25 Best Personal Development Books Of All Time
Tags: opinion
Why is it necessary for us to opt for personality development? But first, we should ask the question – what is personality? Personality is nothing but a combination of several characteristics that give a person a specific character. You can be brave, timid, friendly, aloof, etc. and all of these traits can be a part of your personality. You already have a personality of your own. But then, the question arises – why is personality development necessary?
Great men and women who shaped history had one thing in common –an impactful personality. Let’s look at Winston Churchill – he had a personality of winning even in dire conditions. Now, let’s look at Hitler – he might be a terrible person but we can’t deny that he had a personality that moved an entire country. These might be grand examples but they just show that to be successful in your goals, you need to have a well-founded personality.
To form a great personality, you might need some help. There are many magnificent books by authors who have been in the game for a long time. They have tried, failed, and then succeeded in developing a powerful personality for themselves. Here are 25 books that can help your personality development goals:
1. The 48 Rules Of Power by Robert Greene
Everyone desires power, though they know power corrupts. In this book, you will learn about the hidden thing called power in hierarchical structures. It discusses how powerful people use their power and how you, as a common person, can spot this power abuse.
2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen. R. Covey
This book is packed with wisdom about how to change your life and bring it at par with effective people. The book talks about habit change and even paradigm shifts in your current personality so that you can be more productive and effective in what you do.
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3. Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy
Many of us are victims of procrastination. In this book, Tracy dives into ways to stop procrastinating by deconstructing large tasks, setting priorities, and finally, motivating you to do the work that matters the most.
4. Think and Grow Rich: The Original 1937 Unedited Edition by Napoleon Hill
From planning processes to effective decision making – this book covers it all. It does not just talk about material wealth but also about spiritual wealth. It’s a great guide for people who are lost and don’t know what they want. Think and read this book for expert guidance.
5. The Attention Revolution: Unlocking the Power of the Focused Mind by Alan Wallace
In the internet age, every website, app, and gadget is trying to get your attention. It can be very distracting. Attention Revolution tries to upturn this state of constant distraction and helps you own your attention and focus it on yourself.
6. Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation by Daniel J. Siegel
You may have read many articles about mindfulness. But what about neuroscience and psychoanalysis? This book brings in a perfect synthesis of neuroscience, psychoanalysis, and mindfulness to help us gain deeper insight about us and start developing ourselves from the core of our mind.
7. How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
You may have heard about this book because it is that effective. In the modern world, networking is very important. It helps you understand why you need to appreciate yourself and the other person to create a strong network with them.
8. Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns
Our moods can affect our thought patterns and by extension, our lives. This book will tackle the different moods and thought processes that can lead to self-judgment and depression and how you can tackle them.
9. The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferris
All businesses have changed with the digital world. Ferris focuses on how you can make the most of this digital boom and escape from the traditional 9-5-hour work. If you are looking to develop a business online, then this book can be a great start. This book will also help you develop your productive side, health, and attitude, especially in this digital time. A must-have for millennials and the next generations. If your goal is personality development in the digital age, this book is your best bet.
10. Psycho-Cybernetics, A New Way to Get More Living Out of Life by Maxwell Maltz
Dr. Maltz, a plastic surgeon, shows how meeting expectations does not equate to happiness. This book talks about visualization and how you can mix psychology and philosophy to bring about a change in your personality.
11. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
This book by Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman shows the fast and slow patterns of our thought processes and how we can mix it up to analyze ourselves and our lives. Personality development requires knowledge of your own mind and this book is just the book for that.
12. Perfect Health Diet: Regain Health and Lose Weight by Eating the Way You Were Meant to Eat by Paul Jaminet & Shou-Ching Jaminet
Our diets have gotten worse with the growing intake of processed food. In this book, you will read about the different food fads and how they affect your health. You will also get an evolutionary perspective regarding what you are designed to eat.
13. Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success by John C. Maxwell
Failure is the pillar of success. Read this book to learn how you can convert failures into valuable lessons and shape your life.
14. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
In this book, Tolle discusses the practice of mindfulness and how important it is to be mindful of the present. If you apply the techniques mentioned by Tolle, you will be able to tackle depression and boost your emotional intelligence.
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15. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
From childhood optimism to a bitter life to a way out into an adulthood of hope and dreams – Randy Pausch’s The Last Lecture will set you on a journey of his life – a journey of self-discovery, passion, and delivering value to others.
16. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown
Brené wishes to unleash our vulnerable side and show that it is not the weak link everybody thought it was. Personality development requires you to embrace your vulnerable side too and Brené’s book is the right antidote for it.
17. The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan
This book is a testament to science. Carl Sagan shows us the progress of science in the field of medicine and technology. It is a book that pushes all dreamers to follow their dreams no matter what.
18. Philosophy for Life and Other Dangerous Situations: Ancient Philosophy for Modern Problems by Jules Evans
From the point of view of the stoics to modern behavioral theorists, Evans goes through all the different philosophies of life. This book will widen your perspective and help you add a bit of philosophy in your personality development goals.
19. Man’s Search For Meaning by Victor. E. Frankl
This famous book by a Holocaust survivor is both a psychological investigation and a memoir of Frankl. It delivers the powerful message of finding meaning at the core of your human existence.
20. Simplify by Joshua Becker
We are slowly entering a world where we think more is better. In this book, Becker talks about minimalism and how a minimalistic attitude towards materials and your life can bring a massive change in your perspective.
21. Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It by Kamal Ravikant
If you don’t love yourself, you can’t love others – we have heard this saying many times. This book teaches us why it is important to love yourself and why you should not fill yourself with hatred and negativity. For personality development, loving yourself is the best start and this book can help you with that goal.
22. Crush It! Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion by Gary Vaynerchuk
Passionate about something? Well, NOW is the time to get your passion out with the use of social media. This book full of Gary Vaynerchuk’s amazing quotes and guidance will help you unleash your passion and earn from it.
23. The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale
Personality development requires attitude adjustment as well. Dr. Peele’s wonderful book tells you why you need to develop positive thinking and how it can play a big part in your life-changing decisions.
Also read: 23 Bruce Lee Quotes To Help You Live A More Impactful Life
24. Outliers The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
This book takes a look into success from a scientific perspective. According to this book, it is not luck but the time consumed in a specific skill that guarantees success. Read it to find out more about it.
25. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen
If you are a disorganized person, then it is quite likely that you get stressed at times. Well – Allen’s book is all about bringing stress-free productivity in your life. It tells you how to be organized in your mind and bring that mindset to work. Productivity will be at your fingertips.
Fast-forward your personality development goals with the help of these books. Use them as your guide and observe how your life begins to alter!
Written by: Mayukh Saha
Hey! I am Mayukh. I help people and websites with content, videos, design, and social media management. I am an avid traveler and I started living as a digital nomad in Europe since 2019. I am currently working on www.noetbook.com - a creative media company. You can reach out to me anytime: justmayukh@gmail.
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