Are you tired of reading books that leave no impression? Tired of books that are entertaining, but come without a real message? Everyone knows these kinds of books. You read them, but there’s nothing inspiring or motivating about them. It feels as if you’re reading blank pages. There’s nothing of value to be found within the lines of these books. They don’t inspire you to challenge yourself. And they certainly don’t motivate you to affect positive change in your life. But really, there’s absolutely no need to waste your precious time on mindless books. There are simply far too many brilliant masterpieces out there that are magnificently inspiring. One only needs to know what exceptional book to choose for what specific purpose. In the following we present you a hand-picked selection of the best motivational books of all time. These books will inspire and amaze you. But most importantly, they will deeply motivate you. Even more so, these books have the potential to ignite the inner fire that motivates you to take on the world. So enjoy this list of the best motivational books of all time!
Who doesn’t love to read books that profoundly change the way we think? I’m speaking about the kind of books that ignite our creativity and challenge our thinking. It’s their potential to jumpstart our journey on the road to success that makes these books so powerful. In fact, the right book at the right time can have a significant impact upon your life. They can help you to affect fundamental changes in your life, but they can also motivate you to keep going when you’re going through hell.
A room without books is like a body without a soul.
Marcus Tullius Cicero
In the end, these books are so powerful because they inspire us to view things from a different perspective. It’s their unique ability to spur our interest in becoming more than we are today.
The 33 Most Motivational Books of All Time
Well, enough for the introduction. Here’s our hand-picked selection of the best 33 motivational books of all time. These are the books that inspired thousands of individuals worldwide to become the best they can be.
| 33. Drive by Daniel Pink | ||
|---|---|---|
 | Entitled “The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us,” this book shatters quite a few illusions that we hold about getting motivated. The author, Daniel Pink, brilliantly indicates in his book Drive that the old-fashioned way of motivating people is highly outdated and no longer effective. He explains that not the traditional carrot-and-stick approach is what drives excellence, performance and satisfaction in modern-day life. Instead, it’s the sense of being autonomous, having a purpose and the desire to attain mastery that motivates us to peak performance. Based on the culminated insights of decade-long scientific research on human motivation, Drive clearly demonstrates how outdated most people’s approach to self-motivation is. Not only is the book an excellent critique about today’s inefficient business practices of motivating employees, but it also highlights what can be done to affect positive change. Daniel Pink’s book brilliantly drives home the point if you make use of the scientific advancements in motivation research, you can transform your life. | |
| 32. Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz | ||
 | Imagine a plastic surgeon who is baffled why some of his patients still felt ugly after plastic surgery. That’s the story of Maxwell Maltz, who was keen on discovering the underlying reason for this phenomenon. His investigations led him to understand that for some patients, reconstruction work on the outside could not influence the self-image they held on the inside. If they thought of themselves as an ugly person, plastic surgery wouldn’t help these people. What they needed was “emotional surgery“ – a reconstruction of their self-image. Maltz’s findings made him realize the true importance of the mind-body connection. It led him to understand that misery and failure are habits just like happiness and success. And this is the point where Maltz’s book Psycho-Cybernetics steps in to help the reader create a dynamic new self-esteem to affect positive change. | |
| 31. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell | ||
 | Outliers, as defined by Malcolm Gladwell, are highly exceptional people. They are the best of the best. The ones whose successes range at the outer edge of each statistic. Outliers simply do not fit the regular understanding of success, due to their vast accomplishments. It’s the very mystery that surrounds these high-achievers that motivated the author to investigate their story of success. Mark Gladwell’s book Outliers invites us to embark on an intellectual journey in which he reflects about the nature of success. In an interesting manner, he introduces the idea that if we really want to understand a person’s exceptional successes, we have to understand where they come from. It’s this very idea that led Gladwell to investigate the early life of greatly successful high-achievers such as Bill Gates and the many idiosyncrasies surrounding these people. It’s an interesting journey during which Malcolm Gladwell discovers what an important impact the 10,000 hour rule had on these people. The rule based on the understanding that the key to access, in every area of life, is to accomplish greatness, which requires mental power, persistence and time. | |
| 30. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch | ||
 | If you’re looking for a greatly uplifting and motivating book with a “we cannot change the direction the wind blows, but we can always adjust our sails”-attitude, then look no further. Randy Pausch’s story is highly inspirational, intelligent but also intensely moving. It revolves around the last lecture, something professors typically give at the end of their academic career. Usually, professors use it as an opportunity to reflect on their (academic) life, their accomplishments and their unique insights. But when Randy Pausch decided to give his last lecture, it was because he was diagnosed with cancer beyond recovery. Astonishingly, the resulting lecture wasn’t about dying or anything negative at all. Instead, it celebrated life. It was all about truly living a life that is worth living. The Last Lecture is centered around the topic of accomplishing your childhood dreams. It’s a highly motivating speech about seizing opportunities, addressing challenges, helping others accomplish their dreams and about living life to the fullest. | |
| 29. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman | ||
 | By embarking on an insightful journey about the way we think, Daniel Kahneman invites us to learn more about two systems that primarily influence our thought processes. Firstly, there is the intuitive and emotional system that tempts us to react fast and without thinking things through. Then there’s the second system, which makes us think in a logical manner and results in more deliberate action. In his unique style, Daniel Kahneman addresses the big issues of thinking (and acting) fast, but also the disadvantages of thinking too slowly. All in all, Thinking, Fast and Slow, is an exciting and inspiring journey into the human mind and the complex thought processes that ultimately shape our decisions and fate. Even more so, it will show you in a concise manner when and where you can trust your intuition and in which situations you should rather take your time to meet well-thought-through decisions. | |
| 28. Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson | ||
 | Spencer Johnson, co-author of The One Minute Manager, shares in his book a unique and truly enlightening story about the brilliant ways to deal with (unexpected) change, not just in your life but also in your work. After all, change is an integral part of life. We can neither avoid developments from happening nor predict pending changes. However, the ability to react to surprising developments highly impacts our success in life. It’s the number one question that will either make you seize new opportunities, or break you. Johnson’s Who Moved My Cheese? does not only hold motivational lessons for managers and employees, but it’s also an uplifting guide for anyone that is looking for strategies to deal with change and most importantly, ways to significantly reduce stress. | |
| 27. The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan | ||
 | What’s the secret behind extraordinary results? Gary Keller and Jay Papasan come up with a surprising explanation: Simplicity. It’s an answer that made their book appear on the bestseller lists of more than 200 countries. And rightfully so, as it presents the simple, yet extraordinarily powerful concept of simplicity. The idea behind The One Thing is that by focusing on one activity at a time, the results of your work will dramatically improve. So instead of chasing evermore, the authors motivate you to de-clutter to become more productive, accomplish better outcomes and to have more time for yourself, family and friends. | |
| 26. Living Life As a Thank You by Nina Lesowitz and Mary Sammons | ||
 | Imagine living a life in which nothing that happens to you can break you. Imagine you could miraculously see the positive in everything negative that happens to you. And that you see every challenging moment as a unique experience, specifically designed to help you grow as a person. That’s exactly the message of Living Life As a Thank You. The book is all about seeing everything that happens to you (even if it’s negative) as a gift. Even if this sounds incredibly difficult at the first moment, practicing this kind of gratitude can have a transformative power on your life. It can help you to transform hatred into forgiveness, anxiety into courage and the perception of insignificance into empowerment. | |
| 25. The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy | ||
 | If you think there’s a magic bullet for success, better think again. Darren Hardy’s self-improvement “Bible” has no gimmicks and no Hyperbole to offer. But what it does offer is a presentation of the fundamental success principles that can help you to accomplish extraordinary things. No matter if it’s about business, living life or relationships, The Compound Effect offers an easy to implement step-by-step plan by means of which you can achieve rapid progress on the road to success. To accomplish this mission, Hardy’s book highlights the importance of meeting good decisions and the way everyday decisions can shape your life. This book is not about telling fairy tales about success that sound really well, it’s about giving you actionable tools that actually help you to become more successful. | |
| 24. You Are a Badas* by Jen Sincero | ||
 | Readers describe Jen Sincero’s book as unique, refreshing and hilariously entertaining. It’s full of inspiring and funny stories, packed with practical advice and helpful exercises designed to discover the little self-saboteur within you. The author also motivates you in a brilliant way to identify the very beliefs and behaviors that prevent you from living life the way you want. | |
| 23. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki | ||
 | Even though this book is sometimes criticized as portraying academic education and the working classes in a negative way, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, still has some unique insights to offer. Here’s what this book is all about: Imagine you grew up with a poor, but highly educated father on one side, and another father who is a multi-millionaire on the other side. Robert Kiyosaki found himself in such a situation and seized the opportunity to learn from both of them, which helped him to meet a decision that would change his life forever. | |
| 22. The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason | ||
 | Centered around the topics of financial planning and personal wealth, this timeless classic introduces the reader to Babylonian parables that are both inspiring and informative. It’s a widely popular bestseller that provides some great ideas about what needs to be done not only to keep more of your money, but also to establish a sound financial foundation. | |
| 21. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Alborn | ||
 | Centered around Eddie, an old war veteran, The Five People You Meet in Heaven tells a truly motivational story of someone who perceives his own life to be boring, dull and uninspired. The Five People You Meet in Heaven is the inspiring story of someone who dies at the age of 83, to discover that heaven is a place of answers. In heaven, Eddie is introduced to five people, some of them known to him others complete strangers, who share with Eddie how profoundly he changed their own lives. While these people explain their unique connection to Eddie, he slowly but surely gains a deep understanding about the purpose of his life. Mitch Alborn’s motivational book comes with a truly important message. It shows us that who we are and what we do matters and that even though we might not be aware of it, every life has an important purpose. | |
| 20. The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone | ||
 | What is it that makes the difference between success and failure? What does it take to accomplish extreme success? These are the questions Grant Cardone addresses in his book The 10X Rule, which leads him to some pretty motivating discoveries. He says, if you truly want to accomplish the extraordinary, you cannot settle for mediocrity like everyone else does. What you need to do is to go beyond regular action and to start taking massive action. That’s what will help you to remove luck from the success equation. Even more so, Cardone will powerfully motivate you to take action, instead of being just someone who has great ideas, without ever being able to put the necessary amount of work into implementing them. | |
| 19. The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino | ||
 | Even if you’re not a salesman, there are some great pieces of wisdom to be found within the lines of this book. Normally, one would expect that this book is all about selling and closing the deal. But there’s much more to the book. And it has the potential to profoundly impact your life. Especially the exploration of ancient scroll #1 offers some profound wisdom about what you can do to change every aspect of your life. | |
| 18. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma | ||
 | This well-narrated “fable about fulfilling your dreams and reaching your destiny” by Robin Sharma focuses on helping you to create a fulfilling life. The motivating tale centers around being more courageous and the pursuit of a life that is in balance. Sharma tells the story of Julian Mantle, whose perfectly successful life as a lawyer is abruptly turned upside down when he has a heart attack. It’s the extraordinary story of someone who is faced with an incredibly challenging crisis during his lengthy and painful recovery. But as it is often the case, suffering can bring profound insights into our life and has the potential to help you see life from a different perspective. In the case of Julian Mantle, the stroke of fate led him to realize that his former life was out-of-balance and that adjustments where highly needed. This uniquely inspiring fable unfolds in the form of conversations with John, during which we learn that Julian Mantle gave up his Ferrari to take a more balanced and spiritual approach to life. And, as it turns out, he embarks on a life-changing journey to the Himalayan Mountains where he discovers the wisdom of an ancient culture. Accompanied with practical lessons, this fable inspires you to live a courageous and self-disciplined life by living life fully instead of chasing evermore. What more can one ask from a motivational book? | |
| 17. The Fred Factor by Mark Sanborn | ||
 | Are you passionate about what you do? Mark Sanborn, author of The Fred Factor, will show you why you should be. He shows why it’s so important to have passion in your work and what you can do to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. Sanborn does this by highlighting the truly inspiring story of Fred, the mail delivery man. Usually, people would say that delivering mail can become quite monotonous over time. Not so for Fred. What he did was to turn an ordinary job into something much more. Instead of thinking of it as just another job to pay his bills, Fred passionately loves every aspect of his profession. Even more so, he transformed his job of handling the mail into an extraordinary opportunity to truly make a difference in people’s life. Instead of being just another mailman, Fred became an integral part of the community he serves and genuinely cares about them. The astonishing account of Fred is just an example of something that goes much deeper. That’s what The Fred Factor tries to uncover. Mark Sanborn presents in his book actionable steps that can help you to introduce the extraordinary in your life. He also goes on to show how important it is to have a true purpose in life and what we all can do to make a unique difference in life, right here, right now. | |
| 16. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell | ||
 | Understanding the world you’re living in is quite important. But understanding the world within is equally important. Yet, it’s highly neglected. In his book Blink, author Malcolm Gladwell invites us on a journey to the unexplored spheres within. It’s a book that investigates the seemingly miraculous way in which people are able to meet decisions within an instant – and almost always make the right decision. What underlies this exploration is the question why some people apparently have great success at following their intuition, while others do not. Blink also introduces the reader to the concept of “thinslicing,” the necessary ability to identify the key decision factors from a range of countless variables. | |
| 15. The Education of a Bodybuilder by Arnold Schwarzenegger | ||
 | Usually, one tends to think that Arnold Schwarzenegger is just another (former) bodybuilder who spend almost all of his life in the gym. But there’s much more to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s story than one might expect. The Education of a Bodybuilder tells the story of an incredibly determined kid that overcame every single obstacle and never gave up. It’s incredibly inspiring to read about Schwarzenegger’s rise to prominence against all odds. His story began in a small Austrian village where he started pursuing his dream of becoming a bodybuilder. And even though his entire family and his friends urged him to let go of his dreams, he managed to turn into a champion bodybuilder with dedication, willpower and the perseverance. It’s incredibly motivating to read about Arnold Schwarzenegger’s mantra, which is “stay hungry.” He attributes his success to the fact that he never was satisfied and always sought more. | |
| 14. The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz | ||
 | Published in 1997, The Four Agreements book about accomplishing personal freedom quickly became a bestseller in the United States. And that’s for a good reason. Within the lines of his book, Miguel Ruiz develops an incredibly powerful code of conduct that is designed to aid us in breaking free from self-limiting mindsets and beliefs. Specifically, the author aims at motivating us to transform our lives by exploring a new concept of perceiving reality and by doing so inviting more freedom, joy and peace into our lives. Even more so, the book is based on ancient, yet profound Toltec wisdom, which gives the book a unique philosophical perspective. | |
| 13. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Alborn | ||
 | Life can be incredibly challenging, especially when you’re young and inexperienced. Having a wise teacher who guides you through this period of life can therefore have a great impact. Just someone who is patient, listens, understands and helps you to guide your life in a good direction. For Mitch Alborn, author of Tuesdays with Morrie, his college professor Morrie Schwartz was such a wise mentor. During his time in college, he visited his professor every Tuesday to talk about life. But, as it is so often the case, Alborn lost touch of his former mentor. Still, Alborn got a second chance when he rediscovered his former professor a little more than 15 years later. In his truly inspiring and motivating book Alborn shares the conversations with his former professor he hadn’t corresponded with for 16 years. It’s a conversation that took place during the last months of the professors life. The nature of these talks was of a motivating kind, as they focused on topics such as happiness, love and to acceptance. Overall, their final discussions shared some truly motivating lessons in living life. | |
| 12. Living Forward by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy | ||
 | If we don’t take responsibility for our lives, other people will. If we’re not proactively directing our life in the right direction, life will lead us nowhere. Living Forward by Hyatt Harkavy addresses this exact issue. The book shows us the negative aspects of drifting through life as mere spectators that react to changing circumstances, without ever having a chance of influencing what happens. It’s a timely and important reminder to be courageous and to take your destiny into your own hands. And the authors are quite motivating about their point of living a purpose-driven life. Even more so, the book is filled with practical advice on what you can do to change the course of your life for the better. | |
| 11. The Art of War by Sun Tzu | ||
 | This unique book will motivate you to think differently about conflict and overcoming challenges. Quotes such as: “The wise warrior avoids the battle.” highlight the philosophical nature of Tzu’s principles. The Art of War will show you how important strategy, timing, preparedness and the ability to take immediate advantage of opportunities are the cornerstones of success. Even more so, this motivating book points out how important it is for our own development to overcome conflicts wisely and honorably, but most important of all: victoriously. After having read this prestigious and powerful book of strategy, you’ll notice that your whole approach to the pursuit of your dreams takes on a new and exciting shape. But the book will also spur your interest in the concept of being victorious without battle. | |
| 10. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle | ||
 | In a time where people are haunted by the past and constantly afraid of the future, fixating one’s focus on the present moment can introduce unexpected change. The underlying message of Eckhart Tolle centers around, as the title suggests, the power of the present moment. It’s a very simplistic, yet powerful concept that he conveys. Tolle’s masterpiece shows us how living in the present moment can help in overcoming the fear of the unknown future. It encourages the reader to become more aware of the thoughts he or she chooses to entertain. And to be more thoughtful about the present moment. After all, we cannot change the past and we cannot foresee the future, but we can always use this present moment to shape the things to come. All in all, The Power of Now introduces inspirational thoughts about a wide range of topics and combines them with a profound philosophical understanding of reality. | |
| 9. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg | ||
 | Habits shape us, they make or break us. The Power of Habit is an inspiring reminder to the powerful transformations that can be accomplished by changing our behavioral patterns. Charles Duhigg, journalist of The New York Times, motivates us with this brilliant book to identify negative or disruptive habits and to affect positive changes by adjusting these patterns. Not only is the book a thrilling journey about discovering how habits work, but it also shares the inspiring stories of people who transformed their very life by changing their habits. Later on, Duhigg analyzes what kind of habits led high-achievers, such as Howard Schultz (Starbucks founder), to accomplish a great variety of successes. But most importantly, The Power of Habit is a motivating guide that shows us that the key to success, in every aspect of life, lies in understanding what habits are, how they work and how they influence us. It challenges us to proactively change our habits, instead of believing that we are destined to repeat unsupportive habits over and over again. | |
| 8. Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins | ||
 | Considered by many as the most well-known motivational speaker alive, Tony Robbins shares in his book various strategies and techniques for self-mastery. His ambition with Awaken the Giant Within was to help you take control of your financial, physical, emotional and mental destiny. Needless to say that Robbins absolutely fulfilled this ambition with his inspiring and incredibly motivating book. Not only does the book include timeless philosophical thoughts designed to help you live to your full potential, but the book also puts great emphasis on the implementation of its practical knowledge in daily life. Another great motivational boost is the fact that Tony Robbins speaks about his own struggles and what he did to overcome these. That’s a great bonus for the reader, especially if confronted with similar problems. | |
| 7. As a Man Thinketh by James Allen | ||
 | Published in 1902, As a Man Thinketh is a profound, yet incredibly powerful classic. Usually, motivational books are centered on strategies that help you to become more successful in life. But James Allen’s reflections go much deeper than that. What he uncovers is the great impact that the thoughts you choose to entertain have upon your life. Along the line of “what you think you’ll eventually become,” Allen explains how thinking shapes our personality, which in turn greatly influences the way we behave. He also motivates the reader to seek for purity of mind and to strive for integrity and honesty in life. But what is so motivating about this book is that James Allen encourages you to carefully observe your own thoughts and actions so that a clean heart, life and body can emerge. | |
| 6. Mastery by George Leonard | ||
 | In his book about the keys to success and long-term fulfillment, George Leonard combines practical wisdom with Zen philosophy and his experiences from practicing martial arts. The result is an exceptionally motivating book that highlights that through the process of mastery, we can both reach a higher level of personal excellence but also a deeper sense of fulfillment. Leonhard stresses the fact that mastery is the key to success in all aspects of life. At the same time, George Leonard says that ultimate mastery can never be fully accomplished. But instead of discouraging you, Leonhard challenges you to continue improving yourself in all areas of life. | |
| 5. How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie | ||
 | Filled with practical and easy advise, this book shows you in a concise manner how you can make a friend out of just anyone. Interestingly enough, it’s perhaps the very first best-selling book published in the area of self-help. This classic piece addresses the different strategies in handling people and what you can do to make others like you. It’s greatly inspiring to read about Carnegie’s techniques on winning people to your way of thinking. But the motivational power of this book lies in its unique ability to free yourself out of a mental rut. Plus, it’s very inspiring to ponder about the different thoughts that Dale Carnegie shares in his book. To say it with the authors words, it’s not about who you are and what you have that makes you feel happy or sad; it’s what you think about it. | |
| 4. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey | ||
 | Stephen Covey’s motivating book presents a unique approach to increasing one’s effectiveness in various areas of life. The book does not only present its powerful philosophy, but it also makes you become more and more motivated to strive for a higher level of effectiveness in your personal but also professional life with every page you read. Even more so, the author challenges you to be more successful in the pursuit of your goals. Therefore, Covey’s lessons in personal change focus primarily on the importance of acquiring and developing powerful habits. This is done in order to highlight the powerful impact that both beneficial and negative habits can have upon your life. But Covey also embeds his ideas in a philosophy that is centered on interesting principles of character ethic. Furthermore, his roadmap for better living presents a holistic approach for solving the major and minor problems we’re confronted with in daily life. The book is a classic, but definitely worth reading. | |
| 3. The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Peale | ||
 | From our history books, we all know a couple of incredibly powerful innovations that were heavily ridiculed and attacked, before they finally profoundly changed the status quo. The same was true when Norman Vincent Peale published his classic The Power of Positive Thinking in 1956. Psychologists, theologians and literature critics alike criticized him for his unusual idea that positive thinking can deeply influence your life. 70 years later, scientists have proven over and over again how positive it is to be optimistic. It’s a brilliant book that motivates you to take action and to develop a healthy faith in yourself. | |
| 2. Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin | ||
 | Geoff Colvin’s book comes with an incredibly motivating message: Success is not determined by talent or genetics, but for the most part by willpower, perseverance and deliberate practice. That’s an important message, especially when so many people attribute their lack of success to a lack of talent or bad genes. Talent is Overrated highlights in a brilliant manner what really separates top performers from the rest. Geoff Colvin does this by analyzing a wide variety of world-class performers, ranging from Warren Buffett, Tiger Woods to Winston Churchill. Interestingly enough, it’s not talent or just plain hard work that enabled them to achieve true greatness. As Colvin rightly points out in a very motivating way, it’s the way we practice, how we analyze our progress and learn from mistakes that will ultimately enable us to attain greatness. | |
| 1. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill | ||
 | There are thousands of self-help books that promise to teach you to increase your income and to succeed in any line of work. But none of them come close to the best-selling classic Think and Grow Rich that was published in 1937. The book is based on the insights of Napoleon Hill, who closely studied more than five hundred of the most successful individuals of his time. The impressive findings of this motivating book made it an exceptionally helpful guide that sold more than 70 million copies worldwide. Many modern-day books address the very same issues Napoleon Hill identified during his investigations of illustrious people such as Henry Ford, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Thomas Edison. But none of these books radiate the impressive motivational power of the original. This one is the mother of all motivational books. | |
After having concluded this massive list of the 33 motivational books of all time, there is only one question left to ask:
What is your favorite motivational book?
A good book can inspire, it can motivate, but importantly: it can make you transform your life.
I hope you enjoyed this article on the most motivational books of all time.
Stay victorious!
What are your most favorite books that always get you motivated? Feel free to share your most precious books in the comment section below.
Some readers have suggested even more motivational books, so here they are:
Readers suggestions
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
The Magic of thinking big by David Schwartz
Life without limits by Nick Vujicic
Man’s search for meaning by Viktor Frankl
How to stop worrying and start living by Dale Carnegie
Don’t sweat the small stuff by Richard Carlson
Steal like an artist by Austin Kleon
Always looking up by Michael J. Fox
The 4byhour work week by Timothy Ferris
Linchpin by Seth Godin
The gifts of imperfection by Brene Brown
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
52 Comments
Brilliant list. So much power in these books, thanks for sharing.
Thanks! You’re very welcome, I’m happy you like this list of motivational books.
Fantastic list! I’ve read about 75% of these but it looks like I have a few more to hunt down. Thanks for sharing! And I’m glad I’ve come across your blog. You have some incredible content! Inspiring – both from the content itself, and from your success in growing such an impressive website. Keep up the great work!
Wow, that’s impressive! When I wrote that list about these motivational books I somehow wondered if there was somebody out there who had read them all and how their lives would be. And thank you very much for the compliments about the website. Highly appreciated.
So how do you go about reading all these books?
Nice list btw!
I’m sure it’s overwhelming to be suggested that many books at one time. So I would recommend not to delve into them all, but to specifically pick one book. Two-step motivational book that interests you the most. Read it, and more importantly, study it as best as you can. Really understand what the author wants tell you. And then try to implement the wisdom and knowledge in your own life. I think by following this approach you’ll be able to use the motivational power of these books.
These books are also motivating:
Jonathan Livingston Seagull – Richard Bach
The Magic of thinking big – David Schwartz
Life without limits – Nick Vujicic
Man’s search for meaning – Viktor Frankl
How to stop worrying and start living – Dale Carnegie
Don’t sweat the small stuff – Richard Carlson
Steal like an artist – Austin Kleon
Always looking up – Michael J. Fox
The 4-hour work week – Timothy Ferris
Linchpin – Seth Godin
The gifts of imperfection – Brene Brown
Steve Jobs – Walter Isaacson
Thanks for this fantastic addition!
I’ve included your list in the article! Thanks again and hats off to you for that many inspiring book suggestions. These are some pretty good books.
Thanks! Inspiring list…
You’re very welcome!
This is huge! Don’t even know where to start…. Steve, pleeeease: one tip, whats the best one?
Well, if you want a good recommendation on where to start, have a look at Mastery or Talent Is Overrated. Why do I recommend these? Because they lay a great foundation upon which you can build your further efforts of your journey in life. These books will tell you that firstly, if you do something do it as best as you can. Secondly, if you truly want to accomplish greatness, you’ll have to master that which you are doing. And thirdly, if you always rely on your talent, you not always accomplish something great. But once you understand that it is not talent what is important, but hard effort, hard work, diligence, perseverance and willpower, then you can take on the whole world.
Not only is the book list great, but your analysis is also spot on!
Thanks! I’m happy you like the book descriptions.
Wonderful books!
Thanks Patrick!
Thanks! New fuel to ignite my motivation. That’s what I needed!
You’re very welcome.
How do I use these books to get motivated?
You can use these books as inspiration! That’s what I would recommend. They will inspire you to fundamentally change your life to the better. And they will also motivate you to dream big. But the important aspect that I want to convey is this: these books can only bring you so far. They can inspire you, they can motivate you. But in the end, it all depends upon yourself. External factors can motivate you for a certain period of time. But for long-lasting motivation, it’s necessary to ignite the fire within you. So instead of relying on external sources of motivation, always recommend people to find something that helps them to effectively motivate themselves. But in order to be properly motivated, we need to have the right goals in mind. Money, tangibles and other things like this might not be able to properly motivate you in the long run. But having a vision and a deep desire to see something implement on this planet, will fuel the motivation over decades. Think about all the excellent people who accomplished true greatness in their lifetime. They weren’t motivated by money or fame, what motivates them was their deep desire to make the world a better place.
Yes, and this is why The New Testament is probably the most motivational book ever written.
This is such a great plethora of knowledge. Thanks Steve for taking the time to write it down. It was really helpful.
You’re very welcome Andrea.
It’s surprising to know that the number one book that all the people in the world (my own suggestion and observation) should be reading and follow and share with everyone is not listed followed by the second book which (again my own suggestion and observation) is not here also. These two books have all the most important and highly valuable gifts of messages and information so people would develop awareness, clarity and understanding about living a holistic life which is also lacking in the world today. The challenge of this time now is spiritual. The first book has been in existence for awhile and available worldwide and the second one has been a seller for more than twenty years. Hopefully, through reading, digesting and spreading the teachings of these books, more and more people would be enlightened thus provide them the necessary insights, wisdom and discernment about who they really are as their own expressions of the grandest version of the greatest vision of their own selves. These two books are THE BIBLE and CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD. Thank you so much. In light and love, God bless you.
Thanks for your suggestions.
Yeah, these books *can* help you navigate THIS life; only one can help you “store up treasures” in the NEXT. Good list nonetheless.
I was viewing my own site and your blog was featured at the bottom of my post. I have a few books that I want to offer a download as an opt in feature But I can seem to figure out how to link my product when it’s not online. The section for that asks for a URL. Maybe I’m missing something. Please email me when you can. I’d love the help of another blogger.
Hello Heather, I really don’t know what you mean. What do you mean by the section that asks for an URL?
Awesome I Really Love to Read these king of Amazing Books
Thanks!
I thought Mimadamos from Chadi B. Ghaith was hugely motivational and a wonderful source of inspiration.
It challenges many of our commonly accepted beliefs on life, religion and reality.
It’s written in a gorgeous language and set in a mythical fantasy world that conjured up so many dazzling images in my mind that just added to the epic feel throughout.
My favorite read of 2016 and several years prior.
Thanks for the suggestion!
Impressive list. It’s always good to have a couple of books that boost motivation.
Thanks and I absolutely agree with you.
This is a superb list of inspiring books.
Thanks a lot.
Mr. STEVE MUELLER, your suggestions itself is so awe inspiring. Brilliant. I will make sure to read all the books suggested by you and other readers. I’m 50 and Manager HR, Recruitment & Public Relations in India and my plan is to conduct Motivational sessions and workshops for my employees. Your guidelines and suggestions will definitely assist me to pursue my goals. Thanks & Regards.
Wow Rajesh, this is great to hear! All the best for your plans!
‘the secret’ book is very magical…the best book i have found in my experience is ‘the secret’ ….it is based on law of attraction …
Just got this Great book: 7 Strategies for Wealth & Happiness. I read two chapter so far. It got my attention. Taking action to do what is required to get what I want.
Thank you all for the recommendation.I can’t wait to start reading them all.
I’m surprised that the book “Good to great” by Jim Collins is not on the list… Nice list though.
I will check it out, thanks for the suggestion!
such a nice list, i am definitely gonna read these all books!!
thanks for sharing.
My motivational book from the age of 4 has been “Oh the places you will go!” by Dr Seuss.
Whenever I feel demotivated – I watch the video on YouTube.
Great list – I would include a very old book – The Power of Concentration by TQ Dumont.
I truly appreciate you sharing the 33 top selling motivational books of all time. I have several of these books in my personal collection of self motivational books. My personal favorite of all time is an always will be Think and Grow Rich. I still have my copy I purchased back in 1974, and have read it many times. Next would be As A Man Thinketh, by James Allen.
Great collection of books. Thanks for sharing. How To Win Friends & Influence People and The Power of Habit are some of my personal favorites. I have learned many great lessons from these books and have implemented them in my life. These have helped me to become a better person by improving my communication skills and relation with people.
Hi can you kindly let let how many books and how long did it take you to go through all these .am just starting the journey bro and I want to make it in life by all means
Very good presentation of books have given and there are lot of books for motivation so reader can easily choose any book and i personally choose “The one thing” to read.
This is one of the best list i’ve seen on motivational books. I liked the quote that is mentioned in the starting of the blog that is, “A room without books is like a body without soul”. I’ve read most of the books and now I am excited to read “Living life as a thank you”. The desciption about the book is very motivating and gave me positive vibes to start with it. The idea of the book mentioned is very nice that is, be thankful for all the situations happening in your life, be it positive or negative. This blog is really helpful.
That’s a great list. I read about 5-6 books from this list (as well as some of the added list from the reader).
The Power of Positive Thinking really inspired me to change my mind. I also learned a lot about Schwarzner’s personality and his perception of life from his book. Thank you! I already know what I will read next thanks to this article!