The best 99 Self-Help books

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.

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.

The Clutter Connection (2019) explains the root cause behind your cluttered space. It delves into the four different organizing personality styles and offers easy-to-follow, tailored suggestions for organizing your home based on your distinct style.

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.

Getting to Neutral (2022) is a step-by-step guide to conquering negativity and embracing the state of neutrality in a stressful world. By delving into deeply personal experiences as well as insights from leading athletes and coaches from around the world, it shows how anyone can find calm and clarity in their everyday life. 

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 Happiness Trap (2007) is a self-help guide to pursuing a richer and more rewarding life instead of fleeting feelings of happiness. It outlines the six core principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy that can help you tackle unpleasant thoughts and feelings and build a fulfilling life.

Your Brain on Art (2023) offers remarkable insights into how artistic endeavors and aesthetics – from music and dance to drawing and interior design – can rewire our brains and improve our lives.

The Science of Happily Ever After (2014) digs into the history of mating throughout the history of the human species and answers the question of why some couples live happily ever after and some don’t. Part history and anthropology lesson, part self-help, it offers explanations and advice for anyone seeking love.

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 Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook (2019) offers basic and advanced exercises to help people hone the four core emotional competencies. While it can be used alone, it’s also an excellent companion for anyone working with a therapist. 

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. 

The Body Code (2023) is a companion book to The Emotion Code and presents the author’s comprehensive system for finding and clearing energy blockages and trapped emotions that cause discomfort and disease. Only by releasing these blockages and imbalances can the body’s natural ability to heal itself be fully realized.

The Source (2019) reveals the secret to mastering your mind. It draws on cognitive science and the author’s coaching experience to provide a four-step plan to fire up your brain and get what you want from life by becoming a new, confident you.

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.

How We Heal (2022) provides a detailed look at the complex and life-changing process of self-healing. Techniques are separated into a 4-step framework which provides encouragement, practical strategies, and journaling exercises to help you rediscover your inner power and cultivate a sense of inner peace.

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.

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.

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.

Maximum Achievement (2011) is a step-by-step guide to unlocking your potential and achieving your personal idea of success. Based on a self-improvement seminar program, it uses practical exercises to demonstrate how you can transform your self-esteem, boost your performance, and set goals to take control over every aspect of your personal and professional life. 

Burn the Boats (2023) tells the story of how Matt Higgins went from abject poverty to wealth and success using one simple approach: tossing Plan B and going all-in. Through both guidance and inspiration, it will help you apply this strategy to achieving your own goals and dreams.

Rich Dad’s Retire Young Retire Rich (2012) unpacks entrepreneur Robert Kiyosaki’s unique approach to personal finance. If you want to get rich, he argues, you need to understand how to leverage your mind, plan, and actions. Whether it’s cultivating simple habits conducive to success or using debt to buy income-generating assets, Kiyosaki demonstrates that making money is easier than you might think.

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 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.

Spiritual Activator (2023) provides a five-step program to detox your energetic body so that you can overcome the blocks that prevent you from being your highest self. By following the program over 15 days, you can cleanse yourself of negative influences and encourage abundance, love, and peace into your life.

How to Do the Work (2021) is a hands-on guide to healing our bodies and minds. The physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects of our health are all interconnected. By changing how we eat and exercise, engaging in mindfulness and tackling past trauma, we can heal ourselves and transform our relationships.

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 Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control is about understanding your perfectionist traits and making them work for you, not against you. It details different types of perfectionists and explains how all of them can adapt to their perfectionism.

Enchantment (2023) asks how – in a world of toxic social media, rolling news coverage, burnout, stress, and anxiety – we can spark feelings of wonder, magic, and miracle. It suggests that discovering a connection with nature and rekindling our connection to our own inner selves will awaken our ability to be enchanted by the world.

Soundtracks (2021) is a simple guide to ending self-doubt, hesitation, and overthinking. Instead of being at the mercy of your fickle and often unhelpful thoughts, you’ll discover patterns of thinking that can strengthen you, make you happier, and bring you closer to achieving your goals.

Get It (2020) is a one-stop guide to taking control of your voice so that you can successfully navigate the thorniest conversations in life. It’ll teach you how to clean up your conversational hygiene by avoiding common faux pas and show you how to present your best self to others. Once you know how to direct conversations toward outcomes you want, you’ll be sure to achieve success in love, work, and beyond.

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.

The Answer to Anxiety (2023) lays out the steps to overcoming anxiety with the help of God’s Word. It walks you through four specific actions, all derived from a single Bible passage.

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.

Existential Kink (2020) invites you to transform your life by embracing your deepest desires and hidden shadows. Through a radical and intriguing journey, you'll discover the power of turning your “wrongness” into personal growth and self-acceptance. With the help of seven axioms and practical exercises, prepare to unleash your true potential and create positive change.

The Explosive Child (2021) is a groundbreaking and scientific guide to dealing with children who react extremely to routine situations. Drawing on neuroscience and child psychology, Greene lays out a conceptual framework focused on the cause of the behavior, rather than the behavior itself. This framework can serve as a guide for frustrated parents who want to understand and address their child’s severe outbursts.

Leadership: Theory and Practice (2015) is a popular textbook exploring the topic of leadership. It discusses the main theories of leadership, explains the popular types of leadership style, and offers practical advice on improving your own leadership characteristics.  

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.

Noise (2021) is an exploration into the chaotic and costly role that randomness plays in human judgment. By uncovering the mechanisms behind how our minds and societies work, the authors show how noise – unwanted variability in decisions – is both inescapable and elusive. We can, however, with a few solid strategies, make our judgments less noisy and our world fairer.

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.

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 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.

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.

Origins of You (2023) invites you on a transformative journey of self-discovery, guiding you through the process of uncovering your origin stories and healing emotional wounds. With powerful insights and practical tools, this invaluable resource empowers you to embrace your past, nurture your well-being, and cultivate authentic, meaningful connections.

Embrace the Suck (2020) teaches you how to embrace challenges and use them as a tool for personal growth. Through candid storytelling and actionable steps, Brent Gleeson empowers you to expand your comfort zone, build discipline, and transform your mindset to create a fulfilling life.

Badass Habits (2020) is a lighthearted guide to developing positive habits. This manual lays out a step-by-step approach to breaking old patterns and creating new ones.

Procrastination (1983) is a deep dive into procrastination – and why people struggle with it. Drawing on personal and professional experience, it offers a tested program and tips on how to conquer procrastination tendencies.

Things No One Else Can Teach Us (2019) is a part-memoir, part-unconventional self-help book. Full of revealing personal stories and philosophical musings, it will inspire you to question your beliefs about failure, success, and what really makes life meaningful.

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. 

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.

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.

Own Your Greatness (2020) is a guided workbook for people who constantly feel like imposters. Drawing on Drs. Lisa and Richard Orbé-Austin’s expertise, it helps you identify and overcome the tiggers, habits and thoughts that activate your imposter syndrome, so you can beat self-doubt and succeed in life.

The Practice of Groundedness (2021) provides some counterbalance to all those self-help books that extol us to never stop optimizing ourselves, becoming more productive, and pushing ourselves toward more success. Drawing from both ancient wisdom and modern science, it identifies six principles of a more grounded way of living. It also tells the personal story of how the author came to understand these principles while struggling to overcome mental health issues.

How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (1948) is a self-help classic that outlines clearly why worrying is bad for you and what you can do about it. With tools and techniques to put to action, as well as a wealth of examples and anecdotes to back up its recommendations, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living can help you worry less today.

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 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families (1997) was written by Stephen R. Covey with, as he says, “such a passion . . . because family is what I care about most.” It’s a very personal book that talks about how the author, his wife, and nine children apply each of the habits in their family life. It can also be your guide to solving the problems you face in your family as you strive, individually and together, to become more effective.

How to Begin (2022) argues that you unlock your greatness by working on the hard things. The things that matter. Not to your partner, friends, or family – but to you. The hardest part isn’t the work itself, though. It’s identifying the kinds of projects that are worth investing your time in. Projects which give your life meaning. And that’s what this book is really about: helping you discover worthy goals.

The Power of Fun (2021) explains why fun is fundamental to living a happy and healthy life and how to have more of it. Not just any old fun but True Fun – the kind of fun that makes you laugh, smile, and feel alive!

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. 

The Power of Awakening (2020) is a collection of timeless writings by the late spiritual and motivational leader Wayne Dyer. They provide an accessible yet inspiring exploration of his belief that enlightened thinking can manifest concrete and positive change in the universe.

Welcome Home (2021) uses the metaphor of a house to provide a personalized blueprint for achieving self-worth, belonging, and happiness. Through personal stories, practical advice, and poetry, it lays out tools you can use to build a place where you’re at peace with yourself.

The Enneagram at Work (2021) reveals how applying the Enneagram – an emotional intelligence metric – can elevate leadership in the modern workplace. It explores the different Enneagram types and shows how tapping into self-awareness can make teams stronger and spark innovative solutions. From managing conflict and building mentorships to giving and receiving criticism, it provides the tools to foster personal growth and long-lasting success in the office.

In The Light We Carry (2022), former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, tackles complex questions about community, identity, and relationships with trademark warmth and honesty. Obama believes we all carry a light inside us – in this book, she tells us how to shine that light so it illuminates the potential for hope and healing, and pathways toward a better world.

Live Life in Crescendo (2022) anecdotally provides the answers to many questions about life: How do you live your best life, no matter how old you are? How do you respond to life-changing challenges? What do you do if you have a midlife crisis? It shows how to live life in crescendo – continually growing in contribution, learning, and influence.

Adult Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers (2022) explores the ramifications of having a narcissistic parent, and what you as an adult can do to release yourself from your mother’s toxic hold. Its toolkit will help you manage the difficult feelings that come with being raised by a narcissist – like self-doubt, shame, and anxiety – so that you can start living on your own terms. 

Lovingkindness (1995) is a gentle guide to uncovering the profound meanings of love and happiness. With psychological insights and actionable meditations, it shows us how the Buddhist path to pursuing a liberated heart can help each of us tap into our inner radiant joy – allowing us to be kinder to ourselves and to others. 

Your Brain Is Always Listening (2021) is a self-help guide for readers looking to lead happier, healthier lives. Drawing on Dr. Daniel Amen’s extensive experience as a psychiatrist, it shares science-backed tips for slaying the fire-breathing dragons that dwell inside your brain and spark destructive behaviors. 

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.

Loving Bravely (2017) is a primer on finding love through introspection and self-discovery. This guide to love teaches invaluable lessons about how to build relationships that actually last.

The Art of Living (2017) offers wisdom on how to fully experience every moment of every day. Many of us are consumed with fears or busyness that prevent us from engaging with the wonder of life. But by expanding our understanding of existence and embracing mindfulness practices, we can overcome the obstacles that stop us from truly living.

Midlife (2017) is a philosophical guide to navigating the troubles that middle age can present. Drawing on thinkers from ancient Rome to nineteenth-century England, it offers gentle solace in the face of midlife’s woes.

The Alcohol Experiment (2018) is your practical guide to giving up alcohol for 30 days – or perhaps a lifetime. Packed with science-based tips and personal anecdotes, it offers a new perspective on alcohol and explores why we drink it, what it really does to us, and how we can give it up.

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.

Surrounded by Setbacks (2021) is a practical guide to achieving your goals despite the obstacles you will inevitably meet along the way. We all experience setbacks in our lives. Some of them will be minor and fixable, while others will be completely outside of our control. But by learning to manage your responses to all kinds of adversity, by taking complete responsibility for your life, and being stubbornly persistent in your approach, you can achieve your dreams.

Switch Craft: The Hidden Power of Mental Agility (2022) introduces the concept of switch craft – the art of being able to change and adapt in this fast-paced world. Drawing on scientific research and real life experience, switch craft uses the four pillars of mental agility, self-awareness, emotional awareness, and situational awareness, to give us the flexibility and understanding to thrive in any situation.

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.

The Way of Integrity (2021) is a four-stage process to finding integrity – a quality that can alleviate the suffering caused by harmful autopilot actions and beliefs. In reconnecting to what makes you feel whole, you’ll achieve a sense of purpose, emotional healing, and mental well-being.

Hardwiring Happiness (2013) isn’t just another self-help book singing the praises of positive thinking. It presents the latest research behind the neuroscience of happiness and explains how you can reprogram your brain to focus on the good, rather than obsessing over the bad.

What’s it about?

The Slight Edge (2005) explores the power of all the small choices we make every day. Far from being insignificant, they are a step in our journey toward success or failure.

The Great Mental Models (2019) provides a crash course on how to upgrade your thinking and decision making. Drawing from a wide variety of disciplines, it will equip you with nine of the most essential tools for understanding and navigating the complicated world around you.

The Power to Change (2020) examines how to cope with change, navigate change, and make change happen. Full of insights and practical tips, its lessons are equally applicable to change in your personal and professional lives.

The Motivation Myth (2018) debunks the idea that you need motivation for success. Drawing on the author’s own experiences and examples from high achievers across a range of fields, it shows you how to cultivate a process to reach your goals and enjoy fulfillment along the way.

Think Like a Rocket Scientist (2020) reveals the strategies that rocket scientists use to innovate, problem-solve, and bring the unimaginable into fruition. By learning the techniques that scientists use every day, you’ll gain powerful tools that will help you fulfill both your professional and personal dreams.

Goals (2019) provides a comprehensive guide to setting goals and achieving them. By learning how to plan, hold yourself accountable, and foster the personal qualities you need to pursue your dreams, you’re more likely to succeed.

The Tools: 5 Tools to Help You Find Courage, Creativity, and Willpower—and Inspire You to Live Life in Forward Motion (2012) outlines five mental exercises to immediately tackle common challenges that may be holding you back in life. The coauthors are therapists and include patient cases and sketches to elaborate on how to use each tool. 

Forgiving What You Can’t Forget (2020) is a guide to healing from past hurt. Drawing from her experiences of abuse in her childhood and infidelity in her marriage, author Lysa TerKeurst offers up ways to make peace with painful memories through forgiveness.

The Success Trap (2020) explains why so many talented, high-achieving people feel stuck in their jobs, despite their success. It also explains how to break out of this trap and embrace the many opportunities that the modern world of work has to offer.

Transcend (2020) expands on Maslow’s famous ideas about human needs and presents them in a new light that takes us on a path toward self-actualization. It explains the ways in which love, connection, creativity and purpose can be part of our lives. In addition to providing practical advice on how to become your best possible self, it also demystifies transcendence, explaining that it’s something we can all integrate into our daily lives.

Bulletproof Problem Solving (2019) delves into one of the most important yet consistently neglected skills in the modern workplace: problem-solving. With routine jobs declining around the world, more and more employees are being tasked with tackling open-ended challenges. As we’ll see in these blinks, you don’t need an advanced degree in statistical analysis to be a great problem solver – you just need a dash of creativity and the right strategies. 

Parenting Outside the Lines (2020) is an essential guide to forgetting everything you’ve ever learned about parenting – and following your intuition instead. As parents, we’re insecure and desperate to get it right. So we keep searching for the perfect book or workshop that will tell us how to raise our children. But, truthfully, there is no perfect method. The only thing we can do is learn how to tune into ourselves and our children, and respond to specific situations with flexibility and grace.

No Hard Feelings (2018) is a guide to understanding, expressing and managing your emotions in the context of your working life. All too often, we buy into the idea that emotions don’t belong in the workplace. But the reality is that your work life is full of emotion. From feeling frustrated with irritating colleagues to the misery of being unmotivated, these blinks are a practical guide to help you navigate how you feel about work.

Journey of Awakening (1978) is a guide to establishing and solidifying a personal meditation practice. Combining insights from many spiritual traditions, it outlines a path to self-realization through meditation – offering sage advice on how to stay the course through doubt, fear, and ego traps.

Turning Pro (2012) sheds a light on why so many aspiring creatives and entrepreneurs fail to make their dreams a reality. It also explains how, by making a conscious decision to pursue your goals and reconfiguring your life, you can finally gain traction and embrace your true calling.

The Art of Impossible (2021) is a science-driven guide to reaching your maximum potential. By developing four key skills –⁠ motivation, learning, creativity, and flow –⁠ you’ll gain the power to smash whatever goals you set. With enough time, you may even achieve the impossible.

The Power of Regret (2022) is a rebuttal of the “no regrets” worldview. Drawing from human psychology, it shares actionable steps for transforming emotion into action and using past disappointments to shape purposeful futures. 

In The Power of a Positive No (2007), William Ury dives deep into the power of no. Since no is easily one of the strongest words in any language, people tend to misuse it or are afraid of using it for fear of upsetting someone. The Power of a Positive No tells you exactly how to stand up for yourself and deliver a firm refusal while resisting aggression and maintaining key relationships.

Winning the War in Your Mind (2021) explores how God’s word can improve your mental health. It unpacks the ancient wisdom of the Bible and explains why its verses are still relevant today. 

What’s it about?

Radically Happy (2018) is a practical yet personal guide to achieving true happiness. In it, timeless Eastern wisdom meets modern Western practicality as it teaches the keys to happiness according to a Tibetan Buddhist monk and a former Silicon Valley technologist. Packed with scientific insights and meditation exercises, it provides a toolkit for achieving a genuine, lasting sense of well-being.