Mindset: The New Psychology of Success – How we can learn to fulfill our potential by Carol S. Dweck 

This book is a mandatory read for everyone. It should be on the top of the list for parents, teachers, or anyone working with kids and young people to help them build the self-confidence they need to reach their full potential in life. This book will break a lot of prejudices and change your view of the world. The author, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. In this book, she shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities.

If you decide to read this book, you will not be disappointed, I promise. 

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear 

This book is a life-changer. If you have trouble changing your habits or building good ones, you have to find the right system. This is the book that gives you tangible results as soon as you start using the described techniques. Everything written in the book has already been tested and proven. All that remains if for you to put the theory into practice. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. 

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain 

If you are an introvert, and you have trouble finding your place in today’s extrovert-inclined world, this book will help you. If you are an extrovert who has trouble understanding introverts, you will find your answers here. Some of the most famous introverts, like Rosa Parks, Einstein, Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, J.K. Rowling (and many more), are great examples that being introverted does not mean sitting quietly in the back row, waiting for your chance. Before Susan Cain became a writer, she practiced corporate law for seven years, representing clients such as Goldman Sachs. After that, she started a negotiation consultancy, training all kinds of people, from hedge fund managers to TV producers to college students negotiating their first salaries. Her clients have included Merrill Lynch, Shearman & Sterling, One Hundred Women in Hedge Funds, and many more.

The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success by Darren Hardy (Amazon.com book link or Amazon.co.uk book link)

This book is a great read and a great gift to anyone who wants to keep balance in life. I have purchased it four times (one audio cd plus three hard copies). It will help you start working on important things in your life without neglecting anything. To achieve big goals, you have to do small steps daily, and over time you will see excellent results. From there comes the name “The Compound Effect.” Darren Hardy has led three successful television networks, producing over 1,000 TV shows featuring almost every influential thought leader of our times. And for eight years he led the rebirth of SUCCESS Magazine as its publisher and founding editor.

The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less by Richard Koch 

Have you ever, after reading a book, asked yourself how it is possible to get so much useful information from only one book? This is one of those books. It explains how to effectively apply the Pareto principle (80/20) to get the most out of your life. The Pareto principle (discovered by Italian economist Wilfredo Pareto) says that 80 percent of our success comes from only 20 percent of our actions. Richard Koch is the author, successful entrepreneur, and investor whose ventures have included Filofax, Plymouth Gin, Belgo restaurants, and Betfair, the world’s largest betting exchange. He was formerly a partner of Bain & Company and co-founder of LEK Consulting. He has written more than twenty acclaimed books on business and ideas.

12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson 

This book will make you rethink your priorities, tell you exactly what you can do to live better, and how to make the world a better place. Nobody will do hard work for you. Jordan Peterson is a Canadian clinical psychologist, cultural critic, and professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. His main areas of study are the psychology of religious and ideological belief and the assessment and improvement of personality and performance.

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell 

How is the success of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and James Gosling related to 1955, the year of their birth? Why does a high IQ not guarantee success and why did society fail to notice Cristopher Langan, the guy with an IQ of 200? What is the 10,000 hours rule? You will find answers to these questions and much more in this great book. Malcolm Gladwell has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1996. He is the author of The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, and What the Dog Saw. Prior to joining The New Yorker, he was a reporter at the Washington Post. Gladwell was born in England and grew up in rural Ontario.

Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less by Brian Tracy 

This small but famous book will help you set priorities and successfully work on your goals. It’s a mandatory read if you want to become 100% effective with your time. As an author of more than eighty books and many self-improvement courses, Brian Tracy knows what he is talking about.

A New Earth: Awakening Your Life’s Purpose  by Eckhart Tolle 

Ego loses control over you when you become aware of it. If you want to understand and control your own ego, or you want to discover how to deal with ego-controlled persons, this is the book for you. The urge to be right all the time, sticking to your opinions even when you know they are wrong, comparing with others all the time, talking to others in a disrespectful way, and many more examples—these are all common ego manifestations. This book has already helped millions, and it will help you too. Spiritual teacher and author Eckhart Tolle was born in Germany and educated at the Universities of London and Cambridge. At the age of twenty-nine, a profound inner transformation radically changed the course of his life.

Emotional Freedom: Liberate Yourself from Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life by Judith Orloff 

This book will help you find your way to overcome negativity and manage stress. One thing that I really like about this book is a dissection of different types of emotional vampires. It is not fun when you recognize yourself in one of these examples, but it is necessary to make a change. Dr. Orloff is a New York Times best-selling author who specializes in treating empaths and sensitive people in her Los Angeles-based private practice.

A few more great classics:

Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman 

This is a world classic on emotional intelligence. Living a good life goes hand in hand with your social skills and emotional intelligence. The quality of our relationships depends on our capability to understand others as well as ourselves. This book will help you understand why emotional intelligence often matters more than IQ. Daniel Goleman was a science reporter for The New York Times, was twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, and received the American Psychological Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his media writing.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen Covey

This is one of the world’s most famous bestsellers. If you want to be successful, do what other successful people do. Its self-explanatory title says everything. Stephen R. Covey is the author of several international bestsellers, a renowned leadership authority, family expert, teacher, organizational consultant, and co-founder of FranklinCovey Co.

To Have or to Be by Erich Fromm 

Written in 1976, this timeless book explores the human obsession with “having” over “being.” The obsession with materialistic things can pull us away from our core values and make us prioritize the wrong things. This book will help you to readjust your focus on the truly important things in life. Erich Seligmann Fromm (March 23, 1900 – March 18, 1980) was a German social psychologist, psychoanalyst, sociologist, humanistic philosopher, and democratic socialist. He was associated with the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory.

If you are not sure where to begin,  start with my free audiobook, Fulfilling Life: A Matter of Personal Choice. It will help you to take the first step and start making changes in your life.