Self-Improvement Books

A recipe for life success (I first heard it 8 years ago). Covey's style is compelling in audio - for me much better than reading the book.
Listen to it twice (at least) to let it sink in.

I know a lot of people who have done great things after reading this book. Obviously, not right after finishing, but I think it helps your frame of mind if you are driven, and success and accomplishment is important to you. It speaks to some fundamental truths about human nature that allow the book to stand the test of time.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

this is a great book. I have to read it for one of my classes, but
I am really glad I got assigned to read it.

It is a great resource of knowledge that could help one throughout
their whole life.

I strongly recommend it!

Habits! Yes, consistent, belief-based, and optimized habits are the only way to be your best self. Thoughts are the parents of our experience and performance. This guy will guide you to it. You will also learn how to optimize these habits with Rosalene Glickman's book, Optimal Thinking: How to Be Your Best Self (endorsed by Covey). These books will bring that optimal consistency into every aspect of your life.

While I read through this wonderful book, I came to a striking realisation: There exist ways to deal with any situation in life effectively. Stephen Covey has put these into writing.
The challenge remains to live by these universal principles - which Covey did not create but so prudently recognises - but realising they exist is the first step.
How one person, through years of research even, put this vital gem so rich in content together escapes me. It's as if the book was written from the creator of these concepts themselves - a higher force.

Great common-sense information but presented in a refreshing way. This book contains valuable information you can use in all your relationships - professional or personal.

How to Win Friends and Influence People is a rare self-improvement book because it was first published way back in 1936, and it still remains one of the most popular books out there. It's basically a handbook for understanding people and relating to them effectively. Some of the advice is absolutely basic and absolutely the types of things we are easy to forgot. By putting behaviors such as refraining from criticism, expressing sincere appreciation, smiling, and remembering names front of mind, it's truly amazing to see how it transforms the way that people respond to you. Anyone will benefit from this book, but those that will benefit the most are otherwise competent individuals who are less than successful because they lack people skills.

The other outstanding book on the topic that I highly recommend is The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book

A lot of it is common sense, but things we tend to forget. Book came in great condition and came quickly.

This book will make you a million bucks just like it has me if you follow the very simple rules for relating to people.

How reading a single book can change your life!

It's true, when I was 16 years old I (like many others I have now found out since then) read my first book about business. I was drawn to it in a small, old fashioned book shop that's no longer in business. At the time I didn't really know any entrepreneurs or people that ran their own business and I had no mentor to point me in the right direction. The book simply "spoke" to me and I grabbed it and bought it.

Weird stuff. Especially as at the time I was a quiet, shy sort of a guy but in my heart I had a burning ambition - I just didn't realise it yet!

The books name was "How to Win Friends and Influence People" - You must have heard of it I am sure but I hadn't at the time and I would say that `personal development' was not the juggernaut it is today.

It changed my life (for the better) - it gave me confidence in general and more importantly it lit a small flame to start my own business that grew and grew until I did just that two years later at 18 years old.

So what you may say, plenty of people have done that! Well it was quite a shift for me, my father only ever worked for 2 companies his whole life and I was expected to go into a life long job myself in biotechnology or something similar - certainly not to waste my `brains' on cleaning offices and cars!!

The book made me change me outlook on life completely - it made me `think' that I could do anything I put my mind to doing and it also gave the courage to get over my shyness at key moments in my life.

It was the start of life long reading habit (before that I couldn't be bothered with reading and we had very few books in my house as a kid) - even to this day 20+ years later I still go and get a few books on a topic if I want to learn something new.

Also, I have adopted the strength to face all my fears `head-on' since then - when i felt anxious about public speaking I got a few books and tapes and learnt until I was pretty good at it, the same for selling, marketing, finance, hr, technology, programming, manufacturing, teaching, training and on and on.

I became curious about other people and looked for the `good' in them and I feared nothing and no-one. I strived for my goals and I achieved them all.

I am trying to illustrate the power of the written word along with a great (if a little dated) book. Also, I want to reiterate the power of personal development as a whole. Today many run down the idea of personal development and it's many offspring.

Personal development is just like this book - you should read and learn and then apply the principles that you believe in to your life.

You must take action on the one's you believe in and you must apply your own moral standards and integrity to anything you learn from others.

For my part I have read this book many times and bought a few copies as well as the tapes, now CDs, it's time for a refresher for me and i urge you to listen to them if you haven't already.

I received the book very quickly, I needed it for school and got it in time. It was like new if not new.

I am somewhat interested by the characters in this book. A quick read that tells a story about human reluctance to change.

Written for the company development plan, this book has helped to save many an individual that I know, including myself from falling under the heavy weight of change.

Using cheese as a metaphor for happiness, it makes sense that if we were mice it would be difficult not to be affected by the loss of our beloved food.

Life is fluid and most people find this inconsistency unsettling. I found this book most helpful in the approach it takes to changes in our lives and would want to share that with as many people as I could.

If you have trouble with change you will like this book because it will force you to think about why change is such a problem to you and then, once the awareness strikes, you can change and deal with change more effectively.

I also like The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book as a change primer, and, moreso, as a book that showed me how I can be more effective personally and in my relationships with others.

Oh, as for parables, the only other one I like besides the Cheese is Squawk!: How to Stop Making Noise and Start Getting Results. It's a better read than Cheese and it's lessons are no less powerful.

...that the reason this book is a best-seller is that companies about to lay off lots of people are buying it in bulk to distribute to those on the way out, in the hope that it'll brainwash them to the extent that they won't go postal and return to their erstwhile workplace with AK-47s.

Sounds likely to me.

I have read a lot through the spirituality and new age genres, but this book helped me to my core. For me, it was the first step on the right path. Highly recommended.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in helping himsef/herself improve their thoungts and positive energy.

This book was recommended by a friend who permanently keeps it on her bedside table. I am reading it now and without even finishing it, I have already purchased 4 others to give to family and friends. I like the author's straight forward approach of taking charge of your life. GREAT book!

I bought this book yesterday and I finished reading it in one sitting. I could not put it down. I'll read the book again slowly and start to do the exercises today.

Although this book was first published over 20 years ago, the message is still so relevant today, especially after the phenomenon of "The Secret".

I recommend to read this book together with "The Sedona Method: Your Key to Lasting Happiness, Success, Peace and Emotional Well-Being".

I love everything I have read from Louise Hay. She gives us all so much hope.

This book is a profound insight into changing the way that we think to Be a catalyst for a universal awakening into the eternal. It will either activate the spiritual in you or get your mind to delve deeper into an awareness of the process of thinking. It reinforced my own awakening and bought a peace that indeed life is not random, but organized and intricately designed by the Master. Read and be challenged to see the vision of God, "outside the box!"

I guess I'm one of the people who get absolutely nothing from this book. I purchased this book with high hopes, but after the first four chapters I couldn't convince myself to keep reading. I don't really get how this book is supposed to be revolutionary or life-changing. It better much rehashes things I've already heard before.. I wouldn't wait my money on this book...Sorry

If you are thinking about reading this book - then you should - you need to be ready for this book albeit most people just like reading a lot - this book is chalked full of information that you need to be ready to receive.

Good Reading

Jan Simpson

This is a great book and I highly recomment it. I read it in one day and gave it to my sister-in-law to read. She agrees with me that everybody should read this book.

Nauseating New Age pablum for the porridge-brained. It was a gift from a clueless and flakey acquaintance so I tried to read it but it was just terrible. I'd have never imagined this hokum would lure so many people. I might write one of these and cash in on the trend if I didn't feel so sorry for the types who fall for this psychobabble. But someone has to take their money, I suppose . . .

This book has been one of the biggest influences for me in my life. "Thoughts, positive or negative, grow stronger when fertilized with constant repetition." Readers quickly begin to see the connection between worrying and actual misfortune as something they have control over. Thinking positively and not letting yourself be limited by negativity and skepticism has amazing effects on your life and who you see youself as, and it affects who you will become. Read this book if you at all concerned with achieving your goals no matter how BIG they are.

This is a great book, and one of the handful of 'fundamentals' books that should be read by people of all ages, regardless of profession. The earlier in life this book can be read (or listened to) the better, as it is critical to the building blocks of positioning life for success. It is easy to follow, understand, and has excellent tools/techniques that can be applied immediately. Probably a book that should be reviewed again every couple years. Along the lines of the 7 Habits of highly effective people by Covey, this book is another key read for strategy of life.

This book seems to be one of the pioneers to the current trend on learning and applying The Law of Attraction principles. Here the author shows you how to believe to succeed. Excellent book and similar to my favorite, [[ASIN:1419674609 Living The Secret Everyday: My Secret Workbook]which gives you a current approach and application to find what you are looking for.

I'll keep it simple. I took the advice 'Be a Front Seater' from this book, and went from being a sit-at-the-back, never-volunteer guy to becoming a person consulted by government on legislation affecting private investigators; writing two books; getting the job I always wanted; and many other things.

If that one piece of advice can have such impact, imagine the effect of the rest! BUY IT - and live a new life by taking action on the content.

I listened to this on unabridged audio, and I loved it! The narrator's voice is charged up with enthusiasm and is very engaging, and the tips and tricks are basic but very powerful. If you are just beginning a new venture and suspect that your mind may not be in the right place - read this book.

I loved the simple exercises and tricks for engaging your passion and excitement about what you do. One trick I tried that I really liked was that I defined what service I was really providing to people. I am a landscaper, so instead of saying "I trim people's gardens and keep them neat", I said "I help people take joy and pleasure in their home and outdoor spaces, and make it easy for them to connect with nature and our awesome outdoor world. I also help them achieve all that they can in their own lives by providing a relaxing and beautiful space for them to unwind and think clearly in."

Do you see how the second one makes me feel charged up every day to go to work? And what an impact that has on my employees, to know that they are in the business of helping people connect with the environment and achieve all they can in their lives, through the enjoyment of their outdoor spaces?

These kinds of small tips help you wrap your mind around making your job your life's work, and help you take things to the next level. I think people hire me over my competitors because I love what I do and it shows in my voice and actions, and this book really helps me keep that passion alive even on the rainy days or when I get bit by wasps.

There were a lot of great small tips like that about how to have the right attitude to enable success. I'd really recommend it to anyone stuck in the doldrums of their work or just beginning a new venture.

Definitely on my recommended book list. A must read for women in business.

Susan Bock
The Success Coach for Women in Business
www.SusanBockSolutions.com

Good reference book with some good advice in it. I would recommend it for someone having to deal with some really difficult folks!

It is intense with good information, should be read slowly in order to incorporate suggested language into daily routine.

This book helped me to recognize where some of my previous conversations have gone wrong and should help me gain the foresight I need to avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future. Also a book that have a great chapter about this topic is I Love You. Now What?: Falling in Love is a Mystery, Keeping It Isn't

This book is a wonderful tool to assist you in crafting a good response to a difficult conversation or work on training your management team to converse well. The contribution ideas are priceless, its a bargain for the price and a must have in any executive's library.

I had tried the patch, gum, cold turkey & even some online quit smoking support groups, and still went back to smoking when my life was impacted with high stress.

It wasn't until I read Alan Carr's book that I finally understood the reasons of addiction to nicotine that I quit and can honestly say it's for good for the rest of my life.

When confronted with certain situations now, like finances, if the thought comes into my mind "I need a cig", I know why that thought is there and I make a rational decision NOT to have one. I feel no urge to smoke at all and am actually disgusted over the whole concept due to knowing the backround of tobacco/nicotine industries.

Thank you Alan Carr and RIP!!

Quitting smoking is a difficult problem for many. I grew up in a society where about 90 to 95 percent of males smoked. Starting from age 16, I smoked a pack a day, sometimes even more, going about maximum 4 packs a day. Last year it was when I gave serious consideration to my health and life. At 21 years of age, I decided to quit smoking. I read Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking, and it worked wonders for me. I stopped for about 8 months, until one day, getting too drunk at the bar, I put those filthy things in my mouth again. This caused a chain reaction, and until today, I was back to about a pack a day smoking. However, I knew that as long as I kept listening to audio books and reading material regarding smoking, it's brainwashing effects, hazards on health, nicotine and how the drug works, once again, I am free from cigarettes and this time it is for life. Here is the key point mentioned in the book over and over again, you must absolutely be certain that you will never ever smoke again, before smoking the last cigarette. If you have the feeling that you are sacrificing something, or going to miss it for any reason, whether it is with tea or coffee or after meal or whatever, then you will have to exercise will power, and that will not work over the long run, because you cannot exercise will power and try to manage the addiction for the rest of your life. So being absolutely certain that you will never smoke ever again is like a moment of revelation, and the sky looks brighter, life tastes better. Yuppeee,, how happy I am that I never ever have to smoke ever again!!!!

I am a Psychologist buy John Carr does a great job of putting smoking in a perspective to aid those who wish to stop. He simply just does. I enjoy his writing style.

I bought this book, and didn't feel too commited to quitting (after all, what smoker doesn't love smoking?) but read it anyway, just for the heck of it. It took me a weekend to get though; I chain smoked while I read it. Then I quit. Just. Like. That. Nothing else worked for me -- hypnosis, acupuncture, willpower, and nicotine replacement did not work for me -- but this book did work. It's unreal, and I couldn't be happier.

I'm not 100% sure it was all this book, but shortly after finishing this book I quit smoking cold turkey. I was a smoker for over 35 years and had tried the patch, accupunture and other methods. With this book, I was able to stop smoking without any aids and have been nicotine free for over 8 months now. Thank you Allen Carr.

I get so much more from a self-help book when they have lots of real life examples. You'll find your faulty thoughts in the stories of some of the people interviewed in this book and she'll walk them/you through the way out of those thoughts. How cool.

For me, I found this book helpful. Her 4 step process has stuck with me, and I hear her voice asking those questions in my head.
I feel the book has helped to bring me peace. Hope it may do the same for you.

I have been working to become more present in my life for the last six years, ever since reading "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle. His books, "The Power of Now" and "The New Earth", have led me to powerful insights into how I create pain in my life, but it wasn't until being introduced to Byron Katie's book, "Loving What Is", that the pieces really began to fall into place.

I began doing "the work" three weeks ago, shortly before my daughter went off to college, leaving my husband and me with an empty nest. From the first day on, I was able to challenge my thoughts of grieving and loss and see where I could go from this point on. I have been greatly energized by the process.

I also found it helpful to listen to the audio book in conjunction with the written format. I learned more from hearing Katie do the work than by reading it. [...]

This book helped to change my life in such a positive direction, I've bought it on CD (something I don't normally do because I can't stand audio books) and now, in paperback form. I've checked it out from the library many, many times. It really is *that* good.

I can't say I've actually done The Work on paper. I do it in my head (not something she recommends, I don't think), but it's just as effective for me. You don't have to read this book from cover-to-cover to reap benefits. You don't have to devote hours to doing the introspection. If you want to leave your past in the Past, but practice thinking in ways that improve the Present and Future, this book is just as useful.

I am truly grateful for this book's existence. It's one of the three books I'd take with me if I had to escape my burning house, simply because I sometimes need gentle reminders and it is very good at being just that. I have recommended this book to several friends (and burned copies for them) and they've all felt it helped them.

I hope it benefits you, as well.

I first read this book some years ago and was quite struck with it, and for a while I was enthusiastic about using the four questions. The problem was that after a while I knew that I was really getting anywhere because there would always be more thoughts to be questioned and I simply didn't have the time or space to spend my life scribbling away day after day. Also the turnarounds felt a bit forced and nothing much changed in my life. The problem with this 'system' is that it isn't practical and that it seems to offer some vague hope of enlightenment; that one day you will find 'the ultimate' turnaround and then you will be just like BK, on cloud nine, never getting angry, at one with everything. This is totally unrealistic and not actually desirable. Maybe I approached it the wrong way because I wanted to 'get something out of it'. The point though, is that the four questions miss the point - whether a thought is true or not isn't the point, and nobody can live not believing in anything and turning everything back to themselves, and that's why I think the work is a bit silly and possibly a bit dangerous. If you want to read something more balanced and sensible, and in my experience a lot more effective, please try Come to Your Senses by Stanley Block. His theory is a step up from whether something is true or not,because we are so much more than just a set of beliefs or non-beliefs.

I am interested in style, I enjoy reading about it. Indeed, style is (and should be) something one can learn. This book will not teach you style or anything else for that matter. It is very light on original text and ideas. Mostly it is *sound bites* from famous and semi-famous people about what makes style etc. I estimate that a full half of this small book is these quips. The rest of the book is about how wonderful the author is and how her mother is the epitome of chic (to me she sounds self-absorbed and foolish, she moved her seamstress into their home so she had constant access to alterations). I do not think Elle Maxcpherson talking about lingerie to be style advice and do not desire to emulate Madonna in her conical bra stage. There is a section on fashion decade by decade, 1920 to now. A section on women's style by country ( and how does one sum up a continent's sytle in a paragraph or 2?) and a section telling us which movies were iconic to fashion and why. I am not kidding here, this is this books contents. To finish off, the drawings of women in this book are ultra elongated and porportioned oddly not to mention thin, thin, thin. Plus the drawings are badly dressed. Again, I kid you not.

If you are planning getting involved with fashion and style and those things, this book is a good start. Also, is easy to read.

The book was interesting but didn't keep me interested. I gave it to my sister who is studying Fashion design and she thought it had very usefull info on the subject.

This book does NOT give advice on:
1) what to wear for your particular body shape (e.g. double or single breasted coat; above, at or below knee length hem; straight leg or flared pants); or
2) how to work the reveal and conceal tricks (e.g. emphasis your small waist; make your legs appear longer, your breasts smaller or bigger etc...); or
3) what colour suits you best, i.e. cool or warm tone; or
4) what are the fundamental pieces in every woman's wardrobe.

The book does give some ideas on:
1) how to dress for different occasions (e.g. weddings, cocktail party, interviews etc...), only very briefly;
2) where to look for style inspirations. It gives you lists of movies to watch (e.g. Pulp Fiction for the white shirt; Breakfast at Tiffany's for the LBD), what musicians/singers to research (e.g. Modonna).

Personally, I do not find the lists very inspiring, and since this is very much what the book is all about, I find it almost useless.

I will recommmend The Science of Sexy by Bradley Bayou if you want advice on how to dress for your particular body shape (this book is absolutely the best on this subject), and Nina Garcia's other book The One Hundred for wardrobe inspirations. The Pocket Stylist by Kendall Farr is also pretty good.

Nina Garcia is my favorite Project Runway judge because of her no-nonsense, straight to the point critique style. I loved this book. What I loved most about this book were the anecdotes about her family and her Columbian roots. I wish she would have included more. The rest of the book is pretty much basic for anyone who studies fashion, but the writing style, which incorporates her off-beat sense of humor makes this a good read. I would have appreciated some pictures in addition to Mr. Toledo's beautiful drawings, but nevertheless this book is well worth the $14.00 price tag.

To the reviewer who said this book is only for skinny women -- you are so wrong. Fashion has nothing to do with size, it has everything do to with proportions and perception. The moral of any fashion story is that A 200+ pound woman (such as myself) can look as good as and even better than a size 2 woman as long as she has the right outfit...