Maybe you have heard this one before…books are the gateway to learning and knowledge. Ultra-successful people are the perfect example of this. Warren Buffett believes the key to success is reading. Bill Gates reads about 50 books a year. Elon Musk says he learned to build rockets by reading books. Books can not only help us gain knowledge about our field of study, but, and maybe equally important, they can also be a gateway to improving ourselves.
Many different types of books have the ability to improve who we are, but I’m going to talk about one type of book genre specifically meant to do this. These are motivational and self-help books which I will refer to here as self-development books. Self-development books inspire you to take control of your life, change the way you think, and stimulate creativity.
Reading self-development books can make a huge difference in how you see yourself and the world around you. Have you ever felt stuck? Maybe you lacked the motivation to make the changes in your life you wanted to.
Reading a self-development book can give you the tools you need to change. They provide a fresh perspective and allow you to hear other voices besides the same (probably negative) ones in your head. They make your world bigger and provide practical guidance to smash through your limitations, make better choices, and take positive actions.
Jim Rohn, an entrepreneur and motivational speaker said it best: “The book you don’t read won’t help.” With that in mind, our Popular Reading Collection contains a variety of self-development books so you can find one that might make a difference for you. Here is a list of some of the more popular titles.
Click on the links below to place a request and be notified when the book is ready for you to pick up and check out. We also accept purchase suggestions for titles we don’t own.
Happy readings!
Dare to Lead: Brave Work, Tough Conversations, Whole Hearts
Brené Brown
Brené Brown has taught us what it means to dare greatly, rise strong, and brave the wilderness. Now, based on new research conducted with leaders, change makers, and culture shifters, she’s showing us how to put those ideas into practice so we can step up and lead.
Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-lived, Joyful Life
Bill Burnett
In this book, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans show us how design thinking can help us create a life that is both meaningful and fulfilling, regardless of who or where we are, what we do or have done for a living, or how young or old we are. The same design thinking responsible for amazing technology, products, and spaces can be used to design and build your career and your life, a life of fulfillment and joy, constantly creative and productive, one that always holds the possibility of surprise.
Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges
Amy Cuddy
Have you ever left a nerve-racking challenge and immediately wished for a do over? Maybe after a job interview, a performance, or a difficult conversation? The very moments that require us to be genuine and commanding can instead cause us to feel phony and powerless. Too often we approach our lives’ biggest hurdles with dread, execute them with anxiety, and leave them with regret.
By accessing our personal power, we can achieve “presence,” the state in which we stop worrying about the impression we’re making on others and instead adjust the impression we’ve been making on ourselves.
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Angela Duckworth
The daughter of a scientist who frequently noted her lack of “genius,” Angela Duckworth is now a celebrated researcher and professor. It was her early eye-opening stints in teaching, business consulting, and neuroscience that led to her hypothesis about what really drives success: not genius, but a unique combination of passion and long-term perseverance.
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
Charles Duhigg
Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. Distilling vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives that take us from the boardrooms of Procter & Gamble to the sidelines of the NFL to the front lines of the civil rights movement, Duhigg presents a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential.
Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies about Who You are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be
Rachel Hollis
With painful honesty and fearless humor, Rachel unpacks and examines the falsehoods that once left her feeling overwhelmed and unworthy, and reveals the specific practical strategies that helped her move past them. In the process, she encourages, entertains, and even kicks a little butt, all to convince you to do whatever it takes to get real and become the joyous, confident woman you were meant to be.
Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals
Rachel Hollis
In Girl, Stop Apologizing, author and founder of a multimillion-dollar media company, Rachel Hollis sounds a wake-up call. She knows that many women have been taught to define themselves in light of other people—whether as wife, mother, daughter, or employee—instead of learning how to own who they are and what they want. With a challenge to women everywhere to stop talking themselves out of their dreams, Hollis identifies the excuses to let go of, the behaviors to adopt, and the skills to acquire on the path to growth, confidence, and believing in yourself.
Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up
Marie Kondo
Japanese decluttering guru Marie Kondo has revolutionized homes—and lives—across the world. Now, Kondo presents an illustrated guide to her acclaimed KonMari Method, with step-by-step folding illustrations for everything from shirts to socks, plus drawings of perfectly organized drawers and closets. She also provides advice on frequently asked questions, such as whether to keep “necessary” items that may not bring you joy.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life
Mark Manson
In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be “positive” all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people.
Everything is F*cked: A Book About Hope
Mark Manson
In Everything Is F*cked, Manson turns his gaze from the inevitable flaws within each individual self to the endless calamities taking place in the world around us. Drawing from the pool of psychological research on these topics, as well as the timeless wisdom of philosophers such as Plato, Nietzsche, and Tom Waits, he dissects religion and politics and the uncomfortable ways they have come to resemble one another. He looks at our relationships with money, entertainment and the internet, and how too much of a good thing can psychologically eat us alive. He openly defies our definitions of faith, happiness, freedom—and even of hope itself.
13 Things Mentally Strong Women Don’t Do: Own Your Power, Channel Your Confidence, and Find Your Authentic Voice for a Life of Meaning and Joy
Amy Morin
International bestselling author and leading global expert on mental strength Amy Morin turns her focus to feminism, explaining what it means—and what it takes—to be a mentally strong woman in the age of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements.
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World
Cal Newport
Digital minimalists are all around us. They’re the calm, happy people who can hold long conversations without furtive glances at their phones. They can get lost in a good book, a woodworking project, or a leisurely morning run. They can have fun with friends and family without the obsessive urge to document the experience. They stay informed about the news of the day, but don’t feel overwhelmed by it. They don’t experience “fear of missing out” because they already know which activities provide them meaning and satisfaction.
Now, Newport gives us a name for this quiet movement, and makes a persuasive case for its urgency in our tech-saturated world.
Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination
J. K. Rowling
In 2008, J.K. Rowling delivered a deeply affecting commencement speech at Harvard University. Now published for the first time in book form, VERY GOOD LIVES presents J.K. Rowling’s words of wisdom for anyone at a turning point in life. How can we embrace failure? And how can we use our imagination to better both ourselves and others?
Drawing from stories of her own post-graduate years, the world famous author addresses some of life’s most important questions with acuity and emotional force.
Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy
Sheryl Sandberg
Resilience comes from deep within us and from support outside us. Even after the most devastating events, it is possible to grow by finding deeper meaning and gaining greater appreciation in our lives. Option B illuminates how to help others in crisis, develop compassion for ourselves, raise strong children, and create resilient families, communities, and workplaces. Many of these lessons can be applied to everyday struggles, allowing us to brave whatever lies ahead.
You are a Badass Every Day: How to Keep Your Motivation Strong, Your Vibe High, and Your Quest for Transformation Unstoppable
Jen Sincero
For anyone who has ever had trouble staying motivated while trailblazing towards badassery, You Are a Badass Every Day is the companion to keep you fresh, grateful, mighty, and driven. In one hundred exercises, reflections, and cues that you can use to immediately realign your mind and keep your focus unwavering.
The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living
Meik Wiking
Why are Danes the happiest people in the world? The answer, says Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, is Hygge. Loosely translated, Hygge—pronounced Hoo-ga—is a sense of comfort, togetherness, and well-being. “Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience,” Wiking explains. “It is about being with the people we love. A feeling of home. A feeling that we are safe.”
The Little Book of Lykke: Secrets of the World’s Happiest People
Meik Wiking
While the Danes are the happiest people on the planet, happiness isn’t exclusively Danish; cultures around the world have their own unique approaches to leading a contented, fulfilled life. For his work at the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, Meik Wiking travels the globe from Dubai to Finland, Rio de Janeiro to Bhutan, South Korea to the United States, to discover the secrets of the very happiest people.