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There are thousands of books on self-help, habit change, and personal development.
Some are good and some are… not so good, but what are the best self-help books? The ones that can really make an impact in changing your life for the better?
That is the question this exhaustive list of over 250+ great habit and self-help books strives to answer.
It can be hard to drill through all the options to find the books that really have an impact on your life, so I have tried, with the ongoing help of some friends and readers to narrow the list down to size.
Who Am I to Talk About Habits and Self-Help Books?
I have been writing about habits, both in books and on this blog, for several years now. For over 20 years before that, I was reading a variety of personal development books. That is a lot of time and lot of books.
Lately, I’ve been asked about my personal favorites. So I decided to create a small resource…maybe a top 25 list. But this list grew and grew until it hit 100 books. Then 125, then 150. Finally, I stopped at 175.
The problem?
It would be really hard to navigate a list like this, so I settled on a simple solution…
(Update 2018: The list of self-improvement books continues to grow. I continue to make new sub-lists and refine older short books lists into multiple more larger, yet more narrowly focused book lists. Most recently I published a post on real estate investing, something I just had a lot of experience in.
Soon I will be revamping the lists for business, entrepreneur, investing and leadership. Following those lists, I will delve into more health and fitness book lists. As this post stands now, the total is around 325 great books. I expect the list will have grown to 500 by 2020. Broken into 30-35 sub-book-lists. Stay tuned!)
250+ of the Best Self Help Books (in 22 Categories)
The personal development field is very large. So it would be challenging to detail my favorite books in one large list.
That’s why I’ve broken down the 200+ books into 18 distinct categories.
That means someone who wants help with their fitness can just jump right to that section. But someone who wants to build simple habits can check out the few pages on building powerful, daily routines.
Reading these books will help you get 1% better every day, as explained in the video below:
How to Use This List…
The following list can be used for many purposes.
The main reason is for the reader. If you are looking for a specific type of book, you’ll get a nice list which has been vetted which should suit your purposes — from fitness to productivity.
The secondary reason is for self-help book gift ideas. If you know someone who is “into”, personal development, habit change, health, fitness, productivity and any other style of “self-help” books, you get a list of ideas for books they might enjoy.
Without further ado, here’s the list…
250+ Top Self-Help Books (by Section)
And… How to Navigate This List
Also, reading through an 18-page list can be difficult. So to make things easier, I have added an additional option for finding your page.
Every page has a button that will take you to the next page in order.
Like this:
And there’s also a fancy button to get back to this main page:
I started this collection of the best self-help books around nearly 2 years ago. At the time I clocked in 175 books, so I split then into separate lists. As new books are both found and released, I have grown each of these sub-pages.
The total on this book is currently (15 May 2016) at a whopping 244 books, and continuing to grow. I hope you enjoy this self-help collection, and please share your favorites and/or new choices.
Final Thoughts on Self-Help Books
We’ve covered an extensive list of titles that offer wisdom, motivation, and practical guidance to help you become the best version of yourself.
Remember, personal growth is a lifelong adventure, and books are powerful tools that can light your path. Whether you’re seeking clarity, inner peace, success, or simply looking to understand yourself better, the right book can be a trusted companion on your journey.
As you explore these titles, take your time to pick the ones that resonate with you the most. Each book offers a unique perspective and set of insights, so trust your intuition when making your choices.
Reading is not just about consuming information; it’s about applying it to your life and experiencing real transformation.
Now, if you need more convincing that reading in general would benefit you, here are some articles that may help:
Finally, if you need help with building habits, then check out this nine-step blueprint that walks you through the entire process of creating lifelong habits.)
