Summer Reading: 10 Essential Self-Improvement Books
Self-improvement is typically easier said than done—particularly for MBAs with overstuffed calendars and commitments—but there’s no better time than the present to rid oneself of excess baggage. Whether you want to put the axe to questionable habits, tackle a nagging to-do list, or realize your wildest dreams, these 10 books will give you the tools to live a life less encumbered.
10 Best Self-Improvement Books
Charles Duhigg – The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg’s bestseller uses Michael Phelps, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, Martin Luther King, Jr., Target, the NFL, and Procter & Gamble as models to explain “why habits exist and how they can be changed.”
John C. Maxwell – How Successful People Think: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life
“America’s #1 leadership authority,” John C. Maxwell illustrates how to “tap into your creative potential, develop shared ideas, and derive lessons from the past to better understand the future” by using 11 varieties of thinking that all successful people employ: Big-picture; Focused; Creative; Realistic; Strategic; Possibility; Reflective; Popular; Shared; Unselfish; and Bottom-Line.
Seth Godin – Whatcha Gonna Do with That Duck?: And Other Provocations, 2006-2012
Squidoo.com CEO, Purple Cow progenitor, and business blogger de rigeur, Seth Godin, responds to the conundrum of what to do with your ducks once you’ve got them in a row. Godin collects his most insightful essays culled from six years of blogging, which include such crowd-pleasers as “No, Everything Is Not Going To Be Okay,” designed to inspire readers to “stand up and do something remarkable, outside the standards of the industrial system that raised us.”
Timothy Ferriss – The 4-Hour Workweek
“The 4-Hour Workweek” is touted as the “compass for a new and revolutionary world…of luxury lifestyle design.” Timothy Ferris, whom Wired described as “The Superman of Silicon Valley,” teaches you how to escape the rat race, travel the world, and earn a “monthly five-figure income with zero management.”
Angela Duckworth – Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Psychologist Angela Duckworth demonstrates that the key to success is not any kind of innate ability but rather a “special blend of passion and persistence.” Duckworth uses West Point cadets and National Spelling Bee finalists as case studies, as well as interviews with JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon and Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll.
Marie Kondo – The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
Marie Kondo, Japanese organizational guru and one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2015, details her revolutionary KonMari Method in this New York Times bestseller, which promises to “help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home—and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.”
Stephen R. Covey – The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
The late Stephen R. Covey’s self-help classic, which has sold over “25 million copies in 40 languages throughout the world,” offers a “holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems.”
David J. Schwartz – The Magic of Thinking Big
Dr. Schwartz has given us a patented cure-all for our existential woes, promising readers that they can achieve anything and “everything you always wanted.” The Doc ‘s program will help you get the “most out of your job, your marriage and family life, and your community.”
Brian Tracy – Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
There’s an old adage—generally attributed to Mark Twain– that time management author Brian Tracy’s book title references: “If the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worst thing that will happen to you.” Tracy shows readers how to organize your day based on these critical “frogs.”
Carol Dweck – Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
For all of you lazy overachieving types, Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck’s “Mindset” explains why intelligence and talent often obstruct and jeopardize success. In her book, Dweck posits that a “growth mindset…creates a love of learning and resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.”
About the Author
Jonathan Pfeffer
Jonathan Pfeffer joined the Clear Admit and MetroMBA teams in 2015 after spending several years as an arts/culture writer, editor, and radio producer. In addition to his role as contributing writer at MetroMBA and contributing editor at Clear Admit, he is co-founder and lead producer of the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast. He holds a BA in Film/Video, Ethnomusicology, and Media Studies from Oberlin College.
