The best books for self-development that every person should read. Self-development books for modern women

Greetings! Self-development is the most powerful trend recent years. We enthusiastically "pump" different areas life. Learn how to properly communicate with teens.

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You can develop yourself in different ways. For example, going to Thailand for two weeks to work in a live group. Or download a recording of online courses on a torrent and take lessons at home. But the most popular format among fans of self-development is still books.

According to statistics, they are more often read not by men, but by women. Women often have neither time nor energy for courses and trainings on self-development.

Who will be interested? Women aged 20 to 30 years.

Clinical psychologist Mag Jay believes that in modern world The midlife crisis is no longer relevant. It was replaced by the "quarter life" crisis. It affects those who have completed their studies and are confused on the threshold of adulthood.

Therefore, young people go to extremes and delay the beginning of adult life "for later." Early marriages, infantilism, computer games, stupid movies, hopeless work.

But the period from 20 to 30 years is decisive in the life of any person. In her book, Mag Jay explains why this is the decade to invest in yourself as much as possible: travel, useful sites and additional education. And tells you how to do it right.

Feature of the book: the idea of ​​the weakness of strong ties and the strength of the weak.

Quote: “Knowledge is not a skill. Skill is knowledge plus 10,000 repetitions.”

Daniel Goleman Emotional Intelligence. Why it might mean more than IQ"

Who will be interested? Those who want to understand the mechanism of their own and others' emotions. And learn how to properly manage them "for the good of the cause."

According to the author, empathy (the ability to “read” the emotions and mood of the interlocutor) is more important today than other applied skills and abilities. People madly missed real feelings and emotions. And they really appreciate those who quickly tune in to their emotional “wave”.

Success in many professions is based on high emotional intelligence. "Sensitive" salespeople, managers, coaches and client managers are much more effective than their "cold" colleagues. In addition, emotional intelligence is important in areas such as parenting, family life, and even health.

Feature of the book: mass real examples from life.

Quote: "The emotional brain existed long before the rational brain."

Nina Mel "Energy of Yoga"

Who will be interested? For those who believe that yoga is not just a set exercise, a deliberate practice on several levels.

• What muscles are involved, and how the asana affects the organs and systems of life (physiological effect)
• Which chakras open, and what happens to the energy channels at this moment (energy effect)
• How asana affects mood, and what qualities of character it develops (psycho-mental effect)
• What to look for at the time of execution
• How to enter the asana, stay in it and get out of it

What type of book can be attributed to the book "Energy of Yoga"? In my opinion, this is both an encyclopedia and a useful practical guide. Allows beginners and experienced "yogis" to get the most out of yoga.

Nina Mel honestly described the contraindications of each asana. Therefore, the book will be useful for pregnant women, women with health problems and those who are over 40.

Feature of the book: for each asana there are pictures and a description of the technique. The author suggests what to pay attention to (major mistakes, correct breathing) and gives variations of the asana.

Barbara Sher "Dream About"

Who will be interested? For those who don't know what they really want.

There are tons of books on the market today on the topic "". And if a woman has no idea what she wants to do? Or is it sprayed into several areas of interest to her? Or can't complete a single thing?

How can a woman engage in self-development if she has no idea what and why she should develop?

In the book "What to dream about?" Barbara Sher proves that deep down, each of us knows perfectly well what he wants. It's just that our real desires are in disguise psychological attitudes or programs (usually from childhood). True dreams just need to be found and “turned on”!

Quote: “Life is too short to live without a goal. The unlived life is a real hell.”

Loretta Breuning hormones of happiness. How to train the brain to produce serotonin, dopamine, endorphin and oxytocin

Who will be interested? For those who want to reprogram their brain for a positive wave and activate the “happiness hormones” with good habits.

Loretta Breuning did a great job of describing how hormones affect our emotions and behavior. The essence of the book is partially revealed in its title. There are "positive" hormones (endorphin, dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin). And there are hormones “with a minus sign” (for example, cortisol).

Feature of the book: a clear mechanism for the formation of good habits for 45 days to activate the "happiness hormones".

Quote: “When a monkey loses his banana in a conflict with a fellow tribesman, he feels uncomfortable. But he does not exacerbate his experiences by scrolling through them in his head over and over again. She will be looking for a new banana. People are starting to build all sorts of theories about bananas. And, in the end, they themselves create pain for themselves.

In your opinion: what self-development books are worth reading?

Brain training is essential for everyone. Without load, problem solving, information processing, the ability to think, analyze, and think is lost. To increase intelligence, you need to work daily. Impossible by drinking vitamins or reading one book in a year. New information makes the brain think and increases IQ. What to read for intellectual development, outlook and erudition?

Ways to develop intelligence

The level of IQ depends on literacy, education of a person, non-standard thinking. For intellectual development, train your brain daily. One of the ways to develop intelligence is reading books. Choose your reading list carefully: the best books for the general development of intelligence, vocabulary and speech in adults can really improve the quality of life. But modern detective stories, love stories will not saturate with information - such reading relaxes, but does not teach.

Before proceeding directly to the solution of the topical issue“what useful books you need to read for the development of the brain, consciousness, memory, logical thinking, competent speech? ”, It should be realized that the development of intelligence is impossible without acquiring the following skills:

Memory upgrades. Needed to remember information. Data is captured and retrieved as needed.
Vocabulary increase. The conversation acquires an intellectual connotation if the interlocutor knows how to speak beautifully. An extensive vocabulary helps to give the impression of an intelligent person.
Ability to think figuratively. Stimulants mental development audio books and speech-developing intellectual reading contribute as a person lives through the described story. Experience is formed, images are remembered, in a similar case, information pops up and is used.

The skill of speed reading helps to assimilate information and process tons of literature. Interesting intellectual literature for reading and developing the mind of an adult, books on self-organization and efficiency motivate, make you follow your goals.

What books should be read to increase intelligence?

Most intellectual sites offer a list of books for developing the mind, improving speech and increasing vocabulary in communication - such a list includes literature on various areas life. The development of memory, the improvement of vocabulary and the ability to think are the base that is used to process information: in order to become a well-rounded person, it is necessary to expand knowledge in the main areas.

Scientific works. This is not about reference books and encyclopedias, consisting of continuous incomprehensible terms. Read books that tell the story of the creation of the world, about natural phenomena development of culture and art. Remember Darwin's theory, read Hawking's works on the history of time.
Philosophical literature. Scientific books are built on theories, evidence and teach to understand the world. Philosophy is a branch that dedicates to the secrets of human actions and actions, studies the thinking of people. List philosophical literature biblical editions of various religions. Today, many are fond of oriental authors, share in in social networks wisdom. Bright representative Eastern philosophy - Omar Khayyam and his Rubaiyat. Interesting to read, easy to learn by heart. Supplement the study of philosophy with the books of the Strugatskys, Nietzsche, Kant.
Works of art. Knowledge of the classics is like an exam in an intellectual society. The smartest books for adults that develop the intellect, brain and personality will be useless without the base received in due time - the foundations are laid from the school bench, a love of poetry and prose is instilled. If you missed this period, not wanting, then it's time to catch up. Artistic works help to replenish vocabulary, improve literacy. Start with the following books: Bulgakov's Master and Margarita, Prishvin's Forget-Me-Nots, Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, Stendhal's Red and Black, Tolstoy's War and Peace. The modern intellectual writer Dyusimbiev Gazinur and his stories will perfectly complement the list of classic works.
History books. People are accustomed to comparing today's events with the past. The intellectual is able to draw parallels on high level because he knows the history of the development of his country and other states. Reading historical books gives knowledge about significant events in the world and reveals the features of life famous people. History helps to understand life. Find the works of popular authors: Lawrence, Bushkov, Yury Mukhin.
poetry reading. Poetry is one of the oldest ways of transmitting information to descendants. The genre is light due to rhyme, euphony and beauty of speech. Constant reading of poetry helps to improve memory and replenish vocabulary. For the development of intelligence, the work of Akhmatova, Shakespeare, Brodsky is suitable.

There is no definite list of literature for the development of intelligence. There are recommendations for reading for schoolchildren, students, applicants preparing to enter universities. The main thing is to develop the habit of reading. Use free time for information. Modern gadgets and audiobooks will come to the rescue. Over time, notice that reading will become a habit. There will be a need to immerse yourself in a fascinating world filled with knowledge and discoveries.

List of books for the development of intelligence

The foundations are laid in school years. Therefore, many books have been published with the expectation of a growing audience. But, not when it's not too late to learn, gain knowledge, train memory. Intellectual development has no age limits. The main desire to become smarter and the regularity of action.

List of books for the development of intelligence:

"Intellect-training", Rodionova A. After reading the works of this business coach, a person receives the following results: thinking processes are launched, vocabulary is replenished. The book is built on the principle of educational literature: read and implement. The author makes it clear that human capabilities are unlimited, it is never too late to achieve perfection. The reader is offered options for the development of mental abilities.


"Develop the intellect ...". Carter Philip's writings include tests that help develop intelligence. Suitable for those who are ready to solve a variety of charades and puzzles. Practical exercises will help in the development of thinking, improve memory, make a person more quick-witted. The book is very addictive, the puzzles are answered.
"Brain at 100%." The author will tell you how. In an ordinary person, he is in a sleeping state. Watching TV shows, performing monotonous work leads the brain to hibernation, the skills acquired at school are lost. Olga Kinyakina proposes to make the brain work. The book contains all necessary exercises, tasks and puzzles to improve memory, develop intelligence. The intensive program promotes the development of thinking,.
"Fundamentals of rote memorization". Zack Belmore's book is for all ages. Moreover, for better assimilation of information and to achieve results, the author has divided the book into chapters. Each section is for a specific age group. Performing exercises, a person learns to memorize large amounts of information and canvases of text. The memorization process is simplified, it becomes arbitrary.

Recommended intellectual reading for the mind, good classic literature for the development of speech are a set of exercises for training the brain. As a person needs water for life, so the brain needs information for reflection. Take food for thought daily, dedicating to reading at least 1 hour per day.

What do smart people read for spiritual development and for intellect?

Literature that can start the processes of thinking and contribute to the activation of memory is suitable. Wanting to increase IQ levels, many people bet on the number of books they read. If the plot does not captivate, the described exercises seem ridiculous and useless, then it is better to put the book aside and move on to the next one. Just reading won't make you smarter because the material will not apply in life.

Works of Edward de Bon. If you want to learn how to think differently, ready to break away from the standards, then start with the book "Six Thinking Hats". During the study of the material, you will have the opportunity to play. To get the result, act, follow the tasks of the author. The book is interesting for the inclusion of various life situations to which the reader is invited to pick up their thinking hats. Practical exercises help to make thinking original and non-standard. Another entertaining book by the author is Teach Yourself to Think. The plot is based on Edward's technique, which helps to instill in the reader the skill to want to learn and develop. The proposed technique is aimed at improving the mental mechanism. The book can be called a tutorial, as it includes 5 stages. The gradual implementation of the steps leads to the desired result.
Books by Ron Hubbard. Good feedback received the book "Teaching Technology". It is a textbook, the main task of which is to teach the reader to learn. People who followed the author's hints increased their intellectual level by 15%. Ron Hubbard is convinced that a person's IQ is formed from several components. And the main one is the ability to learn or, in other words, the systematic nature of obtaining new information throughout a person's life. In the book "Introspection" the author focuses on the memory of a person. If you do not remember in time interesting fact or historical information, it is not worth talking about intellectual development. Read books will be forgotten in a few days, if you do not run the memory to its fullest. The book contains practical advice that help people improve themselves. Special attention the author pays attention to visual memory, believing that there is a possibility of its development.

"Memory Development for Dummies". The book's main purpose is clear from the title. Before embarking on a study, take as a basis that universal and simple ways there is no improvement in memory. To achieve the result, the methods are combined. The more methods you use, the more better effect. Interestingly, the combination of methods brings results regardless of age. John Bogosian Arden, the author of the book, is sure that the properties of memory are the same for a student and a pensioner, therefore they lend themselves to the same development.

Before reading books check the level of intellectual development. Tests are given on the Internet and time is suggested for completing tasks. On the first playthrough, do not rush to invest in the deadline. By answering the test questions, you are already developing as you solve problems and puzzles. The data obtained will help you decide in which direction to move, what you lack: vocabulary, creative thinking, the skill of remembering information. Then proceed to correct the situation by studying and practicing the suggested books.

Conclusion

Considering what people say, think and read in different languages, lists of intellectual literature from different compilers can vary greatly: it is impossible to make a universal list- it will be too big. Therefore, always read, try to continuously and consistently improve your intellect - let this become a useful habit that prolongs life and improves communication with people around you. Read with benefit and with pleasure!

In this post, I want to talk about books that are worth reading for self-development if you are just starting to be interested in this topic and are looking for trusted sources of information.

self-development books personal growth now there are so many that you can get confused, and most of them are empty “blah blah” and a repetition of common truths that have been said a thousand times. I have been reading such books for more than fifteen years and I confess that there are very few really worthwhile things that give fundamentally new knowledge and are really capable of changing something in life.

Here I decided to collect books that I consider the most important and basic for self-development. These are real gems, read and apply. About 10-15 years ago I really missed them.

Books worth reading for self-development: where to start?

Go straight through the list or choose books on the topic that interests you the most. Perhaps the post will be supplemented; links are affiliate.

Stephen Covey - The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

An ageless classic that, unlike other classics like Dale Carnegie, is still relevant today. One of the 25 Most Influential Business Books by Time magazine.

In the book, Covey offers a consistent study of seven skills that are not taught in school and university, and which can take life to a new qualitative level. These skills help develop the ability to get along both with the people around you and with your desires and habits, set and achieve big goals and improve your skills. If you are taking the first steps in an adult independent life or are stuck at some stage of it, then for you this will be Mast Read No. 1.

Tim Ferris - "How to Work Four Hours a Week"

Covey in The 7 Habits paints a picture of your best future in large strokes, while Ferris gives clear, practical tools for working on yourself: take it and do it. More than once I met the opinion that it was this book that prompted a person to go freelance or develop his own business.

The book destroys the stereotype that normal money can only be earned by working for an "uncle" in a serious company; this is a manifesto of free people against office slavery, people who do not sacrifice their lives and their interests for the sake of working non-stop in the office.

In sequence, Tim explains the following things:

• How to choose and set the right goals in life;
• How to get rid of everything that hinders the achievement of these goals;
• How to automate everything to the maximum: work less, earn more;

Plus plenty of case studies, success stories and practical advice, as well as Ferris' trademark humor and descriptions of the adventures he was able to arrange for himself while practicing the "new" lifestyle. In general, it's amazing how much useful Tim managed to shove into one book. Definitely Mastrid.

Barbara Sher - It's Good to Dream

A legendary book about how to find your calling and put it into practice. Unlike other books about finding a calling, Cher's method works great, thanks to which her books have been selling huge copies for more than 30 years and changing the lives of other people.

Dreaming Is Good is the first and most important book in her seven-book series. She talks about how to discover your talents and strengths, correctly set goals, make plans and track progress; how to create a network of useful contacts and a support group to help achieve goals.

Unlike Tim Ferris's book, it's less about money and business and more about creativity and finding yourself. Together, these two books complement each other perfectly.

Definitely Mastrid, if you want to do what you like in life.

Kelly McGonigal - Willpower

The best book on how to develop good habits and overcome bad ones. McGonigal, professor at Stanford University, talks about how our will and self-control depend on the processes occurring inside our body, and how to trick the brain into controlling them.

The book contains many techniques and experiments that will be useful in different, even the most everyday situations. How to lose weight and how to give up sweets? How to exercise regularly in the morning? How to avoid impulsive purchases and not spend money on various nonsense? How to stop forcing yourself to do anything in principle and start living more freely and consciously?

Mastrid, if you want to better understand your brain and your body, pump your strong-willed qualities or remove bad habits.

Sharon Melnick - Resilience

Similar to the previous one, but not about willpower, but about the fight against stress. Sharon Melnick, a Harvard business psychologist and leader of anti-stress courses, explains in detail where stress comes from in our lives and gives practical advice how to deal with them. After this book, I really began to feel calmer and in many situations I simply do not bring to stress. The book contains many practical exercises that are easy to apply in everyday life.

The book helps to learn how to properly prioritize, control emotions, alternate periods of concentration and relaxation to increase productivity, improve the quality of nutrition and sleep.

Mastrid, because stress is a constant phenomenon in the life of every person, and this is the best book on dealing with stress. Read on if you want to learn how to better control your feelings. Together with Willpower there will be a bomb.

Jim Lauer, Tony Schwartz - Life at Full Power

The best book on human energy. The authors of the book, working with the greatest athletes of our time and the FBI special forces, have developed an energy management technique that allows you to stay alert, productive and maintain your strength for a long time even with high physical or mental stress. This technique, only in relation to ordinary people, is given in "Life at full power."

It is easy to read and interesting, everything is strictly according to science, there are many success stories and useful practices. The authors divide life energy into three components - physical, mental and spiritual - and for pumping each of them they give techniques and recommendations. Mastrid for those who want to learn how to manage their life energy.

George Clason - "The Richest Man in Babylon"

A must read book if you're interested financial side self-development. If Ferris in How to Work Four Hours a Week talks about how to make money, then Clayson talks about how to save this money and increase it.

"The richest man in Babylon" is written in the form of an oriental parable, but don't let that fool you. In each chapter, Clason reveals one of the common truths of financial literacy, which, in theory, should be taught in school. In general, many books have been written on this topic, there are authors such as Kiyosaki and Schaefer, but I have repeatedly met the opinion that “The Richest…” is an ideal book to start with, and I completely agree with him. After reading this one book, you will be able to change your attitude towards money and start developing healthy money habits.

Money in our time decides everything or almost everything, so Mastrid.

Travis Macy - "Ultra Thinking"

Ultramarathon runner Travis Macy's book is about how to cope with difficulties and develop the best human qualities. In the book, Macy, who has competed in more than a hundred endurance events, describes eight "settings" (principles) that underlie his concept of "ultrathinking" - the mentality of a strong person.

If you delve deeply into the topic of ultramarathons, triathlons and other endurance sports, you will find out an interesting fact: many records were set not on “physics”, but on the “psyche”, that is, exclusively on strong-willed qualities and fantastic concentration. The principles of ultrathinking help develop these qualities and apply them not only in sports, but also in business, and in building a career, and in everyday life.

Mastrid, if you want to learn how to take a hit and emerge victorious in any situation.

Josh Kaufman - "My Own MBA"

The MBA is an internationally recognized middle and senior management training program. An MBA degree in a person says not only that he knows a lot about business, but also about his leadership qualities and striving for self-development. Any self-respecting manager wants to get an MBA.

Josh Kaufman also wanted to, but took a different path and educated himself. He brought all his experience into a book. In fact, "My Own MBA" is an alternative, written plain language An MBA textbook that explains how people work and how a business works in all its aspects, from statistics and marketing to working in the field.

If you want to become an entrepreneur, then Self MBA is a great place to start, it's a concentrate that will help you avoid reading dozens of books on business and management.

Keith Ferrazzi - "Never Eat Alone" + "Your Support Group"

The book is a bomb about networking, the art of building professional relationships, which even an introvert like me got through. The author of the book, Keith Ferrazzi, is known in the West as "Mr. Contact" and is the most sociable person in the world according to Forbes.

Books on how to properly meet people and make business contacts are a dime a dozen. The uniqueness of Ferrazzi's book is that he does not just teach some psychological tricks, but talks about how to build a network of contacts to upgrade your life and solve problems that you cannot solve alone. We are used to understanding connections as “blat”, but here connections are friendship and relationships built on mutual respect.

A lot of attention in the book is paid to the development of such qualities as disinterestedness, courage and sincere interest in the people around; about building long-term and lasting relationships in your career and in your personal life, the ability to speak and listen correctly, as well as present yourself correctly and not let yourself be forgotten.

Mastrid, if you want to improve your communication skills and learn how to build a network of useful contacts. A very relevant book for today.

Tom Rath - "Eat, move, sleep";

Brett Blumenthal - "A Year Well Lived"

Two books on health, which I advise you to start learning about a healthy lifestyle. Unlike the books of other popular, “classic” authors like Paul Bragg, there is a minimum of reflection and philosophy and a maximum of applied advice on how to change your life and pump three areas of health: nutrition, physical activity and sleep. At the same time, no one requires the reader to make sudden gestures, such as switching to some kind of super-diet or an anguish in the gym. Only small but reliable healthy lifestyle steps.

The books are very similar, but built on a different principle. Blumenthal offers something like a year-long course, where you try something new from the world of healthy lifestyle every week. Rath talks about everything at once, but I found his book more inspiring.

Develop good eating habits healthy eating, move more, be less nervous, sleep soundly - that's all about it. If you feel that it’s time to take care of your health, then choose any and read, and to consolidate, read more “Willpower” and “Life at Full Power”, which I wrote about above.

Books worth reading for self-development: what's next?

I hope my list of books to read for self-development has been helpful. I remind you that these are basic books, after applying which you will get the first results.

I have deliberately left out a few difficult, more fundamental self-development books like Csikszentmihalyi's Flow, Taleb's Antifragile, or Greg McKeon's Essentialism. Books are powerful, but starting your dive into the world of self-development is not the best option.

And I will also be happy to share with you a few books about healthy way life, which is also to some extent self-development, but still a separate and large topic. Therefore, I have cited here only the books of Rath and Blumenthal, which provide basic healthy lifestyle skills in general, and did not say anything about other books that are best in their healthy lifestyle subtopics.

About all these books - next time.

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“We are what we eat” is a saying we often hear, but we mistakenly believe that it is only about physical food. After all, we "eat" not only physical food, but also the information that we immerse ourselves (or are immersed in us), and the energy that surrounds us. And in fact, these three components determine our existence.

“Being determines consciousness” is another saying that most often serves as an excuse for vices. Say, since this is my “being”, then, as they say, we are not like that, life is like that. In fact, everything is exactly the opposite: consciousness just the same determines being. What kind of consciousness a person has, he makes such a choice every day, every minute, and in accordance with the quality and level of his consciousness, he sees the world the way you can see it.

So, it became clear: consciousness determines being. And what in this case determines consciousness itself, its depth, quality, state? There is another principle: what you think about, you become. We create ourselves and our future every day. Depending on what information we immerse ourselves in, we create such a vector of development for the future. We are today where our thoughts have taken us, and tomorrow we will be where our thoughts today will lead us. So what we think about actually determines everything.

We live in an era democratic regimes, but in terms of information freedom, it turns out to be a bad thing. Placed in some long-programmed matrix, from the first days of life we ​​receive the information that will most often lead us to suffering. And, in general, this is not even our choice. By the age of 10-12, when a person has at least some opportunity to make a choice and act in accordance with his preferences, certain patterns of behavior have already been loaded into a person, which will determine this choice in the future.

How to change the situation? To begin with, you should ask yourself the question: are you satisfied with the way you live now? Are you satisfied with the vector of your movement? Objectively speaking, if a person suffers, then there is only one reason for this: he is going in the wrong direction and the Universe is trying in every possible way to tell him about it. First - with friendly advice, and when a person does not understand - then with cuffs. And the problem with most people is that they don't get it. When this understanding comes, the question arises: how to change the situation? To change the vector of your movement, you should change the course of your thoughts. And in order to change the course of your thoughts, you should change the information that a person downloads into himself.

What books to read for self-development

At the stage of realizing the wrong direction of one's movement, the question arises: where can one get adequate information and what are the general criteria for its adequacy? Today, there are many directions, genres, etc. on the literature market - for any, as they say, taste and color. Each of the authors presents himself as a kind of "enlightened" guru who has known the truth. And it should be noted that most of them really have adequate thoughts, which are useful to think about, and even bring something into their lives. But, whatever one may say, but still everyone can be mistaken, therefore, in terms of choosing literature, you should pay attention to more ancient texts.

In general, the question of which books to read for self-development is a purely individual question, since something different is suitable for everyone. Some people like ancient philosophical treatises, while others are more suited to works of art, which, in general, sometimes are not even inferior to some serious texts. Therefore, there are no bad or good books- each book is good for each of the levels of development. And among fiction books, too, one can note many sources of invaluable wisdom.

• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. A legendary book about the search for the spiritual path and truth. In a simple and understandable language, on simple and understandable examples, a simple philosophy of life is unobtrusively presented to the reader. But, despite its simplicity, not many are ready to understand and accept it at a deep level. Many at the level of the mind understand it and often even repeat these concepts out loud, but at a deep level of awareness there is not. And the book allows you to look at the world from a different angle.
• "Chapaev and Emptiness" Pelevin. The book describes two parallel realities: revolutionary Russia and Russia of the nineties. The Teaching and philosophy of the Buddha (in its rather free interpretation, but very curious) runs like a red thread through the entire narrative. The book contains many interesting concepts and philosophical ideas, but most importantly, the author makes it possible to look at the reality we are used to from an unusual angle.
• "Illusions" Richard Bach. Also quite an interesting book. The book calls into question the reality that we used to consider objective, as well as the laws by which this world functions. An alternative view of reality, as well as unique methods of interacting with this reality, will be of interest to seekers of truth and those who want to know themselves and the world around them.
• "The Little Prince" Antoine Exupery. mouth little prince the book outlines a worldview that is opposed to a consumerist and selfish view of the world. At first glance, the worldview is a bit naive, but the further you plunge into the written story, the more you understand that the Prince understands much more in this life than all other characters, and indeed many people in this world.
• "The Master and Margarita". Bulgakov. The book shows a hard and thorny path creative person, a real Master of his craft, who found his destiny and followed it all his life. And this, in fact, is the deepest desire of every person - to find something to which one can devote one's life. And the one who found his way and knew his destiny is already halfway to perfection.
• "Diagnostics of karma" Lazarev. Not exactly a fiction book, its aspect is rather more applied and practical, but this only increases the value of the book. Sergey Lazarev in his book examines in detail the principle of karma, the features of its formation and implementation in human life. In the book you can find answers to many questions, the reasons for the presence of certain diseases and problems and life are especially detailed.

Also, you may be interested in books about proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle:

• "" Arnold Ehret. In the book, the author considers malnutrition as the cause of the formation of mucus in the body, which causes aging, withering of the body and the development of diseases. The book discusses the concept of natural nutrition, according to which only fruits and some vegetables are the specific food of a person, and all other food is unnatural for human consumption and therefore destroys health.
• "Raw food - the path to immortality" Shemchuk. The author considers the transition of mankind to boiled food as main reason not only disease, but also death in principle. The book discusses the version that with proper nutrition ( proper nutrition It is considered to be eating thermally unprocessed food) a person can not only be healed of any disease, but also completely defeat death.
• The 80/10/10 Diet by Douglas Graham. The author proposes a diet for nutrition in which 80% of the food is carbohydrates, 10% proteins and 10% fats. This diet provides mainly for eating fruits, since, according to the author of the book, a person is frugivorous by nature and fruits are the most natural food for his nutrition.

The question of what books to read for self-development remains relevant for many. And each will have its own answer. Paradoxical as it may seem, but someone, even in detective novels, will be able to learn something for themselves. But there are books that are recommended to be read by everyone in this life in order to adequately perceive the world and have some kind of moral basis for interacting with this world. For this, it is recommended to read the Vedic scriptures.

What books do you need to read for self-development?

For those who want to dive deeper into the study of philosophy and the laws of the universe, it is recommended to read ancient texts that are time-tested. What are the ancient texts and what are the criteria for evaluating the information that is there? In general, it is worth noting that any information that comes to us should be subjected to some criticism and evaluation in accordance with three aspects:

• The presence of this information in ancient scriptures.
• Opinion about this competent person.
• Personal experience.

It is recommended to take this or that information on faith only if all these three aspects coincide. That is, if any idea is read in ancient scripture, is confirmed by the opinion of a person competent in this matter and personal experience does not contradict this information - such a concept can be accepted as correct.

As for the ancient texts themselves, we are talking about the main texts of the Vedic culture:

• "Mahabharata"- a description of events that occurred 5000 years ago.
• "Bhagavad Gita" - part of the Mahabharata, contains the philosophical conversations of Krishna and Arjuna.
• " Ramayana"- a scripture describing the confrontation between Rama and Ravana. It contains the basic aspects of Vedic culture and philosophy, and also gives an understanding of dharma and the law of karma.
• "Yoga Vasistha" - a text containing the invaluable wisdom of the Indian sages who initiate Rama into the secrets of the universe. The sage Vasistha, in conversations with Rama, expounds the philosophy of yoga and advaita-vedanta.
• "Avadhuta Gita" - "the song of the eternally free" - the revelations of Avadhuta Dattareya in the style of the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta, or the so-called "non-duality".

• The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is the basic text on yoga on which most schools are based. The sage Patanjali succinctly outlines not only philosophy, but also practical aspects that can be really applied in one's practice. For a complete understanding of what yoga is, the best text probably not to be found.
• "Hatha yoga pradipika" - the name speaks for itself. The text details the precepts not only for the yogic practices themselves, but also for the lifestyle of a yogi. Despite the name, the scripture contains a description not only of hatha yoga, but also of such concepts as pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi.

These are the two main texts for those who wish to practice yoga and learn it from primary sources, and not through a “broken phone”.

• The Sutra of Starting the Dharma Wheel contains the basis of the Buddha's Teachings - the teaching of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. To get acquainted with the Teachings of the Buddha, it is best to read this sutra.
• "The Lotus Flower Sutra of the Miraculous Dharma". The sutra outlines the Dharma - the Teachings of the Buddha in its most perfect version. There is an opinion that the teaching about nirvana, which is set forth in the Sutra of Starting the Wheel of Dharma, was just a trick, since people were simply not ready to accept the true version of the Teaching, and the Buddha modified it a little so that people could understand it.
• Vimalakirti Sutra is a sutra with instructions from Vimalakirti, one of the most successful disciples of the Buddha.
• The Bodhicharya Avatara is a text written by the monk and philosopher Shantideva. It contains a concise presentation of the teachings of the Buddha, the philosophy of Buddhism, and, most valuablely, the practical aspects of the teachings - concentration and meditation.
• "Jataka" - short stories about the past lives of Buddha Shakyamuni. It is very instructive in terms of knowledge of the law of karma and cause-and-effect relationships.

Nowadays there are many various recommendations about what to read for self-development for a man and what books to read for self-development for a woman. And there are really a lot of such books now, but the concepts and advice there are very, very dubious. There are books that advise developing “male” qualities, and in their most negative manifestations: aggressiveness, arrogance, impulsiveness, while women, on the contrary, are advised to “develop a woman in themselves”: to be emotional, sensitive, and, in general, “ think less." What can lead to following such advice is easy to guess. Therefore, when receiving any information, common sense should be exercised, as well as the three criteria for evaluating information that were described above.

Now I also want to present a list of a hundred books on self-development that are worth reading. You don't have to read all the books, you can choose the ones you like best.

Many books say the same thing, it's just different words. Also used are the most various methods and self-development techniques, but the ideas and principles are very similar.

One thing helps someone, another another.

I have read about 70 out of 100 self-development books. The list of books is random, there is no order or rating, what I remember is what I wrote down.

100 self-development books worth reading:

1. Rich dad, poor dad. Robert Kiyosaki
2. If you want to be rich, don't go to school. Robert Kiyosaki
3. Brain games. Michael Mikalko
4. Focus on the main things. Stephen Covey
5. Seven Habits of Successful People. Stephen Covey
6. Business and Life 1-3. A. Parabellum
7. Sales and Life. A. Parabellum
8. How people think. James Allen
9. Think and get rich. Napoleon Hill
10. How to stop worrying and start living. Dale Carnegie.
11. How to win friends and influence. Dale Carnegie.
12. Money or the ABC of money. Bodo Schaefer.
13. Breakthrough to financial success. Bodo Schaefer.
14. Money is good for women. Bodo Schaefer.
15. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. Robin Sharma.
16. 200 life lessons. Robin Sharma
17. Who will cry when you die. Robin Sharma
18. Path to greatness. Robin Sharma
19. Saint, surfer and director. Robin Sharma.
20. Heal yourself. Louise Hay.
21. The strength is within us. Louise Hay.
22. Heal your life. Louise Hay.
23. Life Strategy Creative Personality. Altshuller G.S., Vertkin I.M. (I did not really like the book, but many people praise it)
24. Introduction to TRIZ. G. S. Altshuller. (many people recommended this book, but I didn't really like it).
25. Reality Transurfing. The space of options. V. Zeeland.
26. Reality Transurfing. The whisper of the morning stars. V. Zeeland
27. Reality Transurfing. Forward to the past. V. Zeeland
28. Reality Transurfing. Reality management.
29. Reality Transurfing. Apples fall into the sky. V. Zeeland
30. Simoron. Fireworks of magic. Gurangov and Dolokhov.
31. The richest man in Babylon. Clason George.
32. Business guide for geniuses. Yuri Moroz.
33. Millionaire in a minute. Allen Robert.
34. What's stopping you from becoming rich? A. Sviyash.
35. What to do when things don't go the way you want. A. Sviyash.
36. A reasonable world or how to live without unnecessary worries. A. Sviyash.
37. Life according to the 80/20 principle. Richard Koch.
38. Leave the squeamishness, eat the frog. Brian Tracy.
39. Million dollar habits. Brian Tracy
40. 4 hours work week. Timothy Ferris.
41. Secret (Secret). Wallace Wattles
42. The science of being rich and great. Wallace Wattles.
43. Peaceful warrior. Dan Millton.
44. Do what you were born to do. Paul Tiger. I love this book.
45. An easy way to quit smoking. Allen Carr. (a book for those who want to quit)
46. Vocation. Ken Robinson.
47. The greatest secret of how to make money. Joe Vitale. (book about charity)
48. Success without office slavery. Ernie Zelinski. —
49. The path of the artist. Julia Cameron. - my favorite book
50. See you at the top. Zig Ziglar.
51. Awaken the giant in you. Anthony Robins.
52. Unlimited power. Anthony Robins.
53. Your neighbor is a millionaire. Thomas Stanley.
54. 7 spiritual laws of success. Deepak Chopra.
55. The path of the wizard. Deepak Chopra.
56. Am I a genius? Wengar Win.
57. Geniuses and outsiders. Gladwell Malcolm.
58. The art of thinking big. David Schwartz.
59. The art of getting what you need. David Schwartz.
60. The subconscious can do everything. John Kehoe
61. How Successful People Think. John Maxwell.
62. How to turn failures into steps to success. John Maxwell.
63. Fuck it, get on with it. Richard Branson.
64. Art of War. Sun Tzu (I haven't read this book myself)
65. A seagull named Jonathan Livingston. Richard Bach. (didn't read)
66. Men are from Mars, women are from Venus. John Grey.
67. Way to Wealth. V. Sinelnikov is one of my favorite books
68. Stress vaccine. V. Sinelnikov.
69. Love your sickness. V. Sinelnikov - (I have already re-read this book several times)
70. Chicken broth for the soul. Jack Canfield (favorite book, crying over some stories)
71. Medicine for the soul 2. Jack Canfield
72. Seven spiritual laws of your prosperity. Randy Gage
73. Why are you stupid and sick. Randy Gage.
74. Conversations with God. Neil Donald Walsh
75. Yesterday a loser is today a successful businessman. Frank Bettger (sales book)
76. Pit. How to learn to get out and become a winner. Seth Godin. (I often refer to this book, there are holes everywhere 🙂)
77. Purple cow. Seth Godin.
78. The Zen Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Robert Pirsig
79. How to talk to anyone and about anything. Larry King
80. Don Juan's teachings. Carlos Castaneda. - didn't read
81. Time drive. G. Arkhangelsky
82. Alchemist. Paolo Coelho (fiction book)
83. Fool experience. M. Norbekov
84. Ten secrets of success and peace of mind. Wayne Dyer
85. Be in balance. 9 principles for creating positive habits. Wayne Dyer
86. How to learn optimism. Martin Seligman.
87. Language of the body. Allan Pease and Brabara Pease
88. Target. Goldratt Elyahu. - didn't read
89. How to succeed in business by breaking all the rules. Dan Kennedy - I recommend to everyone
90. The attraction of wealth without nonsense. Dan Kennedy
91. Kamasutra for the speaker. V. Gandapas.
92. Guerrilla Marketing. Levinson
93. Mentalist. Handbook of the development of superpowers of consciousness. George Kreskin. - didn't read
94. In search of golden ideas. I. Osipenko.
95. 33 ways to self-motivate. I. Osipenko.
96. Destiny to be a woman. O. Valyaeva. — (The book is very useful for ladies, I advise you to visit the site as well)
97. How to become an adventurer. Thoughts of a millionaire. G. Balashov.
98. The power of the present moment. Ekhar Tolle.
99. Dreaming is not bad. (Wishing) Barbara Sher.
100. Radical forgiveness. Colin Tipping
101. Dan Waldschmidt "Become best version myself"
102. Brian Tracy "Maximizing"
103. Gary Chapman The Five Love Languages.
104. From good to great. Jean Collins.
105. The Habits of the Rich. Thomas Cordy.
106. How to control the subconscious. K. Sheremetiev
107. The right to write. Julia Cameron.
108. The state of the stream. Csikszentmihalyi Mihalyi.

Well, tell me what books I forgot to add to the list of useful books for self-development ???