Let me preface this list by saying that I understand that reading is an entirely subjective experience. (One of the difficult things about being a writer is understanding that.)
Still, I get how much fun it can be to see what other people view to be “the best.” These books have made me think and have not allowed me to stay stagnant. They have angered me, saddened me and affected me.
Here are the best self-improvement books to read if you really want to make a difference, in your life or someone else’s.
1) "The Power of Now," by Eckhart Tolle
This is a spiritual manifesto that might even be stereotypical when it comes to self-health books. But it works. It helps you to see what you might be missing when you are so busy planning your next step. It helps you to deal with the now and see what now is. Reading it more than once is a must.
2) "Blink: The Power Of Thinking Without Thinking," by Malcolm Gladwell
Ever have a battle with your heart and your head? What about snap decisions or gut reactions? How much clout should we give the instinctive? This book is sure to get you thinking, even in spite of the title.
3) "When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times," by Pema Chödrön
Dealing with loss and change and death is bound to happen to all of us. Rather than escaping it, Pema Chödrön encourages us to sit with our groundlessness. It is not a quick life fix, but it certainly is transformative.
4) "Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear," by Elizabeth Gilbert
We are all artists. This book unleashes the things holding us back from our creativity and allows us to play again in the mediums that made our souls sing when we were children. If you are feeling in a rut, this book will be sure to bust you right out of it.
5) "The Art of Happiness," by the Dalai Lama XIV
Psychologist Howard Cutler poses questions to the Dalai Lama through a series of interviews. The result is a surprisingly easy read that leads you to wonder if inner peace is just the natural human condition.
6) "Rising Strong: The Reckoning. The Rumbling. The Revolution." by Brené Brown
All of us have had something go wrong at some point in our lives. And we all have a narrative about this "falling down" period. Just as important is the getting up and the moving forward — the rising strong. This book is the equivalent of a lion’s roar.
7) "Money, A Love Story: Untangle Your Financial Woes and Create the Life You Really Want," by Kate Northrup
A good relationship with money is a difficult thing for many of us to manage. It can be easier to bury our heads in the sand. Kate Northrup makes budgeting seem like fun, and explains in simple language how to shift your perception of money. Life-changing.
8) "The Art of Stillness: Adventures in Going Nowhere," by Pico Iyer
I am someone who has prided herself on movement and I know I am not the only one. Pico Iyer makes us consider the adventure and the rebelliousness of staying still. The richness in stillness becomes apparent in just a short read.
9) "In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto," by Michael Pollan
This is where those famous words come from: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
Although those words can be enough to live by, this eloquent manifesto is worth a full read. This book can help us to reconnect to what we put in our mouths and rediscover the pleasures of eating, rather than settling for a recounting of macronutrients.
10) "Move Your DNA: Restore Your Health Through Natural Movement," by Katy Bowman
This book is part anatomy book, part call to get out of your chair, already. Rather than looking at “going to the gym” as the only way to exercise, it will make you question what Katy calls “nutritious” everyday movement. For more on Bowman, click here.
Reviewed September 9, 2016
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith