People are always asking me to recommend books for them to read. As an avid reader I could name quite a few that I love and find valuable, that I get inspiration from, that are thought provoking, spiritual, motivational, and more. However we are all looking to have our own needs met when we read a book so in the same way. I would not choose your food for you, or choose your friends for you I can help support you to make choices. The following lists are based on what I get enjoyment and value from.
If you don’t wish to buy these books straight away visit your local library and look under Health or Psychology and see what you find, explore for yourself. You can ask your library to order books for you too, and then when you find the books that bring something to you - you can then buy them and treasure them.
Bereavement
The Year of Magical Thinking
Joan Didion, Harper Perennial 2006
“Life changes fast. Life changes in an instant. You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends.”
A personal experience of the loss and grief of death, written with honesty, beautiful yet devastating, a passionate account that does not hold anything back. A must read for anyone who is suffering with the loss of a loved one.
Fiction
The Alchemist Paulo Coelho
The Pilgrimage 1987, The Alchemist 1987, Brida 1990, The Valkyries 1992, Maktub 1994, By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept 1994, The Fifth Mountain 1996, Love Letters from a Prophet 1997, The Manual of the Warrior of Light 1997, Veronika Decides to Die 1998, The Devil and Miss Prym 2000, Eleven Minutes - bestselling fiction title worldwide in 2003, The Zahir 2005, Like the Flowing River 2006, The Witch of Portobello 2006.
There is no way to summarise all that is Paulo Coelho, but do take the time to go to his web site www.paulocoelho.com to get a understanding of who he is and his achievements.
“If someone isn’t what others want them to be the other becomes angry. Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own”.
Search on Amazon books for Paulo Coelho
Human Behaviour
The Tipping Point
Malcolm Gladwell 2002
Malcolm Gladwell tells us that when something major happens it’s usually because its been building for a while and that it just needs the addition of a magic ’something’ to shift the balance in order for the phenomena to take place. It contains some excellent examples of this ‘tipping point’ being reached, such as the huge drop in serious crimes in New York in the mid 1990s.
The book is well researched with an excellent reference section, and has some great insights into human behaviour and communication on both an individual and social level.
Meditation
Meditations: Creative Visualisation and Meditation Exercises to Enrich Your Life
Shakti Gawain 1997
I bought this book in 1997 and still love it today. Whether you can dream, whether you can visualise or not, this is a great starting point to learning and person development.
Shakti Gawain has other great books, DVD’s etc listed on Amazon take a look and see what suits you best.
Money
What Not to Spend
Alvin Hall 2004
We live in a materialistic world, with credit almost continuously on offer. It is hard to not weaken and give in and many people already have significant financial issues. Whether you have debt problems, want to know about saving, pensions, or stocks and shares check out Alvin Halls other books.
Positive Thinking
Chicken Soup for the Soul
Jack Cranfield & Mark Victor Hansen 2000
Two of America’s best-loved inspirational speakers share the very best of their collected stories and favorite tales that have touched the hearts of people everywhere.
Try Amazon for other Cranfield/Victor titles.
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Cosmic Ordering - How to Make your Dreams Come True Jonathan Cainer 2006
A great introductory book to cosmic ordering, everything you want is out there if only you are willing to believe it!
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How to Stop Worrying and Start Living
Dale Carnegie 2004
Dale Carnegie has written several books. They are a very valuable support in self development and help with leaving old habits behind.
If you search on Amazon Books for Dale Carnegie, you will find a wealth of other titles to support your development.
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The Law of Attraction
Esther and Jerry Hick 2006
I have read several of the books by Esther and Jerry and in particular like The Law of Attraction. It is another of my books with pages marked and it is often brought out to re read to remind myself of the wonderful power of positive thinking.
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The Power of Positive Thinking
Norman Vincent Peale 1953
First published in 1953 and still selling well. Vincent Peale gives practical, direct-action examples of spiritual techniques to overcome defeat and win confidence, success and joy.
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The Secret
Rhonda Byrne 2006
The Secret explains, with simplicity, the law that is governing our lives, and offers the knowledge of how to create - intentionally and effortlessly - a joyful life. This is the secret to everything - the secret to unlimited happiness, love, health, and prosperity. Also available on DVD.
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The Spirituality of Success Getting Rich with Integrity
Vincent M. Roazzi 2002
Vince Roazzi shares his life with the reader and tells the story of his hard won lessons, the wrong choices he made and how he was able to turn his life around. A great inspirational read, which proves there is more to success than meets the eye.
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Think and Grow Rich
Napoleon Hill (revised and expanded by Arthur R Pell) 2004
Originally published in 1937. Napoleon Hill developed a simple 13 step formula to help you identify your goals, master the secrets of true and lasting success, obtain what you want in life, join the ranks of the super successful.
This book is easy to understand and gets you thinking about positive thinking in relation to greater wealth, with lots of examples of men and women and their stories of success.
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Think Yourself Rich
How to develop the Mind of a Millionaire, Sharon Maxwell Magnus, Vermillion 2003
Whether you are entrepreneurial and/or have hankerings to be a millionaire this will be a good read for you. Understand the skills, values and mindsets needed. Are you going to put work before family and friends, will you work on holiday? Based on research this is an interesting read that really will help you to understand how your personality fits with those that are making it rich and how your upbringing, schooling and childhood is irrelevant, it is all about attitude.
Psychology
An Idea In Practice - Using the Human Givens Approach
Joe Griffin and Ivan Tyrrell 2007
This book is a celebration of the astonishing, beneficial inroads the human givens approach has made into education, mental health and social services. Like a powerful lens it brings into focus rich insights about what is missing from society today and how, often against great odds, thousands of talented people from diverse backgrounds are countering this. Full of moving stories, humour and practical information.
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The Highly Sensitive Person
How to Thrive When The World Overwhelms You, Elaine N Aaron 1999
When research psychologist and psychotherapist Elaine Aron published The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You, many people felt a jolt of recognition. Aaron’s book was a godsend for those who’d been told since childhood how high-strung, nervous, timid, overly sensitive, or fearful they were. Here was a mental health professional describing high sensitivity as a normal state shared by 15 to 20 percent of the population and framing it positively rather than as a flaw.
According to Aaron, highly sensitive people, or HSPs, typically share a number of characteristics: They’re highly aroused by new or prolonged stimulation; strongly reactive to external stimuli such as noise and light; intolerant of pain, hunger, thirst, caffeine, and medication; susceptible to stress-related and psychosomatic illnesses; and deeply affected by other people’s moods and emotions. They are also highly intuitive; able to concentrate deeply (but do best without distractions); right-brained, and less linear than non-HSPs; highly conscientious; especially good at tasks requiring vigilance, accuracy, and speed; and excellent at spotting and avoiding errors.
These books are a great read, if you are not a HSP you will know someone who is and these books will give you a far greater understanding of their needs and if you are a HSP, they can transform you life by giving understanding to how you feel on a daily basis.
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The Highly Sensitive Persons Survival Guide
Ted Zeff PhD 2004
Highly sensitive people (HSPs), who make up some 20 per cent of the population, are individuals who both enjoy and suffer from a finely tuned neurological system. This condition can be a gift, but until HSPs master their sensitive nervous systems, they operate in a constant state of over stimulation.
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Making Work Work for the Highly Sensitive Person
Barrie Jaeger PhD 2005
“A perceptive guide.” - “Publishers Weekly”. This book builds on Elaine Aaron’s groundbreaking bestseller “The Highly Sensitive Person” to offer you proven strategies that help you make your extreme sensitivity an asset in the workplace. You will get guidance on stress management, boundary setting, dealing with abusive co-workers, and more, and you will learn how to experience work in a way that is emotionally gratifying as well as financially rewarding.
Self Development
Awaken the Giant Within
Anthony Robbins 1992
Anthony Robbins is an American personal transformation guru. Awaken The Giant stimulates the reader’s imagination by the questions it poses, the possibilities it creates in your mind, yet the book is careful to provide the practical steps and details for goal-achievement. It is one of the longer books in the self development range.
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The Inner Game of Tennis
W.Timothy Gallwey 1986
Timothy Gallwey’s book is an inspirational read helping people to understand how human beings interfere with their own ability to achieve and learn. Pick the book title that most relates to your work or hobby and see how he can show you practical ways to overcome the mental obstacles that prevent us performing to the best of our abilities.
Gallwey has also written about The Inner Game of Skiiing and The Inner Game of Golf - see Amazon for details.
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The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
Robin Sharma 2004
A great book that is a must read for anyone under pressure in their career or those that want to read about how a life can be transformed. Another good name to search for on Amazon.
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Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Stephen Covey 2004
I quote Stephen Covey in my work all the time, he is insightful, compassionate writer and truly believes in personal development. All of his work is enlightening and The Seven Habits is a book you will refer to and re read constantly because of the value within it, hence him having sold over 15 million copies!
Relationships
How to Mend Your Broken Heart
Paul McKenna and Hugh Willbourn 2003
A must read in particular for anyone who is having trouble moving on from a broken relationship. This book is written with warmth and compassion to support the hurt you will be feeling.
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I need your Love
Byron Katie & Michael Katz 2005
A wonderful book that is full of different examples of how people can think and react to situations, a must read for everyone. If you have not behaved in this way or had these thoughts about relationships you will know someone who has!
“We all do emotional gymnastics to be seen as wonderful or funny - just to get what we already have. And because we’re doing the gymnastics, we don’t see that we already have it”.
The Seven Best Things that (Happy) Couples Do
John and Linda Friel 2002
John and Linda have written a number of books on relationships (all ages), just search on Amazon Books to see the list of titles.
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Spiritual
Barefoot Doctor’s Handbook for Heroes: Spiritual Guide to Fame and Fortune
Stephen Russell 1999
The Barefoot Doctor demystifies the secret Taoist path to wealth, renown and fulfilment but in a fun way which we can all relate to day to day life.
If you search on Amazon Books for the Barefoot doctor you will see a whole range of useful titles, just choose what appeals to you most!
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Deepak Chopra
If you search on Amazon Books for Deepak Chopra, you will find a wealth of useful titles, just choose what appeals to you most! Deepak Chopra is a writer, lecturer and physician and has a wealth of knowledge to share, covering love, relationship, health, emotional freedom, enlightenment and silence.