Self Development Books

Below is our current list of books that are all can help you in recovery. Some of these books will help you understand the culture at large, psychological principles and encourage positive growth for yourself. Each book is linked to Amazon.com for ease of buying any of the books. We have also listed our own book review for each book so you can see a detailed analysis of all the books on this list.

Outliers The Story of Success 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?

Read my review (Coming soon)

Click here to buy on amazon.com

How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Dale Carnegie’s rock-solid, time-tested advice has carried countless people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives. One of the most groundbreaking and timeless bestsellers of all time, How to Win Friends & Influence People will teach you: 

  • Six ways to make people like you 
  • Twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking 
  • Nine ways to change people without arousing resentment 
  • And much more! Achieve your maximum potential—a must-read for the twenty-first century with more than 15 million copies sold!

Read my review (Coming soon)

Click here to buy on amazon.com

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s famous investigations of “optimal experience” have revealed that what makes an experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness called flow. During flow, people typically experience deep enjoyment, creativity, and a total involvement with life. In this new edition of his groundbreaking classic work, Csikszentmihalyi demonstrates the ways this positive state can be controlled, not just left to chance. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience teaches how, by ordering the information that enters our consciousness, we can discover true happiness and greatly improve the quality of our lives.

Read my review (Coming soon)

Click here to buy on amazon.com

Daring Greatly by Brené Brown

rown explains how vulnerability is both the core of difficult emotions like fear, grief, and disappointment, and the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, empathy, innovation, and creativity. She writes: “When we shut ourselves off from vulnerability, we distance ourselves from the experiences that bring purpose and meaning to our lives.”

Read my review (Coming soon)

Click here to buy on amazon.com
How Emotions Are Made by Lisa Feldman Barrett 

Emotions feel automatic, like uncontrollable reactions to things we think and experience. Scientists have long supported this assumption by claiming that emotions are hardwired in the body or the brain. Today, however, the science of emotion is in the midst of a revolution on par with the discovery of relativity in physics and natural selection in biology–and this paradigm shift has far-reaching implications for us all.

Read my review (Coming soon)

Click here to buy on amazon.com

The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor 

Conventional wisdom holds that if we work hard we will be more successful, and if we are more successful, then we’ll be happy. If we can just find that great job, win that next promotion, lose those five pounds, happiness will follow. But recent discoveries in the field of positive psychology have shown that this formula is actually backward: Happiness fuels success, not the other way around. 

Read my review (Coming soon)

Click here to buy on amazon.com

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg 

In The Power of Habit, award-winning business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. Distilling vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives that take us from the boardrooms of Procter & Gamble to the sidelines of the NFL to the front lines of the civil rights movement, Duhigg presents a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential. At its core, The Power of Habit contains an exhilarating argument: The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, being more productive, and achieving success is understanding how habits work. As Duhigg shows, by harnessing this new science, we can transform our businesses, our communities, and our lives.

Read my review (Coming soon)

Click here to buy on amazon.com

Presence Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges by Amy Cuddly 

Amy Cuddy has galvanized tens of millions of viewers around the world with her TED talk about “power poses.” Now she presents the enthralling science underlying these and many other fascinating body-mind effects, and teaches us how to use simple techniques to liberate ourselves from fear in high-pressure moments, perform at our best, and connect with and empower others to do the same.

Read my review (Coming soon)

Click here to buy on amazon.com

Before Happiness by Shawn Achor 

In Before Happiness, Achor reveals five actionable, proven strategies for changing our lens to positive:

– The Most Valuable Reality: See a broader range of ideas and solutions by changing the details on which your brain chooses to focus 
– Success Mapping: Set goals oriented around the things in life that matter to you most, whether career advancement or family or making a difference in the world
– The X-spot: Use success accelerants to propel you more quickly towards those goals, whether finishing a marathon, reaching a sales target, learning a language, or losing 10 pounds
– Noise-Canceling: Boost the signal pointing you to opportunities and possibilities that others miss 
– Positive Inception: Transfer these skills to your team, your employees, and everyone around you 

Read my review (Coming soon)

Click here to buy on amazon.com

The Will Power Instinct by Kelly Mcgonigal 

Informed by the latest research and combining cutting-edge insights from psychology, economics, neuroscience, and medicine, The Willpower Instinct explains exactly what willpower is, how it works, and why it matters. For example, readers will learn:

  • Willpower is a mind-body response, not a virtue. It is a biological function that can be improved through mindfulness, exercise, nutrition, and sleep.
  • Willpower is not an unlimited resource. Too much self-control can actually be bad for your health.
  • Temptation and stress hijack the brain’s systems of self-control, but the brain can be trained for greater willpower
  • Guilt and shame over your setbacks lead to giving in again, but self-forgiveness and self-compassion boost self-control.
  • Giving up control is sometimes the only way to gain self-control.
  • Willpower failures are contagious—you can catch the desire to overspend or overeat from your friends —but you can also catch self-control from the right role models.

Read my review (Coming soon)

Click here to buy on amazon.com

Mindset by Carol Dweck 

Dweck offers new insights into her now famous and broadly embraced concept. She introduces a phenomenon she calls false growth mindset and guides people toward adopting a deeper, truer growth mindset. She also expands the mindset concept beyond the individual, applying it to the cultures of groups and organizations. With the right mindset, you can motivate those you lead, teach, and love—to transform their lives and your own

Read my review (Coming soon)

Click here to buy on amazon.com

Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

In his work with organizations around the world, Simon Sinek noticed that some teams trust each other so deeply that they would literally put their lives on the line for each other. Other teams, no matter what incentives are offered, are doomed to infighting, fragmentation and failure. Why?

The answer became clear during a conversation with a Marine Corps general. “Officers eat last,” he said. Sinek watched as the most junior Marines ate first while the most senior Marines took their place at the back of the line. What’s symbolic in the chow hall is deadly serious on the battlefield: Great leaders sacrifice their own comfort–even their own survival–for the good of those in their care.

Read my review (Coming soon)

Click here to buy on amazon.com

Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman

Everyone knows that high IQ is no guarantee of success, happiness, or virtue, but until Emotional Intelligence, we could only guess why. Daniel Goleman’s brilliant report from the frontiers of psychology and neuroscience offers startling new insight into our “two minds”—the rational and the emotional—and how they together shape our destiny.

Read my review (Coming soon)

Click here to buy on amazon.com

David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell 

 DAVID AND GOLIATH, Malcolm Gladwell challenges how we think about obstacles and disadvantages, offering a new interpretation of what it means to be discriminated against, suffer from a disability, lose a parent, attend a mediocre school, or endure any number of other apparent setbacks.

Read my review (Coming soon)

Click here to buy on amazon.com

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J Ratey 

In SPARK, John Ratey, MD embarks upon a fascinating journey through the mind-body connection, illustrating that exercise is truly our best defense against everything from depression to ADD to addiction to menopause to Alzheimer’s. Filled with amazing case studies (such as the revolutionary fitness program in Naperville, Illinois, that has put the local school district of 19,000 kids first in the world of science test scores), SPARK is the first book to explore comprehensively the connection between exercise and the brain. It will change forever the way you think about your morning run.

Read my review (Coming soon)

Click here to buy on amazon.com

Start With Why by Simon Sinek 

Sinek starts with a fundamental question: Why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over? 

Read my review (Coming soon)

Click here to buy on amazon.com

Linchpin  by Seth Godin 

Few authors have had the kind of lasting impact and global reach that Seth Godin has had. In a series of now-classic books that have been translated into 36 languages and reached millions of readers around the world, he has taught generations of readers how to make remarkable products and spread powerful ideas. In Linchpin, he turns his attention to the individual, and explains how anyone can make a significant impact within their organization.

Read my review (Coming soon)

Click here to buy on amazon.com

Are there any good relationship books that have helped you that I did not list here? Leave a commit below on any books that you found helpful. You can also check out all our resources here  or read the following book list 

Sexual Addiction & Pornography Addiction Books 

Better Relationship Books 

Leave a Reply

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *