Although I consume content in a variety of ways, over the years, I’ve found the most useful method for assimilating information to be reading.

As I think back to when I first started engaging in personal development, I didn’t listen to podcasts or watch videos – I read articles and books.

Obviously, I still find tremendous value in podcasts, audio programs and the like.

But reading forces you to stay in the presence of an idea for longer.

Sure, most books can be boiled down to two or three key takeaways.

But without the context surrounding those takeaways, you don’t necessarily get the same impact.

If you don’t get the impact, you probably won’t do anything with the information.

Everyone wants to do everything fast, but I believe the best way to invest in yourself is to think deeply, which is the kind of thinking books facilitate.

Here is a list of books I’ve read.

This list should not be considered comprehensive unless I’ve noted otherwise.

I’ve organized the list by the author’s surname.

A

  • Getting Everything You Can Out of All You Got: 21 Ways You Can Out-Think, Out-Perform, and Out-Earn the Competition by Jay Abraham
  • Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen
  • As A Man Thinketh by James Allen
  • Choose Yourself by James Altucher
  • Beyond Positive Thinking: A No-Nonsense Formula for Getting the Results You Want by Robert Anthony and Joe Vitale
  • Living Your Magic: How to Enjoy Your Mind and Enjoy Your Life by Robert Anthony
  • The Ultimate Secrets of Total Self-Confidence by Robert Anthony

B

  • The Art of Money Getting: Golden Rules for Making Money by P. T. Barnum
  • Guerrilla Music Marketing, Encore Edition: 201 More Self-Promotion Ideas, Tips and Tactics for Do-It-Yourself Artists by Bob Baker
  • Way of the Wolf: Straight Line Selling, Master the Art of Persuasion, Influence, and Success by Jordan Belfort
  • Debt Squeeze by Ronald Blue
  • The Helping Relationship: Process and Skills by Lawrence M. Brammer
  • The Magic of Believing by Claude M. Bristol
  • CRAZY ONLINE SALES: THE STRATEGY THAT MADE ME A MILLION DOLLARS IN 3 MONTHS! by Richard Brown
  • DotCom Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Growing Your Company Online with Sales Funnels by Russell Brunson
  • Expert Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Finding Your Message, Building a Tribe, and Changing the World by Russell Brunson
  • Marketing Secrets Blackbook: 99 Secrets That Will Change Your Business… And Change Your Life! by Russell Brunson
  • Network Marketing Secrets by Russell Brunson
  • Traffic Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Filling Your Website and Funnels with Your Dream Customer by Russell Brunson
  • Not So Common Sense: 5 Tips For Home-based Business Success by Kara Buntin
  • The Charge: Activating the 10 Human Drives That Make You Feel Alive by Brendon Burchard
  • The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea by Bob Burg & John David Mann
  • Hero by Rhonda Byrne
  • The Power by Rhonda Byrne
  • The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

C

  • The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield
  • The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure by Grant Cardone
  • Simple Success Secrets No One Told You About (The Business Pro’s Essential Toolkit Book 1) by John Carlton
  • How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie
  • The Illusion of Money: Why Chasing Money Is Stopping You From Receiving It by Kyle Cease
  • The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts by Gary Chapman
  • The Tongue: A Creative Force by Charles Capps
  • The Possible Dream: A Candid Look At AMWAY by Charles Paul Conn
  • The Game of Work: How to Enjoy Work as Much as Play by Charles Coonradt
  • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey
  • The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
  • The Road Less Stupid: Advice from the Chairman of the Board by Keith J. Cunningham

D

  • Content Marketing For Traffic And Sales: How To Use Direct Response Copywriting, For More Effective Content Marketing by Daniel Daines-Hutt
  • Talk the Talk: A Treasury of Quips, Quotes, Questions & Words of Wisdom Essential for Building a Large, Successful Network Marketing Business by Angelo M. D’Amico
  • Compassionate Capitalism: People Helping People Help Themselves by Rich DeVos
  • The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done by Peter F. Drucker
  • Virtual Freedom: How to Work with Virtual Staff to Buy More Time, Become More Productive, and Build Your Dream Business by Chris Ducker
  • The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
  • Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao by Wayne Dyer
  • Excuses Be Gone! How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits by Wayne Dyer
  • The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer

E

  • Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth by T. Harv Eker
  • Beautiful Outlaw by John Eldredge
  • Desire: The Journey We Must Take to Find the Life God Offers by John Eldredge
  • Fathered by God: Learning What Your Dad Could Never Teach You by John Eldredge
  • The Way of the Wild Heart: A Map for the Masculine Journey by John Eldredge
  • Wild at Heart: Discovering The Secret of a Man’s Soul by John Eldredge

F

  • Magnetic Micro-Books by Nate Fancher
  • The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
  • Lucky Man: A Memoir by Michael J. Fox
  • So, you want to be a musician… by Dobbs Franks
  • Are You Living Your Dream?: How to Create Wealth and Live the Life You Want by John Furhman

G

  • ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income by Chris Garrett and Darren Rowse
  • The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to do About It by Michael E. Gerber
  • Ten Commandments of YouTube by Matt Gielen
  • Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness by Jeffery Gitomer
  • OUTRAGEOUS Multi-Step Marketing Campaigns That Are Outrageously Successful (Vol. 2) Bill Glazer & Rob Cuesta
  • At Your Command by Neville Goddard
  • Be What You Wish by Neville Goddard
  • The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) by Seth Godin
  • Critical Chain by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
  • What You Say Is What You Get by Don Gossett
  • The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau

H

  • The Believer’s Authority by Kenneth E. Hagin
  • The Warren Buffet Way: Investment Strategies of the World’s Greatest Investor by Robert G. Hagstrom
  • The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
  • The Accidental Creative: How to be Brilliant at a Moment’s Notice by Todd Henry
  • Double Double: How to Double Your Revenue in 3 Years or Less by Cameron Herold
  • Ask and It Is Given by Esther Hicks & Jerry Hicks
  • The Astonishing Power of Emotions by Esther Hicks & Jerry Hicks
  • The Law of Attraction by Esther Hicks & Jerry Hicks
  • The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons by Napoleon Hill
  • Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
  • Creative Mind and Success by Ernest Holmes
  • Big Podcast – Grow Your Podcast Audience, Build Listener Loyalty, and Get Everybody Talking About Your Show by David Hooper
  • Six-Figure Musician – How to Sell More Music, Get More People to Your Shows, and Make More Money in the Music Business by David Hooper
  • Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt
  • Your Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt
  • Fit To Be Tied: Making Marriage Last A Lifetime by Bill & Lynne Hybels

I

It’s possible I haven’t read any books in this category yet!

J

  • Life Mastery: Manifest the Reality You Want by Quazi Johir
  • Life is Tremendous by Charlie Jones

K

  • One Million Followers, Updated Edition: How I Built a Massive Social Following in 30 Days by Brendan Kane
  • Almost Alchemy: Make Any Business Of Any Size Produce More With Fewer And Less by Dan S. Kennedy
  • Magnetic Marketing: How To Attract A Flood Of New Customers That Pay, Stay, and Refer by Dan S. Kennedy
  • No B.S. Business Success in The New Economy by Dan S. Kennedy
  • No B.S. Grassroots Marketing: The Ultimate No Holds Barred Take No Prisoner Guide to Growing Sales and Profits of Local Small Businesses by Dan S. Kennedy & Jeff Slutsky
  • No B.S. Guide to Brand-Building by Direct Response: The Ultimate No Holds Barred Plan to Creating and Profiting from a Powerful Brand Without Buying It by Dan S. Kennedy, Forrest Walden & Jim Cavale
  • No B.S. Guide to Maximum Referrals and Customer Retention: The Ultimate No Holds Barred Plan to Securing New Customers and Maximum Profits by Dan S. Kennedy & Shaun Buck
  • No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs: The Ultimate No Holds Barred Kick Butt Take No Prisoners Guide to Time Productivity and Sanity by Dan S. Kennedy
  • No B.S. Trust Based Marketing: The Ultimate Guide to Creating Trust in an Understandably Un-trusting World by Dan S. Kennedy & Matt Zagula
  • No B.S. Wealth Attraction in the New Economy by Dan S. Kennedy
  • Renegade Millionaire: 7 Secrets to Extreme Wealth, Autonomy, And Entrepreneurial Success by Dan S. Kennedy & Lee Milteer
  • Speak To Sell: Persuade, Influence, And Establish Authority & Promote Your Products, Services, Practice, Business, or Cause by Dan S. Kennedy
  • The Ultimate Marketing Plan: Target Your Audience! Get Out Your Message! Build Your Brand! by Dan S. Kennedy
  • Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert T. Kiyosaki
  • Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered by Austin Kleon
  • Steal Like An Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon
  • DOTCOM SECRETS: 33 Things I Would Have Paid Good Money To Know Before I Started In Online Marketing by Jack Kogera
  • Publish. Promote. Profit.: The New Rules of Writing, Marketing & Making Money with a Book by Rob Kosberg
  • The Profitable Content System: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Creating Wildly Profitable Content Without Burnout by Meera Kothand
  • The Go-Getter: A Story That Tells You How to be One by Peter B. Kyne

L

  • Tao Te Ching by Laozi
  • The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
  • Your Personality Tree: Discover the Real You by Uncovering the Roots of… by Florence Littauer
  • Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
  • Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don’t by Michael J. Losier
  • The Healing Code: 6 Minutes to Heal the Source of Your Health, Success, or Relationship Issue by Alexander Loyd & Ben Johnson

M

  • Who Am I? by Sri Ramana Maharshi
  • 80/20 Sales and Marketing: The Definitive Guide to Working Less and Making More by Perry Marshall
  • Detox, Declutter, Dominate: How to Excel by Elimination by Perry Marshall & Robert Skrob
  • The Scribe Method: The Best Way to Write and Publish Your Non-Fiction Book by Tucker Max & Zach Obront
  • The New Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
  • Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
  • The Greatest Mystery in the World by Og Mandino
  • The Greatest Success in the World by Og Mandino
  • The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson
  • Hung by the Tongue by Francis P. Martin
  • When the Body Says No: Understanding the Stress-Disease Connection by Gabor Maté
  • Dream Big Achieve Bigger: 7 Steps to Attract Anything You Want by Tasha L. Mayberry
  • The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell
  • Attitude 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know by John C. Maxwell
  • Developing The Leader Within You by John C. Maxwell
  • Dream: See It and Seize It by John C. Maxwell
  • Failing Forward by John C. Maxwell
  • Leadership 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know by John C. Maxwell
  • Put Your Dream to the Test: 10 Questions to Help You See It and Seize It by John C. Maxwell
  • Thinking for a Change: 11 Ways Highly Successful People Approach Life and Work by John C. Maxwell
  • Bringing Out The Best in People: How To Enjoy Helping Others Excel by Alan Loy Mcginnis
  • Life Strategies: Doing What Works, Doing What Matters by Phillip C. Mcgraw
  • A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey by Brian D. McLaren
  • How to Think Bigger: Aim Higher, Get More Motivated, and Accomplish Big Things by Martin Meadows
  • Do You Have the TIME for Success? by Julio Melara
  • 100 Ways to Simplify Your Life by Joyce Meyer
  • Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind by Joyce Meyer
  • Be Anxious for Nothing: The Art of Casting Your Cares and Resting in God by Joyce Meyer
  • Enjoying Where You Are on the Way to Where You Are Going: Learning How to Live a Joyful Spirit-Led Life by Joyce Meyer
  • How to Succeed at Being Yourself: Finding the Confidence to Fulfill Your Destiny by Joyce Meyer
  • Managing Your Emotions: Instead of Your Emotions Managing You by Joyce Meyer
  • Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
  • A Million MIles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life by Donald Miller
  • To Own a Dragon: Reflections On Growing Up Without A Father by Donald Miller
  • The Essential Habits Of 6-Figure Bloggers: Secrets of 17 Successful Bloggers You Can Use to Build a Six-Figure Online Business by Sally Miller
  • The Secret Art of Self-Development: 16 little-known rules for eternal happiness & freedom by Karl Moore
  • Believe in Yourself by Joseph Murphy
  • The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy

N

  • How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet: 2011 Edition by David Nevue
  • The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale
  • Do You Talk Funny?: 7 Comedy Habits to Become a Better (and Funnier) Public Speaker by David Nihill
  • Content Machine: Use Content Marketing to Build a 7-figure Business with Zero Advertising by Dan Norris and Elisa Doucette

O

  • Cold Hard Truth: On Business, Money & Life by Kevin O’Leary
  • The Slight Edge: Secret to a Successful Life by Jeff Olson
  • I Declare: 31 Promises to Speak Over Your Life by Joel Osteen
  • Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential by Joel Osteen

P

  • Opportunity: How to Win in Business and Create a Life You Love by Eben Pagan
  • 6 Steps to $1 Million: How to Achieve Your Financial Dreams by Gordon Pape
  • Hustle: The Power to Charge Your Life with Money, Meaning, and Momentum by Neil Patel, Patrick Vlaskovits & Jonas Koffler
  • Personal Development for Smart People by Steve Pavlina
  • Productivity: How to Triple Your Productivity Within a Month and Do a Full Day’s Work in 90 Minutes (Productivity series Book 1) by Steve Pavlina
  • The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
  • Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road by Neil Peart
  • In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies by Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman, Jr.
  • God Wants You to be Rich: The Technology of Economics by Paul Zane Pilzer
  • Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values by Robert M Pirsig
  • Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle by Michael Port
  • The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield
  • 100 Days of Favor: Daily Readings From Unmerited Favor by Joseph Prince
  • Destined to Reign: The Secret to Effortless Success, Wholeness and Victorious Living by Joseph Prince
  • Unmerited Favor: Your Supernatural Advantage for a Successful Life by Joseph Prince
  • Contact Capital: How To Turn Your Contacts Into Cash Flow by Bob Proctor
  • You Were Born Rich by Bob Proctor
  • Content Inc.: How Entrepreneurs Use Content to Build Massive Audiences and Create Radically Successful Businesses by Joe Pulizzi
  • Epic Content Marketing: How to Tell a Different Story, Break Through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less by Joe Pulizzi
  • Killing Marketing: How Innovative Businesses Are Turning Marketing Cost Into Profit by Joe Pulizzi & Robert Rose

Q

  • Overcoming Time Poverty: How to Achieve More by Working Less by Bill Quain
  • Pro-Sumer Power II ! How to Create Wealth by Being Smarter, Not Cheaper, and Referring Others to Do the Same by Bill Quain

R

  • SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham
  • It Works: The Famous Little Red Book That Makes Your Dreams Come True by RHJ
  • The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries & Jack Trout
  • Winning Through Intimidation: How to be the Victor, Not the Victim, in Business and in Life by Robert Ringer
  • Awaken the Giant Within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny! by Tony Robbins
  • MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom by Tony Robbins
  • Experiences: The 7th Era of Marketing by Robert Rose & Carla Johnson
  • The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz

S

  • The Label Machine: How to Start, Run and Grow Your Own Independent Music Label by Nick Sadler
  • I Will Teach You To Be Rich: No Guilt, No Excuses, No B.S. Just a 6-Week Program that Works by Ramit Sethi
  • The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made by Greg Sestero & Tom Bissell
  • The Content Code: Six essential strategies to ignite your content, your marketing, and your business by Mark W. Schaefer
  • Work Less, Make More: The counter-intuitive approach to building a profitable business, and a life you actually love by James Schramko
  • Don’t Throw Away Tomorrow: Living God’s Dream for Your Life by Robert H. Schuller
  • The Magic Of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz
  • Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul by Howard Shultz
  • Smartcuts: How Hackers, Innovators, and Icons Accelerate Success by Shane Snow
  • SEX MONEY KISS by Gene Simmons
  • The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer
  • Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur by Derek Sivers
  • Your Music and People by Derek Sivers
  • Official Get Rich Guide to Information Marketing: Build a Million Dollar Business Within 12 Months by Robert Skrob
  • On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy D. Snyder
  • Reader Magnets: Build Your Author Platform and Sell more Books on Kindle (2022 Edition) by Nick Stephenson
  • The Success System That Never Fails by W. Clement Stone
  • You Can Go Up by William W. Stringfellow and Deloras I. Stringfellow

T

  • Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin is Changing Money, Business and the World by Don Tapscott & Alex Tapscott
  • The Psychology of Selling by Brian Tracy
  • Common Ground by Justin Trudeau
  • The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
  • Trump: The Art of the Deal by Donald J. Trump and Tony Schwartz
  • Operation Blessing by Billie Kaye Tsika
  • Sequoia-Size Success by Paul E. Tsika

U

  • Marketing: The Beginners Guide to Making Money Online with Social Media for Small Businesses by Alex Nkenchor Uwajeh

V

  • The Seven Lost Secrets of Success by Joe Vitale

W

  • Launch: An Internet Millionaire’s Secret Formula To Sell Almost Anything Online, Build A Business You Love, And Live The Life Of Your Dreams by Jeff Walker
  • Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman
  • The Evergreen Traffic Playbook by Matt Wolfe & Joe Fier

X

It’s possible I haven’t read any books in this category yet!

Y

It’s possible I haven’t read any books in this category yet!

Z

  • See You at the Top by Zig Ziglar
  • Selling 101: What Every Successful Sales Professional Needs to Know by Zig Ziglar
  • On Writing Well by William Zinsser