Self-Development Book List

Book Reviews

There are countless articles that cite the importance of reading, here is the ever-updating book list of what I've been suggested and what I have read.  If I've read it, I'll tell you what I pulled out of it and why I value it.

1. The Compound Effect - Darren Hardy
• This is an amazing financial book that really walks you through understanding the impact of the daily financial decisions we make.  Must read.
2. Daring Greatly  - Brené Brown
• Her TED talks were powerful as well. The whole concept is that as a society we do not effectively deal with vulnerability and shame.  This might have been one of the most impactful books I read in 2016
3. Pitch Anything - Oren Klaff
• If you have a background in sales, I thought this was great.  I don't necessarily believe everything his discusses is applicable to all professions within sales, but some of the concepts he goes through I believe are.   He reads his audiobook and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to him
4. Wild at Heart - John Elderidge
• This is a book written for men, and I found it amazing to read.  It discusses how the world has put men in damaging positions where they struggle to understand what it means to truly be a man.  Often left feeling emasculated but not sure why, John talks through this and calls men to step forward and be what they were created to be.  
• "A man needs a much bigger orbit than a woman.  He needs a mission, a life purpose, and he needs to know his name.  Only then is his fit for a woman, for only then does he have something to invite her into...do not ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive, because what the world needs are men who have come alive."
5. Captivating - Staci Eldgeridge
• This is the book written for women.  It was very eye opening for me, I'm not sure I was ready to receive everything she talks about in this when I read it last, but it was one I was glad I read it.
6. Start With Why - Simon Sinek
• We look at the world backwards, we try to navigate our life by starting with the wrong questions.  This is really helpful when I began intensively working to determine my purpose.
7. Magic Of Thinking Big - David Schwartz
• Especially chapters 2, 3, and 11
8. Three Feet From Gold - Greg Reid, Napoleon Hill Foundation
• Story format, based on Greg's journey of finding his own purpose.  Years ago Napoleon Hill interviewed hundreds of successful entrepreneurs, Greg follows in his footsteps.  A really engaging read with a lot of profound pieces.  One of my all time favorites
9. Personality Plus - Florence Littauer
• I prefer this to a lot of other personality metrics because of how she defines us.  She breaks everything down very well and I found it very eye opening.  It made understanding a lot of people in my life a lot easier as well as understanding myself.  Usually one of the first books I suggest to people.
10. 5 Love Languages (Singles, Couples, etc.)
• Several formats to this, but we all need and give love in our own natural language.  You can have 2 people giving love to each other, but neither feeling loved or filled if they're not speaking the right language.  Fascinating and has enhanced many of my friendships and ability to affirm, encourage, and appreciate co-workers, friends, and family.
11. The Alchemist 
• I loved the story and the lessons, I thought it was phenomenal, it's a pretty common recommended read and I wanted to check it out. 
12. The Greatest Salesman In the World - Og Mandino
• This is not for sales people so much as it is for people on their own success people.  This is about principles, not about sales. 
13. 10th Angel - Og Mandino
• EMOTIONAL BOOK.  I balled my eyes out but it was such an amazing story about overcoming life's challenges, especially the ones that leave us feeling hollow and angry.
14. Go Givers Sell More - Bob Burg
• This was especially impactful for my mother, who is naturally more introverted.  It talks about straightening out the way we think about sales and the selling process.  Major corporations have twisted our concept of sales.
15. Think & Grow Rich - Napolean Hill
• Every human need to read this.  Go in armed with a pen and a highlighter
16. Friendship Factor
• I didn't realize how many areas I fell short when it came to being a good friend.  I don't think I was necessarily a bad friend, but there were a lot of things I could work on.  This is one that is worth regularly revisiting, annually at minimum
17. How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie
• This is not a book about manipulation, but about learning to care for others and more effectively interact with others.  I consider myself good with people.  I still read and studied this.
18. The Art of Dealing with People - Les Gibben
• I like to listen to this on audio through audible before bed for 15-30 minutes...get those people skills programed in there.
19. The Greatest Miracle in the World - Og Mandino
• You have to read it.  It's a story format, I love how Og Mandino writes, but you will cry or you probably have no soul haha.  Maybe that's a bit extreme but it's a tear-jerker.
20. 10X - Grant Cardonne
• This is an intense read and he comes at your straight. I loved the audiobook to go along with the written book. Grant reads it himself and he adds in a fair amount that's not in the book, not so much that you're missing anything major, but enough that it's things that make me laugh.
21. How to Win With People - John Maxwell
22. Failing Forward - John Maxwell
• This was a great book that helped me reframe how I looked at failure - not as something to avoid, but something to work on.
23. Bringing Out the Best in Others
24. The Winning Attitude - John Maxwell
• Attitude = Altitude, this was very empowering and helped change how I processed life
25. Becoming a Person of Influence - John Maxwell
26. Developing The Leaders around you - John Maxwell
27. Road to Success - Napoleon Hill
28. How Successful People Think - John Maxwell
29. The Power of Focus - Mark Hansen
30. The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster - Darren Hardy
• I'm still in the beginning of this one but I like it already. Darren is the editor of Success Magazine, so he unsurprisingly has a great writing style
31. Rich Dad Poor Dad - Robert Kiyosaki
• Great financial book to understand what you need to do to create financial success for yourself -- paired well with Cash Flow Quadrant
32. 4 Hour Work Week
33. Everyone Communicates Few Connect - John Maxwell
• He talks a lot about public speaking but also about connecting on a one-one basis.  As someone who loves to communicate, this was very helpful in helping me recognize that I wasn't always connecting.
34. 21 Irrefutable Law of Leadership - John Maxwell
35. A Slight Edge - Jeff Olson
36. Positive Words, Powerful Results - Hall Urban
37. parable of the homemade millionaire - Bryan James
• This helped me understand the "power of the spoken word" a lot better.  It's explained in a format that wasn't' whimsical or ridiculous sounding.  It simply made sense.
38. The Power of Focus - Mark Hansen
39. Ultimate Productivity - Jim Stovel
40. What To Say When You Talk To Yourself - Dr. Shad Helmstetter
• Hands down most influential book I've read.  We are product of what we hear constantly.  It's how neural pathways are formed.  The person you hear the most, is you.
41. Love and Respect
• If you're dating anyone or every intend to be in a serious relationship this is a must read.  Women and men wear very different colored glasses and hearing aids.  Without taking the time to truly understand one another, you can have a mountain of misunderstandings, hurt, and resentment that builds up.  Skip button please!  I found this very eye opening about how men process information as well as the unfair expectations I held in certain areas.  Also men...it describes what women need and are looking for really well.  *nudge nudge*
42. 3 Thing Successful People Do - John Maxwell
1. I am obsessed.  I'm not even done with it yet but this is one of his interactive work books.  Maxwell has a tendency to ask intense questions that make you think.  I like that.