of humor and optimism, his tender voice will be a source of inspiration for everyone who will take the time to listen, something he tried to impart on his readers.
A very lovely read. And don’t forget, ‘It’s not about the cards you’re dealt, but how you play the hand.’
20. Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
I love Brené Brown’s books. She writes about an insight that I have found to be scary but true at the same time.
Vulnerability, unlike we have been taught, is not a weakness, but a power to be tapped. Growing up with the idea that we have to hide certain parts of ourselves, to look strong and persevere at all costs always seemed a facade to me. And now she has the research to back that up.
From that place of vulnerability comes a sense of worthiness, which for most of us, needs to be cultivated every day. Only if we get in touch with that tender spot of our hearts can we connect with others and develop genuine compassion, which are prerequisites, Brown tells us, for living a ‘wholehearted life.’
The reality, however, is that we often close down, feel neglected and misunderstood, and rather want the vulnerability and perhaps even ourselves to disappear.
This book is an amazing antidote for that common instinct. Want to be truly convinced? Check out her amazing ted talk here.
21. The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan
We all find UFO’s fascinating. We all really want to believe in magic or visiting aliens. (Surely the crop circles are conclusive proof!) And some of us believe the government is poisoning us with chemtrails.
At the same time we are fascinated by the progress made by science, by all the new technology and medicines and the fascinating discoveries being
22. Philosophy for Life by Jules Evans
As philosopher Sloterdijk puts it; ‘philosophy is a beautiful child of an ugly mother.’
Philosophy first arose when the old Greek polis states were at the brink of destruction. Philosophy, according to Sloterdijk, was not just a way to make sense of the world, to come to knowledge or truth, but to serve as a psychological immune system.
This book is an amazing expression of this perspective. From the stoics to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Jules Evans writes about some of the amazing philosophical techniques we can use to train and improve our cognitive immune systems.
He weaves ancient stories with modern applications, from heroism to cosmic contemplation. Philosophy for Life is a beautifully written book that makes it easy to understand the practical nature of philosophy.
Perhaps the book would have been better if he would have gone deeper into the subject matter, but nonetheless he captures the essence of what philosophy can mean for the modern person. A must read.
23. Man’s Search For Meaning by Victor. E. Frankl
If I had to pick one book from this list for mandatory reading, I would choose this one.
For three years, Viktor Frankl labored in four different Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz. He tells us about his experience and that of his fellow prisoners.
Both chilling and uplifting, confronted with the idea that they would be trapped there for the rest of their lives; he gives us an account of those who found meaning and those who succumbed to nihilism.
A blend between a memoir, a psychological investigation and a self-help book, Frankl delivers a powerful message:
Finding meaning lies at the core of being human.
From his own experience as a psychiatrist, combined with anecdotes from his time in the concentration camps, he tells us how important it is to find meaning in our own lives and what we can become if we don’t.
Suffering, he conveys to us, is inevitable. But as to how we cope with it is dependent on ourselves. If we can find meaning, even in the worst acts our species have ever inflicted upon their fellow men, we will be able to move forward with renewed purpose.
I also recommend you to check out this article to help you find out your purpose and passion that will motivate you to live in a meaningful way: How to Get Motivated and Be Happy Every Day When You Wake Up
24. Simplify by Joshua Becker
This is a fun little book written by Joshua Becker, a big proponent of minimalist living. We all know that quote from Fightclub: “Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don’t need.”
Well, this is ending.
Slowly we are outgrowing an era where the unquestioned mantra ‘more is always better’ dictates our behavior. Rather, we now find ourselves, our lives and our homes cluttered with too much information, too much stuff and just too much shit we don’t need.
This simple book helps you become aware of the freedom gained from living with less. It is a small book, easily read under an hour, but it carries a persuasive punch to start living live in a very different way.
25. Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It by Kamal Ravikant
The fundamental ground upon which all true self improvement is build is called self-love. Because in the end, no matter which way you turn, if you don’t love yourself, you will sabotage yourself at one point. You will think that, for some reason or another, you are not worthy. And if you think that, why would you truly want to achieve anything?
And this is not just about achievement. This is about how you approach yourself every day; this is what you see when you look in the mirror.
We make so many snap-judgments about ourselves- often without being conscious of them- that are filled with negativity, haltering us before we can even begin to heal. This powerful book shows you the antidote.
Self love. Not to be confused with creating some narcissistic image of ourselves that some previous books in this list implicitly endorse, but self love, that inner gratefulness that no external condition can take away.
Self love, that infinite source you can share with others.
26. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
This is a great timeless book that focuses on the mindset of money rather than making money. Despite that, it’s still the best personal finance book in the world for the past 20 years and for good reason. It dispels the myth that you need to have a high salary job in order to make a living. That statement is truer now than ever thanks to the gig economy and a variety of other opportunities for people to make money.
This book provides a number of timeless quotes and lessons that are still relevant today as people’s views around money haven’t changed all that much over the years. This book provides you with an opportunity to challenge your views about money in unique ways that other personal finance books don’t.
27. Smarter, Faster, Better by Charles Duhigg
A somewhat recent book but it’s one that has plenty of lessons around productivity, finding purpose, working as a team, and more. It’s all relevant as our careers and our lives are becoming more connected with other people and many people are still trying to figure out what they want to do in life.
Even if you have a lot of things figured out, this book still offers plenty in terms of setting goals, making better decisions and reminds you that managing how you think is more important than what you think. Duhigg pulls from real-world examples to emphasize 8 key productivity concepts. He did research into neuroscience while also interviewing a wide variety of people: such as broadway songwriters, a pro poker player, a four-star general, an FBI agent, airplane pilots, educational reformers, CEOs and more.
28. Waking Up by Sam Harris
If you’re interested in spirituality but aren’t sure if you need to identify yourself with any particular religion, then Sam Harris’ book “Waking Up” may be just what you’ve been looking for.
“Waking Up” is written by Dr. Sam Harris, an American neuroscientist, writer, and “New Atheist.” He believes that religious experience cannot be explained through the scientific method, and he wants to show us what we can learn about ourselves and the world around us if we look at the lives of religious figures.
Waking Up is an introduction to meditation for those who are interested in discovering what happens when we stop trying to figure out everything about our universe and start accepting its mystery instead. From multiple New York Times bestseller authors, neuroscientists, and “New Atheist” Sam Harris, this book is for the 30% of Americans who follow no religious tradition.
29. The ONE Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
The ONE thing is a book about setting goals. It shows you why simple is the best choice, and it has the science to back it all up. You will learn how to break your goals down into smaller pieces and then focus on just one piece at a time.
This means that when you reach a goal, you will have achieved something bigger than if you had tried to achieve everything at once.
You want a healthier relationship with technology, and you want to spend more time doing what matters to you. You want to enjoy life more, and you want to feel more productive. You need to get rid of the clutter and distraction in your life, and you want more flexibility at work.
This book tells you how to do that.
The One Thing explains how to overcome the six lies we tell ourselves about why we fail, how to beat the seven thieves that rob us of time, and how to leverage the laws of purpose and priority.
30. No More Negative Thinking by Beau Norton
Wouldn’t it be great to be able to be happy all the time? Most people think that happiness comes naturally, but it doesn’t. You can train yourself to be happier, even if you’re currently experiencing a lot of stress.
No More Negative Thinking by Beau Norton shows you how to eliminate your negativity and replace it with positivity. Your life will change for the better in just a few short weeks.
Depression isn’t always a disease. Sometimes it’s just our feelings getting the best of us. We feel sad, angry, frustrated, or lonely. These negative feelings can cause us not to do the things we love and even prevent us from making progress in our lives.
If you want to change your mood, you need to start thinking about what you can do instead of focusing on what you can’t. Talking to a friend or family member might help you get through tough times. You can also try talking to someone about how you feel.
31. The Courage to be Yourself by Sue Patton Thoele
This book is written for women who are struggling with depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and other issues. It will help you understand your problems in a way that you understand from someone who has lived through similar situations and knows how to fix them.
Sue Patton Thoele continues to write about life, love, and relationships. She shares her personal story and also gives advice on how to overcome various challenges when you feel like your self-confidence is low. The book focuses on helping women understand their feelings and emotions and how to cope with them, especially if they feel lonely, afraid, insecure, or sad.
You will learn how to identify your beliefs and negative thoughts that cause you to act out of character and how to replace those thoughts with positive ones.
32. The Self-Esteem Workbook by Glenn R. Schiraldi
The Self Esteem Workbook is designed to help you boost your confidence and improve your self-image. It’s based on the author’s original new research, which shows that self-esteem can effectively be increased through the use of self-help materials.
Now psychologist and educationist Glenn Schiraldi has crafted these tried and tested tools into a comprehensive, self-directed program that guides you through twenty essential skill-building activities, each focusing on developing a crucial component in healthy self-esteem.
This book is a great place to start when looking to boost your own self-esteem. It gives you all sorts of ways to improve your life, including eating healthier, exercising more, and finding joy in everyday activities. You will also learn about what happens when someone criticizes you and how you can respond positively instead of negatively.
33. 50 Self-Help Classic by Tom Butler-Bowden
Thousands of books have been written on self-improvement. But finding the best self-improvement books is not that easy.
Self help books are everywhere. You can buy them at your local bookstore or online. Some of them are great, and others are just junk. If you want to get an opinion from some of history’s greatest minds, you should check out this book.
It features 50 self-help books compiled into a single book from the likes of legendary thinkers like Benjamin Franklin and Paulo Célio. It’s a great buy if you want to hear what some of the greatest minds have to say about life, love, success, and happiness.
34. The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris
While asked, “What do you do?” Tim Ferriss has trouble answering this question because he doesn’t really know what he does. He could say he races motorcycles in Europe, skis in the Andes, dives in Panama, dances the tango in Buenos Aires, or even works at a startup.
But none of those answers are true. What he actually does is travel the world, meet interesting people, and write about his experiences. His goal is to help others achieve similar success through his writing, podcasting, speaking engagements, and consulting services.
The 4-Hour Work Week is a great read because it will help you rethink what you do at work. Tim Ferris’s concepts will be new to those who work a regular 9 to 5 job. He will show you how to get out of your comfort zone and start thinking differently about your career.
35. For Your Own Good by Alice Miller
Alice Miller, the celebrated Swiss psychoanalyst, examines the psychological effects of childhood abuse and neglect. She argues that children who grow up under certain conditions will become adults who have a mental illness, depression, anxiety, addiction, and violence. Her theory is based on her own experience and the experiences of others she interviewed.
This book explores the damaging effects of abuse on children. It shows you how to identify and understand your own patterns of behavior and how to change them. You’ll discover how to become a healthier parent and how to help your children grow into healthy adults.
For your own good is an insightful book that explores the effects of abuse on children. It offers many insights into the causes of violence and how to prevent it. For example, it explains why we see certain personality traits in abusers. It also shows us how to identify signs of abuse before it happens.
36. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
In The Power of Habit, award-winning journalist Charles Duhigg takes readers inside the science behind our habits—and shows them how to change them. He reveals the surprising truth about what we need to succeed at work, school, and in love.
From the brain’s “habit loop” to the neuroscience of addiction, Duhigg explains how habits form and how to break them. And he shows how changing just five small behaviors can create dramatic changes in your life.
In this book the writer broke some myths about how the habit forms. Therefore, you can take immediate action and make new habits or change bad old ones.
37. Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson, M.D.
It is an entertaining and informative tale about four characters who live in the same maze looking for cheese. Cheese is a metaphor to represent what we all want in our lives, like a good job, a healthy body, love, money or possessions, etc.
The maze represents the place we look for what we want, perhaps the company we work at or the family or neighborhood we live in. The problem with the cheese is that it keeps moving. We need to keep looking for it, even though we might not always get there.
This book will show you how to anticipate change, adapt quickly, enjoy the change and be ready for more, all while suffering less stress and enjoying more success in your life.
38. QBQ! The Question Behind The Question by John G. Miller
John G Miller believes that the problems that plague organizations cannot be fixed by pointing fingers at other people. Instead, real solutions are achieved when everyone takes responsibility for his or her own actions.
In QBQ, Miller explains how negative, and unfocused questions represent a lack of personal responsibility. When we ask better questions, our lives and our organizations transform.
QBQ is a book that allows us to ask questions about our lives that help us move forward. We can ask ourselves what is really going on behind the question. QBQ helps us get past blaming others or ourselves. This book is short but will change your life.
Final Thoughts
Now that you’ve got a list of the best self-improvement books to transform your life, what should you do next? Read them all?
It’s of course best to read them all, but we only have so much brain energy to take all this knowledge. What if I tell you there’s a way to boost your brain power? Here it is: How To Learn Faster And Smarter
Featured photo credit: Unsplash via unsplash.com
