The Business of the 21st Century PDF Summary

The Business of the 21st Century Are you still living in the 20^th century, trying to climb the corporate ladder?

Allow Robert T. Kiyosaki and his wife to introduce you to an alternative:

Who Should Read “The Business of the 21st Century”? And Why?

If you are an employee with dreams of climbing the corporate ladder or a self-employed small business owner, then you’re still living in the 20^th century, and you must read The Business of the 21^st Century if you wish to make the much-necessary step forward (and upward).

However, if you’re a big business owner or an investor, then you don’t need Kiyosaki’s book: you’ll already living it.

About Robert T. Kiyosaki

Robert T. Kiyosaki is an American investor, entrepreneur and educator, most famous for his Rich Dad series.

The original book of the series, Rich Dad Poor Dad, spent six years on The New York Times bestseller list and was named “USA Today’s No. 1 Money Book” for two years in a row.

This inspired Kiyosaki to add many other titles to the series which, combined, have sold almost 30 million copies in more than 50 languages and about 110 countries.

Kiyosaki has been featured on shows such as Oprah and Larry King Live and has co-authored a book with Donald Trump titled Why We Want You to Be Rich: Two Men—One Message.

He has co-written The Business of 21^st Century with his wife, Kim Kiyosaki, and John Fleming, an architect, life-designer, and editor-in-chief of Direct Selling News.

“The Business of the 21st Century PDF Summary”

The ESBI Quadrant

If you know one thing about Robert Kiyosaki—OK, besides that he’s the guy who wrote Rich Dad Poor Dad—you certainly know his Cashflow Quadrant.

By his own admission, it may be “the most important writing” he’s ever done, because “it goes right to the heart of the crucial issues involved for people who are ready to make true changes in their lives.”

A strange thing to say about 4 letters inside a table which looks something like this:

E	B
S	I

However – and expectedly – there’s much more to it!

First of all, each of these letters stands for one of the only four categories of people that exist on this planet – at least in the eyes of Kiyosaki:

E = Employee
S = Self-employed or Small-business owner
B = Business owner
I = Investor

Which one of them are you?

Or to use the words of Kiyosaki, which quadrant do you live in, aka how do you earn most of your money?

Need some help to decide?

Here we go:

The E Quadrant

You’re here if you belong to the overwhelming majority of people.

Or, to be more exact, you’re here if you’re happy enough to not belong in the zero-quadrant, also known as being unemployed. Unfortunately, at least according to Robert Kiyosaki, 19% of young white men living in the US between the ages of 18 and 25 cannot find a job.

It’s even worse for African Americans: a third of them face similar problems!

You, however, don’t. You work hard in a moderately successful company, and you believe that, one day, your career will earn you just enough money to relax in the bliss of retirement.

The S Quadrant

Then again, maybe you’ve already migrated to the S quadrant.

Driven by your urge to earn more and to have more freedom, you decided to “fire your boss,” found a start-up, and become your own boss instead.

Unfortunately, this has backfired: now you have even less free time (because taking a day off means earning no money at all) and you can’t blame your boss for your problems (because that boss is you).

However, you feel that you’re better off than in the E quadrant.

At least slightly.

The B Quadrant

Of course, both the small business and the big business owners are self-employed.

However, the difference between the S quadrant and the B quadrant is straightforward: in the case of the latter, you’re not working for your company, but your company works for you.

The I Quadrant

Finally, the I quadrant, in which it is not your business which works for you anymore, but your money.

Though it seems something an E or an S guy would never have a go at, investing, says Kiyosaki, is “not rocket science.”

You already understand its essence from Monopoly: “four green houses, one red hotel.” All you need now is just a few books to master it.

E’s and S’s, This Book Is for You

Now that you’ve evaluated yourself, time to reveal to you the point of the test:

Kiyosaki’s The Business of the 21^st Century is not for the I’s and neither for the B’s. It is about the E’s and the S’s.

And especially about those young people who haven’t decided yet whether they’ll live on the left or on the right side of Kiyosaki’s quadrant (pun, of course, intended).

Here’s Kiyosaki explaining that in brief:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg39w-NEn1w

So, news flash:

The corporate myth is over. If you’ve spent years climbing the corporate ladder, have you ever stopped to notice the view? What view, you ask? The rear end of the person in front of you. That’s what you get to look forward to. If that’s the way you want to view the rest of your life, then this book probably isn’t for you. But if you are sick and tired of looking at someone else’s behind, then read on.

Blame Prussia for Your Troubles

Basically every modern book on retirement planning states this explicitly: if you’re merely working somewhere, you’re already doing it all wrong!

Why, you ask?

Because you’re living in the past – more precisely sometime between the end of the 19^th century and the 1980s.

You see, the “employment for life” myth didn’t exist before the Industrial Revolution; before it occurred, in fact, there were many more S’s than E’s.

However, once the Industrial Revolution incited the demand for employees, most European governments took over the task of mass education.

The system adopted everywhere was the Prussian system – and, miraculously, most school systems in the world are modeled after it to this day.

Miraculously, because the idea of that system was to mass-produce E’s, “people who would follow orders and do as they were told.”

And what they were promised in return?

The paradise of retirement.

Yet another Prussian idea, devised by then-Prussian president Otto von Bismarck in 1889.

What’s so bad about it?

We’ve already told you, but let us remind you yet again.

Back in the time of Bismarck, the average life expectancy was 45, and not many people lived to be old enough to start receiving their benefits.

Now, almost everybody lives past that age, and it’s only a matter of time before pension funds go absolutely broke.

Still wanting to be an E or an S?

Beyond Income

Of course you don’t.

Because you’re smart and because you’ve just realized that unless you’re a B or an I, you’ll never earn enough money to sit back and relax.

“it’s not about income,” writes Kiyosaki in the title of chapter 8, “it’s about assets that generate income.”

What does this mean?

Well, it means that earning money actively will never get you anywhere; and even if it does, it will be at the price of your own freedom. Think of it as a race. You’re not allowed to take a rest because then you’ll be outrun.

However, if you’re capable of finding a way to start earning money passively, then you can sit back and enjoy the view. Think of it as having someone else running in your stead.

Network Marketing

Now, it’s easy to say this; but somewhat tricky to put it into practice.

Why?

Because of the obvious Catch-22: in order to earn money, you need a big business; however, you need money to start a big business; the same goes for investing.

However, there’s a great way to circumvent this obstacle.

Namely, network marketing!

“If you are considering building your own business,” writes Kiyosaki, “you need to be acutely aware of who you’re spending your time with and who your teachers are. It’s a crucial consideration.”

Think of it this way: Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Phil Knight – they all had friends when they were 18 or 20.

And they all wanted some support for their projects, whether financial or logistical.

If you had been one of the people to know them, even a single dollar might have made you a rich person today!

Network marketing is all about understanding the power of the power connectors.

The point is to know people, to help them, to connect them, to sell them your idea before you have the money to put it into practice:

When it comes to creating business success, it’s not a simple matter of technical skills. Even more important are the life skills it takes to successfully negotiate the B quadrant. The key to long-term success in life is your education and skills, your life experiences, and most of all, your personal character.

“As a network marketer,” Kiyosaki adds, “you might think your job is to demonstrate and sell a product. It’s not. Your job is to communicate information, to tell a great story, and build a network.”

Key Lessons from “The Business of the 21st Century”

1.      The ESBI Quadrant
2.      One Business – Eight Wealth-Building Assets
3.      The Future Is Network Marketing

The ESBI Quadrant

The ESBI Quadrant is in the very essence of Kiyosaki’s philosophy – which means it forms the basis of almost all of his books.

It states that, at least in terms of money, there exist only four categories of people: employees, small business owners, big business owners and investors.

The first two belong to the left side of the quadrant; the latter two to the right side.

Also: the first two belong to the past; the latter two to the future.

Choose wisely – because you can choose.

1 Business – 8 Wealth-Building Assets

The point is not to get stuck in actively earning money – but to try and start earning. It’s not about income, says Kiyosaki, but about assets which bring income on their own.

And these are, according to him, the eight wealth-building assets which really matter:

Asset #1: A Real-World Business Education
Asset #2: A Profitable Path of Personal Development
Asset #3: A Circle of Friends Who Share Your Dreams and Values
Asset #4: The Power of Your Own Network
Asset #5: A Duplicable, Fully Scalable Business
Asset #6: Incomparable Leadership Skills
Asset #7: A Mechanism for Genuine Wealth Creation
Asset #8: Big Dreams and the Capacity to Live Them

Spend as much time as you can developing these assets in your youth; you’ll be more than thankful to yourself when you get older.

The Future Is Network Marketing

The essence of you becoming a B or an I (instead of living an unfulfilling life as an E or an S) is network marketing.

That is, finding people who’ll share your dreams and ideas; people who want to be B’s and I’s as well; people who’ll either buy your visions when the lack of money prevents you from turning them into reality or people in whose visions you can invest.

That’s all the intelligence you need to become a successful person.

Remember that:

It is not real estate, gold, stocks, hard work, or money that makes you rich; it is what you know about real estate, gold, stocks, hard work, and money that makes you rich. Ultimately, it is your financial intelligence that makes you rich.

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“The Business of the 21st Century PDF Summary Quotes”

Your mind is infinite, it's your doubts that are limiting. Click To Tweet Wealth is the product of man's capacity to think. Click To Tweet I came to realize that while personal success is fulfilling it's much more fulfilling when you can help many others create their own success as well. Click To Tweet The key to long-term success in life is your education and skills, your life experiences, and most of all, your personal character. Click To Tweet Learning how to tell a powerful story is learning how to show up as the winner you are. Click To Tweet

Our Critical Review

The Business of the 21^st Century was published soon after the financial decline of 2008 and addresses Americans mainly through the prism of this crisis.

However, its message – if you want wealth, create it by taking charge of your income source – rings true even a decade later.

It does sound a bit simplifying here and there, but there are quite a few interesting takeaways. If you like Rich Dad Poor Dad, you’ll like this one too.

If not, don’t bother.

Best Motivational Books

Down on your luck? Need some motivation to get out of bed? How about grabbing a book? Let us guess: you would, but you’re out of ideas regarding its author or title.

Worry not: we’re here to help!

Just bookmark this article, and you’re covered for the whole of 2019; even if need less than three days to read a 300-page book! Whether it is self-improvement you’re interested in or books about personal growth, whether you want the best motivational books for women or the best motivational books of all time – they are all here.

And we’ve provided a brief, unique summary/review for each of them, and categorized them on ten different self-explanatory shelves.

So, seriously, bookmark this article: it’s that useful

Without further ado – let’s roll.

The 101 Best Motivational Books List

(Click a title below to go to the respective shelf)

1. Basics of Motivation
2. Rules for Life
3. Power of Positive Thinking
4. You Are a Badass
5. Great Lecture
6. Why Would You Give a Damn
7. Fables and Fiction
8. Inspirational Biographies
9. Don’t Worry, Be Happy
10. Show Me the Money
Wildcard

1. The “Basics of Motivation” Shelf

You can’t motivate yourself without learning what motivation is. Want to do that? Well, these 10 books offer a great philosophical and theoretical framework!

1.1 Brendon Burchard – The Motivation Manifesto

About the Book: What better way to start a list of the 101 best motivational books you should read in 2019 than with a motivation manifesto? And Brendon Burchard’s really lives up to its name! His “9 Declarations to Claim Your Personal Power” will energize you to your very core! This is one you should keep on your bedside table. Or even under your pillow. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Without making the actual attempt, without trial and strife, there can be no true knowledge, no progress, no high achievement, and no legend. Click To Tweet

1.2 Simon Sinek – Find Your Why

About the Book: In Start with Why, Simon Sinek proposed to the world – in his very own words – “the world’s simplest idea.” Namely, that why you are doing what you’re doing is more important than how you’re doing it or even what it is that you’re doing. In Find Your Why Sinek teams up with Peter Docker and David Mead and gives us the book we’ve all been waiting for: a practical guide to discovering that why. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

If we want to feel an undying passion for our work, if we want to feel we are contributing to something bigger than ourselves, we all need to know our WHY. Click To Tweet

1.3 Daniel H. Pink – Drive

About the Book: The subtitle of Daniel H. Pink’s thought-provoking 2011 bestseller, Drive – “The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” – tells you everything you need to know about this book. First of all, it explores the roots of motivation; and secondly, it reaches unexpected conclusions. In a nutshell, that money doesn’t motivate us; what does is autonomy, mastery, and purpose. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Drive
Favorite Quote:

Pay your son to take out the trash — and you’ve pretty much guaranteed the kid will never do it again for free. Click To Tweet

1.4 Charles Duhigg – The Power of Habit

About the Book: We are creatures of habit, and Duhigg knows that the real power of this insight lies in the fact that “your habits are what you choose them to be.” However, as you know full well, it’s not easy to choose them: you are intrinsically motivated to do some things much more than some others. And though it’s not easy to change them as well, you can actually do it: just replace the routine but keep the initial cue and the final reward. Apparently, this works 100% of the time! (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

The Power of Habit
Favorite Quote:

The Golden Rule of Habit Change: You can't extinguish a bad habit, you can only change it. Click To Tweet

1.5 Chip and Dan Heath – Switch

About the Book: Speaking of habits and how to change them – here’s another classic in the field: Chip and Dan Heath’s Switch. According to the Heath Brothers, all successful changes follow the same pattern. Namely, people who change all have a clear direction, plenty of motivation, and a supportive environment. Or to use the Jonathan Haidt analogy they use: you need to direct the rider; motivate the elephant, and shape the path. You’ll know what we mean: just see 9.7 below. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Switch
Favorite Quote:

Change is hard because people wear themselves out. Click To Tweet

1.6 Daniel Kahneman – Thinking, Fast and Slow

About the Book: Daniel Kahneman is a world-renowned psychologist with – get this – a Nobel Prize in Economics. So, basically, he already knows about you more than you’ll ever know about yourself. Thinking, Fast and Slow is a summary of his life-long research, exploring the dichotomy between fast and slow thinking. We don’t think that you’ll place that much value in your own judgment after reading this book. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Thinking, Fast and Slow
Favorite Quote:

A reliable way to make people believe in falsehoods is frequent repetition, because familiarity is not easily distinguished from truth. Authoritarian institutions and marketers have always known this fact. Click To Tweet

1.7 Malcolm Gladwell – David and Goliath

About the Book: Even in his forties, Malcolm Gladwell was already one of the most influential thinkers of our times. Now at 55, he is nothing less than an icon. Even though – like all of his books – a New York Times bestseller, David and Goliath may be his least famous book. But, in our opinion, it may be his most motivating one. Because it can show you why – and how – you can win, even when all odds are against you. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

David and Goliath
Favorite Quote:

Courage is not something that you already have that makes you brave when the tough times start. Courage is what you earn when you’ve been through the tough times, and you discover they aren’t so tough after all. Click To Tweet

1.8 Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers – The Power of Myth

About the Book: People have found different ways to motivate themselves to endure and succeed ever since the beginning of times. In The Power of Myth – a book based on the six one-hour conversations taken between journalist Bill Moyers and mythologist Joseph Campbell in the last year of Campbell’s life – you can see why (and how) these most ancient strategies still work. “Follow your bliss,” says Campbell, “and doors will open where there were no doors before.” (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

We're so engaged in doing things to achieve purposes of outer value that we forget the inner value, the rapture that is associated with being alive, is what it is all about. Click To Tweet

1.9 Clayton Christensen – How Will You Measure Your Life?

About the Book: Clayton Christensen is a Harvard-based scholar most famous for his theory of “disruptive innovation.” However, in How Will You Measure Your Life? – co-authored with James Allworth and Karen Dillon – rather than giving us another analysis of Schumpeter’s Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, he gives us a book more in the tradition of Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture (see 5.10). And we should be grateful for it! Because How Will You Measure Your Life? introduces the “hygiene-motivation theory,” according to which, it is not money, but work conditions and job security, combined with recognition, personal growth, and sense of responsibility that are the true motivating factors of existence. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

It's easier to hold your principles 100 percent of the time than it is to hold them 98 percent of the time. Click To Tweet

1.10 Susan Fowler – Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work… and What Does

About the Book: Motivation, according to Susan Fowler, is a skill. Meaning, like all other skills, it can be taught and acquired. However, misunderstanding what motivation is leads to a “misapplication of techniques to make it happen.” For this reason, Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work… and What Does sets before itself an objective to dispel all myths about motivation. Here you’ll learn how external undermine internal motivators and how, in order to be motivated, you need to live under an ARC of Freedom. We’ll let you find out what ARC stands for. But we’ll tell you that “people who experience ARC are thriving. They do not need something or someone else doing the driving.” (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Motivation is a skill. People can learn to choose and create optimal motivational experiences anytime and anywhere. Click To Tweet

2. The “Rules for Life” Shelf

There are some people who can tell you how you should live your life. And usually, they are smart enough to pack their lifetime of knowledge in several rules. Your job: to merely follow them!

2.1 Jordan Peterson – 12 Rules for Life

About the Book: By all accounts, Jordan Peterson is “the most influential public intellectual in the Western world right now.” His 12 Rules for Life are both humorous and revelatory. And they cover everything – from standing up straight with your shoulders back and putting your house in order to be precise with your speech and – yes! – petting a cat when you encounter one on the street. It’s Peterson, so of course there’s more to it; and of course, it’s as motivating as hell! (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

It took untold generations to get you where you are. A little gratitude might be in order. If you're going to insist on bending the world to your way, you better have your reasons. Click To Tweet

2.2 Don Miguel Ruiz – The Four Agreements

About the Book: In his “practical guide to personal freedom,” Mexican neo-shaman Don Miguel Ruiz reveals the four tenets of true joy and happiness. Though fairly simple – as all wisdom is – the four agreements will probably affect you in a life-changing, world-shattering kind of way. Want to immediately find out what are they? Read here. (Read a brief summary of the book | Read the best quotes from the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

The world is very beautiful and very wonderful. Life can be very easy when love is your way of life. You can be loving all the time. This is your choice. Click To Tweet

2.3 Brian Tracy – Just Shut Up and Do It

About the Book: You already know that Brian Tracy is a no-excuses kind of guy. Hence the title. In Just Shut Up and Do It he presents his 7 steps to conquer your goals. So, you can learn how to: surmount the biggest obstacle to success; take charge of your life; dare to go forward; decide what you really want; overcome procrastination; become a lifelong learner; and never give up. (Read a brief summary of the book | Read more about Brian Tracy | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Top people build learning into each day. They read thirty to sixty minutes each morning—approximately one book per week. Click To Tweet

2.4 Akash Karia – Emotional Habits

About the Book: Akash Karia is a peak performance coach and a celebrated NLP trainer; and in Emotional Habits, he shows how Subtitled “7 Things Resilient People Do Differently and How They Can Help You Succeed in Business and Life,” this book is “a quick read that can have immediate and long-term benefits.” (Phil Barth) Not the least because it includes spot-on practical executrices. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

The goal of building emotional strength is not to somehow make every situation in life happy and rosy. Click To Tweet

2.5 Donald Sull and Kathleen M. Eisenhardt – Simple Rules

About the Book: Life is difficult as it is to make it even more unbearable by adhering to complex rules. If you are – then this book is for you. Drawing on hundreds of studies and more than a decade of research, in Simple Rules Sull and Eisenhardt show how simple rules are the deal and how, armed with just a few of them, “you can tackle even the most complex of problems.” And thrive. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Simple Rules
Favorite Quote:

Investing the time up front to clarify what will move the needles dramatically increases the odds that simple rules will be applied where they can have the greatest impact. Click To Tweet

2.6 Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman – The Daily Stoic

About the Book: Another obligatory bedside-table – or even under-the-pillow – book. Compiled by one of the leaders “for the charge of stoicism,” Ryan Holiday, The Daily Stoic contains “366 meditations on wisdom, perseverance and the art of living” – one for each day of the year, for the rest of your life. And they are all commented upon by Holiday who has a knack for illustrating how relevant this ancient school of philosophy is for our modern world. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Serenity and stability are results of your choices and judgment, not your environment. Click To Tweet

2.7 Hugh MacLeod – Ignore Everybody

About the Book: Hugh Macleod (of gapingvoid.com) is a pretty creative guy; so, when he publishes a book sharing a list of his 40 keys to creativity, it is bound to make a splash. A paean to originality and nonconformity, Ignore Everybody is both a humorous and engaging read; not to mention inspirational. By the end of the book, you’ll definitely want to take your kindergarten crayons back. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten. Being suddenly hit years later with the 'creative bug' is just a wee voice telling you, 'I'd like my crayons back, please. Click To Tweet

2.8 Chris Guillebeau – The Art of Nonconformity

About the Book: Chris Guillebeau has lived a pretty unconventional life, volunteering with Mercy Ships, founding a $100 startup, and visiting all 193 countries of the world by the age of 35. So, in a way, he has mastered the art of nonconformity. Based on his popular online manifesto, “A Brief Guide to World Domination,” this book shares what he learned throughout the process. And can help you learn not only how to set your own rules and live the life you want, but also how to change the world. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Unreasonable, unrealistic, and impractical are all words used to marginalize a person or idea that fails to conform with conventionally expected standards. Click To Tweet

2.9 Deepak Chopra – The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

About the Book: In the eyes of most people – yes, we’re looking at you, mums and dads – dreams are an antonym of reality. However, in the eyes of Deepak Chopra, reality and dreams are interconnected, and “the same laws that nature uses to create a forest, a star, or a human body can also bring about the fulfillment of our deepest desires.” A pocket-sized practical guide to the fulfillment of dreams, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, shares the whys and the hows; and it’s both motivating and enlightening. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
Favorite Quote:

The past is history, the future is a mystery, and this moment is a gift. That is why this moment is called ‘the present. Click To Tweet

2.10 Vishen Lakhiani – The Code of the Extraordinary Mind

About the Book: True, many books can claim to contain “10 Unconventional Laws to Redefine Your Life and Succeed on Your Own Terms,” but Vishen Lakhiani’s bestseller actually does. There’s a high chance that you’ve encountered upon none of them (at least in the form they are shared here) in any other book you’ve ever read. And yet, from law #1 (“transcend the culturescape”) through law #7 (“live in blissipline”) to law #9 (“be unf*ckwithable”) – they all make sense and are helpful! (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Click To Tweet

3. The “Power of Positive Thinking” Shelf

Science has repeatedly shown that glass-half-full people live longer and happier lives than the rest of, well, us. These books show why. And how you can become one of them.

3.1 James Allen – As a Man Thinketh

About the Book: Published more than a century ago, As a Man Thinketh is a literary essay by James Allen, one of the first which deals “with the power of thought, and particularly with the use and application of thought to happy and beautiful issues.” Described by Allen himself as “a book that will help you to help yourself,” As a Man Thinketh is one of the earliest self-help books; and it is still one of the best. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts. Click To Tweet

3.2 Norman Vincent Peale – The Power of Positive Thinking

About the Book: Even though published fifty years after James Allen’s masterpiece, The Power of Positive Thinking is usually credited as the book which started the “positive thinking” revolution. Justly so, bearing in mind the fact that it’s written in a simple, yet engaging, style, and that it compiles an extensive list of case histories to go with the practical instructions. A classic. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding. Hold this picture tenaciously. Never permit it to fade. Your mind will seek to develop the picture. Click To Tweet

3.3 Rhonda Byrne – The Secret

About the Book: Rhonda Byrne doesn’t hide the fact that The Secret is directly inspired by the ideas of Norman Vincent Peale – or those by Wallace Wattles (10.1), Napoleon Hill (3.8 & 10.2) or Helena Blavatsky. And, indeed, The Secret doesn’t offer any new insights. But it does explain the law of attraction in the simplest manner possible – which is why the book sold over 30 million copies and was translated into 50 world languages. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

The Secret
Favorite Quote:

The truth is that the universe has been answering you all of your life, but you cannot receive the answers unless you are awake. Click To Tweet

3.4 David Hooper – Ask, Believe, Receive

About the Book: Byrne’s The Secret may be inspired by Peale’s The Power of Positive Thinking, but Ask, Believe, Receive is a direct sequel to The Secret. Inspired by the fact that “The Secret exposed the world to the Law of Attraction in ways James Allen, Earl Nightingale, and others hadn’t,” David Hopper wrote this book to complement it with a practical guide. It is a “step-by-step formula, actually five of them, to help you achieve what you want in specific areas of your life – money, relationships, health, employment, and business.” In seven days. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

The Law of Attraction won’t enclose you in a cushy cocoon, so you never have to deal with problems again – but it can give you greater control over how many of those problems you experience. Click To Tweet

3.5 Brian Tracy – Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life

About the Book: A list of 101 best motivational books is bound to include quite a few Brian Tracy entries; after all, he is a powerhouse – if not the powerhouse – in the world of motivational speakers. In Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life, Tracy provides a step-by-step blueprint on how to transform your ways of thinking about yourself and your potential and, thus, change your life for the better. If not – for the best. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

The very best way to predict the future is to create it. Click To Tweet

3.6 Joseph Murphy – The Power of Your Subconscious Mind

About the Book: “I have endeavored to explain the great fundamental truths of your mind in the simplest language possible,” writes Joseph Murphy in the introduction to his ultra-popular The Power of Your Subconscious Mind. And he does. The result? The best book on the “miracle-working power of your subconscious mind” and its ability to “heal you of your sickness” and “make you vital and strong again. “ (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Busy your mind with the concepts of harmony, health, peace, and good will, and wonders will happen in your life. Click To Tweet

3.7 Louise L. Hay – You Can Heal Your Life

About the Book: Just like is the case with most of the books in this category, the premise of You Can Heal Your Life is quite simple: everything is connected, and you can use this to your own benefit. However, if the other books explore the links between your mind and the universe, Louisa L. Hay’s perennial bestseller is mainly focused on the interconnections between your mind and your body. The main takeaway: most diseases are actually mental diseases; and they can be cured via your mind. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

What we think about ourselves becomes the truth for us. Click To Tweet

3.8 Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone – Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude

About the Book: After the Second World War, the godfather of self-help books and New Thought guru, Napoleon Hill, teamed up with businessman and philanthropist W. Clement Stone. Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude is the final result of their collaboration. “These two men,” commented upon it none other than Norman Vincent Peale, “have the rare gift of inspiring and helping people… In fact, I owe them both a personal debt of gratitude for the helpful guidance I have received from their writings.” (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude
Favorite Quote:

Whatever your mind can conceive and can believe, it can achieve. Click To Tweet

3.9 M. Scott Peck – The Road Less Traveled

About the Book: It’s been half a century since The Road Less Traveled was first published, so it may be a bit difficult today to understand the spiritual impact this book exerted upon publication. Read it, and you’ll instantly see why it sold almost 10 million copies long before books of its kind became mainstays of the bestseller lists. Exploring the topics of discipline, love, religion, and grace, Peck’s book will etch in your mind such truisms as “laziness is the ultimate sin” and “love is not a feeling, but an action.” (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it. Click To Tweet

3.10 Eckhart Tolle – The Power of Now

About the Book: Translated into more than 30 languages and recommended by Oprah Winfrey on numerous occasions, The Power of Now is one of the best manuals you’ll ever find on how to conquer your ego and let go of your worries. A mixture of Buddhism, mysticism and New Age, Eckart Tolle’s masterpiece suggests that about nine-tenths of your anxieties come not from things which are happening, but of things which have happened or might happen. And this is something you can – and should – change. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

The Power of Now
Favorite Quote:

As soon as you honor the present moment, all unhappiness and struggle to dissolve, and life begins to flow with joy and ease. Click To Tweet

4. The “You Are a Badass” Shelf

As the story itself demonstrates, there’s a Goliath in every David; in other words: it’s all in the state of mind. The biblical David had God as his guide; we are positive that these ten great motivators can serve the same purpose in your transformation from a David to a Goliath.

4.1 Brené Brown – Rising Strong

About the Book: In the world of motivational thinkers, Brené Brown is all but a legend. And Rising Strong is her call for “a critical mass of badasses who are willing to dare, fall, feel their way through tough emotion, and rise again.” And the rising process she suggests is a simple 3R procedure. First, you reckon with your emotions; then you rumble with your stories; and, finally, you revolutionize your existence. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

The truth is that falling hurts. The dare is to keep being brave and feel your way back up. Click To Tweet

4.2 Jen Sincero – You Are a Badass

About the Book: Hilarious and inspiring, You Are a Badass is the debut book of Jen Sincero, a motivational coach who has helped numerous people worldwide transform their lives and finally experience happiness. It is a 250-page tour-de-force of inspiration, shared out in 5 parts and 27 chapters. Through quite a few inspiring stories, wise advices, and simple exercises, Sincero goes on a mission to teach you “how you got this way,” “how to embrace your inner badass,” “how to tap into the motherlode,” and “how to get over your b.s. already.” You know, the lot which will help you learn “how to kick some ass.” (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

If you’re serious about changing your life, you’ll find a way. If you’re not, you’ll find an excuse. Click To Tweet

4.3 Angela Duckworth – Grit

About the Book: Angela Duckworth is University of Pennsylvania’s Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Psychology and a 2013 MacArthur Genius Fellowship awardee. So, it’s safe to say she knows some things about human nature. In her debut, Grit, she claims that talent is only one part of the equation for success. Moreover, that it may even be the least important part. As she repeatedly shows in this great book, the ones who succeed are rarely the ones who are the best. It’s the ones who are the grittiest. Or, to clarify that a bit, the ones with the passion and the perseverance to succeed. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Grit
Favorite Quote:

With effort, talent becomes skill and, at the very same time, effort makes skill productive. Click To Tweet

4.4 Brian Tracy – The Power of Self-Confidence

About the Book: Oftentimes, average players can become great overnight; the only thing that’s changed in the meantime: their confidence. Brian Tracy’s book shows the extent to which self-confidence is the secret ingredient to success; and teaches you how you can attain it so that you can become unstoppable, irresistible, and unafraid in every area of your life. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

What one great thing would you dare to dream if you knew you could not fail? Click To Tweet

4.5 Rachel Hollis – Girl, Wash Your Face

About the Book: It’s not you: nobody has life figured out. Rachel Hollis, for example, has four children, owns an ultra-popular blog, and is the CCO of a company she has founded. How does she do it? Well, actually, she doesn’t: she has merely let the chaos of her life spur her onwards. In Girl, Wash Your Face she shares the tips and tricks. Oh, yes: if the title wasn’t a giveaway, guys, turn away – this one’s for the girls only. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

You, and only you, are ultimately responsible for who you become and how happy you are. Click To Tweet

4.6 Shonda Rhimes – Year of Yes

About the Book: Among other things, Shonda Rhimes was the creative force behind one of the most popular TV shows ever: Grey’s Anatomy. She was also a workaholic with barely a minute to spare on her three children or dearest friends. That all changed in 2015, her “Year of Yes.” This book chronicles her experiences of that year; and can certainly inspire you to do something and start creating some of your own. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Happiness comes from living as you need to, as you want to. As your inner voice tells you to. Happiness comes from being who you actually are instead of who you think you are supposed to be. Click To Tweet

4.7 James Altucher – Choose Yourself

About the Book: Rife with insightful interviews and astute life lessons, Choose Yourself is one of the best self-improvement and motivational books you’ll ever read. The basic premise is (once again) quite simple (just see the title), but the way it’s related and the sheer force of the arguments is compelling. Because, as Altucher says, if there ever was a time in history when you could choose yourself – that time is today. Make the most of it. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Forget purpose. It’s okay to be happy without one. The quest for a single purpose has ruined many lives. Click To Tweet

4.8 Tony Robbins – Awaken the Giant Within

About the Book: Tony Robbins is a motivational powerhouse. In fact, just seeing him or hearing him talk is enough for one to realize that he’s all kinds of a powerhouse. Awaken the Giant Within, a massive 600-page book, is perhaps his still best-known and best-loved work. As you’ll find out in it, getting rid of your old limiting belief systems is a painful process; but if there’s someone who can inspire you to endure the pain necessary to develop an empowering belief system, well, Robbins is your guy. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Awaken the Giant Within
Favorite Quote:

I truly believe we all have a sleeping giant within us. Click To Tweet

4.9 Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton – Now, Discover Your Strengths

About the Book: As its title suggests, Now, Discover Your Strengths is a sequel to Buckingham’s debut, First, Break All the Rules, with the sole aim to help you – and we do mean you – realize your innate potential. It does this via the Internet-based StrengthsFinder Profile, based on a multimillion-dollar 25-year-long study. Once you buy the book, you’ll discover your unique number to use the program. And after going through the internet analysis and discovering your strengths, you are advised to come back to the book and find the best way to use them. Very unique, Now, Discover Your Strengths is not only groundbreaking but also an extremely useful book. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

If you stop investigating yourself for fear of how little you might find, you miss the wonder of your strengths. Click To Tweet

4.10 Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica – Finding Your Element

About the Book: If you don’t know who Ken Robinson is, then there’s a high chance that you don’t know what TED is either; because Robinson’s 2006 speech, “Do Schools Kill Creativity” is by far the most viewed TED Talk of all time. Finding Your Element builds upon that speech and its prequel-book (The Element), which taught us that the Element is the point at which “natural aptitude meets personal passion.” Here you’ll learn how to discover it and transform your life. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Finding your Element is vital to understanding who you are and what you’re capable of being and doing with your life. Click To Tweet

5. The “Great Lecture” Shelf

Regardless of who you are or who you’ll become, a large part of it (for better or for worse) will always be the aftereffect of your professors’ lectures. We can only wish that some of them looked like these ten.

5.1 Elbert Hubbard – A Message to Garcia

About the Book: On February 22, 1899, Elbert Hubbard, an American philosopher and publisher, was irked by a lazy worker. That very night, he wrote this 32-page essay in an attempt to expose “the imbecility of the average man” and his “inability or unwillingness to concentrate on a thing and do it.” His starting point for comparison: a certain soldier named Andrew S. Rowan, who, just prior to the Spanish–American War, was tasked with carrying a message from President William McKinley to the Cuban insurgents’ leader, Gen. Calixto García, “somewhere in the mountain vastness of Cuba—no one knew where.” Hubbard’s main point: Rowan asked no questions; he just took the message and delivered it. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

The hero is the man who does the work. Click To Tweet

5.2 David Foster Wallace – This Is Water

About the Book: Due to his problems with depression and anxiety, David Foster Wallace lived a famously secluded life. In fact – and unfortunately – the only public speech he ever gave in his life was the commencement speech delivered on May 21, 2005 to the graduating class at Kenyon College. An unforgettable lecture on awareness and empathy, the speech was published in a slightly extended version as this book in 2009, a year after Wallace decided to end his life. Regardless of whether you’ll listen to the speech or read the book, Wallace’s messages will most certainly remain with you for many years to come. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book | Listen to the speech)

Favorite Quote:

You get to consciously decide what has meaning and what doesn’t. You get to decide what to worship. Click To Tweet

5.3 J.K. Rowling – Harvard Commencement Speech

About the Book: Back in 1994, J. K. Rowling was a single mother of one, diagnosed with clinical depression and as “poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless.” A year later, 12 publishing houses rejected her manuscript of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Today, she is one of the bestselling authors in history. In her 2008 Harvard Commencement Speech Rowling looks back at it all and shares the two lectures she wishes she had been taught at university: the importance of imagination and the usefulness of failure. (Read a brief summary of the speech | Watch the speech)

Favorite Quote:

It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case, you fail by default. Click To Tweet

5.4 Atul Gawande – Want to Get Great at Something? Get a Coach

About the Book: Atul Gawande is an exceptional American surgeon and public health professor. In this TED2017 speech, he explains that, regardless of his level of expertise, he still needs a coach to get better – or at least not to regress. Athletes have been aware of this fact ever since the beginnings of sport. Even a Michael Jordan or a Garry Kasparov needs a coach. Doesn’t that mean, by implication, that we all do? (Read a brief summary of the speech | Watch the speech)

Favorite Quote:

Great coaches…are your external eyes and ears, providing a more accurate picture of your reality. Click To Tweet

5.5 Susan David – The Gift and Power of Emotional Courage

About the Book: There are objective facts and events; and, then, there are also our emotional reactions to them. It is the latter which actually shape our lives, everything from our health through our relationships and careers to the genuineness of our happiness and contentment. That’s why it’s exceptionally important to develop emotional flexibility; and Susan David’s speech will tell you how you can achieve that. (Read a brief summary of the speech | Watch the speech)

Favorite Quote:

Diversity isn’t just people; it’s also what’s inside people, including diversity of emotion. Click To Tweet

5.6 William H. McRaven – Make Your Bed

About the Book: The title of this book is the first of Admiral William H. McRaven’s ten life lessons. It’s a different way of saying “start your day with a task completed.” The other nine are the following ones: you can’t go it alone; only the size of your heart matters; life’s not fair – drive on; failure can make you stronger; you must dare greatly; stand up to the bullies; rise to the occasion; give people hope; and never, ever quit. Funny and inspiring, McRaven has a host of personal anecdotes to illuminate each of these suggestions; and to inspire you to dare greatly. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book | Watch the speech)

Favorite Quote:

Without pushing your limits, without occasionally sliding down the rope headfirst, without daring greatly, you will never know what is truly possible in your life. Click To Tweet

5.7 Tapiwa Chiwewe – You Don’t Have to Be an Expert to Solve Big Problems

About the Book: “Even if you’re not an expert in a particular domain,” says Tapiwa Chiwewe in this endlessly unassuming and infinitely inspiring speech, “your outside expertise may hold the key to solving big problems within that domain.” In his case, it was his background in computer engineering that helped him solve an ecological problem. What will the combination be in your case? The combinations are endless. And that’s the point. (Read a brief summary of the speech | Watch the speech)

Favorite Quote:

Sometimes just one fresh perspective, one new skill set, can make the conditions right for something remarkable to happen. Click To Tweet

5.8 Amy Cuddy – Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are

About the Book: The second most watched TED Talk in history, Amy Cuddy’s Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are can be summed up in a single sentence: strike a “power pose” (think Wonder Woman) and your body will start releasing hormones to boost your feelings of confidence. In other words, regardless of whether you’re actually confident or not – you can trick your body to trick your mind that you are. (Read a brief summary of the speech | Read some Amy Cuddy quotes | Watch the speech)

Favorite Quote:

Don’t fake it till you make it. Fake it till you become it...Do it enough until you actually become it and internalize it. Click To Tweet

5.9 Mitch Albom – Tuesdays with Morrie

About the Book: Morrie Schwartz, a sociology professor, was Mitch Albom’s favorite teacher at Brandeis. However, even though he had promised him the opposite at his graduation day in 1979, Mitch (now a nation-famous sportswriter) had not corresponded with Morrie for the next 16 years. And then he learned from an interview with Schwartz on the TV show Nightline that his university professor is dying from ALS. He called him immediately and for the next fourteen weeks, Mitch Albom spent every Tuesday with Morrie Schwartz. This book describes their discussions, covering everything from family to religion to the meaning of life. And it’s everything you’d expect it to be: poignant, heartbreaking, life-changing. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

The truth is, once you learn how to die, you learn how to live. Click To Tweet

5.10 Randy Pausch – The Last Lecture

About the Book: What if you suddenly find out that you have barely a few months left to live on this planet? We know what you’re thinking: there are so many things I’d do, so many dreams I have yet to achieve. Well, what’s stopping you now? In a nutshell, that’s the question Randy Pausch thinks is the most important one you can ask yourself. And the question he tried to answer in a poignant and inspiring one-hour talk, which he gave before a packed audience, merely 8 months before he passed away. This book grew out of that talk. And it’s so wonderful that we can honestly say to you this: if Pausch can’t motivate you to start achieving your dreams today, well, we don’t know who can. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book | Watch the speech)

Favorite Quote:

We cannot change the cards we are dealt; just how we play the hand. Click To Tweet

6. The “Why Would You Give a Damn” Shelf

You know what? You worry about too many trivial things in your life. And that’s what stopping you from being happy. Here are ten books which can teach you how to give less damn about, well, almost everything.

6.1 Dale Carnegie – How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

About the Book: Published in 1948, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie – the godfather of self-improvement – is widely considered a self-help classic and one of the best books on the topic ever written. Carnegie wrote it because, in his own words, he “was one of the unhappiest lads in New York.” And these are the time-tested methods which helped him recognize and overcome his worries. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Nobody is so miserable as he who longs to be somebody and something other than the person he is in body and mind. Click To Tweet

6.2 Mark Manson – The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck*

About the Book: Mark Manson is not a guy who’ll ever try to sugarcoat his words or his messages. And, albeit The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck cites quite a few academic studies, very early on you get the feel that this book is the best (unsubtle) proponent of the message he’s trying to relate to his readers. Namely, that life is unfair and that no matter how much you try to make it right, it will certainly find a way to hit you with a hammer at the least convenient moment. Your job is to find a way to absorb the blow. And not giving a damn about 99% of the things you are – is the best way to do it. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Favorite Quote:

Who you are is defined by what you’re willing to struggle for. Click To Tweet

6.3 Richard Carlson – Don’t Sweat Over the Small Stuff… and It’s All Small Stuff

About the Book: Profoundly believing that “stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness,” Richard Carlson — a renowned psychotherapist and motivational speaker — spent almost all of his (unfortunately short) life studying the ways to overcome it. And the trademark-titled Don’t Sweat Over the Small Stuff is his best-known book on the subject. It shows marvelously how important is to simply calm down and chill out in life. True, the idea is simple, but so is Carlson’s style. Which makes both for an enjoyable and an inspiring read. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

We deny the parts of ourselves that we deem unacceptable rather than accepting the fact that we're all less than perfect. Click To Tweet

6.4 Sarah Knight – The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fck*

About the Book: “The life-changing magic of not giving a f*ck,” writes Sarah Knight in this “practical parody” of Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, “is all about prioritizing. Joy over annoy. Choice over obligation. Opinions vs. feelings.” Hilarious and stimulating, Sarah Knight’s profane language, coupled with her blunt honesty, will teach you “how to stop spending time you don’t have with people you don’t like doing things you don’t want to do.” Don’t like it? Well, Knight couldn’t care less about it. It’s there on the first page: this is “a no f*cks given guide.” (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

I call it the NotSorry Method. It has two steps: 1. Deciding what you don’t give a f*ck about; and 2. Not giving a f*ck about those things. Click To Tweet

6.5 Ryan Holiday – Ego Is the Enemy

About the Book: At first glance, the title of this book says it all. What it doesn’t say, however, is that Ryan Holiday is a modern-day Stoic (see 2.6) and that, for him, ego is not merely a clinical term in Freudian theory, but a word to describe “an unhealthy belief in your own importance.” And this belief is something you must get rid of, Holiday says, going over a host of killing-the-ego-related positive anecdotes – as well as cautionary tales – to make his point. Some of the great historical and contemporary figures mentioned in his book are George Marshall, Christopher McCandless, Jackie Robinson, Eleanor Roosevelt, as well as Larry Page, Paul Graham, and Steve Jobs. See why. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Ego Is the Enemy
Favorite Quote:

Be lesser, do more. Imagine if, for every person you met, you thought of some way to help them, something you could do for them? And you looked at it in a way that entirely benefited them and not you. Click To Tweet

6.6 Timothy Ferriss – The 4-Hour Workweek

About the Book: Before he became the world-famous entrepreneur that he is today, Timothy Ferriss was not much different from you; in other words: he worked about two-thirds of the day – and slept away the last one. There must be more to life – he thought to himself one day while on a 3-week sabbatical to Europe. And that’s when he stopped checking email and started outsourcing assignments. The result? Well, see the title. If that seems like a stretch, we guarantee you at least this: stick to Ferriss’ advice and you will at least undoubtedly escape the boring 9-5 lifestyle that’s draining all of your energy. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

The 4 Hour Workweek
Favorite Quote:

Doing less meaningless work, so that you can focus on things of greater personal importance, is not laziness. Click To Tweet

6.7 Sherry Argov – Why Men Love Bitches

About the Book: A practical “from doormat to dreamgirl” guide for women, Why Men Love Bitches answers the rhetorical question from the title in an example-rich and emphatic fashion. We’ll let Argov’s definition of what being a bitch actually means give you a taste of what to expect from this brilliant New York Times bestseller: “A woman who won’t bang her head against the wall obsessing over someone else’s opinion – be it a man or anyone else in her life. She understands that if someone does not approve of her, it’s just one person’s opinion; therefore, it’s of no real importance. She doesn’t try to live up to anyone else’s standards – only her own. Because of this, she relates to a man very differently.” (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Be an independent thinker at all times, and ignore anyone who attempts to define you in a limiting way. Click To Tweet

6.8 Susie Moore – What If It Does Work Out?

About the Book: If you’re anything like us, the first question you ask yourself every time you come up with an idea for something big is “what if it doesn’t work out?” Well, it’s time for a why-worries paradigm shift: in What If It Does Work Out? Susie Moore takes you on a step-by-step journey of how to transform your side hustle into cash; and, by way of proxy, your mediocre present of whys and what-ifs into a bright future of passion and fulfillment. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

You are not your job. You are much bigger than and not restricted by whatever your job title says you are – even if you love your current career. Click To Tweet

6.9 Brené Brown – Braving the Wilderness

About the Book: In the words of Joseph Campbell (see 1.8): “if you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it’s not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take. That’s why it’s your path.” So, “stop walking through the world looking for a confirmation that you don’t belong,” Brené Brown joins in (see 4.1). “The truth about who we are lives in our hearts. Our call to courage is to protect our wild heart against constant evaluation, especially our own. No one belongs here more than you.” And no one can teach you to stop worrying about the world and brave the wilderness inside you better than Brown. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

I have started to believe that crying with strangers in person could save the world. Click To Tweet

6.10 Pema Chödrön – When Things Fall Apart

About the Book: Almost any book illuminating the principles of Tibetan Buddhism can teach you to worry less and accept more. This one – one of our favorites – is written by a Berkeley-educated disciple of that crazy sage, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche; and abounds with piercingly beautiful pieces of counterintuitive “heart advice for difficult times.” The bottom line: you can overcome any pain by embracing it; and Pema Chödrön has a knack for choosing the right words in teaching you how. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

The most difficult times for many of us are the ones we give ourselves. Click To Tweet

7. The “Fables and Fiction” Shelf

“I give you the truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion,” informs us Tom Wingfield at the beginning of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie. And that’s what great fiction always does; and that’s why you can learn more about real life from these ten fictional stories than you can from, well, real life itself.

7.1 Plato – Allegory of the Cave

About the Book: Imagine a group of prisoners incarcerated in a cave and chained in such a manner that they are merely facing a blank wall; and on the wall: nothing but shadowy projections of people and things passing in front of a fire burning behind them. And yet, since they can perceive nothing else, the shadows are what constitutes reality for these prisoners. According to Plato, in this unforgettable excerpt from The Republic, it is the job of the philosopher to break away from the chains and inspire others to see that there’s more to reality than mere projections; and it is a job he did flawlessly. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Anyone who has common sense will remember that the bewilderments of the eyes are of two kinds, and arise from two causes, either from coming out of the light or from going into the light. Click To Tweet

7.2 Paulo Coelho – The Alchemist

About the Book: Inspired by an old folktale (search for the Peddler of Swaffham), Paulo Coelho’s most-celebrated book, The Alchemist, follows the journey of a young shepherd named Santiago, from the pastures of Andalusia to the pyramids of Egypt – and back again. The reason for this journey: a recurring dream which promises the poor boy treasure. In the end, he finds it; but it’s not where he expected it to be; and, moreover, it’s not what he expected it to be. Oh, just when will they finally release that Idris Elba-starring movie adaptation? (Read a brief summary of the book | Read the best quotes from the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. Click To Tweet

7.3 Og Mandino – The Greatest Salesman in the World

About the Book: According to Norman Vincent Peale (see 3.2), The Greatest Salesman in the World is “one of the most inspiring, uplifting, and motivating books” in existence; and, according to Matthew McConaughey, it profoundly changed his life. A parable set in the last years of the first century before Christ, this tiny booklet weaves mythology and practical tips in a way which makes life much more graspable and the act of selling (in the words of Daniel H. Pink) an inherently human – and humane – endeavor. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Click To Tweet

7.4 Robin Sharma – The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

About the Book: In a novelistic fashion, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari retells the story of Robin Sharma’s actual real-life transformation. A motivational fable, it is presented in the form of a conversation between two friends, Julian and John, during which the first one, a successful trial lawyer, recounts to the second one how he sold his Ferrari and his holiday home after suffering a heart attack. And how that decision was the best in his life, because it funded a Himalayan journey which, ultimately, changed his whole perception about himself – and life itself. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Life has bigger plans for you than you can possibly know. Click To Tweet

7.5 Spencer Johnson – Who Moved My Cheese?

About the Book: A very short 32-page barely illustrated story, Who Moved My Cheese? tells the story of two mice (Sniff and Scurry) and two little people (Hem and Haw). They live in a maze and are in a constant pursuit for cheese. After they find a whole bunch of it, the little people seem quite content with the discovery, while the mice are already thinking about the day they’ll have none. Sure enough, that day comes. And the little people have no choice but to learn how to deal with the scarcity of food. One of them deals with it better. And tries to motivate the other. And, much more importantly, by way of proxy, you. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

If you do not change, you can become extinct. Click To Tweet

7.6 Richard Bach – Jonathan Livingston Seagull

About the Book: What can a story about an outcast seagull who prefers mastering the art of flying to, well, eating, tell you about how you should live your life? Surprisingly: a lot. It is not for nothing that the book is dedicated to “the real Jonathan Seagull, who lives within us all.” Critically acclaimed Fahrenheit 451 author Ray Bradbury once wrote that Richard Bach “does two things: he gives me Flight. He makes me Young. For both, I am deeply grateful.” We are too, Ray, we are too. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Overcome space, and all we have left is Here. Overcome time, and all we have left is Now. Click To Tweet

7.7 Hermann Hesse – Siddhartha

About the Book: Profoundly influenced by Western (Jungian) psychoanalysis and Eastern (Buddhist) philosophy and written in the simplest and most lyrical of styles, Siddhartha is one of the all-time classic novels of self-discovery and enlightenment. Siddhartha, a contemporary of the Buddha, experiences everything from the silence of asceticism through the pleasures of sex to the emptiness of loss – only to ultimately realize that life is actually what happens deep within ourselves. Let Hermann Hesse guide you on this very same path through the pages of this absolutely mesmerizing book. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

We are not going in circles, we are going upwards. The path is a spiral; we have already climbed many steps. Click To Tweet

7.8 Henry David Thoreau – Walden

About the Book: Remember how John Keating motivated his students in Dead Poets Society? Well, this is the book he used to do that. And if you want to “live deep and suck out all the marrow of life” – it is certainly the book you should read as soon as possible! (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. Click To Tweet

7.9 Ernest Hemingway – The Old Man and the Sea

About the Book: Ernest Hemingway had written quite a few immense novels adored by literary critics before he penned The Old Man and the Sea in 1951 in Cuba, but it seems that both the Nobel Prize Committee and the general public of the world really made note of him as a writer because of this novella. A story about a Cuban fisherman and his exhausting fight with a 5.5-meter-long marlin and quite a few hungry sharks, The Old Man and the Sea reads as something even more than an unforgettable allegory: a modern myth. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Man is not made for defeat… A man can be destroyed but not defeated. Click To Tweet

7.10 Mitch Albom – The Five People You Meet in Heaven

About the Book: Killed in an amusement park accident while trying to save a little girl from a falling cart, 83-year-old Eddie awakes uninjured in heaven. He is afterward taken on a journey through all five levels of it, meeting, at each step, a person whose life had been interrelated with his own while on earth. A timeless tale, The Five People You Meet in Heaven is as profound and as moving read as Tuesdays with Morrie (see 5.9); and at least as life-altering. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

We are all connected. You can no more separate one life from another than you can separate a breeze from the wind. Click To Tweet

8. The “Inspirational Biographies” Shelf

Some lives can be just as inspiring as any book or movie; the least they deserve is to be put on paper or adapted for the big screen. Here are our ten choices.

8.1 Viktor Frankl – Man’s Search for Meaning

About the Book: Voted one of the ten most influential books in the United States, Man’s Search for Meaning is a once-in-a-lifetime life-changing book. Written by Viktor Frankl, an Auschwitz survivor, the book is not merely a haunting memoir of his soul-crushing experiences in the concentration camp (something which would have been enough to earn this book a place on this list in itself), but it also introduces a psychotherapeutic method which has helped numerous people around the world to overcome any kind of difficulty in their own lives. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Man’s Search for Meaning
Favorite Quote:

So live as if you were living already for the second time and as if you had acted the first time as wrongly as you are about to act now! Click To Tweet

8.2 Anna Frank – The Diary of a Young Girl

About the Book: Here’s another memoir straight from the depths of despair and the abysses of human evil. Arguably the most famous among many written against the background of the horrors of the Holocaust, Anne Frank’s Diary chronicles the last two years of her prematurely ended life. However, what has really made this book “one of the most enduring documents” of the 20th century is Anne Frank’s “triumphant humanity in the face of unfathomable deprivation and fear.” (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

It's really a wonder that I haven't dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them because, in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart. Click To Tweet

8.3 Dave Eggers – What Is the What

About the Book: What is the What is subtitled “The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng” which may even sound a bit strange if you don’t know Dave Eggers’ aptitude for combining fiction and non-fiction to create unforgettably imaginative novels firmly rooted in reality. Yes, that means that Valentino Achak Deng is a real person and that Dave Eggers is essentially writing his story in his place. And what a story it is! One of the Lost Boys of Sudan, battling being orphaned, starvation, soldiers and lions (yes, lions!) only to finally be offered a new life in the United States and end up discriminated. Remind us, Primo Levi: what does it mean to be a human? (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Humans are divided between those who can still look through the eyes of youth and those who cannot.” Click To Tweet

8.4 Paul Kalanithi – When Breath Becomes Air

About the Book: Paul Kalanithi was an Indian-American neurosurgeon with an MA in Literature and a bright future ahead of him when he was diagnosed with metastatic stage IV lung cancer. He passed away two years later, a month shy of his 38th birthday. Behind him he left a loving wife, a newborn daughter and a thought-provoking book which will undoubtedly enthuse you with a new-found love for life; whilst, expectedly, bringing quite a few tears to your eyes. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Even if I’m dying, until I actually die, I am still living. Click To Tweet

8.5 Laura Hillenbrand – Unbroken

About the Book: Adapted in a 2014 Angelina Jolie-directed movie, Unbroken tells the story of Louis “Louie” Zamperini, the youngest US Olympian in history and a World War II hero. After suffering a plane crash, Zamperini survived 46 days drifting in the ocean before landing on the occupied Marshall Islands and ending up a Japanese prisoner of war. And he overcame everything to die peacefully in the 97th year of his life. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

A lifetime of glory is worth a moment of pain. Click To Tweet

8.6 Jeannette Walls – The Glass House

About the Book: Back in 1963, Jeannette Walls set herself on fire while trying to cook herself some hot dogs on the stovetop because her mother was too busy painting to bother making her lunch. The most frightening part of that story: she was merely three years old. Still under the impression that you had a bad childhood? Walls’ remarkable memoir, The Glass House, is here to shatter for you that impression, all the while redefining the meaning of some words such as “family” and “love.” (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Things usually work out in the end.’ ‘What if they don't?’ ‘That just means you haven't come to the end yet. Click To Tweet

8.7 Nelson Mandela – Long Walk to Freedom

About the Book: “Do not judge me by my success,” said Nelson Mandela once. “Judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” Long Walk to Freedom, his autobiography which served as the basis of the similarly titled 2013 movie adaptation, documents all of his pre-1994 falls and, more importantly, ascends. History has already judged them; by taking a bow. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but it's lowest ones. Click To Tweet

8.8 Dan Millman – Way of the Peaceful Warrior

About the Book: Based upon the author’s early life, Dan Millman’s Way of the Peaceful Warrior tells the story of the life-changing meeting between a hurt world champion gymnast and a powerful old warrior/gas station attendant nicknamed Socrates. It may sound stranger than fiction, and yet, it’s all but. The 2007 movie adaptation was dubbed “Rocky for the soul,” and Eckhart Tolle (see 3.10) praised it with the words: “Watch it and be transformed.” Let us paraphrase him: read the book and change your outlook on life. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

The secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new. Click To Tweet

8.9 Phil Knight – Shoe Dog

About the Book: Phil Knight is currently worth more than $30 billion; and yet, just fifty years ago, he was basically a penniless entrepreneur with a risky idea. Namely, to strike an exclusive deal for the US distribution rights of the Tiger shoes with the Japanese Onitsuka company by presenting himself as a representative of Blue Ribbon Sports. The trick is: Onitsuka is a giant, and Blue Ribbon Sports is located in Knight’s parents’ house and has only him as the sole employee. Shoe Dog tells the rest of the story. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Shoe Dog
Favorite Quote:

Let everyone else call your idea crazy... just keep going. Don’t stop. Don’t even think about stopping until you get there, and don’t give much thought to where ‘there’ is. Whatever comes, just don’t stop. Click To Tweet

8.10 Richard Branson – Losing My Virginity

About the Book: If not the favorite, Richard Branson is certainly the most colorful and least boring of all great entrepreneurs (Elon Musk comes close second). Judging by the quote below, you can easily guess why. Losing My Virginity is the first part of his autobiography – and it’s as outrageous and inspiring as you would expect! (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

I can honestly say that I have never gone into any business purely to make money. If that is the sole motive, then I believe you are better off not doing it. A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative… Click To Tweet

9. The “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” Shelf

According to most philosophers, happiness is the ultimate goal of human life; in fact, according to Aristotle, it is the only thing human beings desire for its own sake. But should it be? Find out with some of the most motivational books on the subject of happiness ever written.

9.1 Daniel Gilbert – Stumbling on Happiness

About the Book: “If you have even the slightest curiosity about the human condition,” writes Malcolm Gladwell (see 1.7), “you ought to read this book.” And you really should! Written by a Harvard psychologist, it is witty and engaging, wide-ranging and thoroughly researched. Not to mention it answers some of the most troublesome questions of your life! Like, for example, why does the grocery store line slow down the very moment you join it? (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

If you are like most people, then like most people, you don't know you're like most people. Click To Tweet

9.2 Gretchen Rubin – The Happiness Project

About the Book: If there’s one thing that Gretchen Rubin is famous for – other than long, long subtitles – is her interest in all topics happiness-related. In this case, she explains why she spent a year trying to sing in the morning, clean her closets, fight right, read Aristotle, and generally have more fun. And how that all worked out. By the way, the project had a sequel in Happier at Home which was all about kissing more, jumping more, abandoning a project, reading Samuel Johnson – and some other experiments in the practice of everyday life. So be sure to check that one as well! (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy. One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself. Click To Tweet

9.3 Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler – The Art of Happiness

About the Book: Who better to tell you how you should live a happy and worry-free life than the man a large part of the world population considers the most enlightened human being currently treading the earth? In The Art of Happiness, His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, shares his simple philosophy on the art of happiness – all the while providing you with a multipurpose handbook for living. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. Click To Tweet

9.4 Sonja Lyubomirsky – The How of Happiness

About the Book: It’s easy to experience a moment of happiness; what’s difficult is sustaining it for the long run. The How of Happiness by Russian-born American psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky – justly advertised as “a scientific approach to getting the life you want” – is focused on this letter part of the equation. And for a reason: according to studies, 40% of your happiness depends on your intentional activities and only 10% on the circumstances. True, the other half is genetically determined, but look at it this way: even in the worst-case scenario, you’re responsible for at least half of your own happiness. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

People have a remarkable capacity to become inured to any positive changes in their lives. Click To Tweet

9.5 Richard Layard – Happiness

About the Book: One of the preeminent economists of happiness today, Richard Layard has been fascinated for most of his life with something called the Easterlin paradox. Namely, it seems that people’s happiness depends on their income only until a certain point – after which, money has no effect whatsoever on their wellbeing. The interesting thing: the paradox is as factual as Napoleon’s date of birth. Richer societies? Oh, no – says Layard in Happiness. We need to strive for happier societies. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

The more television people watch, the more they overestimate the affluence of other people. And the lower they rate their own relative income. The result is that they are less happy. Click To Tweet

9.6 Neil Pasricha – The Happiness Equation

About the Book: In the words of Susan Cain, author of Quiet, Dale Carnegie (see 6.1) was last century, Stephen Covey was last decade, but Neil Pasricha is what’s now. And after earning himself a name with The Book of Awesome series and giving one of the most inspiring TED Talks ever (“The 3 A’s of Awesome”), Pasricha is back again with the simplest of all happiness equations: want nothing + do anything = have everything. Believe it or not – it is not a contradiction in terms. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Motivation doesn't cause action. An action causes motivation. Click To Tweet

9.7 Jonathan Haidt – The Happiness Hypothesis

About the Book: In The Happiness Hypothesis, award-winning psychologist Jonathan Haidt examines – in as many chapters (not counting the conclusion) – ten ancient ideas about what it means to be happy; and he extracts the most applicable parts of them all. The main metaphor he uses – that of the dichotomy between the rider (the conscious mind) and the elephant (the unconscious mind) – has been reused by many authors during the last decade – the finest evidence in favor of the popularity and significance of this book. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Love and work are to people what water and sunshine are to plants. Click To Tweet

9.8 Shawn Achor – The Happiness Advantage

About the Book: An advocate of positive psychology, Shawn Achor is a Harvard-educated researcher in happiness and the presenter of one of the most popular TED Talks on the platform, “The Happy Secret to Better Work.” And someone whose books would fit just as nicely on our third shelf. Because his main thesis is that it isn’t success which brings happiness, but, the other way around: it’s happiness which brings success. His seven principles of positive psychology are as thought-provoking as funny-named. And we bet you want to immediately find out what does “Tetris effect” and “Zorro Circle” stand for. Please do. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

We tend to miss what we’re not looking for. Click To Tweet

9.9 Meik Wiking – The Little Book of Hygge

About the Book: According to almost every study ever conducted, Denmark is the happiest country in the world. According to Meik Wiking – who is the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen and is, of course, Danish – this is because the Danish have mastered the art of hygge. Wikipedia defines it as a “mood of coziness and comfortable conviviality with feelings of wellness and contentment;” Wiking has the details. And a bunch of practical tips. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Happiness consists more in small conveniences or pleasures that occur every day, than in great pieces of good fortune that happens but seldom.” Click To Tweet

9.10 David D. Burns – Feeling Good

About the Book: As we told you in 9.4 above, about half of happiness is genetically determined; which means that there are numerous people on this planet who are, simply put, almost incapable of being happy. Most of them suffer from depression. David D. Burns’ Feeling Good is specifically written for them. Drawing on the ancient philosophy of Stoicism (see 2.6), Burns provides readers with a problem-focused and action-oriented mood treatment which actually and undoubtedly helps. It is called cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and it is widely believed to be as effective as psychoactive medications. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Your thoughts create your emotions; therefore, your emotions cannot prove that your thoughts are accurate. Click To Tweet

10. The “Show Me the Money” Shelf

As hinted in 9.5 above, money can’t buy you happiness; but, as Clare Boothe Luce, once quipped, “it can make you awfully comfortable while you’re being miserable.” Need some motivation to start earning? Then have a look at these ten books!

10.1 Wallace D. Wattles – The Science of Getting Rich

About the Book: The book which directly inspired Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret (see 3.3), The Science of Getting Rich is a century-old classic on the subject of wealth attraction. “There is no reason for worry about financial affairs,” claims Wattles. “Every person who wills to do so may rise above his want, have all he needs, and become rich.” Just follow Wattles’ rules, and you will become rich; with – and this is a direct quote – “mathematical certainty.” (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

The very best thing you can do for the whole world is to make the most of yourself. Click To Tweet

10.2 Napoleon Hill – Think and Grow Rich

About the Book: Written in 1937, Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich is the ultimate classic in the genre. Inspired by a suggestion from none other than Andrew Carnegie – at the time the richest man in the world – the book lays out the 13 principles of the Philosophy of Achievement: desire, faith, autosuggestion; specialized knowledge; imagination; organized planning; decision; persistence; power of the mastermind; the mystery of sex transmutation; the subconscious mind; the brain; the sixth sense. It’s difficult to argue with any of them. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Think and Grow Rich
Favorite Quote:

One of the main weaknesses of mankind is the average person’s familiarity with the word ‘impossible. Click To Tweet

10.3 George S. Clason – The Richest Man in Babylon

About the Book: Advertised as “the most inspiring book on wealth ever written,” The Richest Man in Babylon is yet another of the undisputable all-time self-help classics. Just like Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount, George Samuel Clason imparts his wisdom and knowledge through a collection of parables set in ancient Babylon. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

It costs nothing to ask wise advice from a good friend. Click To Tweet

10.4 Robert T. Kiyosaki – Rich Dad Poor Dad

About the Book: Just like Clason’s classic, Robert T. Kiyosaki’s bestseller – according to many lists, the #1 personal finance book of all times – is also written in a simple style abounding in immediately comprehensible parables. Its wisdom boils down to something that should be a truism: you can’t become rich without a proper education; and your school doesn’t provide it; neither your proper-education-bereaved poor or middle-class family. Let Kiyosaki. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Rich Dad Poor Dad
Favorite Quote:

Winners are not afraid of losing. But losers are. Failure is part of the process of success. People who avoid failure also avoid success. Click To Tweet

10.5 Tony Robbins – MONEY Master the Game

About the Book: After publishing Awaken the Giant Within in 1991 (see 4.8), Tony Robbins published just one book in the next 23 years: the incremental-changes guide Giant Steps in 1994. And then, two decades later, inspired by the financial crisis, he came up with this exceptional “7-step blueprint for securing financial freedom.” “If there were a Pulitzer Prize for investment books,” noted at the time a review in Forbes magazine, “this one would win, hands down.” (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

MONEY Master the Game
Favorite Quote:

Money can have the power to create or the power to destroy. It can fund a dream or start a war. Click To Tweet

10.6 Dave Ramsey – The Total Money Makeover

About the Book: Dave Ramsey is the common-sense financial guru of millions of Americans. And most of them will tell you that The Total Money Makeover is essentially their Money Bible. Time to make it yours. Why? Because it will help you create a plan for paying off all of your debt; because it will dispel for you the most dangerous money myths out there; and, finally, because it will inspire you to take control of your financial freedom. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like. Click To Tweet

10.7 Chris Hogan – Retire Inspired

About the Book: Chris Hogan is Dave Ramsey-approved (“In my opinion, Chris Hogan is the voice of retirement in America today.”) And that should tell you enough. In Retire Inspired, he teaches that retirement isn’t an age, but a financial number. Which means that if you follow his advice – based on the amount of money you need to start living out your dreams – you can retire at any age you like; all you need to be is reasonable. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

It’s hard to live your dream in your golden years when you’re trying to make it on an income that’s actually below the poverty line. Click To Tweet

10.8 Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko – The Millionaire Next Door

About the Book: If you are like most people, you don’t become rich by suddenly obtaining lots of money; you become rich by consistently spending less than you earn. It’s that simple. And Stanley and Danko’s comparison of UAWs (under accumulators of wealth) and PAWs (prodigious accumulators of wealth) is ample evidence in favor of this. The bottom line: the rich are your neighbors, and status items are for showoffs. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

Whatever your income, always live below your means. Click To Tweet

10.9 Daymond John – The Power of Broke

About the Book: From time to time, it’s good to have someone turn things on their head. If the power of money won’t do the trick for you – says Daymond John – The Power of Broke undoubtedly will. Published only recently, John’s manual for start-up entrepreneurs gives all the details on “how empty pockets, a tight budget, and a hunger for success can become your greatest competitive advantage.” (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

The easiest thing to sell is the truth. Click To Tweet

10.10 Tim Ferriss – Tools of Titans

About the Book: Once he successfully limited his workweek to four hours (see 6.6), Tim Ferriss started The Tim Ferriss show, “the first business/interview podcast to pass 100,000,000 downloads” and “generally the #1 business podcast on all of Apple Podcasts.” For it, he had the privilege and honor to interview over 200 world-class performers. Tools of Titans reveals their secrets, in a structured, easy-to-read and easier-to-apply manner. (Read a brief summary of the book | Buy the book)

Tools of Titans
Favorite Quote:

The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion. Click To Tweet

The Wildcard

101. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry – The Little Prince

About the Book: Some books manage to sell 2 million copies overall, and are considered exceptional successes; The Little Prince sells as much on a yearly basis for the past 70 years! Translated into more than 300 – yes, 300! – languages, this is one of the best-selling books ever published. Also: one of the very best. Fortunately, it just entered the public domain, so now everybody can read it. And everybody should. Because just like Ancient Greek myths or Jesus’ parables, it is timeless; and just like them – you can enjoy it – and understand it differently – regardless of your age. (Read the book | Buy the book)

Favorite Quote:

One sees clearly only with the heart. The essential is invisible to the eye. Click To Tweet

Top Finance and Investing Books

Want to earn some easy money? We are saying nothing new if we say that it’s only easy if you earn it the easy way. And probably nothing’s easy in life unless you have someone to show you the right steps.

Or, at least the ones who will most probably guarantee you success.

And it’s only normal that the successful should know these steps better or more thorough than the rest. And our list is made up of the very best, the crème de la crème!

Without further ado, here are the 15 best finance and investing books on the market.

#1. “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill

In 1908, Napoleon Hill was a 25-year-old owner of a failed lumber company with an assignment to interview Andrew Carnegie. And, in case you didn’t know this, Carnegie was one of the richest people in the world.

He was also a smart guy, so he casually suggested Hill to interview other wealthy people and, thus, find the formula for success. Hill did exactly that.

The perennial bestseller, “Think and Grow Rich” is based on these interviews, done over a period of two decades. And it elucidates 13 principles for success, ranging from desire and faith to persistence and sixth sense.

It’s the book which launched the “positive thinking” movement. And which generated about a million copycats. But, this is where it all started.

#2. “The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing” by Benjamin Graham

If you write a book on finance and investing, you can’t think of a better endorsement than that of a certain Warren Buffet.

And if Buffet says that your book is “the best investing book ever written,” well, then, be prepared to see your book on lists such as this one as long as there’s such a thing as investing.

Benjamin Graham, Buffet’s mentor and teacher, is considered the father of “value investing.” And “The Intelligent Investor” is considered his masterwork. Summarizing his main ideas, the book favors the safe and smart way to riches.

Namely, using fundamental analysis to purchase stocks seemingly underpriced when compared to their inherent value. And, of course, selling them when they inevitably rise.

#3. “Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money – That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!” by Robert T. Kiyosaki

An influential book is an influential book. Which means – it’s only normal that it transcends genres.

We already featured “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” as a wildcard in our top parenting booklist, but we have no doubts that its place is on this list as well. Because, if implicitly it’s a book about parents, it’s also a book explicitly about young investors.

Based on his personal experiences growing up with two dads (his, and his friend’s), in “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” Robert Kiyosaki makes one thing clear from the start. Namely, that the American educational system teaches children to be 9-to-5 factory workers. And that it doesn’t include financial literacy anywhere in its curriculum.

This book tries to fill that void.

#4. “Beating the Street” by Peter Lynch

Beating the Street Summary Peter Lynch is a legend. So much so, in fact, that even if you don’t know anything about investing or finance, you’ve probably already heard his name quite a few times.

But, how did he get his reputation? Well, prepare to be amazed!

After working for about a decade at Fidelity Investments, in 1977 he was tasked to manage the Magellan Fund. And he did so during the next 13 years. At the time he started managing the fund, it had about $18 million in assets. In 1990 when he resigned, it had grown to – prepare for it – $14 billion in assets!

In “Beating the Street,” Lynch explains how he did it and where he invested to do it. And elucidates his “Invest in What You Know” philosophy – which, obviously, has garnered quite a few followers.

#5. “One Up on Wall Street: How to Use What You Already Know to Make Money in the Market” by Peter Lynch

One Up On Wall Street Summary When “The New York Times” claims that, when it comes to investing, you’re in a league by yourself, every one of your books on the topic is a Top 10 book.

In “One Up on Wall Street,” Peter Lynch picks up where he left in “Beating the Street.” In fact, this one may even be the better one for those who are more practically oriented. Because it’s a book-length elucidation of the legendary mutual-fund manager’s investing philosophy.

It’s full of real-world and easy-to-follow bits of advice on how to develop your portfolio, and how to make the distinction between a no-shot and a “tenbagger.”

Yes – that’s a word he invented! It refers to stocks which promise to return ten times the investment. Interestingly enough, in Lynch’s opinion, you, the average individual investor, can notice these better than the Wall Street pro.

Learn how.

#6. “The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America” by Warren Buffett

The Essays of Warren Buffet Summary If you want to be like the best – it’s only a commonsense idea to start learning from the best. And the investing world is pretty much in agreement when it comes to the best one. Yes – even better than Peter Lynch.

With a net worth of $86.1 billion dollars, Warren Buffet is the third wealthiest person in the world. And he got most of this money by investing wisely.

In his “Essays” – his most popular and autographed book – Buffet discusses various topics which will certainly seem interesting to both young and professional investors. Learn, for example, why following investing trends is never as smart as value investing.

And how you should teach yourself to think to, slowly but surely, win big.

#7. “The Warren Buffett CEO: Secrets from the Berkshire Hathaway Managers” by Robert P. Miles

One more book about everyone’s favorite investor and philanthropist, Warren Buffet! This one, however, is not written by him, but by Robert P. Miles, a distinguished expert and authority on his life and work.

And it is based on a decade-long research and unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to Berkshire Hathaway’s policies and doings.

In Miles paraphrased words, though everybody knows everything about Warren Buffet, it seems that nobody knows anything about Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate of which Buffet is the chairman and CEO.

“The Warren Buffet CEO” strives to change this. Because Miles believes – and this book is a good evidence of it – that the actual inside management of Berkshire Hathaway can reveal much more about Buffet’s philosophy than he himself has knowledge of.

#8. “The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns” by John C. Bogle

John C. Bogle is one more name no one in the world of money takes lightly. Founder and retired CEO of “The Vanguard Group,” Bogle is widely credited as the creator of the first index mutual fund available to the general public.

The first version appeared in 1976 and, if you don’t know its significance, let us quote Paul Samuelson for you:

“I rank this Bogle invention along with the invention of the wheel, the alphabet, Gutenberg printing, and wine and cheese: a mutual fund that never made Bogle rich, but elevated the long-term returns of the mutual-fund owners – something new under the Sun.”

Yes, that’s the Paul Samuelson, the first American to win the Nobel Prize in economics.

How important does “The Little Book of Common Sense Investing” looks to you now?

#9. “A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing” by Burton G. Malkiel

“A Random Walk Down Wall Street” is currently in its 12^th edition. Multiple that by 100,000 thousand copies per edition – and you get one of the few investing books which have sold more than a million copies.

To put it more bluntly: there are few – if any – books you should buy before Burton G. Malkiel’s classic if you’re seriously interested in investing.

In Malkiel’s book, you can find neat definitions of some of the most important investment terms – so it’s a great read for a newbie. The emphasis Malkiel puts on long-term investments makes it even better.

But, what really makes “A Random Walk Down Wall Street” such an essential read are the first three words of the title. You see, Malkiel popularized the “random walk hypothesis,” by demonstrating the probable randomness of stock market prices.

In other words: try to get rich fast at your own peril!

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#10. “The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Well, if it’s randomness you’re interested in than Nassim Nicholas Taleb is the guy for you. A Lebanese-American philosopher, trader, statistician and risk analyst, Taleb is one of the most respected intellectuals of this day and age.

And “The Sunday Times” described his most famous book, “The Black Swan,” as one of the 12 most influential books written after the end of the Second World War.

Just like many of the other books on this list, this one gave a name to a theory as well: the black swan theory. It’s used to describe the earthshattering effect unexpected events of large magnitude (extreme outliers) have on all human endeavors, including investing and finance.

It’s kind of funny when you think about it: everything can be explained in hindsight by events so improbable to be anticipated!

As a bonus, the book also describes the Barbell investing strategy, which presupposes putting 90% of your money in safe stocks, and the remaining 10% on exceedingly speculative bets.

And so much more!

#11. “The Dao of Capital: Austrian Investing in a Distorted World” by Mark Spitznagel

Now, it would be a good time for you to check our top 15 economics booklist. Because, there you’ll find – and come to know – few economists Mark Spitznagel, the inventor of tail-hedging, and the preeminent doomsday investor, really likes to quote.

No, we’re not talking about Bob Dylan (go figure)! But, we are talking about Hayek and Mises… you know, the Austrians.

Well, Mark Spitznagel claims that they were right all along and that it wasn’t him, but them who predicted the stock market crash of 2008! And bearing in mind that the Austrian School of Economics is about a century and a half old – that’s a quite fascinating claim.

You can find many more in “The Dao of Capital” which, as Ron Paul beautifully articulates, “brings Austrian economics from the ivory tower to the investment portfolio.” And here’s another quote for you: “one of the most important books of the year, or any year for that matter.”

It’s by “Forbes” magazine.

#12. “Rule #1: The Simple Strategy for Successful Investing in Only 15 Minutes a Week!” by Phil Town

Phil Towns turned $1,000 into $1,45 million in less than half a decade. And he wrote a book about how he did it.

Unsurprisingly, that book, the succinctly titled “Rule #1” became a bestseller and inspired at least half a million people worldwide to give investing a go.

Because, as Town himself unabashedly points out, “Rule #1” is “a start-to-finish, one-baby-step-at-a-time approach that will allow you to retire ten years sooner than you planned, with more creature comforts than you ever imagined.”

And this would be a good place to tell you that the eponymous first rule of investing is not actually Town’s; it’s Buffet’s. Even better, it’s a simple as you can think of:

“Don’t lose money!”

#13. “Angel: How to Invest in Technology Startups – Timeless Advice from an Angel Investor Who Turned $100,000 into $100,000,000” by Jason Calacanis

Angel Summary Phil Towns multiplied his initial investment by a thousand. Jason Calacanis did exactly the same. But, the former got to a million; the latter one is a big-leaguer, and his wealth is estimated to be in the realm of hundreds of millions.

A dot-com pioneer, blogger, angel investor and Internet entrepreneur, it’s safe to say that Jason Calacanis knew how he could make a fortune during the past three decades. And he started from basically nothing: his mother was a nurse, and his father was a bartender.

In “Angel: How to Invest in Technology Startups,” Calacanis explains how investing is a democratic affair, and how you can earn money too – if you just know how the moneymakers think. And once you do earn some, it’s time for some angel investing!

Needless to add, analogously to “Rule#1,” this book is a step-by-step guidebook, teaching you all the good and the bad sides.

#14. “The Alchemy of Finance” by George Soros

Lynch, Graham, Buffet, Bogle… did we forget about someone? No, of course, we didn’t. We just wanted to spread our heavyweights around the list. So, we can keep you focused.

George Soros, the “bugaboo of European nationalists,” is not known as “The Man Who Broke the Bank of England” for no reason. If you don’t know it specifically, prepare for one of the best endorsements in history.

On 16 September 1992, George Soros made $1 billion by short selling US$10 billion worth of pound sterling! It may have been a Black Wednesday for England; but, it was a sunshiny day for Soros.

In “The Alchemy of Finance,” the Hungarian-American investor presents a theoretically sound and practical applicable account of contemporary financial trends and shares few of his success secrets in a fairly readable manner.

So that you too can break a bank. Or, at least, learn how others do.

#15. “Golden Nuggets” by John Marks Templeton

Golden Nuggets Summary In 1999, “Money” magazine called Sir John Marks Templeton “arguably the greatest global stock picker of the century.” Some would beg to differ concerning the superlative, but we bet none would have anything against naming Templeton among the ten best ever.

(Spoiler alert: almost all of Templeton’s most serious competitors for #1 are part of this list as well.)

Templeton died in 2008 at the age of 95 and left few books behind him. “Riches for the Mind and Spirit,” a compilation of inspirational excerpts taken from many different sources, was Templeton’s last one.

“Golden Nuggets” preceded it by few years. Just like “Riches,” this one is also an anthology of quotations and inspirational thoughts; unlike it, it’s written by Templeton himself.

It doesn’t have to do as much with finance and investing as it has with integrity and ethics. But, that’s the best part.

In addition to its title. Which, basically, describes the quality of our summaries.

Top Parenting Books

Parenting is right around the corner and you’re feeling unprepared? Dreading the fact that some have started a while back? Wondering if you’ll be able to do a good job?

Don’t worry – these worries are as common as stars on a bright night sky! And there are numerous ways to ease them.

Reading these 15 books may be the best one. These are the best of the best in the parenting books space!

#1. “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel

What to Expect When You're Expecting Summary Heidi Murkoff, the brilliant brain behind the amazingly successful “What to Expect” series, is a name almost every pregnant woman in the United States knows very well. In fact, chances are if you’ve ever been pregnant and read a book on pregnancy – it’s one of hers.

We can be even more accurate in our estimates – it’s most probably “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”!

You know how we know that?

Because statistics say that 93% of American pregnant women who buy a book on pregnancy, opt for this one. Making “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” the longest-running “New York Times” bestseller. Ever.

Really – do we need to say anything more?

#2. “How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk” by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

Ever since its publication in 1980, “How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk” has been repeatedly praised by experts and parents alike.

In fact, more often than not, it has topped lists such as ours. And, considering the sheer number of them in this internet age, – that should tell you something!

Down-to-earth and practical, the book focuses on what, at this moment, may seem even mythical to you: parent-child communication. Use the advice offered here and you’ll think differently. After all, Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish are the preeminent experts in this field.

And there’s a reason why “The Boston Globe” dubbed this bestseller “the parenting bible”!

#3. “Siblings Without Rivalry: How to Help Your Children Live Together So You Can Live Too” by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

Siblings Without Rivalry Summary Well, we sang a few praises for Faber and Mazlish in the above entry. It was only logical that their second collaboration would find its place on our list as well.

Once again both intelligently written and profoundly practical, “Siblings Without Rivalry” is as essential to parenting two children as “How to Talk to Kids” is to parenting itself. Faber and Mazlish know how to use their expertise in communication in this case as well.

The book will teach you how to redirect the excessive energy in your children from being wasted in bouts of conflict to being sublimated into wonderful feats of collaboration.

And it will make you smile all the way!

#4. “Parenting with Love and Logic” by Foster Cline and Jim Fay

Parenting with Love and Logic Summary Once the children come, your life inevitably starts to change. Luckily, you have so much love in you, you’re able to go through – almost instinctively – through all those sleepless nights and recurrent tantrums.

However, for Foster Cline and Jim Fay, love is only one part of the equation. The second part is logic. And you’re going to need a guidance in both of these areas if you want to raise a motivated child ready to face the real world.

“Parenting with Love and Logic” will help you exercise control over your children in a healthy and anger-free way. And one of the best things about it is its index. You can’t even imagine the breadth of its helpfulness!

#5. “The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer” by Harvey Karp, M.D.

The Happiest Baby on the Block Summary It’s a question most parents dread to even think about! You’ve guessed it: now, how should you soothe your crying baby to sleep at 2AM so you get few hours of it yourself before the exhausting workday that’s ahead of you?

Believe it or not, Harvey Karp, M.D. has the answer. “The Happiest Baby on the Block” may well be titled “The Happiest Parents on the Block” because that’s how you’ll feel after implement Karp’s advices.

Methodically sound, they revolve around four key concepts: the fourth trimester, the calming reflex, the 5 S’s, and the cuddle cure. Believe us: these will become part of your everyday habits for many years after the birth of your children.

#6. “The SleepEasy Solution: The Exhausted Parent’s Guide to Getting Your Child to Sleep from Birth to Age 5” by Jennifer Waldburger and Jill Spivack

The SleepEasy Solution Summary One more book about tackling sleeping problems! And this one’s written by two Hollywood psychotherapists, Jennifer Waldburger and Jill Spivack. Consequently, it’s endorsed by everyone from NBC’s Conan O’Brien to Greg Kinnear and Ben Stiller!

What does “The SleepEasy Solution” promise?

Well, above all, that it’s effective and that it will do its job in less than three nights. But, also something much more important: a customized sleep planner!

So, finally you’ll get the best of both worlds! Not only a child who sleeps, but also a child who sleeps, more or less, regularly.

And we don’t need to tell you what this means for you, our dear exhausted parents, right?

#7. “The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind, Survive Everyday Parenting Struggles, and Help Your Family Thrive” by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson

The Whole-Brain Child Summary Daniel J. Siegel is a child neuropsychiatrist; Tina Payne Bryson, on the other hand, a parenting expert. No wonder that each of their three collaborations has been deemed revolutionary.

“The Whole-Brain Child,” however, has attracted the most attention. And, boy, there’s a reason why!

Frist of all, it’s based on the most advanced scientific findings. Secondly, it explains away most of your child’s behavior which may seem as irrational to you. And finally – it’s packed with practical advice you’ll know by heart few months into parenting!

The basic idea of the book is that the brain of your child hasn’t fully developed well into its twenties. And that during this period, its right side (emotions) will inevitably dominate its left side (logic). Use the authors’ 12 strategies to overcome this problem.

Oh, and did we mention: Harvey Karp strongly recommends this book.

#8. “Ten Powerful Things to Say to Your Kids: Creating the Relationship You Want with the Most Important People in Your Life” by Paul Axtell

Paul Axtell is primarily a renowned communication consultant – and has quite the portfolio to prove it.

However, he’s also a father of two now-adults, and a grandfather of thirteen children; additionally, he’s also old enough to be able to look back on his life and see what he did right and what wrong with his children.

“Ten Powerful Things to Say to Your Kids” is where these three characteristics meet. The book neatly combines his communication theory knowhow with his experience as a parent and grandparent.

Beautifully illustrated by Jane Elizabeth Barr, this Gold Medal Winner for best parenting book in 2011 has everything you need to know about how you can improve your communication with your children.

#9. “Parenting Your Anxious Child with Mindfulness and Acceptance: A Powerful New Approach to Overcoming Fear, Panic, and Worry Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy” by Christopher McCurry, PhD

Parenting Your Anxious Child with Mindfulness and Acceptance Summary There’s a reason why we did a Top 15 list of mindfulness books; there are many of them, and many people are interested in reading them.

Well, Christopher McCurry was amazed to find out that in this wealth of mindfulness books, there is not one dedicated to raising a child. Which is even more fascinating when you take into consideration the fact that mindfulness helps treat anxiousness problems in adults.

Why shouldn’t it do the same in children, as well?

That’s the basic premise of “Parenting Your Anxious Child with Mindfulness and Acceptance.” Using his knowledge from acceptance and commitment therapy, McCurry revolutionizes the way parents can help their anxious children.

And he claims that his approach works even for children as young as four!

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#10. “Parent/Teen Breakthrough: The Relationship Approach” by Mira Kirshenbaum and Charles Foster

Parent, Teen Breakthrough Summary Here’s another book about parent/child relationship. This time, however, it’s about bigger and – dare we say? – more problematic children.

You know the drill: when the hormones kick in, the idyllic parent/child relationship you’ve developed may suddenly break down. And, there’s nowhere to turn for help. Unfortunately, it seems like whatever you’re doing, you’re only making it worse.

Well, take a chill pill and calm down! “Parent/Teen Breakthrough” will take you to the promise land, baby step by baby step!

Featuring many sample dialogues (oh, how familiar they sound!) and concrete suggestions, Mira Kirshenbaum’s and Charles Foster’s book will certainly help you build a loving relationship with your teenage child.

#11. “How to Talk with Your Kids About Sex: Help Your Children Develop a Positive, Healthy Attitude Toward Sex and Relationship” by Dr. John Chirban

How to Talk with Your Kids About Sex Summary At some point during your life, your child will either ask you the dreaded question (“Mommy, Daddy – what is sex?”) or, much worse, happen upon some sex-related stuff and will try to understand on its own.

According to Dr. John T Chirban, by this moment, it may be a bit too late to start talking with your child about sex. But, how would you know when it’s too early?

Well, that’s where “How to Talk with Your Kids About Sex” comes in handy. Chirban explains parents the when-s, the how-s, and the why-s – at each stage of a child’s development.

So you can plan well and plan ahead!

#12. “1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12” by Thomas W. Phelan, Ph.D.

1-2-3 Magic Summary Thomas W. Phelan is a clinical psychologist with a Ph. D. And his objective in “1-2-3 Magic” is to easily and straightforwardly use his expertise to make your and your child’s life happier and more fulfilled!

And when we say easy – we mean as easy as 1-2-3! Because, according to Phelan, there are exactly three steps to becoming a better parent!

First of all, you need to teach your children to control their emotions. Secondly, you need to encourage their good behavior by providing positive feedback and rewards. And, finally, you need to strengthen the parent/child bond.

How?

Well, that’s what the book is about! And its methods work for all children aged 2 to 12!

#13. “Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason” by Alfie Kohn

Unconditional Parenting Summary You may already know Alfie Kohn as a crusader against grade-based education. In fact, “Time Magazine” has described him as “perhaps the country’s most outspoken critic of education’s fixation on grades and test scores.”

Many TV appearances – yes, including twice on Oprah – have merely reinforced this idea of Kohn as

However, he has also written one of the best books about parenting. And it’s directed against the same perceptions which rile him up in the current US education system. You see, “Unconditional Parenting” claims that the whole parenting paradigm is wrong.

That, in fact, it’s not about learning how to control your kids, but about finding out how to work with them. Because, all children need unconditional love. And, because, through the right training, offering it works best for both sides.

#14. “All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood” by Jennifer Senior

All Joy and No Fun Summary Unlike most of the books on this list, “All Joy and No Fun” is much more theoretical than a practical volume. Interestingly enough, this is exactly what makes it not only unique, but also a must-read.

Jennifer Senior is an award-winning journalist, whose political columns have been frequently anthologized. In “All Joy and No Fun” she shows a completely different side of herself, exploring one aspect of life you’d think hasn’t changed much during the past millennia.

However, Senior claims that it has – and radically so. As a result of this, she argues, modern parents have much more complex and far less clear roles than ever before.

Which makes parenting both a joy and – well, a pretty difficult job. Senior might not help you do it – but, she will definitely help you feel less alone.

#15. “Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money – That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!” by Robert T. Kiyosaki

A time for our wildcard.

“Rich Dad Poor Dad” is not really a book you would expect to find on a list of the 15 best parenting books ever written. Yet, we had no doubts we’ll include it right from the start.

An autobiographical story about Robert Kiyosaki’s early years, “Rich Dad Poor Dad” tells the story of how his worldview was influenced by two very different paternal figures. The first one, Kiyosaki’s real dad, was a well-educated employee; the second one, the father of his best friend, a street-smarts entrepreneur.

Who do you think was the rich one?

And that’s why we chose to include this book. If you want to raise a financial maverick, it will be a good idea to start from the very beginning.

Albeit implicitly, Kiyosaki explains how.

Rich Dad Poor Dad PDF Summary

What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money – That The Poor And Middle Class Do Not!

Rich Dad Poor Dad – Robert T. Kiyosaki

In the bestselling personal finance book of all time, Robert Kiyosaki challenges the way people around the world think about money and investing.

Think you need a high income to become rich? Think having a house is an asset? Do you know the difference between good and bad debt?

Who is controlling your behavior? How does our cultural background inflicts pain and ignites an emotional fire from within?

Take into consideration many aspects, and start investing your money, instead of keeping it in a coffin.

Who Should Read “The Business of the 21st Century”? And Why?

About Robert T. Kiyosaki

“The Business of the 21st Century PDF Summary”

The ESBI Quadrant

The E Quadrant

The S Quadrant

The B Quadrant

The I Quadrant

E’s and S’s, This Book Is for You

Blame Prussia for Your Troubles

Beyond Income

Network Marketing

Key Lessons from “The Business of the 21st Century”

The ESBI Quadrant

1 Business – 8 Wealth-Building Assets

The Future Is Network Marketing

“The Business of the 21st Century PDF Summary Quotes”

Our Critical Review

The 101 Best Motivational Books List

1. Basics of Motivation 2. Rules for Life 3. Power of Positive Thinking 4. You Are a Badass 5. Great Lecture 6. Why Would You Give a Damn 7. Fables and Fiction 8. Inspirational Biographies 9. Don’t Worry, Be Happy 10. Show Me the Money Wildcard

1. The “Basics of Motivation” Shelf

1.1 Brendon Burchard – The Motivation Manifesto

1.2 Simon Sinek – Find Your Why

1.3 Daniel H. Pink – Drive

1.4 Charles Duhigg – The Power of Habit

1.5 Chip and Dan Heath – Switch

1.6 Daniel Kahneman – Thinking, Fast and Slow

1.7 Malcolm Gladwell – David and Goliath

1.8 Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers – The Power of Myth

1.9 Clayton Christensen – How Will You Measure Your Life?

1.10 Susan Fowler – Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work… and What Does

2. The “Rules for Life” Shelf

2.1 Jordan Peterson – 12 Rules for Life

2.2 Don Miguel Ruiz – The Four Agreements

2.3 Brian Tracy – Just Shut Up and Do It

2.4 Akash Karia – Emotional Habits

2.5 Donald Sull and Kathleen M. Eisenhardt – Simple Rules

2.6 Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman – The Daily Stoic

2.7 Hugh MacLeod – Ignore Everybody

2.8 Chris Guillebeau – The Art of Nonconformity

2.9 Deepak Chopra – The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

2.10 Vishen Lakhiani – The Code of the Extraordinary Mind

3. The “Power of Positive Thinking” Shelf

3.1 James Allen – As a Man Thinketh

3.2 Norman Vincent Peale – The Power of Positive Thinking

3.3 Rhonda Byrne – The Secret

3.4 David Hooper – Ask, Believe, Receive

3.5 Brian Tracy – Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life

3.6 Joseph Murphy – The Power of Your Subconscious Mind

3.7 Louise L. Hay – You Can Heal Your Life

3.8 Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone – Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude

3.9 M. Scott Peck – The Road Less Traveled

3.10 Eckhart Tolle – The Power of Now

4. The “You Are a Badass” Shelf

4.1 Brené Brown – Rising Strong

4.2 Jen Sincero – You Are a Badass

4.3 Angela Duckworth – Grit

4.4 Brian Tracy – The Power of Self-Confidence

4.5 Rachel Hollis – Girl, Wash Your Face

4.6 Shonda Rhimes – Year of Yes

4.7 James Altucher – Choose Yourself

4.8 Tony Robbins – Awaken the Giant Within

4.9 Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton – Now, Discover Your Strengths

4.10 Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica – Finding Your Element

5. The “Great Lecture” Shelf

5.1 Elbert Hubbard – A Message to Garcia

5.2 David Foster Wallace – This Is Water

5.3 J.K. Rowling – Harvard Commencement Speech

5.4 Atul Gawande – Want to Get Great at Something? Get a Coach

5.5 Susan David – The Gift and Power of Emotional Courage

5.6 William H. McRaven – Make Your Bed

5.7 Tapiwa Chiwewe – You Don’t Have to Be an Expert to Solve Big Problems

5.8 Amy Cuddy – Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are

5.9 Mitch Albom – Tuesdays with Morrie

5.10 Randy Pausch – The Last Lecture

6. The “Why Would You Give a Damn” Shelf

6.1 Dale Carnegie – How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

6.2 Mark Manson – The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

6.3 Richard Carlson – Don’t Sweat Over the Small Stuff… and It’s All Small Stuff

6.4 Sarah Knight – The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck

1. Basics of Motivation
2. Rules for Life
3. Power of Positive Thinking
4. You Are a Badass
5. Great Lecture
6. Why Would You Give a Damn
7. Fables and Fiction
8. Inspirational Biographies
9. Don’t Worry, Be Happy
10. Show Me the Money
Wildcard

6.2 Mark Manson – The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck*

6.4 Sarah Knight – The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fck*