The best 100 Skills books

Skills are the foundation of personal and professional growth. In today's rapidly evolving world, it's essential to continuously develop and refine our abilities to stay ahead of the curve. Our handpicked book list is designed to help you do just that.

These books offer valuable insights and practical guidance to help you enhance your skills across various domains. From communication and leadership to creativity and problem-solving, we've got you covered. So, let's unlock your full potential and embark on this journey of self-improvement!
1
The Pyramid Principle

The Pyramid Principle

Barbara Minto
Logic in Writing and Thinking
4.3 (165 ratings)

What's The Pyramid Principle about?

Never has clear, convincing communication been as important as in today’s information-cluttered environment. The Pyramid Principle (1978) explains in detail how written documents and presentations can be logically structured, and the methods described in the book are used by almost every major management consultancy on the planet.

Who should read The Pyramid Principle?

  • Professionals whose work involves preparing documents, presentations or written communications
  • Anyone who wants to be more persuasive in their written communications
  • Anyone who wants to learn about effective tools for problem-solving and structuring presentations

2
Linchpin

Linchpin

Seth Godin
Are You Indispensable?
4.4 (181 ratings)

What's Linchpin about?

Linchpin explains why you should stop being a mindless drone at work and instead become a linchpin – someone who pours their energy into work and is indispensable to the company. It is not only better for your career but it also makes work far more enjoyable and rewarding.

Who should read Linchpin?

  • Anyone who feels they are not giving their all at work each day
  • Anyone worried about their job security
  • Anyone who ever dreamed of doing something more meaningful than the standard 9–5 grind

3
The 80/20 Principle

The 80/20 Principle

Richard Koch
The Secret to Achieving More with Less
4.4 (963 ratings)

What's The 80/20 Principle about?

The 80/20 Principle (1997) was named one of GQ's Top 25 Business Books of the Twentieth Century. It's about the 80/20 principle, which says that 80 percent of results are generated by just 20 percent of effort. This phenomenon has huge implications for every area of life, as it helps single out the most important factors in any situation.

Who should read The 80/20 Principle?

  • Anyone who wants to get better results without expending more time
  • Anyone who wants to free up more of their time and lead a happier life
  • Anyone who wants to increase the profitability of their business

4
Musicophilia

Musicophilia

Oliver Sacks
Tales of Music and the Brain
4.3 (59 ratings)

What's Musicophilia about?

Musicophilia explores the enriching, healing and disturbing effects of music. It delves into fascinating case studies about disorders that are expressed, provoked and alleviated by music.

Who should read Musicophilia?

  • Anyone who loves listening to music
  • Anyone who wants to learn how music affects our brains
  • Anyone who wants to know how music can heal people

5
Moonwalking with Einstein

Moonwalking with Einstein

Joshua Foer
The Art and Science of Remembering Everything
4.2 (217 ratings)

What's Moonwalking with Einstein about?

Moonwalking with Einstein takes us on the author’s journey towards becoming the USA Memory Champion. Along the way he explains why an extraordinary memory isn’t just available to a select few people but to all of us. The book explores how memory works, why we’re worse at remembering than our ancestors, and explains specific techniques for improving your own memory.

Who should read Moonwalking with Einstein?

  • Anyone who can’t remember their spouse’s or best friend’s phone number   
  • Anyone who wants to impress others with their broad knowledge at a cocktail party
  • Anyone who has trouble remembering names

6
The Five Elements of Effective Thinking

The Five Elements of Effective Thinking

Edward B. Burger and Michael Starbird
4.2 (110 ratings)

What's The Five Elements of Effective Thinking about?

With The Five Elements of Effective Thinking, you’ll learn how to think effectively and realize your full potential. Using as an organizing principle the four elements – earth, fire, air and water – the authors explain many techniques for improving the way in which we think. With the addition of a fifth element, change, they demonstrate how adopting the right attitude helps to bring about lasting, positive change.

Who should read The Five Elements of Effective Thinking?

  • Anyone who wants to improve their thinking processes
  • Anyone who wants to master a particular subject or skill
  • Anyone wanting to enact a substantial change in their life

7
Talk Like TED

Talk Like TED

Carmine Gallo
The Nine Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds
4.6 (347 ratings)

What's Talk Like TED about?

In Talk like TED (2014), you’ll learn about presentation strategies used by the world’s most influential public speakers. Author Carmine Gallo analyzed more than 500 TED talks to identify common features that make these talks so influential and appealing.

Who should read Talk Like TED?

  • Anyone interested in founding a start-up
  • Anyone interested in giving effective, memorable presentations
  • Anyone who wants to learn how to sell themselves better

8
Wired for Story

Wired for Story

Lisa Cron
The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence
4.4 (125 ratings)

What's Wired for Story about?

Wired for Story (2012) takes findings from modern brain science to explain why exactly certain stories suck us in, while others leave us bored and disengaged. By using some fundamental techniques drawn from understanding what makes us tick, writers can craft more compelling stories.

Who should read Wired for Story?

  • Anyone interested in writing
  • Anyone interested in brain science
  • Anyone interested in storytelling

9
Thanks for the Feedback

Thanks for the Feedback

Douglas Stone, Sheila Heen
The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well
4.4 (143 ratings)

What's Thanks for the Feedback about?

Thanks for the Feedback is about learning from people and experiences, whether at home or at work. It sheds light on different types of feedback and their importance, and how you can take any kind of feedback in a positive, constructive way and use it to better yourself in your career and relationships.

Who should read Thanks for the Feedback?

  • Anyone interested in self-development
  • Anyone interested in coaching and managing people
  • Anyone interested in the psychology of giving and receiving feedback

10
The Art of Social Media

The Art of Social Media

Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick
Power Tips for Power Users
3.6 (85 ratings)

What's The Art of Social Media about?

The Art of Social Media reveals the most effective ways to promote yourself or your product professionally on social media platforms. The authors explain how to get the most of the many dominant social media platforms today, including Google+, Facebook, Twitter and others.

Who should read The Art of Social Media?

  • Anyone who wants to better promote their business
  • Anyone who wants to gain a wider audience on social media
  • Anyone looking to optimize their profile on social media sites

11
Yes, And

Yes, And

Kelly Leonard & Tom Yorton
How Improvisation Reverses “No, But” Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration
4.2 (48 ratings)

What's Yes, And about?

Yes, And (2015) shows you how by incorporating the techniques of improvisational comedy to the business world, you can generate better ideas and foster more effective communication, with the ultimate goal of building a team ready to meet any challenge. The authors draw on personal experience from working with leading talents such as Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert and Amy Poehler.

Who should read Yes, And?

  • Entrepreneurs looking to expand their creative skills
  • Business leaders in search of tools to optimize creativity and collaboration
  • Fans of improvisational theatre

12
10 Days to Faster Reading

10 Days to Faster Reading

The Princeton Language Institute and Abby Marks Beale
Zip Through Books, Magazines, and Newspapers – Understand and Remember Everything You Read
4.4 (470 ratings)

What's 10 Days to Faster Reading about?

10 Days to Faster Reading (2001) sets out to help you get through your ever-growing pile of must-read books. By breaking down the mindsets and bad habits that inhibit effective reading and replacing them with highly efficient reading techniques, you’ll be reading faster and retaining more than ever before.

Who should read 10 Days to Faster Reading?

  • Anyone who wants to read faster and remember more of what they read
  • Educators looking for new reading strategies for students
  • College students and bibliophiles

13
The New Trading for a Living

The New Trading for a Living

Dr. Alexander Elder
Psychology, Discipline, Trading Tools and Systems, Risk Control, Trade Management
4.3 (152 ratings)

What's The New Trading for a Living about?

The New Trading for a Living (2014) is your complete guide to getting started in trading. These blinks provide a detailed overview of a range of trading methods that will allow you to approach the market with minimum risk.

Who should read The New Trading for a Living?

  • Those interested in alternative investment opportunities
  • People studying finance or working in the financial sector
  • Anyone who wants to start trading and earn a living doing it

14
How To Read Literature Like A Professor

How To Read Literature Like A Professor

Thomas C. Foster
A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines
4.1 (223 ratings)

What's How To Read Literature Like A Professor about?

How to Read Literature Like a Professor (2003) is an accessible and engaging introduction to literary analysis. With illuminating examples drawn from both classic and contemporary literature, these blinks provide readers with the tools they need to detect deeper meaning in any fictional text.

Who should read How To Read Literature Like A Professor?

  • Young readers who want to learn how to interpret literature
  • Anyone who wants to familiarize themselves with basic literary devices
  • Educators seeking support material for teaching literature

15
What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There

What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There

Marshall Goldsmith
How Successful People Become Even More Successful!
4.2 (208 ratings)

What's What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There about?

Your people skills become increasingly important the further you climb up the ladder of success. What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There (2007) describes some of the bad habits that commonly hold back successful people and explains how to change them.

Who should read What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There?

  • Managers wanting to become more successful
  • Anyone who wants to gain respect in the office and improve relationships with coworkers
  • Leaders and executives who are proud of their personality flaws

16
Reclaiming Conversation

Reclaiming Conversation

Sherry Turkle
The Power of Talk in a Digital Age
4.1 (83 ratings)

What's Reclaiming Conversation about?

Reclaiming Conversation (2015) reflects on how we interact with one another in our increasingly digitized world. Constant interruptions, leaving messages unanswered and lack of interest have all become the norm in a world rife with mobile devices and screens. But is this what we want? And if not, what can we do about it?

Who should read Reclaiming Conversation?

  • Anyone who spends a lot of time in front of screens
  • Parents and caregivers
  • Anyone who wants to have more meaningful conversations

17
True North

True North

Bill George
Discover Your Authentic Leadership
4.4 (111 ratings)

What's True North about?

True North (2007) is a guide to discovering your inner compass and staying true to yourself, all while developing the skills you need to be an authentic leader. By uncovering your values and motivations, you’ll gain the tools you need to build a professional life that remains true to who you are.

Who should read True North?

  • Leaders looking for a better work-life balance
  • Anyone hoping to become a better leader
  • People who need an extra bit of help reaching their goals

18
Reading Like a Writer

Reading Like a Writer

Francine Prose
A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them
4.3 (94 ratings)

What's Reading Like a Writer about?

Reading Like a Writer (2006) shows us how to read literary masterpieces with open eyes. These blinks explain the patterns of writing that make fiction memorable, powerful and authentic, helping us slow down our reading and find more enjoyable experiences in every book.

Who should read Reading Like a Writer?

  • Avid readers who want to get more out of their fiction-reading experience
  • Writers and those dreaming of becoming one
  • Anyone who promised themselves they’d read the classics, but hasn’t managed to yet

19
The Sense of Style

The Sense of Style

Steven Pinker
The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century
4.2 (81 ratings)

What's The Sense of Style about?

The Sense of Style (2014) offers a refreshing and relevant guide to writing potent, readable texts of all kinds. Instead of extolling the same confusing and sometimes counter-intuitive rules found in traditional style guides, The Sense of Style offers simple tricks and heuristics guaranteed to improve your writing.

Who should read The Sense of Style?

  • Lovers of the English language
  • Professional or amateur writers
  • People interested in linguistics

20
The Storytelling Animal

The Storytelling Animal

Jonathan Gottschall
How Stories Make Us Human
4.2 (88 ratings)

What's The Storytelling Animal about?

The Storytelling Animal (2012) explores humanity’s addiction to stories. It reveals their surprising evolutionary value, and clearly explains the importance – as well as the complications – that stories bring to our lives.

Who should read The Storytelling Animal?

  • Anyone who is addicted to good stories
  • Teachers and parents who fear reading and storytelling is going out of style
  • Students of psychology or evolutionary biology

21
Vagabonding

Vagabonding

Rolf Potts
An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel
4.3 (49 ratings)

What's Vagabonding about?

A vagabond himself, Potts details his travel adventures in Vagabonding (2002). Informed by firsthand experience, he outlines what to do and not to do in order to get the most out of hitting the road for the long haul.

Who should read Vagabonding?

  • Anyone seeking a life less ordinary
  • People looking for an alternative approach to traveling
  • Anyone interested in the accounts of a long-term traveler

22
Emotions Revealed

Emotions Revealed

Paul Ekman
Recognizing Faces and Feelings to Improve Communication and Emotional Life
3.7 (45 ratings)

What's Emotions Revealed about?

Emotions Revealed (2003) puts emotions under the microscope, revealing where they come from and how to recognize them, whether they’re yours or someone else’s. If you’ve ever wanted to know if someone was being dishonest or trying to deceive you with a friendly smile, these are the blinks for you!

Who should read Emotions Revealed?

  • Law enforcement officers who need to recognize the emotions of criminals and victims
  • Therapists and psychologists who want to help patients cope with their emotions
  • Empathetic people who want to connect more effectively with others

23
Words Like Loaded Pistols

Words Like Loaded Pistols

Sam Leith
Rhetoric from Aristotle to Obama
4.3 (111 ratings)

What's Words Like Loaded Pistols about?

Words Like Loaded Pistols (2012) is a guide to identifying rhetoric and using it to your advantage. These blinks use historical, contemporary and everyday examples to show how rhetoric is a part of everything we do, which is why it’s such an essential topic to examine.

Who should read Words Like Loaded Pistols?

  • Anyone who wants to better understand the science behind political jargon
  • Students and professionals striving to become better public speakers and writers

24
The Leader as a Mensch

The Leader as a Mensch

Bruna Martinuzzi
Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow
4.3 (94 ratings)

What's The Leader as a Mensch about?

The Leader as a Mensch (2009) is a guide to becoming a great leader. Learn the importance of caring for those you lead, and how reflecting on yourself will bring you closer than ever to becoming the best leader you can be.

Who should read The Leader as a Mensch?

  • Managers and supervisors who want to become better leaders
  • Anyone wanting to improve their communication skills

25
Accidental Genius

Accidental Genius

Mark Levy
Using Writing to Generate Your Best Ideas, Insight, and Content
4.2 (92 ratings)

What's Accidental Genius about?

Accidental Genius (2010) outlines techniques, ideas and exercises that utilize freewriting. It’s a method that many people use to organize their thoughts, solve problems and access the great ideas buried in their minds. The techniques and tips detailed here can be used to achieve better concentration, bring order to disorder and free up creative capacity.

Who should read Accidental Genius?

  • People interested in innovative writing techniques
  • Anyone whose work involves complex problem-solving situations
  • Writers or students trying to organize material and ideas for theses or books

26
The Long View

The Long View

Brian Fetherstonhaugh
Career Strategies to Start Strong, Reach High, and Go Far
4.3 (112 ratings)

What's The Long View about?

The Long View (2016) is a solid guide to building a lasting and meaningful career. Put yourself on the right path by assembling a useful skill set, developing a dynamite personal network and, most importantly, finding a good work-life balance. Work doesn’t have to be miserable and it’s not too late to find a career that can be both emotionally and financially rewarding.

Who should read The Long View?

  • Readers who want to plan for a prosperous future
  • Young and middle-aged professionals looking to take the next step in their career
  • Anyone approaching their retirement years

27
Dangerous Personalities

Dangerous Personalities

Joe Navarro
An FBI Profiler Shows You How to Identify and Protect Yourself from Harmful Personalities
4.1 (111 ratings)

What's Dangerous Personalities about?

Dangerous Personalities (2014) is a guide to the dark side of the human psyche. It offers a look inside the minds of some of the world’s most dangerous people, exploring the kinds of personalities that have taken the most lives, as well as taken the biggest toll on society. Learn the traits of serial killers and those who wouldn’t think twice about stealing your life savings. Who knows, you might be able to spot trouble before it has a chance to strike.

Who should read Dangerous Personalities?

  • Fans of true crime stories
  • Safety conscious people
  • Anyone interested in criminal profiling

28
Learn Better

Learn Better

Ulrich Boser
Mastering the Skills for Success in Life, Business, and School, or, How to Become an Expert in Just About Anything
4.3 (313 ratings)

What's Learn Better about?

Learn Better (2017) upends traditional approaches to learning skills and obtaining knowledge. Learning was once thought to depend entirely on the innate ability and intelligence of the learner. Rote learning was the order of the day. We now know there are much more effective ways to learn. In fact, there are six simple steps to better learning.

Who should read Learn Better?

  •  Anybody with learning difficulties
  • Teachers, professors and students
  • Anyone who needs to master a skill

29
Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t

Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t

Steven Pressfield
Why That Is and What You Can Do About It
4.2 (115 ratings)

What's Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t about?

Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t (2016) is a guide to the ins and out of writing, whether it’s a book, a screenplay or advertising material. Making a living writing isn’t an easy thing to do, especially since the last thing a busy person wants to do is read some poorly written manuscript. But with these helpful tools and the insight of a 30-year veteran of the industry, you can be on your way to writing the kind of captivating work that people love to read.

Who should read Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t?

  • Writers of all kinds seeking advice
  • Advertisers in need of inspiration
  • Screenwriters who don’t know which story to tell

30
The Art of Travel

The Art of Travel

Alain De Botton
4.1 (90 ratings)

What's The Art of Travel about?

The Art of Travel (2002) is an unorthodox guide to traveling. Unlike conventional travel guides, Alain de Botton’s book is more of a philosophical globe-trotter’s handbook, exploring the reasons behind our urge to discover new places and offering some general tips for making travel more enjoyable.

Who should read The Art of Travel?

  • Avid travelers
  • Culture vultures
  • Aspiring authors and freelance journalists eager to work while on the move

31
Find Out Anything From Anyone, Anytime

Find Out Anything From Anyone, Anytime

James O. Pyle and Maryann Karinch
Secrets of Calculated Questioning From a Veteran Interrogator
4.0 (94 ratings)

What's Find Out Anything From Anyone, Anytime about?

Find Out Anything From Anyone, Anytime (2014) is a guide to asking questions that will elicit the responses you seek. The authors draw on decades of experience to show that everyone – from teachers to journalists to doctors – can benefit from asking the right questions in the right way.

Who should read Find Out Anything From Anyone, Anytime?

  • Journalists, lawyers or anyone whose job involves asking a lot of questions
  • People interested in the sociology of language
  • Those wishing to improve their conversational techniques

32
Writing That Works

Writing That Works

Kenneth Roman and Joel Raphaelson
How To Communicate Effectively In Business
4.0 (62 ratings)

What's Writing That Works about?

Writing That Works (1981) is the definitive guide to business writing. These blinks are full of advice on how to write clear, compelling and succinct business communications, covering everything from quarterly reports to presentations, emails and even resumes.

Who should read Writing That Works?

  • Marketers and advertisers at all levels
  • Students of business, marketing and advertising
  • Entrepreneurs looking for tips on effective business writing

33
Adaptability

Adaptability

Max McKeown
The Art of Winning in an Age of Uncertainty
4.3 (75 ratings)

What's Adaptability about?

Adaptability (2012) examines a skill that’s becoming ever more important in today’s fast-paced and highly fickle business environment: the ability to adapt. It’s what makes the difference between successful innovators who go on to thrive and stick-in-the-muds who struggle to survive – or simply go under. Packed with illuminating portraits of both, these blinks analyze adaptability in action everywhere from the golf course to the battlefield and the boardroom.

Who should read Adaptability?

  • Entrepreneurs and self-starters
  • Managers and strategists
  • Marketplace Machiavellis

34
Sleep Smarter

Sleep Smarter

Shawn Stevenson
21 Essential Strategies to Sleep Your Way to A Better Body, Better Health, and Bigger Success
4.5 (743 ratings)

What's Sleep Smarter about?

Sleep Smarter (2014) is your quickstart manual for improving the quality of your sleep. Drawing from a host of scientific studies and punctuated with practical tips, this accessible guide promises to change the way you think about sleep and give you a better night’s rest, starting tonight.

Who should read Sleep Smarter?

  • Productivity enthusiasts who think sleep is a waste of time
  • Insomniacs who need help drifting off
  • Those waking up feeling exhausted

35
Persuasive Copywriting

Persuasive Copywriting

Andy Maslen
Cut Through the Noise and Communicate With Impact
4.3 (176 ratings)

What's Persuasive Copywriting about?

Persuasive Copywriting (2019) is a valuable guide to the world of copywriting, with tips on how to get the attention and keep the interest of customers, as well as generate those all-important sales for your client. Author Andy Maslen takes time-tested techniques that have proven reliable for generations and shows how these are being successfully applied in an online world that’s increasingly focused on content marketing.

Who should read Persuasive Copywriting?

  • New and experienced copywriters
  • Marketing and sales professionals
  • Writers eager to engage readers

36
Ultralearning

Ultralearning

Scott H. Young
Accelerate Your Career, Master Hard Tasks and Outsmart the Competition
4.5 (1,022 ratings)

What's Ultralearning about?

Ultralearners are ordinary people who can master difficult skills with extraordinary speed. As a result, they achieve tremendous personal success and cultivate a serious professional advantage. But how exactly do they pull it off? In Ultralearning (2019), Scott H. Young analyzes the aggressive, self-directed learning strategies of some of the world’s most successful ultralearners and breaks them down into techniques and strategies that anyone can implement.

Who should read Ultralearning?

  • Anyone who’s tried to learn a new skill and become discouraged.
  • Workers who want to extend and upgrade their professional skill sets.
  • Busy people who want to skill up efficiently and effectively.

37
Objections

Objections

Jeb Blount
The Ultimate Guide for Mastering The Art and Science of Getting Past No
4.4 (126 ratings)

What's Objections about?

Objections (2019) explores the secrets behind turning around common sales objections. Drawing on insights from both the business world and psychology, it shows how you can transform even the most reluctant prospect into an eager buyer. 

Who should read Objections?

  • Sales people looking to up their game
  • Budding entrepreneurs about to pitch to investors
  • Business buffs seeking fresh insights

38
Talking Across the Divide

Talking Across the Divide

Justin Lee
How to Communicate with People You Disagree with and Maybe Even Change the World
4.2 (107 ratings)

What's Talking Across the Divide about?

Talking Across the Divide (2018) offers a useful guide on how to engage in constructive dialogues with people who hold opposing ideas or beliefs. By using these tools, you can avoid unhelpful arguments and conduct meaningful conversations that allow both sides to become better informed – and perhaps even come to a common understanding.

Who should read Talking Across the Divide?

  • Anyone hoping to restore relationships broken over differing opinions
  • Liberal-minded people with conservative friends and family, or vice versa
  • People who would like to argue less

39
The 3-Minute Rule

The 3-Minute Rule

Brant Pinvidic
Say Less to Get More from Any Pitch or Presentation
4.5 (391 ratings)

What's The 3-Minute Rule about?

"By the end of three minutes, your audience will already be leaning yes or no on your proposal. From that point on, you can continue yammering for another 57 minutes, but the die is already cast."

The 3-Minute Rule (2019) is an incisive guide to creating an ultra-concise, ultra-compelling pitch for any idea, product, service or company. Beginning with the provocative thesis that you have only three minutes to persuade a modern audience, it provides you with a blueprint for packing those three minutes with your best possible material. 

Who should read The 3-Minute Rule?

  • Business people who need to pitch things in a corporate setting    
  • Creative people who need to pitch things in the entertainment industry 
  • Anyone else who needs to pitch something to someone

40
How to Have Impossible Conversations

How to Have Impossible Conversations

Peter Boghossian and James A. Lindsay
A Very Practical Guide
4.5 (592 ratings)

What's How to Have Impossible Conversations about?

How to Have Impossible Conversations (2019) is a guide to having frank conversations that don’t end in tears. Philosopher Peter Boghossian and scientist James Lindsay argue that however prickly the topic, we all profit when we air our disagreements – provided we’re out to learn something, not just shout our opponents down. These blinks will explore techniques that facilitate respectful dialogue, from rules of building rapport to the art of convincing your sparring partner to reexamine her assumptions. 

Who should read How to Have Impossible Conversations ?

  • Critical thinkers who love a good argument
  • Skeptics intent on dismantling irrational dogmas
  • Quiet rationalists fed up with all the shouting

41
The Storytelling Edge

The Storytelling Edge

Shane Snow and Joe Lazauskas
How to Transform Your Business, Stop Screaming into the Void, and Make People Love You
4.4 (305 ratings)

What's The Storytelling Edge about?

The Storytelling Edge (2018) is a study of communication by two content strategists who’ve taken an old Native American proverb to heart – “those who tell the stories run the world.” As Shane Snow and Joe Lazauskas assert, it doesn’t much matter if you’re an individual, a business, or a government: if you want to thrive in today’s world, you need to be able to tell your story as convincingly and fluently as possible.

Who should read The Storytelling Edge?

  • Marketing and advertising pros   
  • Brand managers and copywriters
  • Entrepreneurs looking for new ideas

42
Proust and the Squid

Proust and the Squid

Maryanne Wolf
The Story and Science of the Reading Brain
4.5 (210 ratings)

What's Proust and the Squid about?

Proust and the Squid (2007) tells the fascinating story of how the human brain learned to read. From the invention of the first writing systems to our brain’s amazing capacity to rearrange itself, reading expert Maryanna Wolf explains how the incredible skill of reading developed over the course of human history. That is, how it transforms our brains, thoughts, and culture, and why some of us struggle to learn it.

Who should read Proust and the Squid?

  • Book worms, word nerds, and language lovers
  • Parents and educators who want to encourage children to read 
  • People struggling with dyslexia

43
How to Decide

How to Decide

Annie Duke
Simple Tools for Making Better Choices
4.4 (295 ratings)

What's How to Decide about?

How to Decide (2020) investigates the way we make decisions, as well as common types of bias and faulty techniques that afflict them. It teaches you how to identify different types of decisions, and then design practical processes to help slow down or speed up the deliberation process accordingly.

Who should read How to Decide?

  • Anyone interested in decision-making strategies
  • People who like psychology
  • Business managers who make big decisions regularly

44
Write Your Book in a Flash

Write Your Book in a Flash

Dan Janal
The Paint-by-Numbers System to Write the Book of Your Dreams—FAST!
4.8 (81 ratings)

What's Write Your Book in a Flash about?

Write Your Book in a Flash (2018) provides a comprehensive roadmap to writing non-fiction business books. By following its clear system, you can create a quality book quickly and effectively, to showcase that you’re a leader in your field.

Who should read Write Your Book in a Flash?

  • Thought leaders wanting to share their knowledge
  • Business executives seeking to build their personal brand
  • Non-fiction writers struggling with procrastination

45
The Little Book of Talent

The Little Book of Talent

Daniel Coyle
52 Tips for Improving Your Skills
4.4 (172 ratings)

What's The Little Book of Talent about?

The Little Book of Talent (2012) shares tried and tested methods of developing skills from top performers and talent hotbeds around the world. From sports players to musicians, anyone can easily apply these strategies and reach their full potential. 

Who should read The Little Book of Talent?

  • People who want to improve their skills and talent
  • Teachers and coaches looking for new methods
  • Anyone curious about talent development

46
The Biggest Bluff

The Biggest Bluff

Maria Konnikova
How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win
4.1 (166 ratings)

What's The Biggest Bluff about?

The Biggest Bluff (2020) follows writer Maria Konnikova’s journey to becoming a poker champion under the guidance of Poker Hall of Fame inductee Erik Seidel. Applying her background in psychology to the world of poker, Konnikova reveals the game as a metaphor for life and shares lessons that can be applied on – and off – the tables.

Who should read The Biggest Bluff?

  • Game enthusiasts
  • Psychologists
  • Novices who want to master a new skill

47
On Writing Well

On Writing Well

William Zinsser
The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction
4.4 (298 ratings)

What's On Writing Well about?

On Writing Well (1976) by William Zinsser is an indispensable guide to the art and craft of nonfiction writing. Adapted from Zinsser’s writing course at Yale University, this handbook introduces the principles of good writing in a warm, accessible way. What’s more, it’s packed with tips, tricks, and tools for polishing prose to perfection.

Who should read On Writing Well?

  • Beginner writers who feel intimidated by the blank page
  • Storytellers who want to tame their sentences and sharpen their skills
  • Professionals who know that writing well is non-negotiable

48
The Motivation Code

The Motivation Code

Todd Henry with Ron Penner, Todd W. Hall and Joshua Miller
Discover the Hidden Forces That Drive Your Best Work
4.4 (145 ratings)

What's The Motivation Code about?

The Motivation Code (2020) delves into the different types of intrinsic motivation and explores why we behave the way that we do. Packed with insights into our unique desires and needs, these blinks reveal the missing piece of the personality puzzle.

Who should read The Motivation Code?

  • Anyone seeking greater self-awareness
  • Team managers looking for fresh insights
  • Pop psychology fans

49
Skip the Line

Skip the Line

James Altucher
The 10,000 Experiments Rule and Other Surprising Advice for Reaching Your Goals
4.4 (328 ratings)

What's Skip the Line about?

Skip the Line (2021) is a practical guide to achieving your dreams – fast. It reveals strategies for shortening your path to success, which include how to execute and scale ideas, learn new skills, and harness fear to help you grow.

Who should read Skip the Line?

  • Anyone with unexplored passions
  • Professionals who want to switch careers
  • Those who have always been told that they “can’t”

50
Choose Possibility

Choose Possibility

Sukhinder Singh Cassidy
Seek Change, Take Risk, and Thrive (Even When You Fail)
4.6 (107 ratings)

What's Choose Possibility about?

Choose Possibility (2021) provides a roadmap to building the smarts and courage it takes to become a master of risk. Drawn from tech leader Sukhinder Singh Cassidy’s winding path through business, it debunks the myth that risk is all about singular, life-altering choices. Instead, it shows how risk-taking is a process, a practice and a skill that can unlock your professional potential.

Who should read Choose Possibility?

  • Entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors
  • People daunted by the unknowns of their work life 
  • Anyone who fears they’ve been too timid or reckless in taking professional risks

51
The Power of a Positive No

The Power of a Positive No

William Ury
How to Say No and Still Get to Yes
4.4 (162 ratings)

What's The Power of a Positive No about?

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.

Who should read The Power of a Positive No?

  • Chronic people-pleasers and polite folks who struggle to assert themselves
  • Young professionals learning how to navigate workplace disputes
  • Anyone feeling powerless when it comes to establishing firm boundaries

52
Learning to Pray

Learning to Pray

James Martin
A Guide for Everyone
4.1 (160 ratings)

What's Learning to Pray about?

Learning to Pray (2021) unpacks one of the most important yet misunderstood aspects of spiritual life: prayer. What’s the purpose of prayer? How do you pray “correctly?” What should you expect when you pray? These are just some of the questions that often stand between believers and this deeply rewarding practice. And there’s no better way of answering them than by looking back through the different styles and rituals of prayer found in the Christian tradition. 

Who should read Learning to Pray?

  • Believers struggling with prayer
  • Agnostics and skeptics with an open mind
  • History buffs

53
Communicate with Mastery

Communicate with Mastery

J. D. Schramm with Kara Levy
Speak With Conviction and Write for Impact
4.5 (163 ratings)

What's Communicate with Mastery about?

Communicate with Mastery (2020) is a practical guide for senior leaders wishing to improve their communication skills. It provides actionable advice and useful strategies to become an influential speaker and a compelling writer.

Who should read Communicate with Mastery?

  • Business leaders
  • Entrepreneurs
  • People who want to improve their communication skills

54
Bulletproof Problem Solving

Bulletproof Problem Solving

Charles Conn and Robert McLean
The One Skill That Changes Everything
4.3 (293 ratings)

What's Bulletproof Problem Solving about?

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. 

Who should read Bulletproof Problem Solving?

  • Creatives and thinkers
  • Analysts and number-crunchers
  • Graduates entering the workforce

55
The Scout Mindset

The Scout Mindset

Julia Galef
Why Some People See Things Clearly and Others Don't
4.6 (573 ratings)

What's The Scout Mindset about?

The Scout Mindset (2021) explores two very different mindsets: that of the soldier and that of the scout. It explains that most of us have a soldier mindset – we cling to our beliefs and often ignore evidence that might prove us wrong. But we can all learn to be scouts, seeking out truth and improving our “map” of the world.

Who should read The Scout Mindset?

  • Anyone who wants to overcome their inherent biases
  • People who want to learn how to be wrong
  • Truth seekers

56
The Hidden Habits of Genius

The Hidden Habits of Genius

Craig Wright
Beyond Talent, IQ, and Grit – Unlocking the Secrets of Greatness
4.4 (312 ratings)

What's The Hidden Habits of Genius about?

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.”

Who should read The Hidden Habits of Genius?

  • Embryonic geniuses who want to reach their full potential
  • Students of human nature wondering what makes a genius tick
  • All those looking to boost their creative abilities

57
Listen Like You Mean It

Listen Like You Mean It

Ximena Vengoechea
Reclaiming the Lost Art of True Connection
4.4 (332 ratings)

What's Listen Like You Mean It about?

Listen Like You Mean It (2021) is a friendly, comprehensive guide to deepening relationships through the power of listening. Too often, our conversations with family, friends, and coworkers remain superficial – we talk past each other, refrain from showing vulnerability, or get caught in a tangle of misunderstanding. With tips and scripts taken from the author’s experience as a user researcher, we can improve our listening skills and, in doing so, be heard and understood ourselves.

Who should read Listen Like You Mean It?

  • Professionals who want to improve their workplace communication skills
  • The socially awkward
  • Anyone seeking more connection and understanding

58
Beginners

Beginners

Tom Vanderbilt
The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning
4.6 (252 ratings)

What's Beginners about?

Beginners (2021) is a light-hearted study of the joys of life-long learning. Part personal story and part scientific primer, it demonstrates the benefits of always trying something new.

Who should read Beginners?

  • Middle-aged folks trapped in the same routines
  • Seniors seeking ways to stay sharp
  • Anyone eager for a little inspiration to never stop learning

59
How to Think More Effectively

How to Think More Effectively

The School of Life
A guide to greater productivity, insight and creativity
4.4 (935 ratings)

What's How to Think More Effectively about?

How to Think More Effectively (2020) is a simple guide to improving the way you think. Drawing lessons from sources as diverse as the feeling of envy and the prose of Proust, it lays out the characteristics of effective thoughts – and shows how you can start cultivating them.

Who should read How to Think More Effectively?

  • Reflective types who want to up their cognitive game
  • Creatives trying to release their inner potential
  • Anyone who’d like to feel a little bit smarter

60
Radical Honesty

Radical Honesty

Brad Blanton
How to Transform Your Life by Telling the Truth
3.2 (310 ratings)

What's Radical Honesty about?

Radical Honesty (first published 1993, this edition 2004) is a guide to help you tell the truth. We all lie, all the time, and it’s only through extreme honesty that we can escape from the moralism that surrounds us and truly be ourselves.

Who should read Radical Honesty?

  • People who want to express themselves more clearly
  • Couples struggling to communicate
  • Self-improvement fans

61
Lateral Thinking

Lateral Thinking

Edward de Bono
Creativity Step by Step
4.3 (364 ratings)

What's Lateral Thinking about?

Lateral Thinking (1970) explains the important differences between vertical and lateral thinking. It offers techniques on how to strengthen your ability to think creatively – and spark important changes and innovations along the way. It also provides lessons that teachers can use to help young students develop a talent for lateral thinking.

Who should read Lateral Thinking?

  • People who want to improve at thinking outside the box
  • Teachers looking for lessons to inspire creative thinking
  • Executives eager for more productive brainstorming sessions

62
Goals

Goals

Zig Ziglar
How to Get the Most Out of Your Life
4.5 (412 ratings)

What's Goals about?

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.

Who should read Goals?

  • Ambitious dreamers
  • Unconventional individuals trying to reach a breakthrough
  • The chronically busy who still can’t seem to achieve their goals

63
Noise

Noise

Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony and Cass R. Sunstein
A Flaw in Human Judgment
4.4 (720 ratings)

What's Noise about?

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.

Who should read Noise?

  • Behavioral economists, psychologists, CEOs, and students
  • Anyone interested in how we make judgments and how those judgments shape society
  • Anyone who cares about accuracy and fairness

64
Atlas of the Heart

Atlas of the Heart

Brené Brown
Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience
4.6 (1,374 ratings)

What's Atlas of the Heart about?

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.

Who should read Atlas of the Heart?

  • Curious adventurers interested in exploring their own emotional landscapes
  • Anyone who feels flooded by painful emotions that they can’t understand or control
  • Fans of Brené Brown’s work wanting to learn more about her latest insightful theories of emotion

65
People Skills

People Skills

Robert Bolton
How to Assert Yourself, Listen to Others, and Resolve Conflicts
4.4 (411 ratings)

What's People Skills about?

People Skills (1979) is a guidebook to learning effective communication skills. It illuminates the conversational roadblocks that impede good communication and damage relationships – and offers alternative methods for listening, asserting, and handling conflict.

Who should read People Skills?

  • Anyone interested in improving communication at home or at work
  • People who aspire to become better listeners
  • Those striving to be assertive rather than submissive or aggressive

66
Switch Craft

Switch Craft

Elaine Fox, PhD
The Hidden Power of Mental Agility
4.4 (419 ratings)

What's Switch Craft about?

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.

Who should read Switch Craft?

Switch Craft can and should easily translate into anyone’s day to day life, but its methods are especially fit for

  • Black or white thinkers looking for a fresh perspective on life
  • Those seeking hope after innumerous setbacks
  • Self-improvement enthusiasts.

67
Know Thyself

Know Thyself

Stephen M. Fleming
The Science of Self-Awareness
4.4 (349 ratings)

What's Know Thyself about?

In Know Thyself (2021) cognitive neuroscientist Stephen M. Fleming lays out the basic principles of metacognition – the way we think about what we think. This revealing book shows by understanding of our metacognitive processes, we can turn them to our advantage, to make accurate, informed judgments.

Who should read Know Thyself?

  • Psychology buffs 
  • People grappling with difficult decisions
  • Anyone who wants to know more about why they think what they think

68
Smarter Tomorrow

Smarter Tomorrow

Elizabeth R. Ricker
How 15 Minutes of Neurohacking a Day Can Help You Work Better, Think Faster, and Get More Done
4.1 (714 ratings)

What's Smarter Tomorrow about?

Smarter Tomorrow (2021) shows you how to upgrade your brain using a technique called neurohacking. You’ll learn how to improve your memory, creativity, emotional regulation, and what’s known as “executive functioning” through self-testing and experimentation – all backed up with insights from neuroscience.

Who should read Smarter Tomorrow?

  • Thinkers looking to improve their cognitive skills
  • Budding neuroscientists and brain nerds
  • Anyone looking to keep up with modern science

69
Getting to Zero

Getting to Zero

Jayson Gaddis
How to Work Through Conflict in Your High-Stakes Relationships
4.6 (291 ratings)

What's Getting to Zero about?

Getting to Zero (2021) is a guide to dealing with conflict in intimate, high-stakes relationships – those with your family, good friends, and partners. It describes a process for “getting to zero” by achieving resolution and closure after conflict.

Who should read Getting to Zero?

  • Conflict avoiders
  • Those who project childhood experiences onto others
  • All who want to resolve conflict in their interpersonal relationships

70
The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit

The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit

John V. Petrocelli
Harnessing Critical Thinking Habits to Combat False Information
3.7 (167 ratings)

What's The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit about?

The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit (2021) uses real-world examples to help you build critical thinking habits – which will enable you to recognize and resist all the false information that pervades society.

Who should read The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit?

  • Bullshit detectors who want to hone their skills
  • People who think they’re immune to bullshitting
  • Anyone who yearns for a bullshit-free world

71
Own Your Greatness

Own Your Greatness

Lisa Orbé-Austin & Richard Orbé-Austin
Overcome Impostor Syndrome, Beat Self-Doubt, and Succeed in Life
4.6 (528 ratings)

What's Own Your Greatness about?

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.

Who should read Own Your Greatness?

  • People with a penchant for self-doubt
  • Counselors searching for new strategies
  • Imposter syndrome sufferers ready to take action

72
Mastering Communication at Work

Mastering Communication at Work

Ethan F. Becker and Jon Wortmann
How to Lead, Manage, and Influence
4.5 (551 ratings)

What's Mastering Communication at Work about?

Mastering Communication at Work (revised edition, 2021) is a classic guide on leading in the workplace through strong communication skills. It teaches you how to communicate effectively by understanding your listener’s tendencies and motivations.

Who should read Mastering Communication at Work?

  • Managers looking for new communication tactics
  • Employees aiming to make the next step up
  • Executives who want to improve relations with staff

73
Building a Second Brain

Building a Second Brain

Tiago Forte
A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential
4.5 (788 ratings)

What's Building a Second Brain about?

Building a Second Brain by productivity expert Tiago Forte offers simple, effective, and workable solutions to one of the biggest challenges we face today: information overload. Using four key organizational principles, Forte shows how you can leverage digital tools to create a knowledge storage system as intuitive and efficient as a second brain. 

Who should read Building a Second Brain?

  • Knowledge workers whose professional success hinges on information management;
  • Students struggling to synthesize vast amounts of new information;
  • Anyone who wants to boost their calm, creativity, and productivity.

74
Win Every Argument

Win Every Argument

Mehdi Hasan
The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking
4.3 (546 ratings)

What's Win Every Argument about?

Win Every Argument (2023) is a guide to the art of argument by one of the world’s most combative debaters: journalist, anchor, and writer Mehdi Hasan. Drawing on ancient theories of persuasion, neuroscientific theories of cognition, and the rhetorical tricks of contemporary politicians, Hasan reveals the secrets to winning arguments in today’s post-factual world.

Who should read Win Every Argument?

  • Natural-born arguers and debaters
  • Anyone interested in the art of persuasion
  • Public speakers and politicos

75
Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager

Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager

Kory Kogon, Suzette Blakemore, and James Wood
A FranklinCovey Title
4.5 (366 ratings)

What's Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager about?

Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager (2015) examines the phenomenon that so many people face – they’re tasked with managing projects but have no formal training in project management. If you’re in this situation, don’t worry. By learning how to combine inspiring leadership with effective project management, you’re guaranteed to increase the chances of your next project succeeding.

Who should read Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager?

  • Employees who have unexpectedly been given the lead on a project
  • Anyone who’s struggled with project management in the past
  • People looking to rock an upcoming or ongoing project

76
Trade Like a Stock Market Wizard

Trade Like a Stock Market Wizard

Mark Minervini
How to Achieve Super Performance in Stocks in Any Market
4.2 (219 ratings)

What's Trade Like a Stock Market Wizard about?

Trade Like a Stock Market Wizard (2013) is a guide to the SEPA (Specific Entry Point Analysis) investment methodology. It navigates you through managing risk, maximizing profits, and, most importantly, having faith in your own ability. You don’t have to be a professional to get started in the stock market – in fact, your status as a lay investor might actually be your biggest strength. 

Who should read Trade Like a Stock Market Wizard?

  • Anyone curious about how to get started in trading
  • Stock market geeks
  • Seasoned wealth managers 

77
The Tools

The Tools

Phil Stutz & Barry Michels
5 Tools to Help You Find Courage, Creativity, and Willpower--and Inspire You to Live Life in Forward Motion
4.4 (440 ratings)

What's The Tools about?

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. 

Who should read The Tools?

  • People seeking immediately actionable methods for life improvement
  • Those frustrated with traditional therapy
  • Anyone looking to interact more positively with other people

78
I Don't Agree

I Don't Agree

Michael Brown
Why we can’t stop fighting – and how to get great stuff done despite our differences
4.0 (231 ratings)

What's I Don't Agree about?

I Don’t Agree (2020) is a practical guide to improving your conflict resolution skills. Disagreement is seen as bad, and even scary. But, actually, conflict can be a powerful engine for growth if you know how to deal with it effectively. I Don’t Agree provides ten practical strategies that will help you become an expert in dealing with conflict in all areas of your life.

Who should read I Don't Agree?

  • Employees seeking to improve their collaborations
  • Anyone wanting to resolve a bitter argument
  • Parents who want to learn how to teach conflict resolution skills to their kids

79
Million Dollar Micro Business

Million Dollar Micro Business

Tina Tower
How to Turn Your Expertise Into a Digital Online Course
4.5 (63 ratings)

What's Million Dollar Micro Business about?

Million Dollar Micro Business (2021) is a hands-on guide to creating your first online course – and making lots of money in the process. From coming up with an idea that feeds your passions to perfecting your marketing, it provides guidance on how to claim your place in this innovative, burgeoning industry of online learning.

Who should read Million Dollar Micro Business ?

  • Talented introverts who want to share their skills without venturing out of the house
  • Entrepreneurs who strive to be successful without working round the clock
  • Educators with a passion for teaching who want to expand their reach

80
Flipnosis

Flipnosis

Kevin Dutton
The Art of Split-Second Persuasion
4.4 (86 ratings)

What's Flipnosis about?

Flipnosis (2010) looks at the role of persuasion in our lives, and the social and biological underpinnings that allow some people to quickly and successfully encourage and convince those around them. By examining the science and looking at real-world master persuaders – from magicians and advertisers to criminals and psychopaths – you too can tap into the art of persuasion.

Who should read Flipnosis?

  • Would-be social engineers, looking for a few tricks to improve their influence
  • Free-thinkers who want to make sure that their choices are, in fact, their own
  • Anyone who has been sold something they didn’t want, and were left wondering: What just happened?

81
Master Your Emotions

Master Your Emotions

Thibaut Meurisse
A Practical Guide to Overcome Negativity and Better Manage Your Feelings
4.3 (260 ratings)

What's Master Your Emotions about?

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.

Who should read Master Your Emotions?

  • People going through upsetting life situations such as the loss of a loved one
  • Those trying to cope with difficult coworkers or family members
  • Anyone who struggles with overwhelming emotions

82
The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook

The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook

Matthew McKay, Jeffrey C. Wood & Jeffrey Brantley
Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance
4.6 (72 ratings)

What's The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook about?

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. 

Who should read The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook?

  • Anyone currently in therapy
  • People interested in self-improvement 
  • Individuals struggling to manage their emotions

83
Coming Alive

Coming Alive

Barry Michels and Phil Stutz
4 Tools to Defeat Your Inner Enemy, Ignite Creative Expression & Unleash Your Soul's Potential
3.3 (44 ratings)

What's Coming Alive about?

Coming Alive (2017) offers readers a practical approach to overcoming their inner demons and realizing their full potential. Using four psychological tools, this groundbreaking self-help book provides a roadmap to happiness, fulfillment, and a life free of negative thoughts and influences.

Who should read Coming Alive?

  • Negative self-talkers
  • Demoralized adults seeking personal growth
  • Impulsive, overwhelmed, burned-out professionals

84
Mindreader

Mindreader

David J. Lieberman
Find Out What People Really Think, What They Really Want, and Who They Really Are
4.5 (833 ratings)

What's Mindreader about?

Mindreader (2022) explains how to read and understand people. Written by an FBI instructor and lie-detection expert, it delves deep into how to understand situational subtext, interpret language, and determine whether a person is being honest.

Who should read Mindreader?

  • Mixed signal receivers – at work or while dating
  • Those who have trouble reading others
  • Negotiators who want to up their game

85
Exactly What to Say

Exactly What to Say

Phil M Jones
Your Personal Guide to the Mastery of Magic Words
4.7 (986 ratings)

What's Exactly What to Say about?

Exactly What to Say (2017) is designed to provide you with the key phrases and words to make your conversations count and bring you success. It contains magic words. Words that are heard and interpreted by the subconscious mind. Words which will help you get the results you want.

Who should read Exactly What to Say?

  • Anyone interested in how words can influence others at a subconscious level
  • Success-driven individuals who want to up their game
  • Entrepreneurs who want to get their prospects to say yes more often

86
Decision Making and Problem Solving

Decision Making and Problem Solving

John Adair
Break Through Barriers and Banish Uncertainty at Work
4.0 (72 ratings)

What's Decision Making and Problem Solving about?

Decision Making and Problem Solving (2019) explains decision-making, problem-solving, and creative thinking. It provides instructions for building and improving these skills and explores the importance of these abilities enabling you to expand your practical thinking capacity.

Who should read Decision Making and Problem Solving?

  • Business leaders who want to improve their teams’ decision-making and problem-solving.
  • Employees seeking to polish their practical thinking skills
  • Anyone interested in elevating their capacity for creative and critical thinking

87
The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control

The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control

Katherine Morgan Schafler
A Path to Peace and Power
4.5 (332 ratings)

What's The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control about?

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.

Who should read The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control?

  • Those who identify as perfectionists in any area of their lives
  • People interested in understanding perfectionist traits and tendencies
  • Readers who are interested in the mental health field

88
Cues

Cues

Vanessa Van Edwards
Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication
4.5 (502 ratings)

What's Cues about?

Cues (2022) is about the signals we send unconsciously and how they affect the way others perceive us. The book is geared toward improving your professional life by managing the cues you send and responding appropriately to the ones you receive. 

Who should read Cues?

  • Professionals looking to achieve their goals
  • Those interested in the science of communication
  • People who want to improve their professional relationships

89
The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication

The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication

John C. Maxwell
Apply Them and Make the Most of Your Message
4.5 (428 ratings)

What's The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication about?

The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication (2023) addresses the fear of public speaking. It offers tried-and-true techniques that can transform any beginner or average speaker into a trusted and effective communicator.

Who should read The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication?

  • Anyone trying to improve their communication skills
  • Speakers addressing anyone from small groups to stadium crowds
  • Leaders and organizers looking to inspire their teams

90
The Portfolio Life

The Portfolio Life

Christina Wallace
Future-Proof Your Career and Craft a Life Worthy of You
4.1 (62 ratings)

What's The Portfolio Life about?

The Portfolio Life (2023) is a guide to veering off of the traditional path and creating a well-balanced, fulfilling, and sustainable life that incorporates all of your varied skills and personal goals. Combining a practical playbook with self-help style coaching, it gives you the tools and motivation to achieve true work-life balance, preserve your happiness, and protect your future.

Who should read The Portfolio Life?

  • People seeking a big life change
  • Anyone looking to follow a less traditional career path
  • Fans of self-help books

91
Successful Time Management

Successful Time Management

Patrick Forsyth
How to be Organized, Productive and Get Things Done
4.5 (315 ratings)

What's Successful Time Management about?

Successful Time Management (2003) is a practical guide containing tools and techniques to improve workflow productivity. It offers time-saving and actionable advice that will help you organize projects, delegate tasks, and select priorities in the workplace.

Who should read Successful Time Management?

  • Office workers looking to get ahead
  • Managers who want to increase employee productivity
  • Those struggling with their own time management

92
DBT Made Simple

DBT Made Simple

Sheri Van Dijk
A Step-by-Step Guide to Dialectical Behavior Therapy
4.2 (34 ratings)

What's DBT Made Simple about?

DBT Made Simple (2023) is your passport to navigating the complex terrain of emotional well-being. Unraveling the practical strategies of dialectical behavior therapy, it empowers you to turn life’s challenges into catalysts for personal growth and resilience.

Who should read DBT Made Simple?

  • Individuals seeking emotional regulation and personal growth strategies
  • Mental-health professionals exploring comprehensive therapy approaches
  • Parents and teachers looking for resilience-building tools

93
Business Writing Tips

Business Writing Tips

Robert Bullard
For Easy and Effective Results
4.2 (11 ratings)

What's Business Writing Tips about?

Business Writing Tips (2023) condenses years of personal experience into practical tips for better business or nonfiction writing. With its stress on writing as a learnable skill, it provides actionable guidance to overcome common challenges and help you become a more confident, persuasive communicator. 

Who should read Business Writing Tips?

  • Small business owners seeking clear communication strategies
  • Aspiring copywriters aiming to enhance their writing prowess
  • Professionals desiring to improve business correspondence

94
Time to Think

Time to Think

Nancy Kline
Listening to Ignite the Human Mind
4.5 (299 ratings)

What's Time to Think about?

Time to Think (1999) is a thought-provoking exploration of the power gained by giving individuals our undivided attention and creating a space for authentic thinking and dialogue. It unveils the profound impact that dedicated listening and respectful silence can have on unlocking creativity, fostering growth, and nurturing meaningful relationships.

Who should read Time to Think?

  • Leaders and managers who want to create an empowering environment
  • Parents, caregivers, and coaches seeking to deepen their connections with children
  • Anyone interested in personal growth and cultivating thinking skills

95
Python Crash Course

Python Crash Course

Eric Matthes
A Hands-On, Project-Based Introduction to Programming
3.3 (20 ratings)

What's Python Crash Course about?

Python Crash Course (2015) offers a comprehensive journey into the world of Python programming. From building dynamic web applications and engaging games to visualizing data and exploring core programming concepts, it equips learners with the skills to master this versatile language.

Who should read Python Crash Course?

  • Aspiring programmers looking to break into the world of coding 
  • Coders and programmers seeking a Python refresher
  • Web designers wanting to design and deploy dynamic, data-driven websites

96
Hidden Genius

Hidden Genius

Polina Marinova Pompliano
The secret ways of thinking that power the world's most successful people
4.3 (27 ratings)

What's Hidden Genius about?

Hidden Genius (2023) compiles insightful and surprising lessons from some of the world’s most innovative, creative, and successful people. It goes on to unpack the mental frameworks through which these remarkable people see the world – and to show how you can use these frameworks to unlock your own potential.

Who should read Hidden Genius?

  • Creatives who want to take their practice to the next level
  • Leaders who want to inspire their teams
  • Anyone who feels they’re not living up to their potential

97
It Takes What It Takes

It Takes What It Takes

Trevor Moawad with Andy Staples
How to Think Neutrally and Gain Control of Your Life
4.6 (20 ratings)

What's It Takes What It Takes about?

It Takes What It Takes (2020) unveils the transformative power of neutral thinking. Dive into real-world examples and practical strategies that teach you to navigate life’s challenges with clarity. Gain control, harness your mindset – and watch your world shift.

Who should read It Takes What It Takes?

  • Elite athletes seeking mental resilience and performance enhancement
  • Professionals pursuing clarity, focus, and decision-making skills
  • Self-help enthusiasts exploring transformative mindset shifts

98
How to Read a Financial Report

How to Read a Financial Report

John A. Tracy and Tage C. Tracy
Essential Information for Entrepreneurs, Lenders, Investors, Analysts, and Management
4.3 (26 ratings)

What's How to Read a Financial Report about?

How to Read a Financial Report (1980) serves as a comprehensive guide that demystifies the complexities of evaluating a company's fiscal health. It explores balance sheets and income reports, clarifies the fundamentals of financial ratios, and explains any accompanying notes, offering tools for a clear and confident assessment of a business's economic status.

Who should read How to Read a Financial Report?

  • Investors
  • Managers
  • Non-financial professionals 

99
Do the Work

Do the Work

Gary John Bishop
The Official Unrepentant, Ass-Kicking, No-Kidding, Change-Your-Life Sidekick to Unfu*k Yourself
4.2 (36 ratings)

What's Do the Work about?

Do the Work (2019) is a guide that urges people to confront and overcome their self-imposed limitations in order to achieve personal transformation. Through actionable insights and transformative exercises, you can take control of your career and get on track for a more purposeful and fulfilling life.

Who should read Do the Work?

  • Anyone looking for a nudge forward in life
  • People tired of the usual self-help platitudes
  • Procrastinators eager for a wake-up call

100
Gap Selling

Gap Selling

Keenan
Getting the Customer to Yes: How Problem-Centric Selling Increases Sales by Changing Everything You Know About Relationships, Overcoming Objections, Closing and Price
4.3 (7 ratings)

What's Gap Selling about?

Gap Selling (2019) challenges traditional sales techniques that have frustrated generations of salespeople. Dispensing with platitudes, it advocates techniques that create value and establish influence throughout the sales process. Liberating salespeople from the role of order-takers beholden to capricious buyers, it provides a bold new framework for sales success in the modern era. 

Who should read Gap Selling?

  • Sales professionals looking to improve their skills and effectiveness
  • Business owners wanting to increase sales and revenue
  • Anyone in a client-facing role aiming to build trust and relationships

Related Topics

Skills Books
 FAQs 

What's the best Skills book to read?

While choosing just one book about a topic is always tough, many people regard The Pyramid Principle as the ultimate read on Skills.

What are the Top 10 Skills books?

Blinkist curators have picked the following:
  • The Pyramid Principle by Barbara Minto
  • Linchpin by Seth Godin
  • The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch
  • Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks
  • Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer
  • The Five Elements of Effective Thinking by Edward B. Burger and Michael Starbird
  • Talk Like TED by Carmine Gallo
  • Wired for Story by Lisa Cron
  • Thanks for the Feedback by Douglas Stone, Sheila Heen
  • The Art of Social Media by Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick

Who are the top Skills book authors?

When it comes to Skills, these are the authors who stand out as some of the most influential:
  • Barbara Minto
  • Seth Godin
  • Richard Koch
  • Oliver Sacks
  • Joshua Foer