Self Help and Personal Development Books

TheYorkshireTerrier

TheYorkshireTerrier

Well-known member
I have been on a bit of a binge when it comes to these self help and personal development books, mainly as audiobooks whilst on the bike, walking and general exercising, and I'm looking for some more recommendations.

Books I've covered so far:

Atomic Habits - James Clear
Think Like a Monk - Jay Shetty
Can't Hurt Me - David Goggins
Not a Life Coach - James Smith
Why We Sleep - Matthew Walker
Living Better - Alastair Campbell (more like an autobiography but still interesting)

I know this genre might not be for everyone, but they're helping me ATM so if anyone has any recommendations, let me know (y)
 
Emmersons_BrazillianDong said:
How was atomic habits out of interest? I gave up on the David Goggins one, which is ironic of course 😂

Just found it repetitive
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It’s probably one of my favourites, I actually first read it during the summer of lockdown 2020, and then listened to the audiobook recently. Definitely worth a go and there is a reason why it’s always mentioned when it comes to the best self help books.
 
TheYorkshireTerrier said:
I have been on a bit of a binge when it comes to these self help and personal development books, mainly as audiobooks whilst on the bike, walking and general exercising, and I'm looking for some more recommendations.

Books I've covered so far:

Atomic Habits - James Clear
Think Like a Monk - Jay Shetty
Can't Hurt Me - David Goggins
Not a Life Coach - James Smith
Why We Sleep - Matthew Walker
Living Better - Alastair Campbell (more like an autobiography but still interesting)

I know this genre might not be for everyone, but they're helping me ATM so if anyone has any recommendations, let me know (y)
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The road less travelled - Scott peck

The alchemist. Paulo coelho
 
When you say, self help, what do you mean? Are these aimed at working life or personal life or both? I've never read anything of this genre and pretty interested at what you can expect.
 
Tryasize10 said:
When you say, self help, what do you mean? Are these aimed at working life or personal life or both? I've never read anything of this genre and pretty interested at what you can expect.
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I would say personal, so think physical health, mental health, I suppose you could include entrepreneurial skill as well but that’s not what I’m personally after.

They can be by experts or personal experiences, I enjoy both but find myself more captured by listening to those who have gone through something and can tell their own story.

I’ve just picked up Dare to Change Your Life by Olympic boxer Lawrence Okolie.
 
TheYorkshireTerrier said:
I have been on a bit of a binge when it comes to these self help and personal development books, mainly as audiobooks whilst on the bike, walking and general exercising, and I'm looking for some more recommendations.

Books I've covered so far:

Atomic Habits - James Clear
Think Like a Monk - Jay Shetty
Can't Hurt Me - David Goggins
Not a Life Coach - James Smith
Why We Sleep - Matthew Walker
Living Better - Alastair Campbell (more like an autobiography but still interesting)

I know this genre might not be for everyone, but they're helping me ATM so if anyone has any recommendations, let me know (y)
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I bought Living Better. In the misguided belief it was a book about depression by Alastair Campbell.

Was a bit p133ed off cos when I read it I found out it was actually a book about Alastair Campbell’s depression.

I assume it was therapeutic for him writing it. I thought it was dull.
 
Aet290204 said:
I bought Living Better. In the misguided belief it was a book about depression by Alastair Campbell.

Was a bit p133ed off cos when I read it I found out it was actually a book about Alastair Campbell’s depression.

I assume it was therapeutic for him writing it. I thought it was dull.
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Yeah I was a bit mistaken as the first half is almost a biography, although there was some good bits I picked up on how he personally deals with it, such as the jar and ratings
 
59 Seconds by Richard Wiseman

He goes through strategies from other self-help books, looks at what's actually been scientifically proven to work and what hasn't, and then gives simple techniques that have solid evidence behind them.
 
Some of my favorites on this topic were;

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** - Mark Manson
Thinking Fast & Slow - Daniel Kahneman
Never Split The Difference - Chris Voss
Not a Diet Book - James Smith
Legacy - James Kerr
The Chimp Paradox - Steve Peters
 
i always found that Penthouse was the best for self help and personal development.

but i guess times change

*alastair campbell - His first job as a writer was penning pornography for Forum magazine from France under the pseudonym, Riviera Gigolo.
 
Will it make the boat go faster? By Ben Hunt-Davis.

Strategies used by the men's eight during the build up to their 2000 Olympic gold medal win. The crew were going nowhere, getting beat regularly but then adopted various strategies, which are outlined in the book, to improve their performance.

Their techniques aren't rowing specific, and can be applied to achieve any targeted goal.

Highly recommended.
 
While I understand many people have gotten something from reading self help books, the whole industry around them baffles me…

Are they there to help the individual in some benevolent way or are they just money making off the back of peoples desperation to feel better?

A lot of them are marketed in a way as to suggest they’re the last book you would need to read on the subject, but many people read the next one and the next one in the way diet books are marketed…

I listen to Chris evans on a morning and he hoovers up these books. He does often talk sense about mindfullness and mental health but I just feel the whole industry is exploitative of peoples fear of not feeling ok…

I understand everyone has different things going on in their lives and need something to help them understand the meaning of it all but we I’ve come to the realisation that it really is normal not to feel ok or normal..

Saying that, it sounds like that Ekhart toll (sp) is regarded as the one to read and listen to…

I’ve never read one in my life, not because I’m sound in my own mind but because I just don’t think someone telling me vague instructions for life will make me feel any better….

Please don’t take this ramble as me making light of how you feel or how you managed to make peace with how you feel….
 
xxlshirts_fit_all said:
While I understand many people have gotten something from reading self help books, the whole industry around them baffles me…

Are they there to help the individual in some benevolent way or are they just money making off the back of peoples desperation to feel better?

A lot of them are marketed in a way as to suggest they’re the last book you would need to read on the subject, but many people read the next one and the next one in the way diet books are marketed…

I listen to Chris evans on a morning and he hoovers up these books. He does often talk sense about mindfullness and mental health but I just feel the whole industry is exploitative of peoples fear of not feeling ok…

I understand everyone has different things going on in their lives and need something to help them understand the meaning of it all but we I’ve come to the realisation that it really is normal not to feel ok or normal..

Saying that, it sounds like that Ekhart toll (sp) is regarded as the one to read and listen to…

I’ve never read one in my life, not because I’m sound in my own mind but because I just don’t think someone telling me vague instructions for life will make me feel any better….

Please don’t take this ramble as me making light of how you feel or how you managed to make peace with how you feel….
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I understand what you're saying, there are definitely some folk who have some form of following that will write about any given subject for a bit of income.

I wouldn't recommend anyone who is genuinely struggling to just read a book under the premise that everything will be okay afterwards.

But for me personally, it's helped me expand my knowledge, make better decisions, learn why I was making certain decisions etc and just feel better all round having read some of them.
 
Magic Man said:
Some of my favorites on this topic were;

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** - Mark Manson
Thinking Fast & Slow - Daniel Kahneman
Never Split The Difference - Chris Voss
Not a Diet Book - James Smith
Legacy - James Kerr
The Chimp Paradox - Steve Peters
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I've already read TSAONTAF*** and Not a Diet Book, both good reads, the latter being the first of these that I bought.

Will check out the others you mentioned (y)
 
TheYorkshireTerrier said:
I've already read TSAONTAF*** and Not a Diet Book, both good reads, the latter being the first of these that I bought.

Will check out the others you mentioned (y)
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I found 'Legacy' fascinating, the guy basically submerges himself into the All Blacks and does a great job of expressing their philosophy and why it's so successful, also how you can apply it to every day life (I'm not really a rugby fan either).
 
Magic Man said:
I found 'Legacy' fascinating, the guy basically submerges himself into the All Blacks and does a great job of expressing their philosophy and why it's so successful, also how you can apply it to every day life (I'm not really a rugby fan either).
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There's a really good episode of The Real Science of Sport podcast about The All Blacks.
 
TheYorkshireTerrier said:
I have been on a bit of a binge when it comes to these self help and personal development books, mainly as audiobooks whilst on the bike, walking and general exercising, and I'm looking for some more recommendations.

Books I've covered so far:

Atomic Habits - James Clear
Think Like a Monk - Jay Shetty
Can't Hurt Me - David Goggins
Not a Life Coach - James Smith
Why We Sleep - Matthew Walker
Living Better - Alastair Campbell (more like an autobiography but still interesting)

I know this genre might not be for everyone, but they're helping me ATM so if anyone has any recommendations, let me know (y)
Click to expand...
What did you make of atomic habits. I watched a 20 min video the other day on YouTube
 
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