The best 100 Self-Help books

Rising Strong (2015) is your guide to picking yourself up and dusting yourself off after a failure – and to becoming stronger, braver and kinder because of it. Whether you dream of being an entrepreneur or maintaining a loving relationship, these blinks supply you with the three vital steps to dealing with any struggle.

Hardcore Self Help (2014) is your guide to overcoming anxiety and living a peaceful life. These blinks examine some of the different forms that anxiety disorders take and offer some techniques to help ease anxiety.

I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn’t) (2008) is a guide to the visceral and thoroughly human emotion of shame. These blinks explain this complex feeling, discuss how it arises and describe ways in which empathy and connecting with one another can help humans heal.

The Power of the Subconscious Mind (1963) has helped millions of readers around the world harness their subconscious and find true happiness in the process. These blinks share inspiring true stories and effective techniques that will positively influence your career, love life and overall health.

Hyperfocus (2018) is a straightforward guide to reclaiming your attention that lays out how you can boost both your productivity and creativity by learning to redirect your focus. Combining periods of intense concentration with spells of creative thinking sets the foundation for a brighter, more efficient version of you.

Think Again (2021) examines the science behind changing your mind – and persuading others to change theirs. It explores the biases and assumptions that we bring to our decision-making, and outlines how individuals and organizations can build a mindset of lifelong curiosity.

Kaizen (2019) is a guide to the improvement philosophy known as kaizen, which encourages taking small steps to complete ambitious goals. Already well established in the world of business and sports, this method can also be applied to personal development. Using practical examples, this guide explains how to take a kaizen approach to setting goals that’ll improve health, relationships, money, and work.

Good Habits, Bad Habits (2019) lays out the workings of human habits, drawing on groundbreaking new research into the psychology of human behavior. Combining the insights of neuroscience and lab-based experiments, it shows how we can harness our habits to change our lives for the better.

Courage is Calling (2021) is both a meditation on bravery and a guide to courageousness. From how to dispel your fears to the benefits of taking small steps first, it gives concrete advice for building courage, and lays out, in writing rich with anecdotes, the simple ways that each of us can become a little bit braver.

Chatter (2021) directly addresses our inner voice, which, too often, turns into our inner critic. Backed with information from countless studies, Chatter delivers a wealth of strategies to help free us from the negative thought spirals that dominate our lives.

Set Boundaries, Find Peace (2021) lays out everything you need to know about boundaries: what they are, why you need them, and how to implement them in your life right now. By breaking down the ins and outs of setting healthy boundaries, these blinks will leave you feeling confident and empowered to finally tackle those thorny conversations that you’ve been avoiding for so long.

The Hidden Habits of Genius (2020) is a guide to the traits that set geniuses apart from the rest of us. Drawing on the lives of extraordinary creatives, thinkers, and disruptors from ancient Greece to modern Japan, it traces the factors that make up the complex and fascinating phenomenon that we call “genius.”

The Work-Life Balance Myth (2021) is a guide to managing stress and creating harmony across the key areas in your life using the Seven-Slice Method. Rather than divide your waking hours between work and life, the Seven-Slice Method recontextualizes life into seven key areas and demonstrates how spending time in each of them every day can help you overcome pressure and find peace.

The Procrastination Cure (2017) is an invaluable resource for anyone who's prone to procrastination. Beginning with an accessible guide to the underlying causes that contribute to procrastination, it then offers simple, proven strategies for conquering the urge to procrastinate, boosting productivity, and working optimally to meet personal and professional goals.

Unwinding Anxiety (2021) breaks down the brain science behind the bad habits that keep us stuck. Have you ever tried to reason yourself out of binge eating, or procrastinating? Then you’ll know that it just doesn’t work. That’s because addiction and obsessive thought patterns are controlled by our instinctive survival brains, not our rational brains. Learning how to retrain our brains using mindfulness techniques will allow us to free ourselves from chronic worry, anxiety, and other obsessive habits. 

The High 5 Habit (2021) offers a startling proposition: A single change to your morning routine can help upend your outmoded, self-limiting attitudes and kick your life into top gear. Interwoven with personal anecdotes and scientific research, this blueprint for life transformation makes self-improvement seem easier than ever.

The Daily Laws (2021) is a compendium of 366 rules for life, covering everything from seduction and power to the discovery of your life’s great task. It distills the insights author Robert Greene has uncovered in a series of best-selling books spanning 22 years of word.

Discipline Equals Freedom (2020) is your field manual to the art of self-discipline. It uncovers what you need to do to meet your full potential – and why being disciplined sets you free. 

Atlas of the Heart (2021) is a guide to understanding your emotions and learning how to regulate them. Everyone experiences strong emotions, but most people can’t identify what it is they’re feeling, or work out where the feelings come from. Developing your emotional vocabulary will transform your relationship to yourself, and the people around you.

Get It Done (2022) turns the spotlight on the person that’s often hardest to influence: you. Drawing on anecdotes and research from motivation science, it shows how modifying your circumstances can propel you forward both personally and professionally – even when you feel lost at sea.

Dopamine Nation (2021) explores the connection between pleasure and pain. Our modern world is filled with more dopamine-inducing stimuli than ever – including everything from drugs and sex to smartphones and shopping. Citing years of clinical experience and patients’ stories, this book helps to understand addiction and explains how to achieve a healthy balance in our lives. 

Evolve Your Brain (2007) dives deep into the human brain and its structures. It demonstrates the power of neuroplasticity to change thinking, behavior, and biology.

Stop Doing That Sh*t (2019) dives into the subconscious to explore how and why we self-sabotage ourselves. Discover why just thinking positively or deciding to change doesn’t help us to actually improve ourselves. Then, learn a method for finally overcoming the hidden thoughts that have been unconsciously ruling our lives. 

Stop Overthinking (2021) is an indispensable guide to breaking free from the negative thought patterns holding you back. Learn how to recognize your negative spiral triggers, overcome anxiety attacks, and declutter your mind to live a stress-free life.

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? (2022) is an empathetic and practical guide to improving and maintaining mental well-being. It offers bite-sized, actionable advice and coping strategies for anxiety, depression, unexpected setbacks, a lack of self-confidence, and more.

Master Your Emotions (2018) offers tips on understanding your emotions and controlling them. Instead of letting your negative emotions control your life, this guide encourages you to build positive instead of negative emotions and take back control of your life.

The Everyday Hero Manifesto (2021) is a how-to primer for becoming the hero of your own life. It’s full of detailed plans interspersed with short essays, anecdotes, and even poetry to help you become happier, more productive, and more successful.

Discipline Is Destiny (2022) draws on Stoic virtues to make a case for a life guided by self-discipline. It shows how being in control of your body, thoughts, and emotions is a prerequisite to mastering anything else – and uses historical figures to illustrate how things like sleep, discomfort, and kindness tie into greatness. 

The Overthinking In Relationships Fix (2020) is a guide to getting rid of toxic overthinking patterns that put your romantic relationships on the verge of a breakup. It offers advice and easy-to-do techniques to release your worrying thoughts and strengthen your bond with your partner.

The Mountain Is You (2020) can help you recognize the negative patterns in your life and what they are really telling you. Changing those patterns will be like climbing a mountain and the reward will be unlocking your own potential.

Stop Self-Sabotage (2019) outlines a six-step guide to identifying and overcoming behaviors that counteract people’s ability to reach goals of all kinds. The clinically proven process includes exercises, practical advice, and real-life examples of how people have used the method to change their lives.

The Power of Discipline (2020) explores the biological tendencies within our brains that determine our ability to control our self-discipline. It shows us how we can refine these tendencies in order to develop improved self-disciplinary habits and reach our goals.

Retrain Your Brain (2016) is all about learning practical strategies to break free from negative thought patterns and cultivate a more positive, fulfilling life. Whether you're struggling with anxiety or depression, or just want to improve your overall mental well-being, this guide is a valuable resource for retraining your brain and becoming your best self.

I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was (1994) offers practical guidance to help people figure out what they want in life and how to use that knowledge to go after it. It tackles the most common obstacles to goal-setting with exercises and tactics that help people customize an approach that works best for them.

Read People Like a Book (2020) unravels the complex tapestry of human behavior, guiding readers to decipher verbal and non-verbal signals broadcast by people 24/7. Marrying scholarly wisdom to sly real-world tales, the book presents the art and science of people-reading with both flair and finesse. Dive in, and soon you'll be navigating human interactions like a seasoned anthropologist.

The Cost of Discipleship, first released in 1937, examines the fundamental commitment required to truly follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. It explores the idea of “cheap grace” versus “costly grace,” presenting an argument that genuine discipleship demands a substantial personal sacrifice.

Moving between love and duty, Daniel Deronda (1876) explores the life of its eponymous protagonist, torn between his loyalty to his past and an unfamiliar Jewish heritage. It navigates through societal expectations, morality, self-realization, and the idea of destiny in Victorian England.

Moll Flanders is an exploration of a woman's relentless quest for survival and prosperity in 17th-century England, weaving through her numerous marriages and criminal endeavors.

Scarcity Brain (2023) reveals how our ancient scarcity mindset now backfires in a world of abundance. Michael Easter traveled the world consulting innovators on tactics to counter scarcity cues – from a Las Vegas slot machine designer detecting triggers to coffee-making monks finding happiness in alone time. By understanding our cravings, we can shake the worst habits and use what we have better for a more satisfying life.

Think Twice (2012) examines the hidden cognitive biases and mental shortcuts that routinely impair our judgment. It also provides concrete steps to counteract ingrained thinking and adopt a clear-eyed approach to making choices.

The Diary of a CEO (2023) offers a compelling insight into the world of entrepreneurship and personal development. It’s a comprehensive guide that combines reflections, lessons learned, and practical advice. This aims to inspire and guide you in understanding business dynamics, personal development, and the intricacies of becoming an effective leader.

How to Know a Person (2023) challenges us to set aside our egos and look beyond people’s superficial traits to really get to know them: their stories, their passions, their motivations, and more. It acknowledges that being able to see someone and make them feel seen is hard –⁠ and yet it’s essential for cultivating healthy relationships. Fortunately, with some dedication, we can all learn how to have healthier, deeper conversations; give people quality attention; and see people in all their delightful complexity.

The Art of Influence (2008) delivers timeless principles for becoming an influential person of admirable character and skills who leads through service. It outlines how pursuing excellence will transform anyone into a leader others naturally respect, engage, and follow.

Mind Shift (2023) describes how intentionally structuring your mental frameworks is the key to unlocking personal fulfillment and success. It encourages you to make courageous choices and optimize your performance by discarding self-limiting beliefs and actualizing your dreams. 

The Art of Positive Thinking (2023) is a guide to positivity as a practice. Through regular, simple exercises, we can all learn to change our mindsets, and improve the quality of our lives.

Hidden Potential (2023) challenges the notion that only those born with natural and exceptional talent can excel intellectually, artistically or athletically. Supported by groundbreaking research, it offers a framework that any individual can use to tap into their hidden potential and achieve more than they ever thought possible. 

What Doesn't Kill Us (2017) investigates the human body’s potential to overcome extreme environmental conditions through engaging with frigid temperatures and high altitudes. It presents a compelling argument for the health benefits of environmental conditioning and the ways it can help individuals reconnect with their evolutionary resilience. By outlining techniques that challenge the body’s comfort, it offers a glimpse into the potential for improved physical and mental fortitude.

Building a Non-Anxious Life (2023) is a straight-talking manual for regaining peace and joy. It offers a six-step roadmap to navigating the stress-inducing modern world with intention and perspective – reminding us that while we might not be able to eliminate anxiety completely, we can reduce it significantly. 

The Conscious Mind (1996) is a groundbreaking work analyzing why subjective experience has remained so resistant to conventional scientific explanations. It argues that consciousness must be considered a fundamental property woven into reality rather than an illusory emergent product of brain computations.

The Burnout Society (2010) delves into the contemporary epidemic of exhaustion and mental overload, revealing how your pursuit of success and productivity in a hyper-connected world might be leading to a state of collective burnout. It challenges you to rethink societal norms and personal values, offering insights into navigating the pressures of modern life. 

Don’t Believe Everything You Think (2022) is a guide to overcoming anxiety, self-doubt, and self-sabotage. Rejecting feel-good clichés about motivation and willpower, it draws on timeless Buddhist wisdom to demonstrate how thinking entangles us in a life of suffering – and how we can free ourselves from that trap. 

The Negativity Fast (2023) presents a transformative approach to personal growth, emphasizing the power of positivity and effective management of negative emotions. It guides you through a process of eliminating negativity and nourishing your mental outlook with optimism, offering concrete strategies for perspective-taking and coping with conflicting beliefs.

Lessons for Living (2023) is a collection of short essays that speak to the pivotal role acknowledgment of higher forces plays in effective psychotherapy and self-development. It argues that all our modern psychological ailments – from a lack of discipline to the pervasive background hum of dissatisfaction – can be healed with a proper understanding and appreciation of the powers that govern all of creation. 

How to Be the Love You Seek (2023) is part candid memoir, part practical manual to improving your romantic relationships. Supported by personal experience and patient case studies, it argues that deep inner work is the essential prerequisite to secure, loving outer relationships – and outlines the process to make this transformation possible. 

ADHD an A–Z tackles the daily challenges of ADHD with an empowering guide drawn from personal insights. From time management to budgeting to managing emotions and stress, these bite-sized tips help readers harness their unique strengths and gain confidence to thrive in their own unique way.

Be the Unicorn (2023) offers a comprehensive guide to achieving personal and professional success by detailing 12 key habits that distinguish exceptional leaders in today’s competitive world. It emphasizes the importance of developing these habits to stand out, become irreplaceable, and excel in various work environments, particularly in the context of a rapidly evolving job landscape influenced by AI technology.

Be Seen (2023) offers a comprehensive guide on content creation, marketing strategies, and personal branding. It’s designed to assist readers in finding their unique voice, establishing a solid personal brand, and achieving their dreams. Through step-by-step methods and personal anecdotes, it provides tools for personal and professional development, especially for entrepreneurs and creative professionals.

Positive Chaos (2023) delves into the complexities and paradoxical benefits of chaos. Drawing on groundbreaking research, it shows how to transform chaos from a disruptive force into a catalyst for personal development.

Rich AF debunks myths and imparts strategies for maximizing earnings, investing, and saving, all aimed at securing long-lasting wealth. Starting with the author’s mentorship on the trading floor, the narrative offers a wealth of practical advice for financial empowerment to the new generation.

To Hell with the Hustle (2019) examines modern society's obsession with productivity and constant busyness. It advocates for a more intentional and purposeful way of living that rejects the relentless pursuit of hustle culture, instead emphasizing the importance of rest, relationships, and spiritual health.

I Didn't Know I Needed This (2023) is the ultimate guide to modern dating’s natural lifecycle, from flirting to first dates to relationships to heartbreak. Drawing on TikTok star Eli Rallo's own hard-won experience, this rulebook combines shallow delights and hard truths into her signature brand of romantic realism. 

How to Eat to Change What You Drink (2023) draws on cutting-edge science to reveal how food can help change your relationship with alcohol. With a comprehensive 30-day plan to optimize meal timing, food, and lifestyle changes, this guide teaches you how to eat yourself sober.

Dopamine Detox (2020) is a concise guide that addresses a prevalent issue in today's distraction-filled world, offering you practical strategies to overcome procrastination and enhance focus. It reveals the impact of excessive dopamine stimulation on your ability to concentrate and tackle demanding tasks. Through a step-by-step approach, it empowers you to implement a dopamine detox in just 48 hours, enabling you to regain control over your attention and pursue your goals with renewed clarity.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (2020) explores a range of mental health topics, including managing anxiety, overcoming guilt, handling addiction, and integrating mindfulness into your daily life. Filled with practical tips, exercises, and real-world examples, it offers a user-friendly approach to enhancing mental well-being.

A New Way To Think (2011) presents a paradigm shift, arguing that companies could achieve sustainable success and shareholder returns by prioritizing customer satisfaction over the traditional focus on maximizing shareholder value.

The Art of Laziness (2024) is a transformative guide to improving your productivity, offering practical strategies for personal and professional growth. Through the dual focus of mindset and action, it teaches you how to overcome procrastination, harness your best work, and realize your full potential. 

28-Day FAST Start Day-By-Day (2023) offers an original intermittent fasting program for forming lasting habits, even after prior lapses. Simple daily check-ins build self-awareness and resilience as readers discover renewed health over 28 days of time-restricted eating.

The Seven Circles (2022) draws on Indigenous ancestral wisdom for achieving spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being. It proposes a holistic model called the Seven Circles – a template for modern living that’s intended to keep all aspects of life in balance including food, movement, sleep, ceremony, sacred space, land, and community.

Time Smart (2020) is a guide for shifting our emphasis from chasing money to valuing time, asserting that prioritizing time over money leads to increased happiness and personal well-being.

The First Rule of Mastery (2023) reveals that letting go of the fear of other people's opinions unleashes your potential by promoting a shift towards values and purpose.

Zero Sugar / One Month (2024) is a roadmap aimed at helping individuals eliminate sugar from their diet to achieve long-term health. It provides actionable advice, including guides on what to eat, how to resist temptation, and a day-by-day timeline of what to expect – along with motivational anecdotes and tips to navigate emotional challenges and build confidence throughout the 30-day journey. 

Breaking Free from Broke (2024) details the financial philosophies author George Kamel used to move from $40,000 in debt to being a debt-free millionaire. Discover how, with a paradigm shift and the right financial practices, you can achieve your financial goals and start living the life you want.

Real-Time Leadership (2021) dives into how leaders can make quick and strategic decisions during high stakes situations using the practical M-O-V-E framework.

How to Enjoy Your Life and Your Job (1955) provides guidance about getting more out of your day-to-day life, by generating more energy into your workday and improving your personal relationships. It sheds a light on how human nature influences the way we behave, so you can improve your interpersonal skills and deepen your self-understanding.

Your Best Financial Life (2024) charts a course through the complex landscape of personal finance, offering a map to navigate the twists and turns of saving, investing, and planning for the future. It unfolds the secrets of compound interest, the perils of financial pitfalls, and the art of adapting to life’s surprises, all while keeping your eyes on the prize: a secure and prosperous retirement.

The Lost Art of Silence (2023) is a captivating exploration of the often-overlooked power of silence in art, literature, nature, and spirituality. Drawing on wisdom from some of the world's greatest minds, it invites us to rediscover the profound quiet found both within ourselves and outside in the world. It explains that when we find silence, we find inspiration, insight, and an antidote to the cacophony of modern life.

Beyond the Pleasure Principle (1920 marks a pivotal turn in Sigmund Freud’s theoretical approach to psychology and psychoanalysis. In this work, Freud introduces the concept of the “death drive,” a fundamental tension between the life instincts that aim for survival, sexual reproduction, and pleasure, and the death instincts, which strive towards inanimate rest and a return to a state of non-existence.

The 5 Resets (2024), is a comprehensive guide to how we can better manage stress with the help of five key life-enhancing strategies. Brought to life by the stories of a Harvard doctor and her patients, it focuses on making manageable lifestyle adjustments to improve mental and physical health, fostering resilience and balance in the process.

In Praise of Folly (1511) is a critical examination of societal norms and institutions with a satirical lens, unveiling an unconventional wisdom that praises folly, or foolishness, as a driving force behind much human action and happiness.

Come Together (2024) warmly and compassionately offers practical advice for improving sexual well-being, particularly in long-term relationships where one or more partners may be experiencing low libido. It explores the complexities of human sexuality with a focus on the science of sexual response and the psychology of desire. Notably, it’s highly inclusive and applicable to people in relationships regardless of gender, orientation, or relationship structure.

Break the Cycle (2021) delves into the deep-seated generational trauma and challenges implicating many families. It emphasizes breaking free from cycles of pain and encourages readers to embrace change, healing, and emotional growth for a promising future.

The Nicomachean Ethics (around 340 BC) explores the question of what makes a good life. It argues that achieving a balanced, virtuous life through rational activity is the essence of human happiness.

Radiant Rebellion (2023) challenges the conventional perceptions of aging, arguing that growing older can be a period filled with happiness and health, contrary to common ageist beliefs.

The Little Book of Stoicism (2019) is about how using stoic principles can turn life’s adversities into advantages, promoting resilience, confidence, and calm in everyday life.

It’s Not You (2024) delves into the complexities of narcissistic personality traits and their devastating effects on personal and professional relationships. With a compassionate and pragmatic approach, it offers strategies and insights to help navigate these challenging dynamics.

Why We Remember (2024) is an exploration of the fascinating mechanisms that underlie human memory. Challenging conventional perceptions, it presents memory as a dynamic force that not only records the past, but influences our present and future. Through engaging case studies and current scientific research, it reveals the processes that shape our ability to form lasting memories, and the factors that influence forgetting. Ultimately, it shows us how we can harness our memory for learning, healing, and growth.

Quick Confidence (2023) is a highly useful primer on how to move through the world with more self-assurance and determination. It provides tips that are useful for team managers, executives and self-employed entrepreneurs alike. This is advice that anyone can use to make better first impressions and stronger connections.

Do the New You (2024) explores how to align your self-perception with God’s vision to become the person he designed you to be. It speaks to the challenge of living out your authentic, God-given identity and calling by unpacking practical mindsets to shift from who you are today to where God is leading you. It emphasizes that the true, ideal you isn’t an imaginary future self but the “you” God has always known you to be.

Untangle Your Emotions (2024) is a spiritual guide to understanding and managing your feelings. Rather than something to be fixed, it views emotions as an avenue for deeper connection with God and the people around you. Drawing on scientific research and biblical wisdom, it guides you on your path to emotional maturity as a divinely created being.

Hello Sleep (2023) delves into the often-misunderstood nature of insomnia, emphasizing that the key to overcoming sleepless nights lies not in exerting more effort but in mending your relationship with sleep. It offers a wealth of concrete, science-backed strategies, aimed at helping you to rediscover a sense of wonder and appreciation for your sleep.

Your Big Leap Year (2024) is a daybook that provides 365 short entries that contain affirmations and advice on how to stay motivated in your journey toward self-actualization. It points out the many common problems people face along the way and helps you to navigate around these challenges while unlocking your full potential.

Slow Productivity (2024) offers a transformative philosophy for achieving meaningful accomplishment while avoiding overload. It critiques the broken definition of productivity that leads to overwhelming task lists and burnout, proposing a more sustainable alternative inspired by history's creative thinkers. Drawing on examples from Galileo to Jane Austen, it presents the principles of "slow productivity", offering practical advice for escaping overload and pursuing long-term quality in work.

Languishing (2024) delves into the often-overlooked state between mental well-being and mental illness: languishing. It offers a comprehensive analysis of how individuals can find themselves stuck in this state of stagnation and emptiness and presents a compelling guide for recognizing and addressing this state. Through an exploration of strategies for enhancing well-being, it empowers readers to transform their mental health landscape, advocating for a proactive approach to emotional and psychological resilience.

Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day! (2024) is a compilation of concise reflections and practical steps, imbued with spiritual wisdom, designed to support you through daily challenges, regardless of whether your experiences are positive, negative, or somewhere in between. Developed from a period of enduring chronic pain, it offers insights into navigating life’s obstacle courses, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and embracing both the highs and lows to foster resilience.

The Power of Going All In (2024) inspires leaders and their teams to achieve more. It provides a customizable framework for creating a path to leadership greatness, offering tried-and-tested methods for unlocking potential, effective alternatives to micromanagement, and reasons why true leadership transcends titles.

How to Walk Into a Room (2024) talks about the big decisions in life and how to make them. Learn how to assess your life, make a plan on how to change things that aren’t working for you, and put that plan into action. 

Practical Optimism (2024) offers actionable strategies for fostering well-being and resilience in everyday life. Through nurturing relationships, forming positive habits, and cultivating self-compassion, individuals can enhance their mental and physical health while thriving amidst life's challenges.

All It Takes Is a Goal (2023) is a transformative guide that empowers readers to achieve their dreams. It demonstrates how setting effective goals can help individuals escape their comfort zones, make measurable progress, and ultimately reach their full potential.

The Mindful Body (2023) delves into the intricate connection between the mind and the body, presenting the idea that they aren’t separate entities but rather one unified system. Backed by cutting-edge research, it explores how changing our thoughts and perceptions can profoundly impact our physical well-being.

Sparked (2021) explores the concept of Sparketypes, identifying ten innate impulses that drive individuals in various aspects of their lives, including work, relationships, and personal growth. It helps people to align their endeavors with their natural inclinations, and embark on a journey towards greater fulfillment and authenticity.