15 BEST SELF HELP BOOKS WORTH READING
Not all
self-improvement books are made equal. Some help start you out on your journey,
others give you a boost when you’ve achieved experience in certain areas. There
are no-doubt many others that will add tremendous value to your life.
Here are 15 best
self help books worth reading:
1.
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. In a world where shortcuts, secret deals, and
dishonesty are prominent, Covey’s classic preaches a message that the world
needs more than ever — and shows you how to apply it in the form of simple,
straightforward habits.
Covey presents his teachings in a series of 7 habits,
progressing from dependence through independence on to interdependence. You
will be forever changed by the powerful lessons contained in this book.
2.
THE ALCHEMIST
by Paulo Coelho
The Alchemist is the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian
shepherd boy who wants to travel in search of an extravagant treasure. From his
home in Spain he journeys to the markets of Tangiers and across the Egyptian
desert to a fateful encounter with the alchemist. The story of the treasures he
finds on his journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our
hearts, learning to read the signs along life’s path, and, above all, following
our dreams.
The
Alchemist by continues to change
the lives of its readers forever. With more than two million copies sold around
the world, The
Alchemist has established itself as a modern classic,
universally admired.
Paulo
Coelho's masterpiece tells the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian sepherd
boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any
ever found.
The story of the treasures Santiago finds
along the way teaches us, as only a few stories can, about the essential wisdom
of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life's
path, and, above all, following our dreams.
3. THE POWER OF NOW
by Eckhart Tolle
Tolle takes
readers on an inspiring spiritual journey to find their true and deepest self
and reach the ultimate in personal growth and spirituality: the discovery of
truth and light. In writing about enlightenment, he introduces you to it’s
natural enemy, your mind. He goes further by showing readers how to live
in the present moment.
If you read one book on spirituality, you can’t really go
wrong with Tolle’s classic The Power of Now. It isn’t just a guide to spiritual practice and
how it can transform your own life, it’s a guide to transforming the world with
the power of that practice as well.
The key takeaway here is that you have the ability to change
the world one step at a time if you work on transforming yourself from the
inside out, an insight that can serve you well for your entire life.
4. RICH DAD, POOR DAD
by Robert Kiyosaki
Kiyosaki tackles
the ‘financial literacy” that’s never addressed in schools. He had two
father figures growing up. One who struggled paycheck to paycheck for a
lifetime whom he called “poor dad” and the other who was a multimillionaire
eighth grade dropout he lovingly calls “rich dad”. The concept behind the
book is that rich people have money work for them while the poor work for
money. This is a must read to change anyone’s negative belief system on money or to further
your understanding on how money can work for you.
The book uses the contrast between two characters, “poor dad”
and “rich dad,” to teach various financial principles. The primary takeaway is
that those who aren’t good with their money and have less are that way because
they work for money, whereas those who are good with their money amass more of
it because they learn how to make money work for them. They’re generalities,
but the lessons taught are no less valuable.
5. HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE
by Dale Carnegie
This is one of the most timeless self help books ever written.
Carnegie believed that most successes come from an ability to communicate
effectively versus brilliant insights. 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.
Communication is one of the single most important skills you can work
on, given how critical communication is to everything that we do. If you want
(or believe you need) to become a better communicator, or simply want to get
better at working with people, read this now.
6. THINK AND GROW RICH
by Napoleon Hill
Hill was one of the first ever self help authors, and his books are
incredibly relevant today. Think and Grow Rich condenses his laws of success
and provides you with 13 principles of personal achievement. 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 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!’
7. MAN’S SEARCH FOR MEANING
by Victor Frankl
This self help
book has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi
death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Frankl argues that we
cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in
it, and move forward with renewed purpose. He holds that our primary drive in
life is not pleasure but the discovery and pursuit of what we find meaningful.
According to a survey conducted by the
Book-of-the-Month Club and the Library of Congress, Man’s Search for Meaning belongs
to a list of “the ten most influential books in the United
States.”
This book chronicles Frankl’s experiences as a
prisoner in the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II and describes
the psychotherapeutic method he used to survive his imprisonment while his
parents, brother, and pregnant wife perished.
8. SEE YOU AT THE TOP
by Zig Ziglar
As one of
America’s most gifted speakers/authors in motivation, the late Zig Ziglar
shares the secrets of climbing the stairway to personal success. He presents a
proven program of self-development based upon the foundation of a winning
self-image.
The book is structured like a staircase, with
the idea that if you build on the foundations of each step before moving to the
next one, then you will eventually make it to the Top and find success. The
early steps are about self-image and attitude and goal setting. This is all
good stuff, though not really anything you have never heard before if you have
ever read a self help book.
9. THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING
by Norman Vincent Peale
Dr. Peale shows
you 10 simple rules to obtain confidence, 3 proven secrets for vigor, 5
techniques to overcome defeat and much, much more. This book proves that an
attitude can change lives, win success in all things, and overcome obstacles.
It has helped men and women around the world to
achieve fulfillment in their lives through the Peale’s powerful message of
faith and inspiration.
This book describes how to achieve a permanent
and optimistic attitude through unending positive conscious thought, usually
through affirmations or visualizations.
Throughout The Power Of Positive Thinking, the
author makes use of positive case histories and practical instructions to
implement his method of positive thinking, and to show you that the roots of
your success lie in your mind.
This book will teach you how to believe in
yourself, break the habit of worrying, and take control of your life by
changing your attitude.
10. THE MAGIC OF THINKING BIG
by David J. Schwartz
Millions of
people all over the world have improved their lives using this book. Schwartz will help you sell
better, lead more effectively, earn more money, and (this is a big one)
find more happiness and peace of mind. He proves that you don’t need innate
talent to achieve massive success but you do need to understand the habit of
thinking and behaving in ways that get you there.
Above all else, The Magic of Thinking Big will
teach you not to short-change yourself. Think big, don’t settle, and watch as a
simple shift in the way you think literally changes your results.
The Magic of Thinking Big is
great for anyone looking to learn more about how to use the mind to achieve
higher levels of success.
by Anthony Robbins
Tony Robbins is
famous for his motivational speaking but this is, by far, one of the best self
help books of all time. Robbins shows you his most effective strategies and
techniques for mastering your emotions, your body, your relationships, your
finances, and your life through a step-by-step program teaching self-mastery
that enables you to discover your true purpose, take control of your life and
harness the forces that shape your destiny.
The main takeaway and the theme that runs through the entire
book is that you have an inner confidence, a giant within, that you can awaken
by changing the way you think in a fundamental way. And doing so will allow you
to create real change in your life– no matter the type of change you want to
make happen. If that’s what you’re looking for, prepare to be blown away.
The acknowledged
expert in the psychology of change, Anthony Robbins provides a step-by-step
program teaching the fundamental lessons of self-mastery that will enable you
to discover your true purpose, take control of your life, and harness the
forces that shape your destiny.
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.
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.
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.’
by Malcolm Gladwell
In this stunning new book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us
on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"--the best
and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the
question: what makes high-achievers different?
His answer is that we pay too much attention to what
successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from:
that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic
experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of
software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians
are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.
Do
you make many excuses? Do you blame others for your dismal performance and poor
quality of life? If that is what you do then, you sill stop doing all this
after reading this book. Malcolm Gladwell thinks that you can master anything
you put your mind and effort to. How much time do you need? According to his
research, you can become a thorough professional in any field by investing
10,000 hours on it. There are no shortcuts and you cannot achieve overnight
success.
CONCLUSION:
Some real
surprises in the top 15 best self help books, right? Which on these best
self help books jumps out at you? Let me know by leaving a comment.
Was
there a book you felt should have made the list of the Top 15 Best Self Help
Books of All Time? If so, please share it in the comments section and why
you feel it should be included. After all, this is a group discussion
meant for personal growth and self development. Discussion is encouraged.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you!
Make life an adventure!
Of course, the best thing that you can do for yourself
is to read them all, but I suggest that you start with one and go from there.
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