A self-help book is a book written by an experienced personality to share a guide — economically, intellectually, or spiritually — often with a substantial psychological basis. All self-help books are unique, and each book will provide a new perspective towards life and your inner self. The purpose of reading a self-help book may vary but it revolves around the goal of self-development and growth — whether you want to start a new journey, gain more experience, or effectively deal with a life problem.
We at HarperCollins regularly update a list of hand-picked self-improvement books that you can follow and start reading in 2021 (if you haven’t read them already!). So, here are 30 specially curated self-help books for you.
The Art of Living by Epictetus
What makes the writings of a former slave so powerful today? Epictetus observed that although everyday life is fraught with difficulty, a life of virtue is within reach. He dedicated his life to outlining the simple way to happiness, fulfilment, and tranquility and his teachings are brought to the reader through his 93 witty, wise, and razor-sharp instructions. Reading Epictetus’s deceptively simple words of advice is like discovering buried treasure. Let’s face it: everyday life, no matter what our personal circumstances are, is fraught with difficulty. So, what are we going to do about it? This book has real answers. When all is said and done, there are only two important questions: how does one be a good person and how does one live a good life.
Mindfulness by Vinay Dabholkar
Through the book, we learn to recognize and cut down on thoughts that are unproductive. We also learn to investigate the process of self-deception — becoming more self-aware in the process. Not reheated fixes for our existential woes, this book serves as a guide for intelligent readers and urban professionals to focus and practise mindfulness. And through it, we stand to develop skills on time management that lead to personal growth, necessary for an optimal life experience.
How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships by Leil Lowndes
Never be at a loss for words again! Perfect your people skills with his fun, witty and informative guide, containing 92 little tricks to create big success in personal and business relationships. In How To Talk To Anyone, bestselling relationships author and internationally renowned life coach Leil Lowndes reveals the secrets and psychology behind successful communication.
Attitude Is Everything by Jeff Keller
Do you dread going to work? Do you feel tired, unhappy, weighed down? Have you given up on your dreams? The road to a happier, more successful life starts with your attitude-and your attitude is within your control. Whether your outlook is negative, positive or somewhere in between, Jeff Keller, motivational speaker and coach, will show you how to take control and unleash your hidden potential through three powerful steps: THINK! SPEAK! ACT! Don’t sit back. Take active steps to turn your dreams into reality.
Everything Is F*cked by Mark Manson
Everthing 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. With his usual mix of erudition and where-the-f*ck-did-that-come-from humor, Manson takes us by the collar and challenges us to be more honest with ourselves and connected with the world in ways we probably haven’t considered before. It’s another counterintuitive romp through the pain in our hearts and the stress of our soul. One of the great modern writers has produced another book that will set the agenda for years to come.
This is not a self-help book. It’s a book that tells us what not to do, what to remember and what to forget. From being a mother to lessons learnt from our own mothers; managing money to marriage; coping with pain and anger to taking ownership of our health and growing old, Kaveree Bamzai, first woman editor of one of India’s largest newsmagazines, a wife, and mother of two boys and two dogs, tells us how to live a guilt-free life, with a little help from a host of highly accomplished women.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is his antidote to the coddling, let’s-all-feel-good mindset that has infected American society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up.Manson makes the argument, backed both by academic research and well-timed poop jokes, that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade, but on learning to stomach lemons better. Human beings are flawed and limited—”not everybody can be extraordinary, there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault.” Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek.
Let’s Talk Money by Monika Halan
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our money worked for us just as we work hard for it? What if we had a proven system to identify dud investment schemes? What if could just plug seamlessly into a simple, jargon-free plan to get more value out of our money, and have a super good life today? India’s most trusted name in personal finance, Monika Halan offers you a feet-on-the-ground system to build financial security. Not a get-rich-quick guide, this book helps you build a smart system to live your dream life, rather than stay worried about the ‘right’ investment or ‘perfect’ insurance.
Road to Success by Napoleon Hill
This book provides time-tested advice for you to follow. In fact, Napoleon Hill created the first GPS system decades ago in the form of billboards that positioned his students on the road to success. What was true then is true now, and you will benefit immediately by applying his success coordinates in your life. When you have the ‘how to’, it becomes easy to follow the signposts that deliver you to your destination right on time. Are you ready to begin? Open this book for your success itinerary and travel the footsteps he has placed on the pathway. You will not lose your way!
If you believe that weight loss is a race against time and a screeching, gasping sprint to the finish line, it is better you don’t read this book. There is no such thing as a ‘quick fix’ for weight loss. The key to a hotter you is to take it easy, really listen to your body, and make measured and sustainable nutritional and lifestyle changes. The starting point of any weight-loss programme doesn’t begin with what’s on your plate, it begins with what’s in your mind. Nutritionist to the stars Pooja Makhija gives you a combined mind-body holistic solution, a convenient, easy-to-use reference. So, you can be in the best shape of your life. Every day from now on.
Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
In this challenging but conversational book, Rachel exposes the twenty lies and misconceptions that too often hold us back from living joyfully and productively, lies we’ve told ourselves so often we don’t even hear them anymore. Rachel is real and talks about real issues. More than that, she 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.
Thinking Smart by Nirmalya Kumar
Thinking Smart offers all that you need to know, to achieve just about everything, from managing a delicate relationship, a surprise firing, to creating a winning team or business, and more. The book explores smartness by combining economic, psychological and sociological perspectives in ways that we often overlook in our daily lives. From being a management guru to a corporate leader, Prof. Nirmalya Kumar provides a holistic view of smartness- from the corner office and from a Professor’s perspective. This is your guide to mastering the subtle art of work, life and everything in-between.
Finding A Purpose In Life by R. M. Lala
In this book, R.M. Lala addresses these issues through the medium of great lives like Abraham Lincoln, Albert Schweitzer, Emperor Asoka, Vinoba Bhave, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Narayana and Sudha Murthy and others. He highlights the difference between ambition and purpose, career and purpose, and indicates how understanding this lies at the core of understanding oneself. This inspirational and motivational work shows how each of us can find a purpose satisfying to ourselves and meaningful to others.
Believe and Achieve by W Clement Stone
In 1952, W. Clement Stone and Napoleon Hill joined forces and philosophies. Stone added his Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) concept to Hill’s principles, resulting in the classic book, Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude. The two men spent the next ten years writing and lecturing about achieving success through PMA. Their formula was to become the foundation for virtually all modern motivational writing. Believe and Achieve is not the last word on creating success; that story will continue to evolve as long as the human race endures. Instead, the Napoleon Hill Foundation hopes that it will be nothing more than the first words in the next chapter of your life: the first of many chapters in which success is the theme.
Mind Full to Mindful by Om Swami
Zen shows us the art of attaining that inner quietude without rituals or dogma. It is about seeing beauty, bliss and truth in our everyday lives. Driving to work or washing the dishes, every act could easily be meditation. Based on the original Zen teachings, this beautiful book offers a life-changing perspective on life itself. Bestselling author of many transformational books, Om Swami shares with you the art of happiness with plenty of humour, stories and wisdom as he takes you on a journey from being mind full to mindful.
The Winning Attitude by Jeff Keller
As a motivational speaker and coach, one question that Jeff Keller often gets asked is ‘What separates successful people from everyone else?’ His answer is an overwhelming stress on the ‘right attitude’. In fact, it always boils down to what Jeff popularly refers to as the ‘winning attitude’. No matter where you are on your journey of self-development, a winning attitude will always be the differentiator as Jeff Shows in example after example, covering virtually all the important aspects of our life. This book presents fifty-four golden principles that can dramatically change your life. For more than thirty years, these principles have changed Jeff’s life for the better – and they have done it for millions of others. Read it, enjoy it, apply the principles and you will create extraordinary results in your life.
How to Unleash the Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy
How to Unleash the Power of Your Subconscious Mind: A 52-week Guide provides a step-by-step programme to discover a new you. You have the incredible potential to be, do, and receive whatever you desire, imagine and truly believe. Unfortunately, however, only a small number of people achieve their full human potential, because they fail to recognize and harness the infinite power of the subconscious mind. By following the guidance offered here, you can stop going through life as a victim of circumstances and become the master of your own destiny within a year.
Freedom to Fail by Shabnam Aggarwal
In Freedom to Fail, Shabnam tells the story of her brush with ‘success’: raising her first round of venture capital; hiring a hardworking team of millennials; growing her start-up to multiple cities…and then finding it all come to a bitter end. Shabnam gives us a peek into the world of start-ups in India. Her personal journey gives us an insight into dealing with failure, warning us of the challenges of starting a business, and helping us learn from her experience. Weaving each chapter into a powerful lesson in overcoming expectations, fear and self-doubt, she shows us why failure is important, even imperative, in order to ultimately succeed. And the best lesson she learnt: You haven’t failed until you stop trying.
The Book of Kindness by Om Swami
In his latest book, bestselling author Om Swami suggests a definitive means to achieving true happiness: through kindness. In his signature candid style, he clarifies that the only way one can be successful in the quest to achieve happiness for oneself is to first spread happiness and show kindness to others. With real, inspiring, life-changing anecdotes, Om Swami goes on to illustrate how compassion and gentleness are intrinsically connected with humanity.
The Anatomy of Success by Dr Rakesh Sinha
Drawing from his surgical experiences – for which he holds two Guinness World Records – gynaecological endoscopic surgeon Dr Rakesh Sinha deconstructs success into simple, easy-to-grasp components which demonstrate that it is something we are all deserving of because we are biologically privileged. Over and above, he shows that no matter what we do or what our talents are, we need to chase victory with the same restless resolve as doctors do. Because, like in medicine, a life depends on whether we succeed or fail.
Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan For Embracing And Achieving Your Goals by Rachel Hollis
In Girl, Stop Apologizing, #1 New York Times bestselling 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.
Didn’t See That Coming: Putting Life Back Together When Your World FallsApart by Rachel Hollis
Rachel will weave in her personal experiences, her great, plucky humour to create a book of timeless inspiration that is practical and aspirational. Mixing big ideas – that no one in our lives is ever truly ALL good or ALL bad, or that crisis doesn’t show what we can be, but what we always were with small ones (that hold significant meaning)—that you should have one recipe that you can make perfectly every time to bring joy to the table, and the tiny, positive rituals that anchor you in the stormiest seas, Rachel’s new book is a response to the current world, but more importantly a guide to living through the tough “stuff,” and coming out the other side.
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus by John Gray
Based on years of successful counseling of couples and individuals, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus has helped millions of couples transform their relationships. Now viewed as a modern classic, this timeless book has helped men and women realize how different they can be in their communication styles, their emotional needs, and their modes of behavior, and offers the secrets of communicating without conflicts, allowing couples to give intimacy every chance to grow.
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey
The #1 New York Times bestseller from the new guru of relationship advice, Steve Harvey’s Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man is an invaluable self-help book that can empower women everywhere to take control of their relationships. The host of a top-rated radio show listened to by millions daily—and of cable TV’s The Steve Harvey Project—Harvey knows what men really think about love, intimacy, and commitment. In Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, the author, media personality, and stand-up comedian gets serious, sharing his wealth of knowledge, insight, and no-nonsense advice for every good woman who wants to find a good man or make her current love last.
Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success by Steve Harvey
In Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success, Steve Harvey tells you how to achieve your dreams using the gift you already have. Every one of us was born with a gift endowed by our creator—something you do the best at with very little effort. While it can be like someone else’s, your gift is yours alone. No one can take it away. You are the only one who can use it—or waste it. Steve shows how that gift holds your greatest chance at success, and the fulfillment of your life’s mission and purpose. He helps you learn to define your gift—whether it’s being a problem solver, a people-connector, a whiz with numbers, or having an eye for colors. He makes clear that your job is not your gift; you may use it in your work, but it can also be used in your marriage or relationship, your community, and throughout every aspect of your life
Cooking for Happiness by Kornelia Santoro
Weaving together years of scientific research with her own experience of depression, award-winning food writer Kornelia Santoro offers a hundred easy-to-prepare recipes that will nurture your brain and help you fight those dreaded lows. Once psychotherapy helped her conquer her eating disorders, she discovered the magic of eating right, which has since infused her life with a sense of balance that she had not imagined possible. Full of mouth-watering recipes, Kornelia’s secrets will reduce your stress levels, elevate your mood and make you want to eat more!
#EntryLevelBoss: How to Get Any Job You Want by Alexa Shoen
One part behind-the-scenes memoir, one part playbook, #EntryLevelBoss lays out career coach Alexa Shoen’s proven 9-step methodology for approaching the job search during these crazy times we’re living through. Think of it like a fitness plan-except instead of killer abs, you wind up with multiple interviews for a bunch of jobs you actually want. Cool, right? This is not another manifesto about finding your passion. (Alright, let’s find your passion, sure, but the rent is also due and I would assume you’re interested in getting paid.) This is a real plan that’s based on the real rules of the game. You’ll learn how to effectively identify your future hiring manager, for example, and slide into their DMs in the least creepy way possible. Alexa Shoen is the internet’s leading confidant for panicking job seekers. She has guided thousands of people into full-time employment using these exact steps. Even if you’re convinced you’re the least hireable person on the planet, Alexa’s got you covered.
Think Like a Monk: The secret of how to harness the power of positivity and be happy now by Jay Shetty
In this inspiring, empowering book, Shetty draws on his time as a monk in the Vedic tradition to show us how we can clear the roadblocks to our potential and power. Drawing on ancient wisdom and his own rich experiences in the ashram, Think Like a Monk reveals how to overcome negative thoughts and habits, and access the calm and purpose that lie within all of us. The lessons monks learn are profound but often abstract. Shetty transforms them into advice and exercises we can all apply to reduce stress, improve focus, improve relationships, identify our hidden abilities, increase self-discipline and give the gifts we find in ourselves to the world. Shetty proves that everyone can – and should – think like a monk.
The Greatest Secret by Rhonda Byrne
The Greatest Secret, the long-awaited major work by Rhonda Byrne, lays out the next quantum leap in a journey that will take the reader beyond the material world and into the spiritual realm, where all possibilities exist. The book reflects Rhonda’s own journey, and shares the most direct way out for those experiencing hardship and the path to end pain and suffering endured by so many, and shines a light on a future without anxiety or fear. Filled with accessible practices that can be immediately put to use and profound revelations that take the reader on an incomparable journey, Rhonda’s discovery is reinforced throughout by the revelatory words of sages from around the world, past and present.
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7 Divine Laws to Awaken Your Best Self by Swami Mukundananda
Just as physical phenomena are regulated by laws, there are spiritual principles governing the journey of life as well. Knowledge of them helps us understand why success comes so easily to some but remains a struggle for others; why some are still putting on their shoes, while others have finished the race. The beauty is that, like the physical laws of nature, the divine principles governing success and fulfilment in life are also eternally valid. In this book, Swami Mukundananda explains the 7 divine laws in an easily graspable manner. With knowledge of the Vedic scriptures and witty anecdotes that everyone can relate to, this book will empower you to become the best version of yourself.
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