10 Life-Changing Books that Will Stay With You Forever

1. THE ALCHEMIST
BY: Paulo Coelho
YEAR: 1988
SYNOPSIS: Originally published in Portuguese, this inspiring tale of self-discov
ery follows Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search
of a worldly treasure. But his quest takes him in a different - and far more sat
isfying - direction, to learn how to listen to his heart and follow his dreams.
2. THE ARTIST S WAY
BY: Julia Cameron
YEAR: 1992
SYNOPSIS: Essentially a self-help workbook on creativity, this life-changing boo
k coaxes readers along a spiritual, artistic path. With tasks to complete at the
end of each chapter, reading this book is a dynamic affair.
3. LIFE OF PI
BY: Yann Martel
YEAR: 2001
SYNOPSIS: Pi Patel is the son of a zookeeper, with an encyclopedic knowledge of
animals and a taste for philosophy. While immigrating to North America from Indi
a with his family, their ship sinks - and Pi finds himself alone in a lifeboat w
ith a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and Richard Parker, a 450-pound Beng
al tiger - or does he? What follows is a fantastical tale of intrigue and advent
ure.
4. THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
BY: M. Scott Peck
YEAR: 1978
SYNOPSIS: A cross of psychology and spirituality, this non-fiction book is packe
d with insight and wisdom about the attributes that make for a fulfilled person.
With an eloquent examination of complex, human concepts such as discipline and
love, Peck theorizes four distinct stages of human spiritual development along t
he path to self-realization.
5. THE HISTORY OF LOVE
BY: Nicole Kraus
YEAR: 2005
SYNOPSIS: This beautiful book-within-a-book tells the story of Leo Gursky and th
e love of his life, Alma. With an adventure across oceans and decades, the novel
is fueled by the thrill of mystery and joy of connection.
6. CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD
BY: Neil Donald Walsch
YEAR: 1995
SYNOPSIS: The full name of this trilogy of books is Conversations with God: An U
ncommon Dialogue - and it is indeed an uncommon dialogue. The entire series is a
captivating back and forth conversation between the author and God - on topics ra
nging from religion and spirituality to education, love and politics.
7. THE GIVING TREE
BY: Shel Silverstein
YEAR: 1964
SYNOPSIS: The Giving Tree is the beautiful, poignant story of a tree who loved a
little boy. The tree loves the boy and does anything she can for him as he grow
s older - without regard for what she s getting in return.
8. FLOW: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE
BY: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
YEAR: 2013

SYNOPSIS: Csikszentmihalyi s studies over the past two decades have revealed that f
low is what makes life s experiences genuinely satisfying - a feel of deep concentr
ation, immersion and absorption. This classic work on happiness touches on conte
mporary psychology, delving into issues such as family, art and sport to ultimat
ely answer the question - how do we make our lives meaningful?
9. SOPHIE S WORLD
BY: Jostein Gaarder
YEAR: 1991
SYNOPSIS: A novel and a philosophical work in one, this life-changing book tells
the story of Sophie Amundsen, a teenage girl living in Norway, and Alberto Knox
, the middle-aged philosopher who introduces her to philosophy.
10. THE RED TENT
BY: Anita Diamant
YEAR: 1997
SYNOPSIS: This novel imagines the compelling story of Dinah - daughter of Leah a
nd Jacob and sister of Joseph. Building on hints in the Book of Genesis, the aut
hor writes about the lives of women in biblical times, touching on mothers and d
aughters, midwifery, love, and living in a foreign land.
***********************************
Life Changers: 15 of the Most Inspirational Books For Entrepreneurs
Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand (Plume, 1999)
"To start a business, you just need to define a problem. But to wake up every da
y, no matter what, and DO that business, you need a reason. Ms. Rand taught me t
hat focusing on a purpose is the best way to make a difference to my world." -Jason Womack
Ogilvy on Advertising, by David Ogilvy (Vintage, 1985)
"I read [this book] when I was in college, studying marketing. It helped me to c
ement that this was the field for me and that at the end of the day, it's all ab
out creativity. Although at the time it refered to advertising, it's actually ap
plicable to all parts of the marketing mix. Ogilvy gives rules, but then breaks
them. I love it!" -- Jim Joseph
The Richest Man in Babylon, by George Clason (Megalodon Entertainment, 2012)
"This was one of the first business books I read and it taught me that saving mone
y is equally as important as making money. I m now requiring my teenage children to
read the book and report back to me on how it impacted them." -- Mark Kohler
The Leadership Challenge, by James Kouzes
"This book was seminal for me early in my
and insight to the at-the-time mysterious
d matters of both the head and heart." --

and Barry Posner (Jossey-Bass, 2012)

business career. It brought structure
subject of leadership, and it addresse
Mark Sanborn

The Strategy Paradox, by Michael Raynor (Crown Business, 2007)

"This book has had great influence on me. The author's key point is that busines
ses are usually managed much too conservatively and, while counter-intuitive, th
e best strategy is often the riskiest one." -- Jay Turo
The Visible Hand and Strategy and Structure, by Alfred Chandler (Harvard Univers
ity Press, 1993 and Beard Books, 1962)
"These two books from Alfred Chandler should be on the must-read list for anyone
interested in the history of the modern corporation.
Blue Ocean Strategy, by W. Chan Kim and Rene Mauborgne (Harvard Business Review P
ress, 2003)
Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Business Creativity, by Michael Michalko (Ten Speed P

ress, 1991)
The Magic of Thinking Big, by David Schwartz (Fireside, 1987)
"This book has helped me overcome countless obstacles. If I start a project and
become overwhelmed, re-reading it focuses and reminds me of all the tools I can
use to achieve any goal." -- Stephen Key
The 4-Hour Workweek, by Tim Ferriss (Harmony, 2007)
Tribal Leadership, by Dave Logan, John King and Halee Fischer-Wright (HarperBusi
ness, 2011)
Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard (Crown Business, 2010)
By Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Victorian Internet, by Tom Standage (Phoenix Books, 1999)
Zag: The Number One Strategy of High-Performance Brands, by Marty Neumeier (New
Riders, 2006)
The Art of War, by Sun Tzu (Simon & Brown, 2013)
Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman (Farrar, Straus and Girouxby, 2013)
The Seven-Day Weekend, by Ricardo Semler (Century, 2004)
The Logic of Scientific Discovery, by Karl Popper (Routledge, 2002)
The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin (Harper Paperbacks, 2011)
Crush It!, by Gary Vaynerchuk (Harper Studio, 2009)
Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson (Simon & Schuster, 2013)
***********************************
Contents of "Life-Changers"
The following are the first 20 books that are featured in "Life-Changers":
Anatomy of the Spirit by Caroline Myss
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
Ask and It Is Given by Esther and Jerry Hicks
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Awaken the Giant Within by Anthony Robbins
Beyond Survival by Gerald Coffee
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
Building the Bridge As You Walk On It by Robert E Quinn
Built to Last by James C Collins and Jerry I Porras
Clear Leadership by Gervase Bushe
Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch
Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson and Kristine Carlson
Embracing Change by Tony Buzan
Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
Execution: the Discipline of Getting Things Done by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan
Facilitation by Trevor Bentley
Finding Your Strength In Difficult Times by David Viscott
First Break All the Rules by Curt Coffman and Marcus Buckingham
First Things First by Stephen Covey
-23 Books That Will Change Your Life
britt reints The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle is a book that I wish people could r
ead and absorb. It caused a big paradigm shift for me by making me understand th
e importance of now and realize how much energy I was expending on the past and
future! But I almost never recommend it because it s a really heavy read lots of c
omplex, abstract concepts and esoteric jargon.

I think I d be more likely to recommend Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert for a l
ot of people, which also had a big impact on me. I read that book at a time when
I really needed to hear that my own happiness was a good enough motivation for
making big decisions. I think a lot of people can relate to that and need permis
sion to choose themselves.
Britt Reints, In Pursuit of Happiness
jamie alexander Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming by Stephen LaBerge. The book
teaches people to become consciously aware while inside their dreams. I m a big be
liever in positive thinking. I don t think the universe gives you what you wish fo
r, but I do think you re more likely to get something if you believe strongly enou
gh about it. Lucid dreaming is a powerful tool because you can live out your dre
ams in real time instead of just thinking about them.
I remember dreaming of becoming successful enough online so I could live abroad.
I used to visit tropical beaches and mystical cities inside my lucid dreams. Wi
thin 6 months I jumped on a plane and I ve never looked back since. You can obviou
sly use your lucid dreams to have fun, but it s a very strong tool to build up you
r motivation and confidence so you can achieve anything.
Jamie Alexander, Lucid Ability
stephen
The most life-changing book I ve read is Getting Things Done by David Allen. Getting
Things Done is about organizing your entire life into a system you can trust. I
t s brilliantly designed to account for all of your life inputs, but it does take
some time and effort to manage the system and keep up with it.
To sum it up, before that book, I was a messy, disorganized person, and after, I
was a clean, organized person. Even though I don t follow the GTD system now (too
complex), the principles and concepts in the book alone are worth it. It might
change the way you think about how you organize your life and goals.
Stephen Guise, Deep Existance
TheaLeop200x200 Infinite Self: 33 Steps to Reclaiming Your Inner Power by Stuart Wi
lde. Stuart s book shows you how to consolidate your inherent power and transcend
all limitations by releasing yourself from the constraints of the ego. Yet, this
book is so much more than that! It truly is a powerhouse of fun training that y
ou can take aboard in your own life, and at your own pace, when you have had qui
te enough of getting in your own way .
Admittedly, I know and have read, many books related to personal development and
self improvement. Yet, this book remains top of the list as my all time favorit
e. Infinite Self supports us in expanding our personal power, confidence, focus
and liberates us from emotional disquiet . It is handy, useful, practical, very eas
y to digest in segments and super fun too. I also appreciate that this book is a
great entry point for anybody who is new to the self-growth genre, yet it prese
nts a myriad of advanced ideas to hold the attention of experts and masters.
Thea Westra, Forward Steps
scottbrittonA life changing book for me was definitely Awaken the Giant Within by
Tony Robbins. There s a ton of different information spanning a variety of topics,
but my favorite elements was the parts that revealed why we do what we do. Once
you understand things like your emotional state, evaluations, and belief life b
ecomes a whole lot easier to design so that you are always operating within a pe
ak state. This is definitely why I d recommend it to anyone!
Scott Britton, Lifelong Learner
ian_lawtonPema Chodron s When Things Fall Apart; Heart Advice For Difficult Times

is

SO helpful. While some spiritual and personal development teaching has an edge
of don t worry be happy Pema encourages us to go deep into the tough times, hard emo
tions, painful memories and look carefully at your reaction to difficult people,
because they are ALL teachers. As she says, nothing goes away until it has taugh
t us what we need to know. Going into pain, rather than avoiding it, is freedom a
nd this is the path to peace.
Ian Lawton, Soul Seeds
larry-hochman Stranger In A Strange Land by Robert Heinlein was the book that rocke
d my world. It s a science fiction about a human raised on Mars by Martians. It forc
es you to examine your unconscious beliefs about pretty much everything. And it
challenges you to live a life of adventure, fun and love.
Larry Hochman, No More Holding Back
tyler If I m being honest, I don t feel like I ve ever read a book that changed my life.
Plenty that have helped me think a little differently, but books don t change you
r life you do. Read lots of books it s good for you but don t ever think that reading some
thing will amount to doing anything. If you want to change your life, the motiva
tion will have to come from within.
Tyler Tervooren, Riskology
evelynMy number one pick is Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch. It is a
ctually a series of 3 books. Walsch wrote the series at a particularly low point
in his life. He had written an angry letter to God asking why his life was not
working. To his astonishment, God answered. The series is reported in an easy-to
-understand dialogue format.
This series was particularly life-changing for me. In the book series, Walsch ha
d asked many common questions that a lot of us grabble with. In fact, I felt as
if I was the one asking some of these questions. Walsch did an excellent job in
articulating some of my deepest concerns.
The answers were profound. They shattered long-held illusions, and clarified cor
e spiritual truths on life and death. There were also excellent answers on how t
o lead a happier life. I have learned to live in greater oneness, after reading
the series. I highly recommend the series to anyone seeking to make a powerful c
hange in his or her life.
-Evelyn Lim, Abundance Tapestry
scott The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz which is about le
arning to manage energy, not time. I chose this book because we believe that if
we could just get more hours out of the day, we d get more done. This neglects our
internal willpower/energy resources which are fundamentally more limited. Read
this book to get more done.
Scott Young, scotthyoung.com
bobbiThis is a really tough question! There are so many terrific books that have
changed my life in some essential way that it s hard to choose. I think I will go
with a book that is more recent and recommend Brene Brown s The Gifts of Imperfect
ion .
Brene Brown is a researcher at the University of Houston and her work centers on
shame and vulnerability. The Gifts of Imperfection provides ten guideposts for
how to live a Wholehearted life by taking us from a place of worrying about, What
will people think? to I am enough. It teaches us that, no matter how afraid and vu
lnerable we feel, we re still okay we re worthy of love and belonging just as we are
. Her Ted Talk on this subject has almost 14 million views and I highly recommen
d it as well.
So many of us struggle with the thought that we re not good enough

or that we re jus

t not enough in general. That thought makes us continue to strive for some kind
of illusory perfection. It s like a hamster on an exercise wheel we just run and r
un and run and never get anywhere. Let s stop, take a deep breath, and take in the
truth that we re okay just as we are.
Bobbi Emel, Bounce
victor_schuellerIf I were to recommend a life-changing book to someone, my numbe
r one pick would be Bruce Lipton s book, The Biology of Belief . The book shares rese
arch that totally changes the way that we look at the role of DNA, and how our b
ody s cells respond to changes in our environment.
The reason why I would say this book is my number one choice is because, for me,
it truly bridges the gap between science and spirituality, and it reveals just
how powerful our perceptions can be. Through this book, I ve learned that we are n
ot victims of our DNA, but rather our DNA will respond to the environment, which
is based completely on our perceptions. This entire book was like a huge Aha for
me, and it s a fascinating read, no matter how many times I read it, because I lea
rn something new and exciting every time. It s a must read!
Victor Schueller, victorschueller.com
donald The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. As the title says, the book is about
how to live your life with a clear purpose. I believe knowing and living your p
urpose is essential to live your best life. As Victor Frankl once said: Those who
have a why to live, can bear with almost any how .
This book is the best book I ve found to help you live a life with a purpose. If y
ou have read it once and didn t get something, give it another chance and read it
one more time. I discovered its beauty only after reading it for the second time
.
Donald Latumahina, Life Optimizer
Angela Thanksgiving 2011
Reading Florence Scovel Shinn s classic work, The Game of Life and How to Play It
ll change your life; I know it changed mine. I heard about it when I was a junio
r in high school. My college-aged cousin said she had read a book about how you
could ask the Universe to provide whatever you need in life and it would show up
. After reading it miraculous things began appearing in her life.

wi

That s all I needed to hear to want to read it. It was out of print then but she l
oaned me her tattered photocopied version. The idea of asking the Universe for w
hat you wanted in life and getting it seemed a magical one. I d been raised to bel
ieve that life happened to you but here was this book saying that life happens thro
ugh you and that you have the power to orchestrate what you wish to have happen!
Wow!
Of course, Shinn was writing about the Law of Attraction but back then very few
people had heard about it. The book came back into print in 1978 and has remaine
d a best-seller since. I highly recommend reading it
your life will never be the
same.
Angela Artemis, Powered By Intuition
Marquita HeraldMy pick would definitely be Man s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl
. This is the story of distinguished psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, who was impriso
ned at Auschwitz and other concentration camps for 3 years during the Second Wor
ld War.
Surrounded by unimaginable suffering and loss, Frankl began to wonder why some o
f his fellow prisoners were able not only to survive the horrifying conditions,
but to grow in the process. Frankl s book beautifully illustrates the power of att

itude over circumstance. Despite extreme physical and mental hardships, he was a
ble to find meaning in life and turn that belief into purposeful actions that en
abled him to survive when so many others did not.
Marquita Herald, Inspired Gift Giving
Joe-wilnerThe book that comes to mind for me is a book I read a couple of years
ago called the Rhythm of Life by Matthew Kelly. This book is about connecting with
the purpose that we are meant to live life as our best possible selves, and in
order to be at our best we need to take care of some fundamental needs.
This includes making time for our emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual nee
ds each day, as well as having time for solitude, silence, and stillness. Ultima
tely if we are willing to nourish these domains of life we can live with greater
purpose and passion, and will be a better person all the way around.
This book was pivotal in my understanding of how important small daily actions a
re to my overall health, happiness, and productivity. It helped me get a more st
able rhythm in my life and understand that nourishing myself is these different
areas will allow me to approach life from a more whole and powerful state of min
d. I am also selecting it because it makes these ideas easily accessible so they
can be applied in your life.
Joe Wilner, Shake Off The Grind
Zeenat Merchant Syal The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz. The whole idea
of changing your attitude to be happy is explained so well with real success st
ories that truly motivate and inspire. Thinking positively toward oneself is the f
undamental truth that is presented in such a loving and warm manner in this book
, it becomes a part of you.
Another important idea that comes across through this book is
To see what can be,
not just what is . It explains that visualization adds value to everything and th
inking big means training oneself to see not just what is, but what can be. This
is the ultimate Positive thinking book. It instils hope, clarity and immense be
lief in your own self. As I read through the stories in this book, I felt like I
too could conquer the world. It came to me at the perfect time and was my savio
ur in so many ways.
I found this book in the used book store while I was aimlessly walking to numb m
y then overwhelming pain. I had just been deeply heartbroken, hurt and literally
felt completely lost in life. That s when this book peeped at me from the pile of
used books at a roadside store. I picked it up and have since never looked back
. This was nearly 14 years back! If it could help me, it can help anyone! I stil
l carry that copy with me and refer to it time and again. Sometimes I reread it
to learn a new lesson, sometimes to just feel motivated. it does the trick every
time ??
Zeenat Merchant Syal, Positive Provocations
sj-scottWithout a doubt, the book that I would recommend is Replay by Ken Grimwood
, which was written back in 1986. It s a compelling fiction story about a man name
d Jeff Winston who suddenly dies at the age of forty-three and wakes up in his 1
8 year-old body back in college.
Basically, he gets to replay his life over for the next twenty-five years. Then th
is process keeps repeating itself whenever Jeff reaches forty-three of age. Duri
ng each replay, Jeff makes different decisions about his life. Some are good and
some are bad. What s compelling is that even though he knows the future of the ou
tside world, his individual choices always lead to a uniquely different lifestyl
e.
I first read this book when I was 12 years old. And I ve re-read it pretty much ev

ery year since then. What keeps pulling back is the idea that we don t get a chanc
e to replay our lives. There is no reset button with our decisions. The choices
we make today will ultimately determine what happens for the rest of our lives.
I recommend this book for three reasons: 1. It s a really good story. 2. It shows
how the littlest of choices can determine the outcome of our lives. 3. It will r
emind you of what s truly important.
SJ Scott, Develop Good Habits
david-bedermanMy number one pick would be Loving What Is by Byron Katie. Loving Wh
at Is is about learning how to escape suffering, anxiety sadness and depression
in life. All emotions we experience in life begin as thoughts in our mind, thoug
h most of the time, the thoughts that trigger our emotions happen so quickly, we r
e not even aware we ve had them.
Katie shows you how to easily tune into these thoughts and how to take control of
them, and thereby take control of your experience of life, helping you move from
pain to paradise, almost effortlessly. I believe that unhappiness and feeling u
nfulfilled by life are two of the biggest challenges facing our generation today
. Loving What Is teaches you how to reverse many of those feelings in such a sim
ple way, it s almost unbelievable. This book really changed my life and I believe
that it can really help a lot of people. It s just so easy! Everyone needs to read
this book.
David Bederman, Living Aha
jamie-flexmanWhen Patrik asked me to reveal the book that had the biggest impact
on my life; only one title sprang to mind. You may already be familiar with the
movie version (which is awful), but the original Yes Man by Danny Wallace is righ
t up there with the most inspirational books I have ever read.
Quite simply, it has everything you need to get up off your ass and start living
the life you truly want. It s the story of how one man (Danny) suddenly decides t
o eliminate the word no from his vocabulary. Everything from friendly invitations,
requests for money and extra work from his employer had to be met with a yes
no q
uestions asked.
As you can imagine, this led to some crazy situations involving an impromptu tri
p to an Amsterdam sex club, a meeting with a Nigerian scam artist and a request
to visit Barcelona to meet his Spanish equivalent. After reading this book, you
cannot fail to be inspired. It s equal parts inspirational and hilarious. If you d
on t finish it within 2 days, there is something wrong with you!
Jamie Flexman, Psycholocrazy
ludvigsunstrom2The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons by Napoleon Hill. The book
is about the sixteen fundamental principles of success that Hill found from stud
ying the richest, most productive, and successful men alive at the time and in t
he past. Men such as Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Franklin Delano Roose
velt, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, and so on.
I chose this book because I think its content is applicable to achieving success
in almost any different area of life. The book also provides a very interesting
and varied reading experience. Once you have read it you should go back to it e
very once in a while and find something new in it to apply. It s a very practical
book and It s highly unlikely that you will get the full benefit from a single rea
d.
Ludvig Sunstrm, Start Gaining Momentum
sibyl_chavis The Power of Now
Eckhart Tolle. The book is about calming and quieting
your mind so you can bring your Highest and Best self to each moment and live t
he way you ve always wanted to live. Because it changed my life in so many positiv
e and amazing ways. It allowed me to see new possibilities and things I wanted f

or my life. It also allowed me to move through each day with a peace of mind and
a sense of fulfillment.
Sibyl Chavis, The Possibility of Today
DerekSiversThe only wise answer is It depends on the person, and the time in thei
r life. The book How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie was a lifechanger for me, but only because social skills didn t come naturally to me. For so
meone who s naturally social, reading this book would be a waste of their time.
Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins was a major life-changer for me, but other
people I ve recommended it to said it did nothing for them. Tim Ferriss, who I us
ually agree with, recommended one book to me that he said totally changed his li
fe, ( Maximum Achievement by Brian Tracy)
but I found it really obvious and boring.
So instead my best recommendation is to look through someone s list of recommendat
ions, and see which one seems to be what you need right now at this stage in you
r life. You can find my top recommendations here sorted with my most-recommended
ones at top. (Though keep scrolling, because the book you need right now may be
further down the list.)
Derek Sivers, Sivers.org
The Next Step
And there you have them! 23 life changing books from 23 life changing people. To
make it easy for you to get an overview of all the amazing books mentioned in t
his post I ve created a list of them over at GoodReads.
The Science of Willpower coverIf you would like some more awesome book recommend
ations, join the Selfication community to get immediate access to the members se
ction where you can read my recommended reading list, grab your free copy of The
Science of Willpower: Proven Strategies to Beat Procrastination & Get Big Things
Done and download a bunch of other free goodies exclusive to members.
Happy reading! ??