5 Self-Improvement Books That Are Worth Buying

KaylaMatthews
Aug 28, 2017 · 4 min read
self-improvement books
self-improvement books

You have a favorite section of the library, but chances are it’s not the self-help section. For some reason, this genre has a punch-line-of-a-joke-type reputation, but that’s completely undeserved. Cracking open a self-improvement book will have you reading everything from career advice to self-confidence tips, to ways to stay fit on a busy schedule.

Yes, one of these novels can seriously change your outlook on life if you give them a chance. The following eight are meant to help you in all different areas of life. They’ve been proven effective by past readers who’ve soaked up self-confidence tips to become more courageous, gained advice on understanding and controlling emotions and discovered directions to the path toward inner peace.

What are you waiting for? Crack open one of the following self-improvement books and see just how much these words can change your entire outlook on life.

The Confidence Effect by Grace Killelea

This book takes you on Killelea’s journey of realization that men so often succeed and surpass women in the workplace due to their higher self-esteem. In this book, Killelea urges women to empower themselves with self-confidence tips, self-promotional guidelines and ways to bounce back after making a workplace mishap. If you’re struggling to reach the top of the corporate ladder, this might be the read for you.

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

You’ve probably learned that breaking a habit on your own provides less-than-successful results. But Charles Duhigg takes his examination of habits and habit-breaking one step further with a look at the science that makes them happen. Duhigg explains all of it in an engaging, readable way, and ends the book with an uplifting look at our potential for change.

Daring Greatly by Brené Brown

Dr. Brené Brown has a long list of self-help books published, but Daring Greatly is a great place for starting your journey to improvement. In this book, she challenges readers to give up the illusion of perfection. Instead, she proposes you own up to your weaknesses and failures so you can become a better person and a more humble leader.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

Considering Randy Pausch was a college professor, saying he gave one last lecture might not sound inspiring. But Pausch gave the lecture under incredible circumstances: he had just found out his cancer was terminal, and he gathered students and colleagues to speak one last time.

He then turned his words into a book. He breaks down everything he wants his children to know after cancer inevitably took his life. His main point revolves around seeing life as fun and taking advantage of every opportunity since one can never know when life will end. This book will have you adding to your bucket list, saying “yes” often and enjoying life a bit more, thanks to Professor Pausch’s famous last words.

An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield

If anyone knows how to lead a spectacular life, it’s an astronaut. Chris Hadfield manned the International Space Station and garnered attention for his pursuits through videos of himself singing that went viral and gave NASA a much-needed publicity boost.

Once he returned to solid ground, Hadfield had the opportunity to pen a book and decided to write something along the lines of self-improvement rather than self-reflection. His tips will help you live a fuller life, even if you don’t ever make it onto the International Space Station.

What’s your favorite self-improvement book? Which one of these will you buy first? Let us know in the comments section below — and let us know how well your book of choice works for you.

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KaylaMatthews

Written by

tech and productivity writer. bylines: @venturebeat, @makeuseof, @motherboard, @theweek, @technobuffalo, @inc and others.

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