There are not just novels. For quite a few years now, in the publishing world there has been a boom of the so-called personal growth books. How to be successful at work? What are the rules for a correct and persuasive communication? And the best habits to increase productivity? By now there are so many and they give a helping hand to people for both relatively simple issues such as “how to sleep better” and much more complex and philosophical ones such as “finding happiness”.
It is not easy to choose the very best ones, but with the help of the New York Times rankings we can find our way towards some of the best-in-class.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
With more than a million copies sold worldwide, James Clear’s book continues to be an all-time favorite, remaining in the New York Times top 5 for 52 weeks straight. The author starts by refuting the common thesis that if you want to change your life you have to think big. According to Clear, it’s the small decisions that lead to real and lasting changes. Small habits that, in the long run, have an “atomic” impact on our life. Based on notions of psychology and neuroscience, he explains why simple habits can be so important. He then spices everything up with stories of people who have reached success thanks to very small changes in their daily routine.
The 4 agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
There are those who have a more pragmatic approach and those who try to navigate in the complex world of feelings and emotions. The goal? To live a peaceful and happy life, of course. Don Miguel Ruiz is a nagual, descending from a Native American lineage who inhabited Mexico in the pre-Columbian era. In the book he decides to share his Toltec wisdom, revealing important knowledge passed on to him by his ancestors. The 4 agreements correspond to 4 “guidelines” to follow in order to leave behind harmful and ramified beliefs laying in our mind, and set ourselves free. Not only does the author manage to talk about such difficult topics with simple words, but he is also capable of touching intimate strings of our soul that we thought had been silenced.
You are a badass by Jen Sincero
Personal growth and the law of attraction explained in a rather colorful language full of concrete examples. “Tu sei un duro” è la versione italiana. The author goes straight to the point by illustrating which (and how many) are the beliefs and behaviors that make us take the wrong path and move away from what we really want. She addresses all the most important areas of life, giving us invaluable lessons for each of them: from personal relationships to career to our relationship with money. After being among the New York Times bestsellers for about 129 weeks, Jen Sincero created other masterpieces following the first: You are a badass at making money, You are a badass everyday and, last but not least, Badass habits.
