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  • 33 Best Books for Entrepreneurs to Read in 2024

    33 Best Books for Entrepreneurs to Read in 2024

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    Many people want to be entrepreneurs.

    The popularity of TV shows like, “Shark Tank” plainly show that!

    People want to forge themselves into a better version of themselves and achieve wild success.

    After all, entrepreneurs have many good habits that people should want to emulate. Entrepreneurs are creative, successful, hard-working, resilient, passionate, flexible and have a strong sense-of-self.

    All great of which are great attitudes that the entrepreneur books on this page can help you emulate.

    What can an Entrepreneur Book Teach Me?

    If you are an entrepreneur or want to be one, the 33 entrepreneurial books reviewed on this page are designed to help those budding entrepreneurs reach their goals.

    Some of the books listed here are entrepreneur books for beginners. That will give you the tools you need to succeed.

    Other books on this list are more intermediate levels. They are ‘must-read’ books for entrepreneurs, to help them stay ahead of their competition and stay competitive.

    All the books on this list will make great gifts for entrepreneurs because these are the books that have been proven in the test of time. They have shown up again-and-again on every popular list of best entrepreneur books.

    However, before we dig into this list of top entrepreneur books, let’s take a moment to discuss what it means to be an entrepreneur so that we are all on the “same page” when it comes to the difference between a “businessman” and an “entrepreneur”.

    What is an Entrepreneur?

    Many people think of entrepreneurs ONLY as those who start their own businesses, wear suits and are perhaps featured on the “Shark Tank” or running a startup company.

    I think that definition of an entrepreneur is far too narrow.

    By my definition, anyone is an entrepreneur who is trying to make something happen in business that is outside of the normal 9-5.

    This includes WAHM’s (work at home mom’s…and dad’s), artists, writers, editors, and any other sort of side hustler. If you bust your butt to create something that makes money in your free time -you are an entrepreneur, and these entrepreneur books can help you be better at it.

    An entrepreneur can also be someone who has a 9-5. As long as they are also being creative, trying new thing and passionate about improving their work and themselves.

    Before we get to the entrepreneur books. Let’s make a quick list of entrepreneur habits to see if you or your loved ones are (or could be) entrepreneurs.

    Entrepreneur Habits

    • Creative
    • Passionate​
    • Dedicated
    • Hardworking
    • Planners
    • Enjoy what they do
    • Self-promoters
    • Team builders
    • Invest in themselves

    Well, that is enough from me about entrepreneurs. Now it is time to find you the best books about entrepreneurs. Enjoy!

    Best Entrepreneur Books for 2024

    Note: These entrepreneur books are all worth reading. The #1 book on this list may not be any better than the #14 book. Do not read anything into some books being “higher” than others.

    1. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

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    While most startups fail, a lot of those failures can be prevented. The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses offers a new approach that changes the way companies are created and products are launched.

    Every startup has one thing in common, they want to get through uncertainty to find a path that leads to a sustainable business, but few accomplish this feat.

    The approach offered in this book helps companies that are smart with their money and use human creativity wisely grow. The lessons presented enable companies to change their direction with their agility and make changes in their plans according to increase their chances of success.

    The Lean Startup doesn’t create elaborate business plans. Instead it offers entrepreneurs a way to continuously test their vision and adapt to their own needs before it’s too late.

    Reis lays out a scientific approach to creating prosperous startups in an age where companies have to be exceptionally innovative to survive.

    Readers have found that this book is honest in addressing situations that are commonly faced by startups. The author’s intellectual curiosity and his pursuit of excellence are clear in his writing. Anyone who is thinking about innovation or product development can benefit from reading this book.

    2. Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Hugh MacLeod

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    In Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity, Hugh MacLeod unveils his 40 keys to creativity that he came up with beginning as a young professional. He talks about his sharpest insights, offers clever cartoons, and provides useful advice.

    For example, he focuses on the point that if you are starting up a new business, you can’t follow in anyone else’s footsteps. Existing business models are not effective. You need to be a thought leader and forge your own path. This unique path to success is what leads to entrepreneurial success.

    This is a useful book to read, especially if you want to learn about establishing creativity. It offers quick tips and ideas for success that are also easy to understand. Macleod gives advice without adding unnecessary fluff. Yet his writing is also funny, realistic and relatable.

    The key point of this book, to forge your own path, is simple. But this simplicity is both effective and more efficient than other books that go into too much detail, taking up your valuable time with minutia.

    3. Rework by Jason Fried

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    Most business books provide readers with endless instructions on writing a business plan, looking closely at their competition, finding investors, etc. However, Rework is different.

    It describes why these topics are not helpful when it comes to creating a sustainable business. Instead, the author argues that what you need is a productive work ethic and exposure. Written in an inspiring way, this book debunks common business myths.

    Jason Fried offers a straightforward book. The content that is easy to understand. You will find yourself nodding your head and going “that’s true” quite a bit while reading.

    Rework is a worthwhile book for anyone who has dreams of making it on their own. Whether you are a die-hard entrepreneur to or an artist who doesn’t want to be starving and struggling anymore.

    This optimistic book can inspire hope in future entrepreneurs. The author makes sure that the reader is grounded in the simplest, yet most effective, principles. The advice in this book applies to starting up a business,but can also be applied to creating a better life in general.

    4. Virtual Freedom by Chris Ducker

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    Entrepreneurs often think that in order to be successful, they have to do everything themselves. They try to make a successful business by running a one-man show. This is often why people don’t pursue their business dreams- they find it too daunting to start.

    In this book, outsourcing expert Chris Ducker explains how to get the help you need using affordable resources. Entrepreneurs don’t have to do everything alone when they discover the power of creating a team of virtual employees to help launch their businesses.

    Virtual Freedom: How to Work with Virtual Staff to Buy More Time, Become More Productive, and Build Your Dream Business is a step-by-step guide to build a business working with virtual employees.

    Drucker focuses on business growth and explains in detail everything you need to understand, from delegating jobs to managing virtual assistants. It provides the knowledge and tools that are needed to build the business you want with a virtual staff.

    Understanding the principles of staff and many of his suggestions is the key to taking a single person side hustle and turning it in a viable business. This book is the authoritative guide to finding and managing a virtual staff. I have personally used it as a blueprint in hiring two virtual assistants and a part-time staff writer.

    This is a great resource for people who have never considered doing this before. What makes this book unique is that it is great for beginners as well as people who already have a virtual staff. There are several tips that can be used, even after working with a virtual assistant.

    5. Publish and Profit by Mike Koenigs

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    It is tough to gain a competitive edge in this chaotic world.

    In Publish and Profit: A 5-Step System For Attracting Paying Coaching And Consulting Clients, Traffic And Leads, Product Sales, And Speaking Engagements, Koenigs claims that what people need to succeed is a bestselling book.

    By writing a book, people can connect with their target audience and build credibility in their market. He points to the fact that books have been used in every industry for hundreds of years to make people and concepts well-known.

    In this book, Koenigs leads his readers through a step-by-step process that has helped his clients write a profitable book. His clients range from ordinary business owners to entrepreneurs and professionals on the upswing of success. If you follow the process laid out in this book, it can work for you, too.

    This book is easy to read and provides information that can be used right away to help grow your business.

    Though, public speaking and sales is not my area of expertise (and I do not desire them to be). I can attest to the fact, that having a bestselling book brings people to you in a way that few other things could. I have been approached with many speaking and sales offers I turn down.

    6. The New Freedom by Rob Cubbon

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    Rob’s book is about doing something outside of the box for a career in order to obtain happiness in life. By being an entrepreneur, you can free yourself from the typical 9 to 5 schedule and work anywhere you want without boundaries.

    The New Freedom: Ordinary People Are Living Extraordinary Lives & So Can You! aims to free people from employment. It teaches people how to make a new life online, create your own schedule and do work that is meaningful for you. It provides the reader with actionable strategies to make their life as a professional more enjoyable.

    Rob details his in-depth interviews with recently successful entrepreneurs such as Justin Cooke from Empire Flippers, Shayna Oliveira, who teaches English as a second language online, and Nora Dunn from The Professional Hobo.

    Readers will walk away from this book knowing what essential items they will need when working from home. They will have a new approach to living a happier life. And have a path to live a life with fewer complications.

    Readers have found that this book is a gem when it comes to online entrepreneurship. Rob has a great way of telling people who are just getting started exactly what they need to hear in order to make them comfortable with their decision to work online.

    He also gives them the motivation they need to get them started. Rob’s tone is sincere and down-to-earth, and his information and advice are believable, because they are honest and from the heart.

    For full disclosure, Rob Cubbon has been an online friend of mine for quite a few years. He has always been honest and straight-forward and I believe that if I read this book and did not know him, my review would be exactly the same.

    7. Talent Is Overrated by Geoff Colvin

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    Are people are not born with an innate ability to do something great? According to Talent is Overrated, the answer to that question is a resounding, “NO!”

    Rather, greatness comes from practice and perseverance that is perfected over decades. Additionally, the key is how you practice, analyze your progress, and learn from your mistakes that make you the most successful. In this way, the book reminds me of many of my ideas from my book on best learning practices.

    Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else includes many scientific and real-world examples. Colvin shows that when people use the right kind of effort, they can improve at anything. Colvin’s mindset and practical advice are meant to change the reader’s way of thinking about their job and career and inspire people to achieve more.

    8. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

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    This book talks about knocking down the barriers to success that people may encounter. The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win your Inner Creative Battles pinpoints the internal enemy that people face and explains how to achieve success despite the naysayers and roadblocks. While this book was written for writers, many others have embraced its message, from business entrepreneurs to actors and dancers.

    This book is a quick read and leaves people feeling inspired. Pressfield, one of my favorite fiction writers, writes his nonfiction with the same skill and intensity as his fiction books. This book is full of actionable advice. It is practical and makes sense, no matter what area of your life you are trying to apply the information.

    9. The Daily Entrepreneur by S.J. Scott and Rebecca Livermore

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    This is a great book for people who want to become a freelancer or are looking for a way to make some extra money. Most entrepreneurs hope to make enough money to make it on their own, but often that expectation is not met.

    However, the problems that entrepreneurs face are common, meaning that a lot of people experience them. This also means that people have found ways to overcome them. Their secret is that they build specific daily habits.

    In The Daily Entrepreneur: 33 Success Habits for Small Business Owners, Freelancers and Aspiring 9-to-5 Escape Artists, the author talks about the power that developing habits can have and shows the reader how to use these habits to overcome common challenges.

    This book is unique from others because it is organized according to the challenges that everyone faces each day. There are 33 life-changing habits described in this book that will increase your ability to overcome obstacles and meet your goals.

    Readers recommend this book to entrepreneurs who want to include effective methods in their schedules to get more out of each day that streamlines productivity. The ideas are supported by evidence and examples, allowing readers to relate to the material.

    Full disclosure: This is a book that I co-wrote. I feel this book has some great information for readers, but I did not write the above review since I hate being overly self promotional. I clipped this from someone else review of my work and reprinted it here.

    10. The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

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    Ben Horowitz, a successful entrepreneur, offers critical advice in this book on running a start-up company. He includes practical wisdom to help manage common problems that business school doesn’t teach and gives real-world advice.

    Horowitz analyzes the problems that leaders run into on a regular basis in this book and shares the knowledge that he has gotten from developing and running his own companies. He knows everything about owning and running a business from keeping a CEO mentality to knowing when it is time to shut down.

    The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers is engaging and entertaining as the author uses his favorite rap lyrics throughout to share his business lessons. He makes serious subjects such as firing friends into a more light-hearted and easy read.

    Horowitz uses his humor and straight talk in this book that is invaluable for people who are just starting their own business as well as veteran entrepreneurs.

    His humbling experiences can help people at any level. Readers have found this book to be refreshing because the concepts are not dumbed down. There is useful advice given throughout this book for building relationships and working with other people in many situations.

    11. Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss

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    Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World is a compilation of ideas from some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs.

    It is great for people who are questioning their path in life or are looking to start new or get a new sense of motivation. Some of the subjects that this book addresses include effective morning routines, the best purchases you can make that are less than $100, how to achieve a work-life balance, and how to sort through all of the information that you take in every day.

    This book is not 100% about productivity and time management, but enough of the ideas of the experts in this book touch on these subjects to make it a valuable read for people wanting to become more productive.

    Some readers dislike the format of this book. It doesn’t have a flow or have an obvious sense of order, rather it is the responses he got from people he reached out to when asking these questions. This seems to make the book a bit choppy.

    However, it is still full of useful information that can relate to a lot of people. While not every reader will be able to relate to every part of this book, there is something in this book for every reader.

    Lots of interesting stuff in this book. Even the stuff unrelated to entrepreneurship and business is still fun and educational.

    Great lessons from the world’s most famous and most successful people, and certainly an book on entrepreneurship that every wannabe entrepreneur should mine for every deep thought Ferris shares.

    12. The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster by Darren Hardy

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    In The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster: Why Now Is the Time to #JoinTheRide, Darren Hardy explores why most small businesses fail. He found that the reasons were different than any previously recorded reasons.

    Failure was actually not caused by outside factors. Failure is actually internal. The unexpected emotional roller coaster that an entrepreneur goes through is the largest cause of entrepreneur failures.

    This book will prepare anyone for the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. It will give warnings and prepares future entrepreneurs to handle doubters and naysayers. It also prepares people for the pains of rejection and failure and provides a guide to move past the obstacles lead to the failure of 66% of new businesses.

    After reading this book, you will know the best strategies that the author has collected from successful people, covering the four essential skills that are needed for success, which are recruiting, sales, leadership, and productivity.

    This entrepreneur book is great for people who want to own their own business but are scared of the unknown. It is also great for people who are currently running their own business but want to be sure to stay successful, or even take it to the next level.

    This book to be motivating and informational. A lot of the information in this book is not common things that one would come across while researching online, they are first-hand accounts of success and are as interesting and exciting to read as they are informational.

    13. The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz

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    This bestselling book has helped thousands of people balance the stress of their work life and home life and sustain high performance even when they have daunting workloads and constant demands on their time.

    The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal is tough-minded yet gentle and gives the reader inspiration to do it all.

    The authors recognize that our digital age is rushed, fast-paced, and relentless. Facing full workloads, people try to do as much as possible every day, despite not having enough time. Time management is not possible.

    Rather, this book focuses on managing energy instead of time. In order to both perform at a high level and stay healthy and happy. This practical book is based on science and gives a reasonable approach to manage your energy both while at work and while at home.

    Loehr and company lay out key training principles for their readers.  They give a step-by-step program to balance energy, mobilize their sources of energy, expand their capacity, and create lasting changes.

    Readers appreciate this book’s ability to give people a guide to becoming more engaged in their lives. A logical connection is made between athletic training and training for life in general that makes sense to any reader who is looking to improve their life.

    14. Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon

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    Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative focuses on creativity and the fact that everyone has a creative side to them somewhere.

    This guide provides a positive message for the reader along with a graphic look and illustrations, examples, and exercises that will allow readers to connect with their artistic side.

    Austin Kleon, the author of this book, had a speech go viral when he was asked to talk to college students in upstate New York. He focused on the ten things that he wished he knew when he was starting out. After this talk became so popular, Kleon further analyzed his own ideas to write this book.

    This book is not only inspiring, but it is also original and practical. It is entertaining and filled with formerly unknown truths about creativity.

    The author argues that nothing is original, so it is best to embrace influence, generate ideas, and re-imagine things in order to discover your own path. Readers are urged to follow their interests, stay out of debt, and make room for your creative self to become daring with your imagination.

    Readers have found that this book offers helpful advice while also being a fun and easy read. The author explains all of his points well and gives clear examples so readers are able to relate to the text. This small book packs in a lot of information that is not easily found elsewhere.

    15. Work Smarter by Nick Loper

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    Overly successful people always get more done than others. What are the secret weapons of the people who are always on top of things and ahead of the game? In this “entrepreneur resource” book Loper shares with us many of the tools that help make super-productive people so darn productive.

    Extremely productive people these people are able to think smarter, not harder. Everyone has the same amount of time in every day, and the tips in this book help readers make the most of that time, by using their favorite combinations of 500 time tested online tools.

    Over 800 of today’s most successful entrepreneurs came together to create this guide. Included in Work Smarter: 500+ Online Resources Today’s Top Entrepreneurs Use to Increase Productivity and Achieve Their Goals are the real tools that are used by superstar business leaders each day. Readers are given access to over 500 resources to help them grow their business from the ground up.

    Among other things, Loper talks about productivity, team management, communication, and project management to give personal insights on how to use some of the best and most popular tools to gain success.

    Many of the resources that are offered in this book are free or come with a free trial for the reader to test out. These resources allow people to protect their time and save money while also protecting their investment.

    Readers have found that the bullet-point format of this book is helpful and easy to read. The value in this book is able to prevent people from running into frustrations that may often be met if the resources in this book are not discovered.

    16. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

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    The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference refers to the moment when an idea or trend crosses a threshold into becoming viral. One action can quickly become a movement in these days of social media.

    This bestselling book explores and illuminates the tipping point phenomenon and is already makes changes to the way people worldwide think about selling their products and spreading ideas.

    Readers have found this to be a solid book for all types of businesses. It helps people become aware of the different factors that go into making something into a movement or making something go viral. This awareness is great for people who own a company and want to grow their business.

    17. Make Money, Live Wealthy by Austin Netzley

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    Make Money, Live Wealthy: 75 Successful Entrepreneurs Share the 10 Simple Steps to True Wealth the advice of 75 successful entrepreneurs to help people who are overwhelmed in their lives.

    The experts in this book are iconic investors, successful entrepreneurs, bestselling authors, and financial planners, but they didn’t start out like that. These people are living proof that anyone can ultimately be successful.

    Readers will walk away from this book knowing the simple actions that they need to take to achieve success. This simple step-by-step guide helps readers take control of their business and their wealth.

    Readers have found that the principles in this book can be applied to any aspect of life. It is a well-rounded book that is motivating to the reader and teaches people how to invest in themselves.

    18. Inspire! by Patrick King

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    Inspire! The Art of Persuasive Leadership: How to Influence, Establish Trust, and Gain Respect might be right for you if you want to learn how to motivate people better and be a more effective leader. It teaches people to be better at persuasion and winning people over while still maximizing efficiency and being respected.

    King argues that all problems can be linked back to the people who are involved. This book teaches readers how to deal with people and quickly gain their support.

    The author looks deep into psychology to find ways to make a win-win situation every time. He addresses the human elements that are needed in leadership and techniques to make other people share your same goal.

    Readers have found that this is a great book to help learn how to deal with people who have opposing values or opinions. It is easy to listen to while in the car during a commute or even on a lunch break. There is a lot of value provided in this leadership book.

    19. EDGY Conversations by Dan Waldschmidt

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    The standard advice that is given to people who want to be successful is often ineffective. You work hard all day, but often find yourself no closer to success than you were just last week. Edgy Conversations: How Ordinary People Can Achieve Outrageous Success reveals the truth, which is that it is not your actions that are holding you back.

    Instead, it is who you are. Your own mind is keeping you from success, which has started this Edgy conversation.

    This honest book does not hold back in its discussion about what it takes to be successful. Based on the stories of hundreds of regular people in all types of industries, this book illustrates the achievements of people who have created greatness for themselves.

    I admit this is not your typical “entrepreneur book” I think this book is (and the book above) are important for entrepreneurs because a big part of success (or failure) as an entrepreneur is based on how well you can convince others of your vision.

    Edgy Conversations gives you the tools to communicate your entrepreneurial vision to others and help them get behind you and your vision. An essential key to becoming an entrepreneur.

    20. Discover Your True North by Bill George

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    Discover Your True North: The Leadership Classic Expanded for Today’s Leaders helps readers become an authentic leader by discovering their “True North”. Based on interviews with over 200 leaders, this book provides insight from authentic global leaders who are diverse, global, and contemporary.

    It includes relevant case studies and personal stories to teach readers how to become the leaders that they want to be. It even includes helpful exercises throughout the book to help engage the reader.

    Readers appreciate the concrete and comprehensive program that this book explains for becoming a real leader. It is also very helpful that the author gives examples of how to chart one’s path to leadership.

    Once you discover the purpose of your leadership, you’ll find the true leader inside you. This book shows you how to use your natural leadership abilities to inspire and empower others to excellence in today’s complex global world.

    Discover Your True North enables you to become the leader you were born to be and stay on track of your True North.

    21. Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace.

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    Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration is great for managers who are striving for originality and want to make their employees more successful. The author focuses on building a creative culture while also having a company that comes up with the best ideas as possible.

    Written by one of the co-founders of Pixar Animation Studios, this book is written in a joyous way that comes off as almost storytelling. Readers have found that it has emotional authenticity using Pixar movies as a lesson in what creativity actually is. (Speaking of movies, check out our favorite movies for entrepreneurs!)

    Catmull talks about the specific techniques that have made Pixar so popular and profitable. He has found that the unique environment that Pixar has built that is based on leadership and management philosophies that work to protect the creative process and elude convention are a major part of their success.

    Readers have found this book to be enjoyable to read and full of useful information. It is an inspiring book that can help managers in any industry.

    22. The Warren Buffett Way by Robert G. Hagstrom

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    Warren Buffett became a billionaire and investment professional by viewing companies as businesses instead of numbers on a stock screen.

    The Warren Buffett Way gives investors an in-depth look at the investment and business strategies that he used to achieve success. The author also draws on the subject of behavioral finance to explain how investors can move past obstacles that prevent them from being successful.

    After reading this book, people will know how to think like a long-term investor, overcome obstacles, and behave rationally in the market. The psychological foundations that are addressed in this book give the readers the best guide yet for understanding the principles and the behaviors that Buffet has used to become the best investor of this generation.

    This is another book that is not “technically” an entrepreneurial book.

    Although it discusses many ways that Buffett has achieved success as an entrepreneur, this book focuses more on the financial aspects. However, every entrepreneur needs to have an understanding of money and investment opportunities.

    While many books on investing and books on personal finance might give entrepreneurs the “money skills’ they need to be successful. I thought it apt to include a book about one of the greatest financial entrepreneurs of all time.

    This book is a great encouragement for any potential financial entrepreneur to do their own thing and not listen to the fads of the day.

    23. The Startup Playbook by David Kidder

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    The Startup Playbook: Secrets of the Fastest-Growing Startups from Their Founding Entrepreneurs helps new businesses succeed.

    It details information from many business insiders and shares the unknown experiences of some of the world’s most powerful entrepreneurs and CEOs, letting the reader in on their most treasured advice.

    Summaries of 40 in-person interviews with founders give readers major insights into what it takes to build some of the most well-known companies today from the ground up.

    This is a great book for readers who are either just starting out or they have been working on their business for quite some time. Readers have found this book to be useful because of its richness in real-world cases. It is filled with important business lessons and practical advice.

    24. The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber

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    I have not “really” rated these entrepreneurial books on how much they can possibly affect someone’s success or failure as an entrepreneur. However, if I did this book would be in strong contention for the #1 spot.

    This revised edition of the original bestseller debunks the myths about starting up a business. Michael Gerber, a small business consultant and author, has years of experience in the field which allows him to point out to the reader how various factors can get in the way of having a successful business.

    The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It guides the reader through the life cycle of a business and shows how to apply the important lessons of franchising to any business, even if the business is not a franchise.

    This book helps readers grow their businesses in a productive and confident way. Readers have found that this book gets straight to the point in an impactful way.

    25. Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance

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    In Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, Ashlee Vance gives the reader a look into the life of Silicon Valley’s most daring entrepreneur. The book begins with the entrepreneur’s journey starting from a rough childhood in South Africa to the height of the global business world.

    This book tells the turbulent stories of Musk’s global companies such as PayPal, Tesla Motors, and SolarCity, and describes a man who has sparked new levels of innovation.

    Using Musk’s story, Vance explores the question of whether or not a nation of inventors can continue to be successful with global competition. He argues that Musk has dedicated his life more than any other entrepreneur in the modern day to inventing a future that is rich and far-reaching.

    This is possibly another book some people may find as an odd inclusion for a collection of entrepreneur books.

    But Musk is such the perfect stereotype of the modern entrepreneur, you can learn a lot by simply studying all the wonderful things he has accomplished in his life.

    Being a story about a very interesting guy this book is a much more entertaining read than many of the entrepreneurial “guides” on this list. It is entertaining, but I feel you will also learn a lot about entrepreneurship also.

    26. The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman

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    Business school is expensive and truly does not teach students as much as they will learn in the real world when they are actually working. This book is written by the founder of PersonalMBA.com, which is an alternative to wasting time in business school.

    In this book, Kaufman shares the essentials of business development in one complete volume. The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business teaches readers the most valuable business lessons through simple and memorable models that are easily applied to real-world situations.

    This book gives readers a clear and straightforward understanding of what business is about. It is a great read for anyone because it talks about the nature of human endeavor along with how the world functions.

    It covers a full spectrum of business topics and makes them approachable to anyone who is willing to learn them.

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    Recounting a mission of a SEAL team unit, this book talks about how leadership is the most important factor in success. Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win explains the mindset that SEALs must have to accomplish their hardest combat missions. 

    It shows how to apply these principles and mindsets to any team or organization.

    Each chapter talks about specific topics such as “leading up the chain” and “cover and move”. Extreme Ownership clearly explains these concepts are, what makes them important, and how to apply them to any leadership environment.

    This powerful book uses compelling narrative and instruction to help revolutionize business management and the challenges that leaders face to effectively lead and win.

    This is a very structured book.  It allows readers a birds-eye view about eye-opening leadership experiences and teachable moments endured by the United States premier fighting force, the Navy SEALs.

    28. The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

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    The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success is a book that can improve both your entrepreneurial, health and personal development success.

    The premise is simple—the small, everyday actions that you take ultimately determine your success in life. If your day is filled with self-destructive habits, this will have a negative, compounding effect on your life. However, if you commit to doing daily, goal-specific habits, then success isn’t that hard to achieve.

    The message of The Compound Effect is similar to other books like Essentialism, The One Thing and The Slight Edge. When you have a “zero excuses allowed” policy for important habits, you accomplish amazing things over the long term.

    One of my favorite parts is a simple formula Darren uses:

    The ideas in this book are not complicated, yet strangely enough, I think they are profound.

    Together with the books mentioned in the paragraph above they form a “must read” core of productivity books every single entrepreneur should read, understand and make a part of his/her lifestyle.

    29. Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss

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    Tim Ferris, the host of The Tim Ferriss Show podcast, wrote this compilation as a notebook of the best points of his in-depth interviews with business professionals. He lays out tips and life lessons that his well-known guests have offered on the show as some reasons behind their success.

    What makes Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers different from others is that it focuses on the minute details of successful people. For example, what is a good example of an effective morning routine? What are some common wastes of time?

    This book for entrepreneurs has some very unique and original insights. However, some people do complain because of the episodic nature of the sections.

    There is not a single narrative of how to succeed as an entrepreneur. But in many ways, this is more honest, because in reality there is not a single “right” ay to achieve success.

    Personally I love the “pick-and-choose” natures of the chapters. I can learn from the people who inspire me and just skip the chapters of those who I do not believe have anything important to say.

    30. The Entrepreneur Mind by Kevin D. Johnson

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    In The Entrepreneur Mind: 100 Essential Beliefs, Characteristics, and Habits of Elite Entrepreneurs written for both novice and veteran entrepreneurs, Johnson pinpoints 100 key lessons that every entrepreneur has to learn in order to be successful.

    These lessons make up the fundamental beliefs, characteristics, and habits that all elite entrepreneurs have in common.

    Readers have found that this is a must-read book because of its ability to teach people how to think. It includes stories from the author’s personal journey that are both easy to follow and easy to apply to any business situation.

    This book is especially great for those who do not have a traditional business background but are looking to grow their startup into a household name.

    31. Crushing It by Gary Vaynerchuk

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    This book offers lessons and inspiration taken from the experiences of dozens of entrepreneurs who decided against taking the predictable corporate path in order to pursue their dreams of building thriving businesses and personal brands.

    I love this book. Vaynerchuck’s original hit “Crush It” was an eye-opener for me personally.

    In this book, Gary insisted that an energetic personal brand is a crucial element to entrepreneurial success. I appreciate his frank and sometimes brusque manners and attitude. Although I do understand why some people might be put off by his style.

    Crushing It: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence-and How You Can, Too has some of the same, but goes far deeper into what it takes to achieve entrepreneurial success than his 2009 bestseller.

    Gary also shares the principles of business that have changed over the years as well as those that have remained timeless and dependable.

    Readers enjoy the stories in this book from other entrepreneurs who have succeeded in their business ventures by following the principles in the original edition of this book.

    Readers appreciate the lessons on current trends such as social media platforms that allow people in any type of business to expand their personal brand.

    This book is written in a lively and practical manner and is able to inspire readers to amplify their personal brand. For readers with more experience, this book highlights some of the lesser-known differences in modern-day business and provides new tips and tweaks that have been proven to enhance common strategies.

    32. The Motivation Myth by Jeff Haden

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    In The Motivation Myth: How High Achievers Really Set Themselves Up to Win, Jeff Haden makes the argument that motivation, as we think about it, is a myth. Motivation is actually a result of a process, not a cause.

    As the book progresses, the reader is taught how to reframe their thinking about how motivation relates to success.

    Part if the reason I live this book is that it reaffirms my own thinking on motivation. If you need to be motivated to succeed, you will never succeed LONG-TERM. It is better to set up a system that cannot fail rather than rely on something as ephemeral as motivation.

    Haden recognizes that people are anxious at the beginning of a big goal. They are unsure and scared of how to proceed.  He offers practical advice that can be used by anyone to stop stalling and start pursuing their dreams.

    Overall, this book teaches that success isn’t only for certain people. It is possible for anyone to be successful if they understand the real nature of motivation. This inspiring book is eye-opening for anyone, no matter what they are working on in their life at the moment.

    33. Zero to One by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters

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    In Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future, legendary entrepreneur and investor Peter Thiel talk about how information technology has quickly improved, but progress should not be limited to computers. Progress can be achieved in all industries. Progress can only come from the important skill of learning how to think for yourself.

    When you do something new, you are adding value to the world that it has not seen before. Tomorrow’s champions will escape competition because their business ideas will be unique.

    Readers appreciate the optimistic view that is shown in this book. It also explores a new way of thinking about innovation, leading readers to find value in places where they did not expect to find it.

    Final Thoughts on Best Entrepreneur Books

    What are your thoughts on these entrepreneur books? Does this list have the best entrepreneur books? Or are there some important gaps in the entrepreneur books chosen.

    Please share your own thoughts on these books and any entrepreneur books you feel should be on the list but were overlooked for one reason or another.

    I will be updating this list every year, with new entrepreneur books and many of the future choices might come from what YOU THE READER add in the comments section below. So please share your thoughts about any entrepreneurial books you love.

    If you enjoyed this post, please share it on your favorite social media platform. I need YOUR help to get the word out and make this post as good as it can be.

    And if you’re looking for more resources on the best entrepreneur books, be sure to check out these blog posts:

    Finally, if you want to take your goal-setting efforts to the next level, check out this FREE printable worksheet and a step-by-step process that will help you set effective SMART goals.

    Keep reading!

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  • 18 Retirement Planning Books to Help You Achieve Success When You Retire

    18 Retirement Planning Books to Help You Achieve Success When You Retire

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    Sooner or later we all reach that golden age of retirement. The thought of retirement is wonderful. But it takes a lot of planning to be able to retire and not need to get some sort of second job to balance your financial books.

    Are you ready for retirement? Do you have a retirement bucket list? Do you, or will you, have enough income put away to live a nice life off of the profits when you retire?

    If your answer is no, then you should consider the 18 retirement books below to be “must reads”.

    If you have a nice retirement nest egg, or are already well into the process of saving and planning for your retirement, you may want to cherry pick the books below to find the ones that might give you some new bits of information or act as great reminders.

    When is the Best Time to Start Reading these Retirement Planning Books?

    Due to the power of compounding interest, the best time to start reading these retirement books and beginning to make a plan and starting to save for retirement is when you are young.

    Even as young as 18-20 is a great time to begin putting away a few dollars toward retirement. A few dollars saved when young can grow to a nice nest egg by the time you reach your golden years.

    The second best time to start retirement planning is “tomorrow”. Even if you only have a few years to retirement, this “emergency” mode retirement is better than not saving for retirement at all.

    The clock is always ticking on retirement. You don’t want to put money into play without a plan, but it is essential to understand everything about retiring ASAP and begin your planning as early as possible.

    Below are 18 of the best books on retirement planning.

    They will help you maximize retirement savings, understand how to get the most from social security, how to live frugally on your retirement savings, retire overseas, where to live when you retire, how to “semi-retire” and make money in retirement from your passions.

    18 Retirement Books to Help you Achieve Success When You Retire

    1. The Smartest Retirement Book You’ll Ever Read by Daniel R. Solin

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    The Smartest Retirement Book You’ll Ever Read teaches the reader about the basics of making investments while considering the current economic scene.

    It also touches on other financial subjects such as reverse mortgages, social security distribution, delaying retirement, and prenuptial agreements for people who get married later in life.

    The author offers a clever and witty read with a skeptical approach to the art and process of investing, and makes it clear that he is trying to help his readers rather than businesses.

    Throughout this book, Solin uses humor, but also stays on topic and writes in a succinct way to get his point across to the reader.

    This book has charts and other tools to help the readers distribute their money in a way that will allow it to grow into enough savings for retirement.

    With its simple strategies, this is an easy book for people to follow. It warns people about possible scams that can cause them to lose money, and sets up a plan so that your money will outlive you.

    It also addresses common mistakes that people make that deplete their retirement money too quickly, and looks into some financial lifelines that people can rely on if necessary.

    2. The 5 Years Before You Retire by Emily Guy Birken

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    Despite the fact that many Americans put money aside throughout their careers for retirement, people often wait until they are in their sixties to realize they have not saved enough.

    The 5 Years Before You Retire, Updated Edition: Retirement Planning When You Need It the Most book aims to show the reader what needs to be done in the next five years to make the best use out of current savings and create a plan for the future.

    The goal of this book is to show people how to save in one of the most important times of their lives. The five years before retirement. While starting retirement saving young is essential.

    The 5 years before retirement is also the time when most people will be making the most money of their lives. Therefore, it is also one of the best times to save.

    Birken covers every aspect of retirement planning and provides straightforward strategies to explain how people can make the most of their last few years in the workforce while also preparing for retirement.

    This is a great book for anyone, whether you have been saving for retirement since the beginning of your career or you are just getting started.

    It will show you what is important to do now so you are able to live comfortably in the future.

    This book presents the information in a very clear way, which makes it quite easy to read. It is also great for people who are not clear on a lot of financial terminology but want to learn more.

    3. Get What’s Yours by Laurence J. Kotlikoff, Philip Moeller, and Paul Solman

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    This Get What’s Yours – Revised & Updated: The Secrets to Maxing Out Your Social Security book does a great job of addressing the confusing process of receiving Social Security and coming out with the most benefits possible.

    It includes strategies that have been written by successful financial commentators that have gone unpublished in other books on the same topic.

    There are a total of 2,728 rules of the Social Security system, and all have explanations to go along with them.

    Because this kind of document is not easily read by the common person, the authors of Get What’s Yours use this book to explain these rules in a way that is comprehensive yet simple to understand.

    They also teach the reader how making wrong decisions can have a long-term negative impact on one’s finances.

    While many personal finance books touch briefly on Social Security, none of them offers the full, authentic, and conversational analysis that this book has.

    The authors use basic strategies and incorporate relevant stories so the reader can relate to the topic.

    The book goes over some of the most frequent benefit scenarios that retired married couples face, along with divorced retirees, widows, and widowers.

    It offers advice for people who are in tough situations, such as retired parents of dependent children, those who have disabilities, and eligible beneficiaries who continue to work.

    It talks about the tax implications of your choices, in addition to the financial implications for your other investments.

    This invaluable book is great for anyone who is approaching retirement age.

    4. How to Make Your Money Last by Jane Bryant Quinn

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    This How to Make Your Money Last: The Indispensable Retirement Guide book aims to help readers turn their retirement savings into a predictable life-long paycheck. It covers each phase of finances in retirement. People often worry that they will outlive their money.

    However, as this book shows its readers, that won’t happen if you implement some tricks for getting higher payments out of your assets, including your Social Security account, pension, home equity, savings, and retirement accounts.

    Making the right moves will help stretch your money out for many more years than you are expecting. Essentially, this book teaches readers how to take their retirement and turn it into a lifelong steady paycheck.

    The author also shows the reader some new ways to view savings and investments. If you stay on the safe track, your money may not last for the rest of your life.

    While it is important to keep money in safe accounts, it is also vital to invest some money for growth so you will still have money to live off of in decades to come.

    The author shows the readers how to do this, which is increasingly important, as people are living longer these days but retiring with less money than they expected or hoped to have.

    5. How to Retire Happy by Stan Hinden

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    How to Retire Happy, Fourth Edition: The 12 Most Important Decisions You Must Make Before You Retire will help the reader make the best decisions to ensure that they are able to live a happy and healthy life during their retirement. It gives plenty of expert advice in a step-by-step way that is easy for anyone to understand.

    As an addition to the previous editions of this book, this copy offers new material on health insurance and prescription drugs, facts about all aspects of Medicare, the realities of Alzheimer’s care, Social Security strategies, handling financial realities of the current economy, and resources that anyone can turn to if they need additional advice.

    This is a very relatable book for people to read. The author is not a financial professional who has always had all of the secrets to retirement and is therefore living large.

    Rather, he is an average person who was unable to put away the money that he needed for retirement because things in life kept coming up, such as children, unemployment, college tuition, a few bad decisions, and a failed business.

    The reader is able to get information from someone who made some mistakes, and who has been in financially stressful situations.

    The author writes to the reader like he is a friend who just got out of a tough time and is trying to offer some insights to help prevent others from going down his path.

    He also focuses on the things that he did right so people can follow in his footsteps.

    While it may be disheartening to hear of these types of mistakes firsthand, it is better than waiting to face financial problems later on in life.

    The younger you are, the more this book will have to offer you because it lets you know that you still have plenty of time to put enough money aside.

    However, it is a great book for anyone who is getting close to retirement because if you are a bit short on money, it is important to make some good decisions.

    6. Ready to Pull the Retirement Trigger? by Mary Sterk

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    Ready to Pull the Retirement Trigger?: Your Strategic Guide to Retire With Confidence is a great tool to help potential retirees set themselves up to be able to enjoy their later years with confidence.

    Often, people are hesitant to retire due to the fear of having a financial burden come up. This book helps give people a path and strategy to create a plan.

    Retirement Trigger provides great lessons for people of any age. It contains a lot of practical and real-world advice from a financial advisor and coach with over 20 years in the industry.

    Offering a step-by-step guide to retirement planning, this book covers every stage of the process, from discovering your purpose after a career to creating a plan to fund your desired lifestyle.

    The author poses specific tasks and questions that are designed to show you what your ideal retirement looks like and how to make it happen.

    This is an engaging retirement book is written in an easygoing manner. It is full of personal stories and real-life examples, and is entertaining while also being educational.

    7. What Color Is Your Parachute? for Retirement, Second Edition by John E. Nelson

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    The current economy has changed people’s positive expectations of their life after retirement. However, there is still some hope that life after a career can be filled with freedom and the potential for self-determination.

    But how are people supposed to plan for a future that has the possibility of prosperity, happiness, and health?

    This What Color Is Your Parachute? for Retirement, Second Edition: Planning a Prosperous, Healthy, and Happy Future book offers its readers a holistic perspective of the years of retirement, in addition to practical tools to help create a life that is full of security and vitality.

    It offers information on Social Security, a detailed exercise on personal and financial values, and a new type of resource for organizing all of the information on finances and health during the golden years.

    This book is more than a guide on how to stay physically active, where to live, and what kinds of investments to choose.

    It helps people develop a detailed plan of an ideal retirement, so that whether you are planning to retire or you have already done so, you can take a complete approach to getting the most out of these important years.

    8. How to Retire with Enough Money by Teresa Ghilarducci

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    How to Retire with Enough Money: And How to Know What Enough Is offers an easy-to-follow program that can change the course of one’s retirement. It helps cuts through misinformation, confusion, and poorly executed policies that keep people spending or saving poorly.

    How to Retire with Enough Money covers how much money should be saved for retirement, and gives the basic principles that will help the money continue to grow.

    This includes ideas to help get any current expenses under control, including suggestions for getting rid of your financial advisor and take the reins on your finances yourself, and even why it is best to pay off a loan rather than keep paying for it every month.

    Providing the framework for securing your retirement, How to Retire with Enough Money looks at the risks of not saving enough money while you are working, and what other options you might have.

    It provides stable, solid, conservative advice for people who are interested in learning about long-term financial security.

    9. 65 Things to Do When You Retire by Mark Evan Chimsky

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    This 65 Things to Do When You Retire book contains 65 essays that give the readers practical yet entertaining advice on how to build the money habits to set themselves up for a fulfilling life of retirement.

    The authors who contributed to this book include recognizable names, respected retirement experts, and other people who are in their sixties and have been able to create progressive lives for themselves after retiring.

    This book covers a wide range of different people who are from all different walks of life, so there is something in here for everyone. The collection is full of honesty, humor, and knowledge.

    Some of the writers offer inspiring stories of their post-retirement goals, such as training for the Senior Olympics, traveling the world, moving to another country, and even developing a prison ministry.

    Other essayists give the reader step-by-step strategies for putting together a plan to fit one’s lifestyle, interests, and budget.

    10. How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free by Ernie J. Zelinsky

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    How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free: Retirement Wisdom That You Won’t Get from Your Financial Advisor offers its readers inspirational advice on enjoying life after retirement. In order to have an active and satisfying retirement, there are more things to consider than just financial resources.

    This book touches on the other important aspects of life such as leisure activities, creative projects, physical and mental well-being, and positive social support.

    It helps readers acquire the courage that is needed to retire early by teaching people how to put money into perspective to erase the feeling that you need millions to retire.

    The author also helps readers generate their life’s purpose in retirement, and motivates them to continue to live a meaningful life.

    By envisioning your retirement goals, you can live out your dreams instead of aiming to live the dreams of other people. Taking charge of your own life and well-being will help you make your retirement the best years of your life.

    This retirement book is different from others because it takes a holistic approach to address both the fears and hopes that people have about retirement.

    The author goes beyond the numbers that are typically the main focus of retirement planning, and delves into the details of a happy retirement and a meaningful life.

    One of the tools that can be found in this book that is not in others is called the “Get-a-Life Tree,” which is a priceless resource.

    The tips that are given in this book will help the reader understand that retirement is more than just about money. It helps readers create an active and satisfying retirement without having millions of dollars in the bank.

    11. 101 Fun Things to Do in Retirement by Stella Reingold

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    101 Fun Things to do in Retirement: An Irreverent, Outrageous & Funny Guide to Life After Work is a great little book to read or give as a gift to someone who is approaching retirement.

    It addresses the joys of not having to commute or deal with bosses anymore, in addition to not having to handle deadlines or clocking in and out every day to do a repetitive job.

    Free from being bound by convention, retirees are now able to push the envelope and do what they want to make their lives as fun as possible.

    This light-hearted book is all about the freedom you have once you retire.

    12. The Truth About Retirement Plans and IRAs by Ric Edelman

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    From the #1 independent financial advisor in America, ranked three times by Barron’s, comes a guide to making the most of your retirement plans and assuring long-term financial security.

    Retirement is complicated and confusing, and it makes your paycheck lower each month. For this reason, may Americans choose to not plan for retirement.

    However, Ric Edelman, a New York Times bestselling author and financial advisor, has advised thousands of people, and has put together some of his advice in this book.

    This The Truth About Retirement Plans and IRAs book is a step-by-step guide that offers enlightening prose and clear explanations on being a retirement plan participant.

    He talks about contributing to retirement even if you don’t think you make enough money to do so, how to make smart financial decisions, and how to make your 401(k) work for you by providing you with the income you need to have the lifestyle that you want for retirement.

    This book also helps to debunk common myths and addresses common confusions.

    13. Retirement Planning by Mark Bresett

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    Retirement Planning: What You Need to Do 5 Years Before You Retire explains that retirement is actually an easier transition than many people believe it is. It helps decrease worry and stress for those who have not planned for their retirement properly.

    It lays out what people should start doing at least five years before retirement. It talks about expenses, retirement needs, having a financial planner, budgets, expectations, tax returns, Medicare, and possible changes to health care.

    After finishing this book, the reader knows the necessary steps to take to plan for their retirement, whether that means getting a part-time job for a while or living off of a bit less than they have in the past.

    It reminds readers that they are in control of their own retirement, and that there is a luxury to be enjoyed during this stage of life.

    BIG LINK – Best Personal Finance books https://www.developgoodhabits.com/best-personal-finance-books/

    14. The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget By Suzan Haskins

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    The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget: How to Live Well on $25,000 a Year might be the right book for you if you are interested in retiring abroad. While this is a little-known strategy, it is very effective.

    The simple premise explains enjoying a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life after retirement that is more affordable than living in the U.S. or Canada.

    It explores overseas retirement and reveals affordable areas and necessary strategies for making a successful move.

    This book is great for retirees and near-retirees living in the United States and Canada, but also applies to younger people and those who have families who want to improve their quality of life and lower their cost of living. It also looks at some solutions for continuing to work and earn money abroad.

    The authors of this book have over 30 years of experience living internationally, and are considered to be experts on the topic.

    They have been writing about creating a life overseas for over 12 years, and have created popular blogs on the topic for popular outlets such as The Huffington Post and AARP.

    They include information and strategies for everyone, regardless of one’s political or economic stances. This is a great book for anyone who wants to live a happy, healthy, and affordable life.

    15. The Year Before You Retire by Sofia Martinez

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    The years leading up to retirement can feel unsettling—so much so that many people don’t think about preparing for their future when they are working.

    They don’t plan investments or savings to keep up the lifestyle that they are used to once they retire. However, with this book, you can follow your dreams and have the lifestyle that you want.

    The Year Before You Retire: Learn the 5 Easy Steps to Accelerate Your Journey to Retirement & Finally Live a Life of Freedom (Retirement, Retire, Retirement Planning) offers important concepts about wealth management to help ensure a successful life. It helps you steer clear of some common pitfalls by sharing secrets to success.

    This book teaches the importance of having an estate plan to prevent the state from administering one for you. You and your heirs will want to have control over how your assets will be distributed.

    Readers will also learn about some possible sources of income for retirees. With this knowledge, one can decide where to get money after retirement, in addition to any retirement plans that have been set into place.

    Furthermore, the reader will learn about budgeting during retirement, as well as buying insurance coverage, Medicare, and financial investments.

    Readers will learn that they can make gradual withdrawals from their retirement funds so the rest of the money can continue to grow.

    This book also offers advice on how to make these withdrawals while keeping the rest invested.

    16. Where to Retire by John Howells

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    Where to Retire: America’s Best & Most Affordable Places (Choose Retirement Series) offers great advice on options for relocation during retirement, as well as reasons why people should uproot their lives and move just as things are beginning to settle down.

    Retirement guru John Howells gives well-researched and updated information on how readers can find their ideal homes during their retirement years.

    The author offers things to consider when you are looking for the ideal community, including safety, housing availability, climate, cultural opportunities, and options for recreation and socializing.

    He also talks about affordability, health care, transportation, and volunteer opportunities.

    With a clear overview of how life could be in hundreds of affordable and comfortable places to retire in the United States, this guide helps people determine what might work best for them.

    17. The Number by Lee Eisenberg

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    The Number: A Completely Different Way to Think About the Rest of Your Life book includes commentary from wealth gurus, financial experts, and life coaches to explore people’s hopes for the future. This financial guide is great for everyone over the age of 30.

    The discussion about financial planning is often avoided due to its ability to induce stressful feelings in people.

    However, this book talks about the amount of money and resources that most people will need to be able to enjoy the life they desire after finishing their career.

    It uses imaginative reporting and intelligent insights to urge people to gain control and responsibility for their lives, and move forward towards their long-term aspirations.

    This book revolves around the “number,” which means different things to different people.

    It is a fluctuating idea in people’s minds, and symbolizes a variety of things for different people such as freedom, career success, luxurious indulgences, and even spiritual explorations.

    People tend to be private when it comes to talking about their bank accounts for fear of revealing too much or showing others that they are inept.

    In this book, the author describes this anxiety as a conundrum that is caught up in confusing financial lingo.

    The author sorts through the confusing jargon and translates finances into commonsense advice that is able to be absorbed by ordinary people who are just starting to realize that retirement is in their future.

    The author aims to help readers understand and efficiently manage their lives, money, and quest for happiness.

    18. Second-Act Careers by Sandy Collamer

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    This Second-Act Careers: 50+ Ways to Profit from Your Passions During Semi-Retirement book is all about rethinking your plan for retirement. While people used to associate retirement with grandchildren and golf, people are now taking the opportunity to take new adventures and explore new things.

    Some people even decide to take on another job to make money, but do it in an area that they have a lot of interest in.

    If you’re planning for retirement but want to keep working, this may be the right book for you. It is written by veteran career coach Nancy Collamer, who shows the reader how to find their interests and strengths and re-purpose them to generate income.

    Some options that are talked about include part-time employment, consulting, and internet-based options such as online teaching and writing a blog.

    Having a second career that is flexible and fulfilling can help the reader plan for their next move. Second-Act Careers illustrates how people can create a profitable and meaningful second career on their own terms.

    Final Thoughts on Retirement Planning Books

    Do you plan to retire soon? Have your started planning for retirement? Are you already retired? Have you read any of these retirement books?

    Please share your thoughts on retirement, retirement planning, these retirement books and anything else you fancy talking about in the comment block below.

    Sharing your knowledge on retirement books and retirement planning might help others to make better decisions.

    While you are here, I would also as you to take a moment and share the retirement books, artwork or this page on your favorite social media. Any shares you make will help others find this post and be appreciated.

    And if you’re looking for more resources on books to read, be sure to check out these blog posts:

    retirement planning books | best retirement plans |  best investing booksretirement planning books | best retirement plans |  best investing books

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  • 25 Best Self Help Books for Women to Read in 2024

    25 Best Self Help Books for Women to Read in 2024

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    There
    are some people that wouldn’t be caught dead reading a self help book in
    public.

    But
    why are these works of emotional education so often scorned by members of
    society? Why do people feel embarrassed about their quest toward
    personal development
    ?

    As mental health is becoming an increasingly open topic to discuss in our country, people are turning to self-help books more frequently to address their own emotional concerns.

    Well-written self-help books offer great insight using a variety of writing styles to help teach people how to change their mindset in order to improve their lives.

    Often, self-help books can benefit those who are least inclined to do any kind of self-reflection because these are the people who don’t realize an area of their life needs attention until it’s deeply broken.

    Self-help books for women can promote self-acceptance, help women find happiness in their lives, and free women from the reigns of anxiety–among many other things.

    Whether you have benefitted from reading self-help books in the past or you’re the one who wouldn’t dare pick one up at the library, there is a self help book out there that can guide you in improving your life in some way.

    I think you would be surprised at how much you can directly relate to what is being said by other women about issues that we face universally, but often don’t talk about.

    I urge those of you who haven’t read a self-help book to take a chance with it and pick one up. In this article, I am going to give a quick description of the 25 best self-help books for women to read in 2024.

    Pick one of these books to start with–even if you pick it for the humor that it promises–and I think you will find yourself reaching for another once you’ve finished it.

    Let’s take a look.

    25 Best Self Help Books for Women to Read in 2024

    1. Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed

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    Cheryl Strayed was once anonymously known as Sugar, an advice columnist for a literary website, The Rumpus. Cheryl comes to us with rich life experiences–as evidenced by her bestselling book, Wild–to offer advice in a variety of facets of life. Strayed compiled the best of her Dear Sugar advice columns for this book, in addition to pieces that never made it to the site.

    Readers enjoy Strayed’s insight along with her sense of humor and complete honesty as she offers advice on how to overcome life’s obstacles.

    She covers everything from infidelity to the loss of a loved one and also acknowledges the positive aspects of life like falling in love and landing your dream job.

    Strayed’s writing is engaging and nonjudgemental, and many readers have found that she has a sense of empathy that seems to be lacking from other self-help books. If you feel lost in life, reading Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar will help give you a greater sense of guidance as you learn to see things from a new perspective and take action that will make a difference in your life.

    2. I Am That Girl by Alexis Jones

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    Alexis Jones, who is well known for competing in the Spring 2008 season of Survivor, is now an activist and motivational speaker for girls around the world who want to find their purpose, think for themselves and live up to their full potential.

    I Am That Girl: How to Speak Your Truth, Discover Your Purpose, and #bethatgirl is named after the non-profit organization founded by Jones that currently has 175 chapters worldwide who all fight the media’s perfectionist portrayal of women that the world faces.

    In this book, Jones urges readers to stop believing any messages of not being good enough or failing to reach a level of perfection that seems to be expected. She offers stories from 30 women to teach you how to start living the life that you want now, and stop letting people hold you back.

    After reading this book, you will have the courage to recognize that anything is possible in your life and you can inspire those around you to dream bigger as well.

    3. The Confidence Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman

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    Do you find yourself struggling with self-doubt? If you find that confidence is often out of reach, The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance—What Women Should Know can help you garner the sense of courage that you so frequently see in other people.

    Written by journalists Katty Kay and Claire Shipman, the lessons offered in this book explore the neuroscience behind confidence and how women can actually choose to improve their confidence by being proactive and taking risks. The authors show readers how their actions can help rewire their brains to improve self-confidence, which can then increase success, life satisfaction, and leadership abilities. 

    After reading this
    book, you will understand how confidence comes from a mix of nature and
    nurture, and the things you can do to cultivate self-assurance. Through their
    insight and inspiring writing style, the authors will show you how following
    your instincts and being genuine can be transformative steps on your journey to
    a life of confidence.

    4. How to Stop Feeling Like Sh*t by Andrea Owen

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    In How to Stop Feeling Like Sh*t: 14 Habits that Are Holding You Back from Happiness, Andrea Owen offers women a matter-of-fact approach to personal development by telling the blunt truth about some of the most frequent self-destructive behaviors that women engage in.

    Owen addresses everything from imposter syndrome to catastrophizing to the tendency to be a people pleaser and examines what causes these negative behaviors. As a life coach, Owen has been able to help many women throughout her career change their mindset and live a happier life.

    Owen’s insight will help you live a more fulfilling life as she will knock you out of autopilot and empower you to create the life that you want to live.

    Readers have found this book to be an easy read, as the chapters are short and the writing is approachable. The author writes concisely and to the point, creating a powerful message that excludes deep analysis in favor of on-the-mark self-awareness.

    5. The Self Care Prescription by Dr. Robyn Gobin

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    If you are struggling to find balance or purpose in your life, Dr. Gobin’s The Self Care Prescription: Powerful Solutions to Manage Stress, Reduce Anxiety & Increase Wellbeing can empower you to achieve this.

    After reading this book, you will be equipped with solutions-based strategies to take better care of yourself and revamp your life. Using proven self-care techniques, you can improve the personal, professional, physical, spiritual, and emotional areas of your life.

    Dr. Gobin helps readers develop an individualized self-care plan to allow for spending more time with loved ones, finding a fulfilling career, and combating life’s hurdles such as anxiety and procrastination. She teaches actionable techniques to help you engage in self-care, including mindfulness meditation and healthy meal planning so you can reach your goals and live your best life.

    6. Quiet by Susan Cain

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    With 30-50% of the population being introverts, this book might apply to you.

    In Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, Cain offers a well-researched look at how society undervalues introverts and makes a strong argument for how much society loses by doing so.

    She explores real-life situations in business, schools, and American culture where extroverts have an immediate advantage over those who prefer listening and working on their own. Cain also references recent neuroscience and psychology research to explain the surprising differences between introverts and extroverts.

    Readers are inspired by this book through stories of success from introverts as well as the extremely useful advice that Cain offers to introverts on how to navigate a world that is seemingly dominated by extroverts.

    Reading this book can help introverts see themselves in a different light, and help extroverts learn the importance and advantage of seeing the value in introverts.

    7. The Self-Love Workbook by Shainna Ali

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    If you struggle with low self-esteem, this might be the right book for you. Author Shainna Ali communicates to readers about the importance of loving yourself as much as you love other people and other people love you.

    If you live without self-confidence, you won’t be able to live your life to the fullest and reach your potential. By reading The Self-Love Workbook: A Life-Changing Guide to Boost Self-Esteem, Recognize Your Worth and Find Genuine Happiness, you will learn how to change your attitude, cultivate self-love, and improve your outlook on life.

    The exercises in this workbook will help you recognize your unique needs and learn how to fully accept yourself.

    Ali offers constructive advice and actionable tips and techniques to help you cultivate self-love, including interactive activities, prompts for self-reflection, and practical steps to take. Reading this book will help you accept your true self and live your best life.

    8. It’s OK to Feel Things Deeply by Carissa Potter

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    It’s OK to Feel Things Deeply was written by Carissa Potter to help women get through the tough times in life. Its supportive message helps women develop coping skills when they’re faced with grief, depression, stress, and anxiety.

    Readers appreciate feeling a sense of normalcy about their emotions when reading this book, as Potter reminds women that these feelings are normal, and they can be navigated as long as you have the right supports in place.

    Potter is able to deliver a positivity boost for women who are facing challenges through practical advice, humor, genuine words of empathy, art, and honesty. Reading this book will help give you the encouragement that you need during the times you need it most.

    9. WorkParty by Jaclyn Johnson

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    After suffering from two immense blows to her career before turning 25, Jaclyn Johnson had no choice but to bounce back and overhaul her professional life.

    After investing in millions of dollars worth of projects and launching the Create & Cultivate platform, Johnson gained the experience to be able to teach others how to be fueled by their frustrations and turn distrust into a sense of determination.

    In reading WorkParty: How to Create & Cultivate the Career of Your Dreams, you will learn the tricks of some of our era’s top businesswomen while developing the sense of passion and determination that you have to have in order to succeed. If you want to promote your career to the next level on your own terms, this is the right book for you.

    10. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg

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    If you think you might be holding yourself
    back in your career, this could be the right book for you. Following her 2010
    TED Talk, Sheryl Sandberg compiled this book of personal anecdotes, scientific
    data, and cutting-edge research to help women pay more attention to what they can do than what they can’t do.

    In Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, Sandberg offers constructive advice on how to get more out of your career through negotiation techniques and mentoring.

    She uses humor and insight to offer women tips to incorporate their professional achievement with a personal sense of fulfillment. After reading this book, you will feel empowered to live up to your full professional potential.

    11. It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lysa TerKeurst

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    This is one of the best self-help books for women who prefer to read faith-based books. In It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered, TerKeurst teaches women how to continue to live with a sense of certainty during times of unexpected turmoil.

    Readers appreciate TerKeurst’s courage, vulnerability, and an honest sense of humor as she explains how to cope with unmet expectations and difficult situations.

    After reading this great self-help book, you will be better equipped to cope with uncertainty and persevere through times when you feel like you have more on your plate than you can handle.

    Readers who are disappointed with some facet of their lives because they had higher expectations have felt very validated by TerKeurst’s lessons and advice in this book.

    12. Heart-Dreamer by Cheryl Melody Baskin

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    Baskin, a life coach, motivational speaker, and healing arts specialist, shares her own struggles and insecurities in Heart-Dreamer: Stepping into Life, Love, Creativity and Dreams-No Matter What to show women that they’re not alone in their vulnerabilities and doubts.

    Readers are offered a variety of self-healing activities in each chapter that revolve around determination, courage, transformation, and strength to help guide them through living the life that they truly want. Readers find Baskin to be an inspiration on their journey to finding a positive path to take in their lives. 

    Baskin writes in a compassionate and encouraging tone for any woman who needs help to heal, grow, and to live a life of hope, no matter what circumstances are present.

    Reading this book will help you follow your dreams–or if you aren’t yet sure what you dream is–you will be inspired to find your life’s purpose.

    13. Addicted to Unhappiness (Second Edition) by Martha Heineman Pieper and William J. Pieper

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    This might be the right book for you if you often find yourself under-motivated and low on hope.

    In Addicted to Unhappiness (Second Edition): How Hidden Motives for Unhappiness Keep You From Creating the Life You Truly Want, And What You Can Do, the authors argue that everyone has the potential to live a fulfilling life, but many people have a hard time realizing that potential.

    By reading this book, you will better understand how you have created a learned tendency to be unhappy.

    Readers have felt they can
    relate to the real-life examples presented in this book and appreciate the
    practical strategies that are offered to help choose happiness and maintain
    that positivity in all areas of their lives.

    14. You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero

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    You are sure to be entertained when reading You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life, while also absorbing useful, real-world tips.

    Sincero empowers readers through her book by teaching ways to stop thoughts of self-doubt and start getting things accomplished.  Many women have been able to relate to this book, as Sincero identifies key issues that women face and gives advice on overcoming these hurdles.

    Sincero has a down-to-earth sense of humor that will make you feel like you’re talking to a friend when reading this book. She writes from personal experience and includes stories, practical exercises, and advice to help readers create a life they want to live.

    Most readers love Sincero’s blunt and no-nonsense style of writing, however, some find it to be a bit condescending. All in all, this is an entertaining read that can inspire you to change your life.

    15. The Self Esteem Workbook for Women by Megan MacCutcheon LPC

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    Women face unique challenges when it comes to maintaining confidence such as body image and parenting. In The Self Esteem Workbook for Women: 5 Steps to Gaining Confidence and Inner Strength, Megan MacCutcheon offers women a five-step action plan to build a sense of self-esteem that is maintainable.

    Upon finishing this book, you will have the tools to improve your confidence in both your personal and professional lives through practical exercises, answering interactive questions, responding to prompts, and reading about true stories from women who were able to overcome criticism.

    Readers appreciate the author’s compassionate
    tone and her delivery of a clear and practical workbook that acts as a roadmap
    to understanding and garnering self-confidence. The systematic approach that
    MacCutcheon takes is approachable and easy to follow, which allows readers to
    greatly benefit from this book.

    16. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

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    Elizabeth Gilbert is well known for her ability to inspire others, and in this book, she focuses on the benefits of having a sense of creativity in life.

    Gilbert’s unique perspective offers insights into the importance of embracing your curiosity in order to let go of suffering. She discusses techniques to live in line with your values and how to overcome the things you fear the most.

    By reading Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, you will recognize the attitudes and habits that you need in order to live a creative life and discover the unique traits that are hidden within you.

    No matter what your goal or dream is, Gilbert can help change your mindset to crack open a new sense of creativity that will help you live a more fulfilling life.

    17. When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron

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    When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times focuses on overcoming some of life’s most difficult times. If you struggle with carrying on with your life when things seem to fall apart, this can be a very helpful book to read.

    Many women find themselves to be plagued by anxiety and fear, but in this book, Chodron urges women to move toward painful situations and to accept difficult times in ways they never thought they could.

    Chodron references traditional Buddhist wisdom to teach life-altering techniques to change suffering into a life of ease and joy. Readers have found Chodron’s messages in this book to be universal, despite one’s faith and beliefs.

    This is a very easy read, as the chapters are short and digestible. Chodron’s approachable writing style has been helpful for many who are suffering from anxiety.

    18. Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

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    Shonda Rhimes, the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, teaches readers how choosing to say “yes” was able to change her life and how it can change yours, too.

    Readers find Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person to be a fun and engaging read, while still being extremely relatable. As someone who has experienced anxiety and panic attacks, Rhimes explains how her life changed when she stopped avoiding challenges and started embracing them.

    The writing in this book is honest, heartbreaking, and
    raw, yet hilarious at times and always relatable. If you find yourself to be a
    homebody and it’s holding you back from trying new things or exploring the
    world in some way that you wish you could, reading this book can help motivate
    you to get out and experience the life that is waiting for you.

    19. A Life Full of Glitter by Anna O’Brien

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    This guide to positive thinking can help improve a variety of facets of your life. Through research, anecdotes, and humor, the author teaches techniques to shift your mindset from negative to positive, and how to master overcoming feelings that are holding you back in life.

    In reading A Life Full of Glitter: A Guide to Positive Thinking, Self-Acceptance, and Finding Your Sparkle in a (Sometimes) Negative World, you will learn just how much creativity, exercise, and everyday social interactions can impact your daily life.

    Readers appreciate O’Brien’s ability to look at challenges as opportunities and maintain a positive attitude to help fight negativity. Her writing is motivational and will help you change your mindset about temporary problems in order to focus on long-term happiness by using practical tips to improve your sense of positivity.

    Through personal anecdotes of hilarious teachable moments, O’Brien can help you improve your self-esteem and positivity.

    20. The Self-Love Experiment by Shannon Kaiser

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    The Self-Love Experiment: Fifteen Principles for Becoming More Kind, Compassionate, and Accepting of Yourself is a helpful book for those who tend to not put themselves first or avoid following their dreams for fear of seeming selfish. Kaiser helps fix this problem, no matter what your ultimate goal is.

    She argues that achieving any goal starts with loving and accepting yourself. After battling drug addiction, eating disorders, professional burnout, and depression, Kaiser shares her personal experience with cultivating self-love and the steps she took to fall in love with her own life. 

    Readers enjoy Kaiser’s
    straightforward and compassionate approach to getting rid of fear-based
    thoughts to change your daily habits, perspective, and your life’s outcome. In
    reading this book, you will be led on a journey to loving yourself and having a
    genuine sense of self-acceptance.

    21. Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist

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    How would your life change if you could abandon any pressure of being perfect and focus instead on being present? Often, we settle for being busy and exhausted in our chaotic lives, and Niequist aims to teach readers that they don’t have to settle for a life without rest, love, or play.

    Through a collection of essays that focus on her own experience with stopping a frantic schedule to rediscover the person she was meant to be, Niequist reaches out to her readers to release them from the pressure to always work faster, better, and harder while still keeping a perfect image.

    The author uses this book as an invitation to embark upon a journey away from constantly pushing and proving yourself to others, and toward the life that you were meant to live before you began having to earn your worth from others.

    Reading Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living will give you a vision for a new way to approach life with rest, grace, silence, and a connection to loved ones.

    22. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

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    If you’re looking for a book that will inspire you to be more courageous, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead might be the right book for you.

    Brene Brown, a trailblazing researcher, makes a strong argument in this book that one’s willingness to be vulnerable is directly related to their courage. Furthermore, she posits that if we don’t allow ourselves to be vulnerable, we are limiting our exposure to experiences that give our lives purpose.

    Readers find this book to be fun to read and many have gone on to read it multiple times due to the amount that Brown’s message resonates with them.

    Brown’s approach is down-to-earth and easily understood, and her funny anecdotes coupled with extensive research offers readers an enlightening read to help you face your fears courageously.

    23. Badass Affirmations by Becca Anderson

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    Some women prefer a self-help book that is easy to pick up and put down as needed.

    This book of positive affirmations offers a collection of wisdom and advice from women like Michelle Obama and Madonna to give you an uplifting reminder of your worth.

    With all of life’s pressures, demands, and responsibilities, it is important to practice positive affirmations to ensure you’re taking care of yourself and keeping your happiness a priority.

    If you need an attitude adjustment because life has gotten too busy or your responsibilities have started to feel endless, you can gain a better sense of control by referencing this compilation of uplifting notes and self-esteem boosters.

    After reading Badass Affirmations: The Wit and Wisdom of Wild Women, you will also walk away with new techniques for journaling and talking about your thoughts and feelings in a more focused manner.

    24. The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer

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    Amanda Palmer, a seasoned musical performer, and crowdfunding pioneer, has had to ask for a lot of help throughout her career, and she’s never been afraid to garner people’s support. However, despite her experience, she has found that there are a few things that she still can’t ask other people for.

    After learning that she is not alone in holding herself back from asking for help for certain things, she recognized that this fear is paralyzing people’s relationships and lives.

    In The Art of Asking: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help, Palmer uncovers these barriers and explores the emotional, theoretical, and feasible components about asking for help.

    Some readers have found that the first half of this book contains the bulk of helpful advice that Palmer has to offer, but those who are fans of Palmer’s music and career enjoy the book in its entirety, as Palmer offers personal anecdotes from her experience as an artist and life before making it big.

    After reading this book, you will feel inspired to rethink your approach to asking and offering help.

    25. Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals by Rachel Hollis

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    If you want to learn how to own who you are and go after what you want, this book might be right for you.

    In Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals, Rachel Hollis offers actionable ideas to help women stop defining themselves by the roles they play in other people’s lives (mom, wife, daughter…) Hollis dares women to stop putting their own dreams aside and implement her suggested methods to promote confidence and growth.

    Many readers have felt an authentic connection with Hollis when reading this down-to-earth and blunt book. It is written with a lot of energy and motivation to help inspire you to get in the driver’s seat of your own life and stop living according to everyone else’s needs.

    Some readers found this book to be slightly repetitive of Hollis’s first bestseller, Girl, Wash Your Face, but most readers embrace these additional words of encouragement.

    Final Thoughts on Self Help Books for Women

    One argument that is commonly made by people who are “anti” self-help books is that none of the information is useful unless readers actually get out and implement what they learn.

    And this is true–you have to turn your “aha” moments into action and actually live out the strategy that you learn from your self-help book of choice.

    The good thing about the books listed in this article is
    that the authors don’t leave you hanging after giving you that lightbulb
    moment. They go on to give you the next steps that you need to take in order to
    improve your life. You will finish each of these books with some actionable
    ideas and potential strategies to use.

    I urge you to pick a few of these self help books for women in 2024 to help you on your journey to personal development. Like many other women, you will find great insight offered from the authors in addition to a lot of laughs.

    If you also love to listen to podcasts, here are the best self help podcasts to complement what you’ve learn from books.

    Need some words of inspiration? Read our favorite strong women quotes to empower you.

    And if you want more resources about self help books for women, be sure to check out these blog posts:

    Finally, if you want to take your goal-setting efforts to the next level, check out this FREE printable worksheet and a step-by-step process that will help you set effective SMART goals.

    Connie Mathers is a professional editor and freelance writer. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and a Master’s Degree in Social Work. When she is not writing, Connie is either spending time with her daughter and two dogs, running, or working at her full-time job as a social worker in Richmond, VA.

    best self help books for women | best self help books for moms | self help books for black womenbest self help books for women | best self help books for moms | self help books for black women

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  • 29 Best Books on Building Good Habits (Updated for 2023)

    29 Best Books on Building Good Habits (Updated for 2023)

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    There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.

    When envisioning a master list of the “best habit books” the titles on this page immediately jumped to my mind.

    These are the books that deal directly with the difficult proposition of changing your habits for the better.

    This list includes absolute “must read” books like, Power of Habit. Books the show the influence of looser concepts like willpower and how they influence habits (by famed psychologist Roy Baumister) and even books that showcase the importance of laser-like focus on a single topic, such as The One Thing.

    If you are interested in developing habits that can lead to important lifestyle changes included here are the best books on habit change.

    Similarly is you are having a tough time creating new routines and habits and getting them to stick, this list has the best books on habit formation.

    The books on this list should all be powerful considerations for anyone wanting to make tough habit changes and is facing difficulties with the process.

    Stopping bad habits, starting new good habits and building routines that stand the test of time is not something that is “easy”. But it is something that can be done.

    This page includes the best books on habit formation. It includes the most popular and well-researched books. I have also added a few you may not have heard about, but perhaps should such as my friend Stephen Guise and his popular mini habit ideas. (Maybe you have heard about it?)

    Without further ado, let’s look at the list of habit books collected here. With so many, it should not be hard to find the habits book that is best suited to your personal needs.

    Best Books on Habits

    1. Atomic Habits by James Clear

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    Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones is an operating manual on building better life-long habits.

    James Clear shares his personal experience on how he reached success at every milestone in his life, including recovering from a near-fatal accident he sustained during a high school baseball game.

    You can find tons of actionable ideas for
    self-improvement in this book. The author shares concepts that were drawn from
    several fields of study, including philosophy, neuroscience, and biology.

    Clear’s book promises to help fulfill your potentials. You’ll be guided every step of the way as you establish the behaviors that will bring you closer to success in all areas of your life.

    Some of the stuff you’ll learn includes how to harness the benefits of the compounding effect. Furthermore, you will be introduced to a model and the 4 laws of effective behavioral change.

    This book is a great jump-off point for those who want to develop life-long good habits but have not yet found the system that works for them.

    Want to build a new habit that will stick for the rest of your lifetime? In this video, you will discover a simple 9-step process about building habits that you can immediately implement.

    2. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

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    When I make these book lists I usually don’t have a “favorite” book. Often I like different books for different reasons. Making it onto the list at all means the book should be worth reading. However in this case, “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business” is my favorite book on this list.

    This NY Times bestseller was groundbreaking when it was released. Every single writer with a book on this list published after “Power of Habit” was influenced by this book. Whether they admit it or not.

    If you want a detailed review of Duhigg’s book, check out this detailed post I made: The Power of Habit Review. In this review, I cover every single important aspect brought up in the book and list many reasons why this book is so important to anyone who wants to make a change in their lives.

    So, is this book perfect? Of course not. No book is. If I was forced to say something negative I would say it is too much theory and not enough actionable material. Duhigg gets about 2/3 of the way through the book before telling you what you can so about habits.

    The info he shares at that point is wonderful, but I wished it was more. Still, this is a book that should be on the bookshelf of every single person who cares about making a positive change in their lives.

    3. Mindset by Carol Dweck

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    Like “the Power of Habit” and a later entry, “Willpower”, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success is one of the three books I think that every single person who is interested in making a change in their lives “must” read.

    In this book, Professor of Psychology Carol S. Dweck recounts her discovery of the power of one’s mindset. She demonstrates how people can be successful in all areas of their lives if they think about their talents and abilities in a certain way.

    She argues that people who believe that abilities are fixed are less likely to grow and develop their talents than those with a growth mindset, who believe that their abilities can be advanced.

    A person’s mindset is able to show how great leaders can use this idea to encourage accomplishment. Dweck teaches the reader that if you have the right mindset, you can motivate people to transform their lives.

    4. Habit Stacking by Steve Scott

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    Habit Stacking: 127 Small Changes to Improve Your Health, Wealth, and Happiness is all about action. Some of the ideas are pulled from other powerful books on habits. What makes this book unique is how concise and action-oriented it is.

    This book teaches the reader the benefit of making many small changes that all add up to a large positive life change. Essentially, if you start with one positive habit, such as eating a healthy breakfast, it will lead to many more throughout the day that will impact your goals.

    Habit Stacking is meant to add new habits to each day to create a new routine. This book comes with a list of 127 small changes with instructions on how to make the suggested changes. It also provides the reader with steps to help them turn small changes into a new lifestyle.

    Readers have found that this book is written clearly and is very easy to understand. It is a sincere book that allows the reader to have a peek into the author’s life, as many things that are discussed are from personal stories or experiences.

    5. The Art of Good Habits by Nathalie Hermann

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    In this book, the author teaches the reader how to take ownership of their own happiness through small changes in the way they approach life. The Art of Good Habits: Health, Love, Presence, and Prosperity gives the reader a step-by-step action plan to help achieve goals and maintain their success.

    This book helps readers gain control over their lives with understandable principles and effective methods. The reader will learn how to look internally for the answers they need to improve their daily habits.

    Readers have found this book to be full of useful information. It is an easy read and can begin changing one’s life from the first chapter.

    6. Willpower by Roy F. Baumister and John Tierney

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    Along with, “the Power of Habit” and “Mindset” it is my opinion that Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength is a part an unofficial trilogy of unrelated, “must-read” books for habit change.

    They are all on various topics, but collectively they cover the important aspects of making habit change. They are all New York Times bestseller’s and they are all amongst the best-researched books on this list.

    This book, written by a research psychologist and a New York Times science writer, changes our understanding of self-control.

    The authors use cutting-edge research along with the wisdom of real-world experts to teach the reader lessons on how to focus their strength and resist temptation in order to improve their lives.

    The authors do a good job of showing readers how to set realistic goals, track their progress, and how to stay positive if they mess up. This book’s ultimate goal is to show the reader that they will never be able to reach their goal if they can’t manage self-control.

    Readers have noted that they appreciate the mix of practical wisdom with recent research science. Readers also claim to finish this book with a better understanding of how their minds work when they are trying to use their willpower.

    7. The ONE Thing by Gary Keller

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    On my blog,I am constantly espousing the usefulness of the simple basic premise of this book. Increasing effectiveness by limiting your focus to only one thing. It is a simple concept, but a powerful concept when properly utilized.

    In our fast-paced, chaotic world, people are often putting out second-rate work because there are so many distractions going on each day. However, people want to be productive and successful.

    Keller teaches his readers how to bypass distractions, achieve great results using less time, build momentum, reduce stress, increase energy, and stay focused.

    Readers have found The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results to be eye-opening, and although it is easy to understand, many read it multiple times. (Myself included) This book is easily applied to people in any situation who have a goal, so it is a very versatile read.

    8. High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard

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    Performance coach Brendon Burchard uses this book to reveal what he has found to be the most effective habits for achieving long-term success. The author argues that there are just six habits that people need to adopt in order to be successful in life.

    To become successful, people must:

    No matter which area in life you are looking to succeed in, these habits can help people achieve remarkable things. Each habit presented in this book includes stories and science to back it up, along with exercises and practices that the reader can start doing.

    While some readers have found that High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become That Way is a bit verbose, others appreciate the number of stories and examples that are included.

    Readers finish this book learning that the main thing they have to do in life to be successful is to be deliberate about their actions. This has helped many of Burchard’s fans increase their success.

    9. Making Good Habits, Breaking Bad Habits by Joyce Meyer

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    Making Good Habits, Breaking Bad Habits: 14 New Behaviors That Will Energize Your Life makes an essential argument I totally agree with. That nearly everything people do is a result of a habit.

    Either a bad habit causing you to do things you know are bad for you, or a good habit getting you to do the simple good things you need to do every day. (They can be as simple as brushing your teeth every day).

    Because of this, Meyer teaches the reader how to develop good habits and break bad ones to help limit frustration and stress that often wear people out.

    She points out how getting rid of a bad habit is easier when you replace it with a good habit. Because your mind wants to do something with the time spent on your old bad habits, why not give it something good in place.

    This idea is essential to my own actionable 27 step plan to break ANY bad habit. Check it out to get rid of those bad habits.

    Meyer urges people to choose one area of their life, whether it is generosity, discipline, faith, or something else, and start building good habits. Take it one step at a time and celebrate the small successes.

    Readers enjoy the funny stories and examples that Meyer includes in this book to prove her point. The voice of the book is inspiring, which also helps readers benefit from taking the time to read it.

    10. The Now Habit by Neil Fiore, Ph.D

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    The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play gives the reader a comprehensive plan to help reduce stress and increase the amount of time they have to enjoy relaxing without feeling guilty.

    The techniques that are laid out in this book will help anyone begin tasks sooner and finish them quickly without procrastinating or trying to reach for perfectionism.

    If you have trouble with procrastination, this can be a great book to help you modify your habits to a more immediate and effective routine.

    This book not only helps readers understand why they procrastinate, but it also gives some tools to help overcome procrastination. It takes a compassionate, rather than a scolding, approach to help readers improve their lives and stop putting things off.

    11. How to Stop Procrastinating by Steve Scott

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    How to Stop Procrastinating: A Simple Guide to Mastering Difficult Tasks and Breaking the Procrastination Habit delivers a straight-forward framework on how to build an action-oriented habit and stop procrastinating.

    It is written in a motivational tone that gets readers excited to start planning their time wisely and choosing the tasks that are most important to their final goals.

    How to Stop Procrastinating is a great book for both people who sometimes find themselves to be a bit lazy with their work all the way up to people who are always waiting until the last minute to do things.

    It includes an abundance of information to help readers of all kinds overcome their procrastination tendencies.

    Readers love the personal stories in this book as well as the actionable content that helps readers improve from the beginning. The author removes his filter to let his readers know exactly what they need to do in order to get their lives into gear.

    12. Rewire by Richard O’Conner

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    Rewire: Change Your Brain to Break Bad Habits, Overcome Addictions, Conquer Self-Destructive Behavior is a thought-based guide to ending bad habits. The author aims to show the reader how people have two brains. One is a conscious and deliberate brain, while the other is an automatic brain.

    The automatic self makes most of our decisions, and there are ways to train this part of us to ignore disruptions, overcome temptations, and stop reflexive responses that can be self-sabotaging.

    This book gives readers a roadmap to getting past some of the most common self-destructive habits such as procrastination, anxiety, self-medication, internet addiction, overeating, and risk-taking.

    This is a great book if you are trying to move past a hurdle in your life and have not yet been able to pinpoint a strategy to do so.

    13. Changeology by John C. Norcross

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    Changeology: 5 Steps to Realizing Your Goals and Resolutions argues that there is a five-step approach to help make change easier. The author, Dr. John C. Norcross, spent thirty years studying how people are able to make permanent changes in their lives and overcome dozens of behavioral ailments.

    This guide outlines his approach to personal improvement.

    Unlike other self-help books, Changeology has a track record of success. It provides the reader with the tools that are needed to change one’s habits in ninety days. This book also provides personal assessments and helpful tools through the author’s website.

    Readers have found this book to be refreshing and clever with information that they have not read before. No matter what the end goal is, this book can help the reader achieve it and have long-term success.

    14. Sticky Habits by Barrie Davenport

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    Sticky Habits: 6 Simple Steps To Create Good Habits That Stick helps readers to learn a new skill, begin a positive resolution, or overcome any trouble that they have had in the past sticking to goals. This might be the right book for you if you have a habit that you have been wanting to form, you just haven’t been able to actually get up and do it yet.

    Sticky Habits addresses people’s ability (or inability) to stick to a habit until it becomes a routine. If you have ever had trouble following through with a goal, you need to read about the science-backed skills in this book that have been proven to keep you on track for as long as you hope.

    The author presents the idea that a great plan coupled with small steps and accountability can help anyone achieve a new habit. Readers have found that the author has once again proven that she can lead people through to change to create a more productive life.

    The author begins the book with the simple things before progressing to complex components to habit creation.

    One thing in particular that readers have noted about this book is that they came away seeing the errors that they had made in the past when they were trying to create new habits.

    While some people were trying to take on too much at once and others were starting with complex habits, each person was able to see their mistakes in hindsight after reading this book. It is clear that the author has done her research and understands her findings.

    15. Take the Stairs by Rory Vaden

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    Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success uses the analogy of choosing to ride the escalator or take the stairs to talk about self-discipline. Vaden argues that our society tends to take the escalator, meaning that people like shortcuts and quick fixes.

    However, that leads to compromise, procrastination, and mediocre work. His point is that what may seem like an easy path is actually harder in the long-run and it won’t help you achieve your highest goals.

    Take the Stairs offers the readers a simple program for bypassing the temptations of quick fixes and moving past personal setbacks to help complete the work that leads to success.

    This guide to offers a new way of thinking that can become second-hand if you practice it enough. Many have found themselves to be more productive after reading this book than ever before, and able to enjoy their time with family and friend more as well as actually relax during their breaks.

    Most people are scared of change, but this book offers a new way of boldly living that will not be regretted.

    16. Focus by Heidi Grant Halvorson Ph.D

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    In Focus: Use Different Ways of Seeing the World for Success and Influence, Halvorson discusses the two kinds of pleasure and pain that motivate everything people do. If someone is promotion-focused, that person aims to advance and avoid missing any opportunities.

    If someone is prevention-focused, that person tries to minimize their losses and stay afloat. If you are able to understand how people focus, then you will have the power to create motivation for yourself and the people around you.

    Halvorson uses this book to display a wide variety of situations that showcase how both promotion and prevention focus applies to everyday life.

    Whether it is running a business or trying to score a second date, the authors are able to show the reader how to identify and change focus, if needed. They also teach the reader how to use focus correctly in order to get results.

    Readers enjoy that this book is straight to the point, fast, and easy read. People who read the author’s previous book, Succeed, found there were many repetitions in this book. However, the information is still useful, so it is not a waste to read if you have already read books by this author.

    17. Mini Habits by Stephen Guise

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    To put it simply the idea of mini-habits is breaking down habits until they are “too small to fail”. Guise often uses the example of pushups to illustrate his point.

    If you have a goal of 50 pushups a day it is likely to fail over time because there will be days you just don’t want to do it and pull extreme measures to avoid your task. This is often how habits fail.

    On the other hand if you goal is 5 pushups or even 2 pushups, what excuses could you make? The task is so easy it is impossible not to meet the goal. The secret is that with these minimum goals there should be nothing keeping you from doing “more”.

    So what starts out as 5 pushups could easily turn into twenty or even that 50. The important part is to keep the number ridiculously small so that failure is not an option and you get large unbroken streaks of success.

    A very interesting concept in the very well written book “Mini Habits: Smaller Habits, Bigger Results“. Interesting thoughts for anyone who is interested in habits and habit change.

    18. Failing Forward by John C. Maxwell

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    New York Times best-selling author John C. Maxwell uses Failing Forward: How to Make the Most of Your Mistakes to talk about how some people seem to be born to be achievers while others seem to have to struggle through everything. So, what is the reason behind the successes of the people to whom it comes easy?

    This book argues that the difference between average people and people who are quick to achieve is their reaction to their own failures.

    Most people are not equipped to deal with failure and are brought up to fear it and even misunderstand it. However, the key is to make failure your friend, which is what is taught in this book.

    Readers have found that this book can be meaningful for anyone who is facing difficult challenges in their lives. It is an easy read and includes a lot of useful information about learning from failures and turning them into success.

    The author gives the reader a list of steps to take to “fail forward” and includes real-life stories of people who once failed but were able to turn the situation into a success.

    The author shows that to succeed in a career, a person has to work hard, set goals, be motivated, have the right attitude while dealing with adversity, and take responsibility for their mistakes.

    19. Making Habits, Breaking Habits by Jeremy Dean

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    This book addresses how long it should take to turn a new habit into part of your regimen. Making Habits, Breaking Habits: Why We Do Things, Why We Don’t, and How to Make Any Change Stick is the rundown of a psychologist’s popular examination of the processes of the mind.

    He argues that while people like to think that they are in control of themselves, a lot of human behavior happens without any conscious thought.

    This book references hundreds of studies to debunk the myth that people are in control and explain why habits that may seem simple, like eating a salad every day, can actually be difficult to maintain. This book goes on to talk about how to take charge of the brain’s natural “autopilot” and make changes stick.

    Readers have found that this book is both witty and intriguing. While this book does not offer a step-by-step guide, it gives the reader a workable framework to create one’s own plan to follow through with their proposed habits.

    This book calmly and clearly lays out research regarding habits and then systematically explains how to apply this research to your life in order to improve it. Many readers find tips in this book that they are able to put to use right away.

    20. Succeed by Heidi Grant Halvorson Ph.D

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    Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals is extraordinary book that applies real science to the goals and struggles that people face. Common things such as losing weight, improving relationships, making more money, and getting motivated are all addressed in this book.

    Whether someone wants to escape a rut or accelerate their success, this book provides the readers with a comprehensive, step-by-step guide that is scientifically-based.

    Halvorson uses personal examples as a professional, wife, and mother to describe the most effective ways to frame goals, plan for success, and see that success come to fruition, even after dealing with moments of failure along the way.

    This book includes several scientific studies to show that the way people pursue their goals has a huge influence on how likely they are to succeed. Readers have found that the author does a good job in applying these studies to everyday life.

    The writing in this book is engaging and funny while still being down-to-earth. The author is clearly passionate and knowledgeable about the subject matter and doesn’t include a lot of the cliche things that you would typically find in this type of book.

    Instead, this is a realistic guidebook for increasing motivation, setting and achieving goals, and experiencing personal growth.

    21. Redirect by Timothy D. Wilson

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    World-renowned psychologist Timothy Wilson talks about how making small changes to the stories we tell ourselves can lead to a positive, lasting change.

    Redirect: The Surprising New Science of Psychological Change allows readers to see themselves and their environment in a different way, and use that to their advantage.

    Redirect is written in an engaging way and includes many stories that make it easy to read. Redirect covers a variety of problems in society, such as racism, teen pregnancy, addiction, etc. Many people will find this book to be relatable in some way to their own lives.

    22. Unhooked by Susan Shapiro

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    This might be the right book for you if you are being held back from getting what you want out of life due to some type of addiction. Whether it is smoking, drinking, drugs, gambling, or something else, if your crutch is getting in the way of living a productive life, you have to learn how to stop.

    Unhooked: How to Quit Anything is an actionable guide to moving past any habit that is addicting and restraining. The solution that this book offers only requires a better understanding of oneself and a change in attitude.

    The author uses real patient examples and research along with personal experience to show the reader how to flourish without self-medicating.

    The method shown in this enlightening book teaches a lot about family dynamics and the role that families play in addiction. It is is well-written, interesting, and includes many real-life stories of addiction. This book teaches a lot about why people do what they do and why they should stop.

    23. Smart Change by Art Markman PhD

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    Smart Change: Five Tools to Create New and Sustainable Habits in Yourself and Others helps its readers change their habits by explaining the psychology behind how habits are formed. It gives actionable advice to help reader change their habits for the better.

    This book uses an engaging narrative to go over a wide range of habits, covering both personal and professional habits. So, whether you are looking to lose weight or you want to learn how to effectively land a sale, this book has something in it for you.

    The author proposes that there are five tools that people need to use to change their behavior and help people impact the habits of the people around them.

    Readers have found that the principles laid out in this book are very helpful. While the book is a bit dry at times, it lays out a clear list of things that people need to do in order to make changes to their lives.

    24. Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson

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    Who Moved My Cheese?: An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life is a simple parable that has much deeper truths. It tells the story of four characters living in a maze and looking for cheese.

    The cheese is a metaphor for the things people want to have in life, like a good job, a healthy relationship, wealth, health, or spiritual beliefs. The maze is where you work or live and are trying to get what you want.

    The problem that arises in this story is that the cheese keeps moving and the characters keep having to face unexpected obstacles. Eventually, one of the characters successfully deals with a change and records what he learned for others to discover.

    This book is a metaphor for how people can learn how to anticipate and adapt to change and be ready to adapt when need be. This book is meant to decrease stress and anxiety and allow people to have more success in work and life.

    It is written for all ages and is a quick read, but it holds a unique lesson that can carry on for a lifetime. Readers have found that this book is a great reminder for people and is put together in a story that is easy to remember.

    Readers also appreciate the discussion chapter at the end of the book because it is able to give some real-world examples of how people can apply what they have learned in this book to their real life.

    25. Changing for Good by James O. Prochaska

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    This book may be right for you if you have found yourself giving up on goals before really even starting them.

    In Changing for Good: A Revolutionary Six-Stage Program for Overcoming Bad Habits and Moving Your Life Positively Forward, three acclaimed psychologists reveal their studies of over 1,000 people who were able to create permanent changes in their lives without psychotherapy.

    The authors discovered that permanent change does not have to do with luck or willpower, rather, it is a process that anyone can manage.

    Readers have found that despite the fact that this is a personal development text, the tools in this book can also be applied to business change and transformation.

    Readers will walk away with an understanding of the stages that humans go through as they face uninvited change. The authors of this book give a great model to explain how people in their personal lives and in businesses react during times of change.

    This book is thorough and engaging. It begins with an executive summary, allowing the reader able to hit the ground running as they read the rest of the book.

    The National Cancer Institute Found the program that is outlined in this book to be more than twice as effective as standard programs when it comes to helping smokers quit for 18 months.

    26. The Healthy Habit Revolution by Derek Doepker

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    Doepker argues that people may be taking the wrong approach to changing their lives or staying motivated. He teaches that people are not using the correct proven scientific methods to change their behaviors and their habits. They are changing their habits based on gut feeling of what is, “right”.

    However, there is a way to create better habits in a short amount of time and make a change that will last.

    The Healthy Habit Revolution: Create Better Habits in 5 Minutes a Day combines research from behavioral, cognitive, and human needs psychology to create an easy, three-week program for habit reform. Doepker claims that it only takes five minutes each day to make a lasting change, even if you have no motivation.

    He teaches readers how to flip the switch in their brains to want healthy behaviors. The book does talk about getting rid of unhealthy habits, but the main purpose of the book is to help people develop positive and long-lasting habits such as eating healthy, meditating, exercising, and increasing productivity.

    Readers have found that this book is very readable and down-to-earth. It lays out a clear blueprint to help people improve their lives without changing their entire day to revolve around their goals. With small changes, a large change will ensue.

    27. Million Dollar Habits by Brian Tracy

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    Brian Tracy’s habit book revolves around habits and how they affect what people think, feel and do. Habits can be learned to help people get rid of old and ineffective practices and replace them with optimal behaviors that can lead to large benefits to their bottom line.

    Million Dollar Habits: Proven Power Practices to Double and Triple Your Income aims to teach readers how to create habits for themselves that are in line with successful people so they can think effectively, make good decisions, and increase their income.

    After reading this book, readers will know how to organize their finances, improve their health, improve their relationships, become financially independent, and become a leader.

    While some people have found this book to be repetitious at times, it has very useful information for anyone who is trying to build a business or achieve goals in their life.

    28. Switch by Chip and Dan Heath

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    Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard makes the argument that the main obstacle to sticking to a positive habit change is a conflict that is ingrained in our brains. Psychologists have found that people have a rational mind and an emotional mind, and each competes for control.

    For example, while the rational mind wants a slim body, the emotional mind would rather eat cake. The tension between the two minds can have an impact on one’s effort, but if you are able to overcome this tension then you are well on your way to making a change.

    This book includes real-life examples that readers can easily apply to their everyday lives. The authors use a compelling narrative to present readers with decades of research in psychology, sociology, and other fields to show new ways to make positive changes.

    Readers have found that this book is very worth reading to help see how changes affect our lives. Even though there is a lot that cannot be changed, having an awareness of how the change process works is helpful.

    Readers appreciate how the author illustrated effective interventions during the process of change that ended up solving problems because people had an understanding of why the change was being resisted.

    29. The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal Ph.D.

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    The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It explains the new science of self-control to readers and how it can be used to improve health, happiness, and productivity.

    It looks at the definition of willpower along with how it works and why it is important for success.

    This book combines powerful advice with complementary exercises to help readers reach their goals, reduce procrastination, improve their health, and be more productive at work.

    Readers have found that this book offers a good mix of science, personal stories, and tips, making it a more down-to-earth book than others of its kind.

    And if you’re looking for more resources about building good habits, be sure to check out these blog posts:

    Finally, if you need help with building habits, then check out this nine-step blueprint that walks you through the entire process of creating lifelong habits.)

    Did any of these top habit books interest you?

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  • Do Not Underestimate the To-Do List

    Do Not Underestimate the To-Do List

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    Productivity is a sore subject for a lot of people. Philosophically, the concept is a nightmare. Americans invest personal productivity with moral weight, as though human worth can be divined through careful examination of work product, both professional and personal. The more practical questions of productivity are no less freighted with anxiety. Are you doing enough to hold on to your job? To improve your marriage? To raise well-adjusted kids? To maintain your health? What can you change in order to do more?

    Anxiety breeds products, and the tech industry’s obsession with personal optimization in particular has yielded a bounty of them in the past decade or two: digital calendars that send you push notifications about your daily schedule. Platforms that reimagine your life as a series of project-management issues. Planners as thick as encyclopedias that encourage you to set daily intentions and monthly priorities. Self-help books that cobble together specious principles of behavioral psychology to teach you the secrets of actually using all of the stuff you’ve bought in order to optimize your waking hours (and maybe your sleeping ones too).

    Underneath all of the tiresome discourse about enhancing human productivity or rejecting it as a concept, there is a bedrock truth that tends to get lost. There probably is a bunch of stuff that you need or want to get done, for reasons that have no discernable moral or political valence—making a long-delayed dentist appointment, picking up groceries, returning a few nagging emails, hanging curtains in your new apartment. For that, I come bearing but one life hack: the humble to-do list, written out on actual paper, with actual pen.

    First, cards on the table: I’m not an organized person. Much of the advice on these topics is given by people with a natural capacity for organization and focus—the people who, as kids, kept meticulous records of assignments and impending tests in their school-issued planners. Now they send out calendar invites to their friends once next weekend’s dinner plans are settled and have never killed a plant by forgetting to water it. They were, in my opinion, largely born on third base and think they hit a triple. I, by contrast, have what a psychiatrist once called a “really classic case” of ADHD. My executive function is never coming back from war. I have tried the tips, the tricks, the hacks, the apps, and the methods. I have abandoned countless planners three weeks into January. Years ago, I bought a box with a timed lock so that I could put my phone in it and force myself to write emails. Perhaps counterintuitively, that makes me somewhat of an amateur expert in the tactics that are often recommended for getting your life (or at least your day) in order.

    It took me an embarrassingly long time to try putting pen to paper. By the time I was in the working world, smartphones were beginning to proliferate, and suddenly, there was an app for that. In the late 2000s, optimism abounded about the capacity for consumer technology to help people overcome personal foibles and make everyday life more efficient. Didn’t a calendar app seem much neater and tidier than a paper planner? Wouldn’t a list of tasks that need your attention be that much more effective if it could zap you with a little vibration to remind you it exists? If all of your schedules and documents and contacts and to-do lists could live in one place, wouldn’t that be better?

    Fifteen years later, the answer to those questions seems to be “not really.” People habituate to the constant beeps and buzzes of their phone, which makes rote push-notification task reminders less likely to break through the noise. If you make a to-do list in your notes app, it disappears into the ether when you finally lock your phone in an effort to get something—anything!—done. Shareable digital calendars do hold certain practical advantages over their paper predecessors, and services such as Slack and Google Docs, which let people work together at a distance, provide obvious efficiencies over mailing paperwork back and forth. But those services’ unexpected downsides have also become clear. Trivial meetings stack up. Work bleeds into your personal time, which isn’t actually efficient. Above all, these apps and tactics tend to be designed with a very specific kind of productivity in mind: that which is expected of the average office worker, whose days tend to involve a lot of computer tasks and be scheduleable and predictable. If your work is more siloed or scattered or unpredictable—like, say, a reporter’s—then bending those tools to your will is a task all its own. Which is to say nothing of the difficulty of bending those tools to the necessities of life outside of work.

    My personal collision with the shortcomings of digital productivity hacks came during the first year of the pandemic, when many people were feeling particularly isolated and feral. Without the benefit of the routines that I’d constructed for myself in day-to-day life in the outside world, time passed without notice, and I had trouble remembering what I was supposed to be doing at any given time. I set reminders for myself, opened accounts on task-management platforms, tried different kinds of note-taking software. It was all a wash. At the end of my rope, I pulled out a notebook and pen, and flipped to a clean page. I made a list of all the things I could remember that I’d left hanging, broken down into their simplest component parts—not clean the apartment, but vacuum, take out the trash, and change your sheets.

    It worked. When I made a list, all of the clutter from my mind was transferred to the page, and things started getting done. It has kept working, years later, any time I get a little overwhelmed. A few months after my list-making breakthrough, I tried to translate this tactic to regular use of a planner, but that tanked the whole thing. I just need a regular notebook and a pen. There’s no use in getting cute with it. Don’t make your to-do list a task of its own.

    All of this might sound preposterously simple and obvious. If you were born with this knowledge or learned it long ago, then I’m happy for you. But for people like me for whom this behavior doesn’t come naturally, that obvious simplicity is exactly the genius of cultivating it. Your list lives with you on the physical plane, a tactile representation of tasks that might otherwise be out of sight and out of mind (or, worse, buried in the depths of your laptop). It contains only things that you can actually accomplish in a day or two, and then you turn the page forever and start again. If you think of more things that need to be on the list after you think you’re done making it, just add them. If you get to the last few things on the list and realize they’re not that important, don’t do them. This type of to-do list doesn’t take any work to assemble. It isn’t aesthetically pleasing. It doesn’t need to be organized in any particular way, or at all. It’s not a plan. It’s just a list.

    If you’d feel more convinced by some psychological evidence instead of the personal recommendation of a stranger with an aversion to calendars, a modest amount of research has amassed over the years to suggest that I’m on the right track. List-making seems to be a boon to working memory, and writing longhand instead of typing on a keyboard seems to aid in certain types of cognition, including learning and memory. My own experience is in line with the basic findings of that research: Writing down a list forces me to recall all of the things that are swimming around in my head and occasionally breaking through to steal my attention, and then it moves the tasks from my head onto the paper. My head is then free to do other things. Like, you know, the stuff on the list. There are no branded tools you have to buy, and no subscriptions. It cannot be monetized. Write on the back of your water bill, for all I care. Just remember to pay your water bill.

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    Amanda Mull

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