12 Best Books to read for success

Success is the result of a lot of small things done consistently. And a key element of that is gaining the required knowledge. If you look into the lives of the most successful people in the world, you will find one common trait. And that is that they read a lot. By reading the best books for success, they are able to constantly put themselves ahead of others and achieve greater levels of success.

The books in this list come from some of the most successful people themselves such as Sadhguru, Robin Sharma, Guy Kawasaki, Tim Ferriss, Tony Robbins and many more.

These are amongst the world’s best spiritual teachers, personal development coaches and entrepreneurs. 

How this list of books was compiled

Success can be defined in many ways. What people think of success can vary from person to person and cultures to cultures as well. However, here in this post I try to define it by addressing the main aspects of a person’s life that I believe is responsible to structure success and inspire to be great.

Hence, the books recommended in this post covers the main aspects of a person’s life such as mental wellbeing, productivity and habits, finances, business & career and interpersonal skills.

I strongly believe that in order to be successful, you must consistently work on the above aspects of your life. 

Which books should I read for success?

So, below is the list of best books to read for success and inspire you to reach your full potential and achieve your goals in life.

Mental wellbeing

1. The Art of Happiness by His Holiness The Dalai Lama

The spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, The 14th Dalai Lama radiates joy and happiness wherever he goes. 

The Art of Happiness is a book that is a benchmark for readers under the genre of happiness and positive psychology. Through recorded conversations, stories and meditations, The Dalai Lama tells us how to overcome the struggles of daily life such as anxiety, insecurity, jealousy, relationships and the pursuit of wealth. Based on a rich history of Buddhist traditions and the forever green common sense, The Art of Happiness truly captures human challenges and how to overcome them. 

This book is without a doubt a must-read on your journey of self-discovery and personal growth.

2. Inner Engineering – A Yogi’s Guide to Joy by Sadhguru

Yogi, Mystic and Visionary, Jaggi Vasudev popularly known as Sadhguru is in a class of his own when it comes to yoga, spirituality and well-being.

In this New York Times Best Seller, Sadhguru presents the readers with his time tested path to achieving joy and wellness through the ancient science of Yoga. 

Inner Engineering offers readers with a revolutionary way of thinking about our human mechanism and take charge of all of it’s faculties to achieve absolute well-being. 

Productivity and Habits:

3. The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss

In this highly recommended book in the field of productivity, the best-selling author Tim Ferriss presents the readers with an entirely new way of breaking free from the cycle of 9-5. 

Acting as a blueprint for designing a step by step process for achieving greater levels of productivity and success, This best selling book teaches how the author went from 40,000$ per year and 80 hours per week to 40,000$ per month and 4 hours per week. It also teaches how to outsource small tasks and focus on the more important things and how to trade a long-haul career for short busts of work and frequent mini retirements.

4. Atomic Habits by James Clear

In this book by one of the world’s leading habit experts James Clear, the readers can grab a proven framework to improve your everyday life. The author reveals practical strategies you can use to form good habits, break the bad ones and master the art of habits to help you achieve the levels of productivity and success you desire.

Read this book to learn and cultivate new habits, overcome lack of motivation, get back up whenever you fall short and create an environment around you that is essential for success.

5. The 5AM Club by Robin Sharma

World renowned leadership and performance expert Robin Sharma truly gifted the world with this book. He introduced this concept over 20 years ago and spent 4 years of his life writing this book.

In this book you will discover the early rising habit that has helped so many people achieve new levels of success in their life and truly upgrade their levels of joy and happiness. Presented as a story of two strangers who meet an eccentric tycoon who becomes their secret mentor, this book has a vast amount of knowledge and lessons to take away. 

Finance:

6. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

This book is easily amongst the best personal finance books ever written. Even 25 years later, it’s being published in multiple languages around the world. The author Robert Kiyosaki takes you on a personal journey of financial advice he received from his best friend’s father – Rich Dad and his actual father – Poor Dad and how the advice he got from both of them shaped his views on money and investing.

This is truly a remarkable book that you should read if you want some priceless advice about personal finance and growing your wealth.

7. Money: Master The Game by Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins is amongst the most inspirational people of our time. His success is notable in the field of personal development. People from all walks of life have credited him for giving them the tools and inspiration to transform their lives.

This New York Times best seller is backed by extensive research and interviews of some of the most successful investors today. If you want to achieve true financial freedom this book is a great place to get started.

Business & Career:

8. Good to Great by By James C. Collins

This book has sold over 5 million copies worldwide. A truly remarkable book in the field of corporate success, Jim Collins shares the key determinants of greatness that are required for a company to make the leap from good to great.

Based on comprehensive study, research and comparisons, this book will give invaluable advice if you aspire to one day create a business and take it to new heights of success.

9. Zero to One by Peter Thiel

In this book, the author Peter Thiel talks about how to build companies that explore new business models that are unique in a world where technology is reaching new heights everyday. However, the author shows that success can be possible in any area or industry by learning the most important skill every leader must master: learning to think for yourself.

Showing an optimistic view of the progress of the American future and a new way of thinking about innovation, this book is a must read for any aspiring entrepreneur.

10. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

Another New York Times Best Seller, in this book the author Eric Ries shares a new approach that is being adopted by companies changing how they are built and new products are launched.

Read this book to learn how to create and manage successful startups in an age of technology and innovation. 

Interpersonal Skills:

11. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Out of this list, this is one of the books that has made a huge impact in my life. From career development to personal and family relationships, it has influenced the way I think and live. 

Perhaps amongst the most groundbreaking best sellers of all, How to win friends and Influence people teaches you to become more likable, convincing and inspire change in people without causing resentment.

12. Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman

Based on solid brain and behavioral research, the author talks about why only IQ doesn’t translate into success. He explores the factors that come into play such as self awareness, self discipline and empathy. 

Although we pick up so much from our childhood experiences, emotional intelligence is a skill that we can learn and harness throughout adulthood and have a direct impact on our work, health and relationships. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn about emotional intelligence and wellbeing. 

Key takeaway

There are so many different varieties of lists of best books to read for success out there. And it is my humble opinion that there is so much value to be gained from these lists and more importantly by reading the books on those with an intention of learning and improving your life.

I have made it easier by breaking down the list into genres so that you can start with a book that is in an area of your life you feel like needs the most improvement but don’t know how.

I hope this list of best books to read for success will inspire you to start up a new habit in your life and continue to grow and learn as a person. 

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