110 Of The Best Self-Improvement Books You’ll Ever Read

If you're a self-improvement junkie like I am, you're always looking for something inspiring and motivational to read.

Over the years, I've read hundreds of the best self-help books and have written a dozen or so myself.

Some of the most profound “aha” insights in my life have come as a result of what I've learned from these amazing self-growth books.

I firmly believe you should never stop learning and growing as a person. In fact, I like to challenge my own beliefs and assumptions and read the ideas and perspectives of others in order to stretch myself.

One thing I've learned as a personal coach is how every element of our lives impacts the rest of our lives. You can't change one area without it impacting everything else.

That's why it's important to grow and learn in all areas of your life — from your relationships to emotional well-being.

With that in mind, I've shared some of the best self-improvement books in a variety of self-development categories that are important to our overall happiness, peace of mind, and balance.

Here are 110 of the best self-improvement books that can change your life for the better:

Self-Improvement Books on Confidence

1. The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are, by Brene Brown

2. Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It, by Kamal Ravikant

3. Self-Esteem: A proven program of cognitive techniques for assessing, improving and maintaining your self-esteem by Matthew McKay and Patrick Fanning

4. Building Confidence: Get Motivated, Overcome Social Fear, Be Assertive, and Empower Your Life For Success., by Barrie Davenport

5. The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance—What Women Should Know,by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman

6. The 21-Day Self-Confidence Challenge: An easy and step-by-step approach to overcome self-doubt & low self-esteem, by Ingrid Lindberg

7. Own Your Self: Master Your Character, Rise To Any Challenge, Find True Inner Peace,by Cary Hokama

8. Confidence Hacks: 99 Small Actions to Massively Boost Your Confidence, by Barrie Davenport

9. Confident You: An Introvert's Guide to Success in Life and Business, by Steve Scott and Rebecca Livermore

10. Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, by Kristen Neff

Self-Improvement Books on Happiness

11. Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill,by Matthieu Ricard and Daniel Goleman

12. 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works–A True Story, by Dan Harris

13. The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want, by Sonja Lyubomirsky

14. Habits Of A Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, & Endorphin Levels, by Loretta Graziano Breuning

15. The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World, by Howard Cutler M.D. and Dalai Lama

16. Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment, by Martin E. P. Seligman

17. Finely Tuned: How To Thrive As A Highly Sensitive Person or Empath, by Barrie Davenport

18. Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being, by Martin E. P. Seligman

19. The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking, by Oliver Burkeman

20. The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World, by Eric Weiner

Self-Improvement Books on Life Purpose

21. The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything, by by Ken Robinson Ph.D. and Lou Aronica

22. Finding Your Element: How to Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life, by Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica

23. Vital Signs: The Nature and Nurture of Passion, by Gregg Levoy

24. I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It, by Barbara Sher and Barbara Smith

25. The 52-Week Life Passion Project: Uncover Your Life Passion, by Barrie Davenport

26. Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type, by Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron

27. The Passion Test: The Effortless Path to Discovering Your Life Purpose, by Janet Attwood

28. A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose, by Eckhart Tolle

29. The Life You Were Born to Live: A Guide to Finding Your Life Purpose, by Dan Millman

30. Unplug: 26 People Share How They Recharge and Reconnect to Passion, Presence, and Purpose, by Deb Ozarko

Simplifying and Simplicity Self-Help Books

31. The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own, by Joshua Becker

32. The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life, by Francine Jay

33. 10-Minute Declutter: The Stress-Free Habit for Simplifying Your Home, by Barrie Davenport and Steve Scott

34. 10-Minute Digital Declutter: The Simple Habit to Eliminate Technology Overload, by Barrie Davenport and Steve Scott

35. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, by Marie Kondo

36. The Cozy Life: Rediscover the Joy of the Simple Things Through the Danish Concept of Hygge, by Pia Edberg

37. Do Less: A Minimalist Guide to a Simplified, Organized, and Happy Life, by Rachel Jonat

38. The Simple Living Guide, by Janet Luhrs

39. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, by Greg Mckeown

40. The Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession with Stuff Is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health-and a Vision for Change, by Annie Leonard

Self-Improvement Books on Mindfulness

41. Peace of Mindfulness: Everyday Rituals to Conquer Anxiety and Claim Unlimited Inner Peace, by Barrie Davenport

42. Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World, by Mark Williams and Danny Penman

43. Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation In Everyday Life, by Jon Kabat-Zinn

44. You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment, by Thich Nhat Hanh and Melvin McLeod

45. Mindfulness in Plain English, by Henepola Gunaratana

46. The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, by Eckhart Tolle

47. A Guide to The Present Moment, by Noah Elkrief

48. The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself, by Michael A. Singer

49. Meditation: How to Meditate: A Practical Guide to Making Friends with Your Mind, by Pema Chodron

50. Simply Tuesday: Small-Moment Living in a Fast-Moving World, by Emily P. Freeman

Self-Improvement Books on Overcoming Stress and Anxiety

51. The Healing Power of the Breath: Simple Techniques to Reduce Stress and Anxiety, Enhance Concentration, and Balance Your Emotions, by Brown, Richard, MD and Gerbarg, Patricia, MD

52. Dare: The New Way to End Anxiety and Stop Panic Attacks Fast (+Bonus Audios), by Barry McDonagh

53. The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, by Edmund Bourne PhD

54. The Mood Cure: The 4-Step Program to Take Charge of Your Emotions–Today, by Julia Ross

55. Emotional Freedom: Liberate Yourself from Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life, by Judith Orloff

56. When Panic Attacks: The New, Drug-Free Anxiety Therapy That Can Change Your Life, by David D. Burns MD

57. Healing Anxiety and Depression, by Daniel G. Amen and Lisa C. Routh

58. Social Anxiety: Social Anxiety and Shyness Ultimate Guide: Techniques to Overcome Stress, Achieve Self Esteem and Succeed as an Introvert, by Lisa Kimberly

59. Color Me Stress-Free: Nearly 100 Coloring Templates to Unplug and Unwind (A Zen Coloring Book) by Lacy Mucklow, by Lacy Mucklow and Angela Porter

60. Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness, by Jon Kabat-Zinn and Thich Nhat Hanh

Self-Improvement Books on Relationships

61. Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples, 20th Anniversary Edition, by Harville Hendrix

62. Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love, by Dr. Sue Johnson

63. 201 Relationship Questions: The Couple's Guide to Building Trust and Emotional Intimacy, by Barrie Davenport

64. The Highly Sensitive Person in Love: Understanding and Managing Relationships When the World Overwhelms You, by Elaine Aron

65. The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts, by Gary Chapman

66. The Science of Happily Ever After: What Really Matters in the Quest for Enduring Love, by Ty Tashiro

67. How to Be an Adult in Relationships: The Five Keys to Mindful Loving, by David Richo and Kathlyn Hendricks

68. Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men, by Lundy Bancroft

69. The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country's Foremost Relationship Expert, by John Gottman and Nan Silver

70. 47 Little Love Boosters For a Happy Marriage: Connect and Instantly Deepen Your Bond No Matter How Busy You Are , by Marko Petkovic

Self-Improvement Books on Good Habits

71. Sticky Habits: 6 Simple Steps to Create Good Habits Stick, by Barrie Davenport

72. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, by Charles Duhigg

73. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol Dweck

74. Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes or Less, by Steve Scott

75. Mini Habits: Smaller Habits, Bigger Results, by Stephen Guise

76. Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

77. Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems, by Daniel G. Md Amen

78. The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It, by Kelly McGonigal Ph.D.

79. The 21-Day Weight Loss Challenge: a deep and no BS step-by-step approach to transforming your lifestyle and get you healthy, happy & in shape, by Ingrid Lindberg

80. 23 Anti-Procrastination Habits: How to Stop Being Lazy and Get Results in Your Life, Steve Scott

Self-Improvement Books on Motivation and Productivity

81. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel Pink

82. The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph, by Ryan Holiday

83. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, Elizabeth Gilbert

84. Self-Discovery Questions:: 155 Breakthrough Questions to Accelerate Massive Action, By Barrie Davenport

85. Start Where You Are: A Journal for Self-Exploration, by by Meera Lee Patel

86. The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM), by Hal Elrod

87. The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play, by Neil Fiore

88. Zen To Done: The Ultimate Simple Productivity System, by Leo Babauta

89. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

90. The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life — Master Any Skill or Challenge by Learning to Love the Process, by Thomas M. Sterner

Self-Improvement Books on Overcoming Challenges

91. The Emotionally Abusive Relationship: How to Stop Being Abused and How to Stop Abusing, by Beverly Engel

92. Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR Therapy, by Francine Shapiro

93. Getting Past Your Breakup: How to Turn a Devastating Loss into the Best Thing That Ever Happened to You, by Susan J. Elliott

94. Healing After Loss: Daily Meditations For Working Through Grief, by Martha W. Hickman

95. Coping with Difficult People: The Proven-Effective Battle Plan That Has Helped Millions Deal with the Troublemakers in Their Lives at Home and at Work, by Robert M. Bramson Phd

96. Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened, by Allie Brosh

97. How to Survive the Loss of a Love, by Peter McWilliams and Harold H. Bloomfield

98. When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times, by Pema Chodron

99. Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor E. Frankl

100. Rising Strong, by Brene Brown

Self-Improvement Health and Wellness Books

101. Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy – Until You're 80 and Beyond, by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge

102. Younger Next Year for Women: Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy – Until You're 80 and Beyond, by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge

103. Start Here: Master the Lifelong Habit of Wellbeing, by Eric Langshur and Nate Klemp

104. The Blue Zones, Second Edition: 9 Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest, by Dan Buettner

105. Healthy at 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World's Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples, by John Robbins

106. Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry, Jean Greaves and Patrick Lencioni

107. The 4 Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex and Becoming Superhuman, by Tim Ferriss

108. Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen, by Christopher McDougall

109. The Yoga Bible, by Christina Brown

110. Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life, by Henry Cloud and John Townsend

Do you have a favorite self-improvement book that isn't listed here? Please add it to the comments.

Did you find any value from this list of self-improvement books?

I hope you enjoyed the list of books. I hope you'll use these self-improvement books to enhance your personal growth. Which of these books seemed most appealing and right for you at this time?

Would you like to help others?

It would be really great if you could help me spread this curated list of self-improvement books to others. Would you be willing to share this list of helpful books on your preferred social media channel?

Look here to find our list of 110 of the best self-help books to improve your life.

7 thoughts on “110 Of The Best Self-Improvement Books You’ll Ever Read”

  1. Pity you did not mention the Bible. It gives the answers if you are prepared to make the effort studying it. That is prayerfully and not superficially. It has helped more people than any other publication. it is the living word of God.

  2. Am I allowed to add my own book : Teach Yourself: Self-Esteem Workbook’or indeed one for parents ‘Be a happier parent with NLP’ or kids ‘NLP for Children, NLP for Tweens and NLP for Teens?

  3. I love this list and have been pouring over it! Thanks so much! Can you recommend one of these that deals with being insecure, existential depression, needing to feel wanted, anchored grounded? Needing attention from others to be validated? Panic for attention.
    So I have a good sense of self sometimes but holidays, weekends can send me spiraling. Or a unreturned text from a boyfriend. Thanks For any info!! 🙂

  4. Have any books for couples madly in love, married, professionals, hard workers, bought home, and when they wanted to have a baby found out they were incompatible…..small chance of preganancy————so much rage, anger, resentment, ……….

  5. Just came across this list and LOVE it. I admire so many books on this list, too many to list!

    Personally, I’d add this one to your list; “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill.

    Not sure if you had it in mind while writing this, but it’s one of those books that get you really inspired and it doesn’t even have to relate to money or becoming rich. Give it a read, you might find the hidden secret too! 🙂

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