The best self-improvement and life improvement books should have to have a few things in common:
- They must inspire - to this end, it is worth considering biographies of people that inspire you.
- They must have techniques to tackle a problem - So a practical guide with examples.
- They must persuade you to get off your butt - So they must have some level of excitement.
- The book must have multiple practical examples - so “how to get rich” is not as good at “100 ways to reframe your brain”.
All in all, the spread of books I recommend to people are for a variety of reasons, but not all books are about navel gazing, it is about enhancing your skills, changing how you think, and experiencing the revelations of how something can be accomplished that you didn’t think could be, like running the 4-minute mile. Once you know something CAN be accomplished, it is easier to push yourself to do it.
I have a few authors I recommend with this reasoning:
1. “How to fail at almost everything and still win big”.
2. Reframe Your Brain: The User Interface for Happiness and Success
3. Influence: Because it helps in every day life
4. Pre-suasion: Influence 301, and it helps you detect when someone is doing it to you
5. Never Split the Difference: Learn to negotiate, because that is another everyday skill.