A friend of mine asked if I had a Top 10 must-read books of all the now close to a thousand books I’ve read. I realized I didn’t and creating one has been quite the challenge. Instead of trying to edit it down to ten books, I broke it into two categories. So many good books!

Share your favorites that have made a huge difference in your life or business in the comments below.

My Top 10 Personal Development Game Changer Books

1. Mindset by Carol Dweck.

2. Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself AND Becoming Super Natural by Joe Dispenza.

3. What to Say When You Talk to Yourself by Shad Helmstetter.

4. The Success Principle by Jack Canfield.

5. The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal

6. ONE Thing by Gary Keller

7. The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz

8. Think and Grow Rich AND Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill

9. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

10. The Essential Guide to Neuro-Linguistic Programming by Tom Hoobyar

 

My Top 10 Business Game Changer Books

1. Rocket Fuel by Wickman & Winters

2. Profit First by Mike Michalowicz

3. Millionaire Success Habits by Dean Graziosi

4. Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh

5. Disrupt You by Jay Samit

6. 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch

7. The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman

8. Crucial Conversations by Grenny, Switzler & McMillan

9. Scaling Up by Verne Harnish

10. Leadership and the ONE Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard

Bonus one: The Millionare Master Plan by Roger Hamilton.

 

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As a high achiever you know the importance of reading non-fiction books to further your knowledge.

Personally I read between 1-2 books a week on average. Some of you have asked how I’m able to read so many books. I simply make it a priority. Remember, lack of time is seldom an issue, misaligned priorities are.

All you need to do is to cut out some of the non-essentials and you’ll find the time. You can easily read 12-16 books in a year by implementing The Power of 15™.

Below is my list of the top 20 books I read in 2017. Please share some of your favorites in the comment section so we can add new awesome books to our reading list.

PRODUCTIVITY & HIGH PERFORMANCE

The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
Wish I would have come across this book when it came out in 2003! A total gem. Much of what is in here has been taught by others so if you’ve been studying productivity and high performance in the last ten years the concepts in this book will be familiar. An absolute must-read for anyone who wants to level up. Be prepared to run out of highlighter!

High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard
High performance has traditionally been used for athletes and executives, but thankfully Brendon is now bringing it to a larger audience. Not only that, he spent years researching what makes someone a high performer and what it takes to get and stay there. The results from the multi-year long research even surprised Brendon who’s been in the industry for almost twenty years. This book is a game-changer kind of book! Don’t miss it.

 

SUCCESS MINDSET

Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude by Napoleon Hill & W. Clement Stone
You become what you think about but even more importantly how you look at things. It’s well-known that a positive attitude beats a negative but this book shares some great examples on why having a positive mental attitude takes you further in life.

Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill
If you’ve read Think & Grow Rich you know how your mind can direct your success. In this still slightly controversial book Napoleon Hill is bringing us an interview with the devil where he shows how much of today’s beliefs, norms and more have been created in order to keep us from being free-thinkers. Be prepared on having everything you’ve been told questioned in this book.

How Rich People Think by Steve Siebold
A friend of mine, who’s created a 7-figure coaching business in just a few years, told me about this book being one of her top picks to read for money mindset . When someone who has reached that level recommends a book it goes on my reading list! It’s a very blunt and straightforward kind of read. If you’ve studied money mindset and how wealthy people think you won’t find a lot of new in here but it’s a super refreshing read to help you stay on top of your money mindset.

You are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero
Even if you’ve worked on your money mindset you’ll still find everything in this book helpful simply because the way Jen describes things makes you go ‘a-ha’ and connect in ways you may never have before. Plus she’s just down right funny! I recommend this as an audiobook.

Unshakable by Tony Robbins
Hands down the best money and investment book out there! Tony brings us the real deal and doesn’t hold back on what garbage much of the financial industry feeds us on how to manage our money and future. This book is a follow up on his last book but can be read as a standalone.

 

BUSINESS SUCCESS

Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
A client told me about this book and already running my business based on profit first I didn’t see a need to read it. O’boy, was I wrong! Glad I read it. I immediately did a few changes to the way I was running my business and now it runs both more efficient and stronger. This is a must-read if you’re a business owner or thinking of starting a business.

Millionaire Success Habits by Dean Graziosi
By far one of my favorite books. It’s different than most other ‘habit’ books in that it’s written using real life examples instead of just theory. Dean has flushed out these habits over many years and doesn’t fluff anything but brings you the real deal. He’s equally as real in person and someone I highly recommend you follow.

The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman
I read this book a few years ago and it’s truly a gem and a re-read kind of book. It contains so many great tips for business owners and those wanting to advance their career. Easily the best twenty bucks you’ll ever spend. It’s not just about economics but contains productivity and personal growth tips too.

BOLD by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler
Feel as if you can’t keep up with the digital world? Unless you’re a teenager you grew up experiencing things in an analog way, which moved a lot slower than our digital world. Today everything is driven by exponential growth and technologies and in order to keep up we have to shift how we think, what we do and how we operate or we’ll be another Kodak that kept the blinders on too long.

Tools of the Titans by Tim Ferriss
Wow, this book is loaded with so many amazing tips you’ll go back over it many times. It’s also an inspiring book filled with people who are beyond remarkable taking both their lives and businesses to new levels. As a high achiever you’re going to love this book if you haven’t read it already!

Expert Secrets by Russell Brunson
For you who want to build a tribe of followers and get your product and services out there, this is your book. It contains a lot of practical tips you can immediately put into action to help your business grow to new levels. Highly recommended!

 

COMMUNICATION AND UNDERSTANDING SELF & OTHERS

The Power of the Other by Henry Cloud
An interesting book on how much power others have over us and our decisions, even if we think we’re free-thinkers. This book will help you become a better leader, person and friend because after reading this book you’ll have a much greater awareness of how to navigate the land of people.

The Universe Has Your Back by Gabby Bernstein
Feel as if you tend to attract the same things or people into your life? This book talks about how we tend to fight what the universe has laid out for us. Gabby Bernstein’s book talks about the law of attraction and how to stop trying to control everything and instead become one with the universe. It’s a very practical read and much less “out there” than you would expect.

The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama
What a joy to get to spend time virtually with Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu. Not only is this a book that fills you with joy but the lessons in here are ones we can all use and implement in our lives. Life’s too short to not live a joyful life! Plus these two men are funny. Total characters! Lots of laughs to be had. I listened to this book and truly enjoyed it.

The Essential Guide to NLP Programming by Tom Hoobyar
If you’ve been in the personal development world for a while you’ve heard or experienced NLP, Neuro-Linguistic Programming. I wanted to find a good basic NLP book I could recommend to others as NLP is a deep topic. This book over-delivers, is very practical and contains exercises that can be done right away no matter your knowledge in the topic.

 

VARIOUS PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT BOOKS

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
This books stands out for sure. The first chapter is a bit heavy on the f-word, almost to the point it makes it hard to read, but once you get through the first chapter it’s an excellent read. Mark Manson brings us a refreshing take on personal development concepts.

Brain Myths Exploded, Lessons from Neuroscience by Great Courses
Neuroscience geeks – this is our kind of book! But even if you’re not into neuroscience this is an excellent listen as you’ll have your beliefs challenged on how the brain works including concepts that society has fed us that no longer stands.

Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin
Unless you live in a cave by yourself and never surrounded by people you’re a leader and role model to someone. Which means you need to think of yourself as such and step up your game. This book will inspire you to demand more of both yourself and others and is said to be the first personal development book ever written.

 

I hope you enjoyed my top 20 list. I can’t wait to hear what some of your favorites are. Some of my 2018 books lined up are: Ray Dalio’s Principles, Tim Ferriss Tribe of Mentors and finally Arianna Huffington’s book Thrive.

*As always I only recommend books, products and services I believe in. Links are affiliate links that go to Amazon, which mean I may receive a small commission from them at no extra expense to you. I appreciate your support to help keep these blog posts going.

One trait of highly successful people is that they are constant learners and invest in personal development. An inexpensive investment is reading non-fiction books. I can honestly say I wouldn’t be where I am today without reading, learning and applying.

I have always been an avid reader as I love to learn but when I heard of people reading 50+ books a year I realized I didn’t read nearly that many and took a good look at the stack of books I had collecting dust.

I decided to challenge myself to read 52 books in a year. I started end of April of 2014 and did really good up to October and managed to read 29 books during that time. Then I sort of fell of the wagon. I didn’t take the time to read and well, when you don’t take time to do something it doesn’t get done.

I managed to read 11 books October through April leaving me with a total of 40 books read in a year. 12 books short of my goal but still, 40 books are more than none.

Here’s a quick summary on the 11 books I read:

1. The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau
This is a book I have recommended many times as I’ve scanned through it but I finally finished reading it! This book shows how to start a business for $100 or less and that you don’t need fancy business plans and investors. It’s one of my top recommended books!

2. The Other 72: Lessons I Learned From Losing My Dream Job by Dewayne Havens
This is a cute little e-book that reminds us that a layoff can turn into a positive event by opening our eyes to opportunities we never thought of.

3. Make Money with Facebook Groups by Abbie Unger
This requires you to pay attention and implement as you are reading it. I’m still struggling with the idea to monetize and make money on a Facebook group. That said, if you provide value to the people in the group and your primary goal is to help people then I can see making money becoming a secondary result. Great book for learning more!

4. Redefine Rich: A New Perspective on the Good Life by Matt Ham
Matt is in an online group I belong to and has a really neat and captivating story on how he learned from a dying family member what being rich really means. He shares a lot of valuable lessons throughout this book. This book falls under the Christian category but no matter what faith you are or not the book holds value to anyone. You will never think of the word “rich” the same again!

5. The Suitcase Entrepreneur: Create freedom in business and adventure in life by Natalie Sisson
This book holds a lot of value for those that wants to be traveling entrepreneurs. Natalie truly lives out of a suitcase and knows what she is talking about. Tons of great tips, resources and more. This book is a keeper together with Rolf Potts Vagabonding book. Highly recommend it if you want to take your business on the road.

6. Internet Business Shortcuts: Make Decent Money Online without Taking Years to Get There by Buck Flogging
Buck Flogging is behind Buck Books, a free email service that alerts you of books that are 99 cents or less every day. Everyone is paying attention to the success he has had with Buck Books and in this book he shares how he spent years trying to make money blogging. This is a great read for 99 cents that will give you some ideas as you are working on your online business.

7. The Fire Path: Where your passion and our guidance unite! by Kate Erikson
Kate is the other half of Entrepreneur on Fire and shares the steps she and John Lee Dumas took creating their incredibly successful online business. This is an excellent book for anyone starting out. I wish I would have had this kind of short but valuable read when I started.

8. Do Over: Rescue Monday, Reinvent Your Work, and Never Get Stuck by Jon Acuff
I pre-ordered the book and got an early release copy to read. I love all of Jon’s previous books. This book will give you permission to do a do-over. Not just starting over but a do-over. If you’re not happy with where you are going, Jon shows you the step to create your own do-over.

9. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth by T. Harv Eker
I learned the concepts in this book a while back but never took the time to read the actual book, so I finally did. It’s now on my must-read list. This is a game changer kind of book and if you only take the time to read one book this year – read this one!

10. Dream Year: Make the Leap from a Job You Hate to a Life You Love by Ben Arment.
Extremely well-written, no extra fluff and full of awesome, applicable information. If you are familiar with the process of going from your day job to your dream job you will still pick up helpful information but if that process is brand new to you then this book need to be a book your add to your reading list.

11. Wisdom Meets Passion: When Generations Collide and Collaborate by Dan Miller and Jared Angaza.
I’ve had this book on my shelf for over a year! If you follow my blog you know I’m a huge fan of Dan Miller. No difference here. I absolutely love this book and wish I had read it sooner. This book is co-written with his son Jared and is full of great tidbits that will stretch your thinking.

 

 

And here are the remaining books I read during my 52 book challenge:

12. Brand YOU New by Mike Loomis

13. Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel by Rolf Potts

14. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

15. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

16. The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life by Chris Guillebeau

17. Podcasting Good to Great: How to Grow Your Audience Through Collaboration by Jared Easley

18. Hit The Mark!: Improve Your Focus Boost Your Energy Make the Most of Your Time by Erik Fisher and Jim Woods

19. Go Solo: How to Quit the Job You Hate and Start a Small Business You Love! by Kelsey Humphreys

20. 6 Week Declutter Challenge: Rid your home of the clutter once and for all by Corie Clark

21. Smart Money Smart Kids: Raising the Next Generation to Win with Money by Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze

22. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

23. You Already Know How to Be Great: A Simple Way to Remove Interference and Unlock Your Greatest Potential by Alan Fine

24. The Fitness Mindset by Cheree Miller

25. Day Job to Dream Job: Practical Steps for Turning Your Passion into a Full-Time Gig by Kary Oberbrunner

26. The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do by Jeff Goins

27. Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt

28. See You at the Top by Zig Ziglar

29. The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss

30. The Simplicity Project: Win Your Battle With Chaos & Clutter So You Can Live a Life of Peace & Purpose by Corie Clark

31. Stronger Than Coffee: The Power of Community by David Bouchard and Tulsa 5 Club

32. The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World by Chris Guillebeau

33. Ready Aim Fire!: A Practical Guide To Setting And Achieving Goals by Erik Fisher and Jim Woods

34. 25 Tips for Productivity by Augusto Pinaud

35. You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One) by Jeff Goins

36. The Productive Person by James Roper and Chandler Bolt

37. No Brand Is an Island by Robert D. Smith

38. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell

39. Be a People Person: Effective Leadership Through Effective Relationships by John C. Maxwell

40. No More Dreaded Mondays: Ignite Your Passion – and Other Revolutionary Ways to Discover Your True Calling at Work by Dan Miller

 

You can read my review on these books from earlier posts I did during May, June, July and Aug/Sept.

I’m not sure how many books I plan on reading this year but you can always check the “What I’m Reading” box in the sidebar to stay up-to-date for good books. And I love to hear from you on books you felt impacted you in a positive way so that we can learn together.

What great books have you read lately? Share in the comments below.

 

*Links go to Amazon and are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something from Amazon I may receive a tiny commission at NO extra cost to you. Thank you, I truly appreciate your support.