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50 Classics
50 self-help classics: books to change your life
Thousands of books have been written offering the 'secrets' to personal fulfillment and happiness: how to walk The Road Less Traveled, Win Friends and Influence People, or Awaken the Giant Within. But which are the all-time classics? Which ones really can change your life?
Bringing you the essential ideas, insights and techniques from 50 legendary works from Lao-Tzu to Benjamin Franklin to Paulo Coelho, 50 Self-Help Classics is a unique guide to the great works of life transformation.
Bringing you the essential ideas, insights and techniques from 50 legendary works from Lao-Tzu to Benjamin Franklin to Paulo Coelho, 50 Self-Help Classics is a unique guide to the great works of life transformation.
281 pages, Paperback
First published January 30, 2003
277 people are currently reading
1922 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
July 1, 2010
Tom Butler-Bowdoin has developed a great concept. He reads books from various inspirational areas then summarizes them. The summaries are terrific and provide an opportunity to gain a great deal of wisdom in a short period of time.
In addition to this book, Tom has also written, "50 Success Classics" and a number of others in the "50" Series that I've read. I highly recommend them to you. They are the perfect short reads of 3-5 pages for selected circumstances, whether it's on a night table or waiting in a doctor's office.
Tom writes well and clearly too. I just don't know when he ever sleeps!
My Amazon review for his book appears below:
Very Worthwhile and A Real Time Saver, August 30, 2008
This review is from:
50 Self-Help Classics: 50 Inspirational Books to Transform Your Life (Paperback)
This is a terrific book. It summarizes self-help classics providing pithy information in a highly readable form. It's also a great way to preview many books to ascertain which ones you might want to purchase to read in full.
The author has also published a series of other subject specific classics: Prosperity Classics,Success Classics,Spiritual Classics and Psychology Classics, so if you enjoy the author's format and the excellent quality of his summaries, you'll find similar value in these other offerings.
Not only has the author identified salient points in each of these "Classics" works, he also identifies major lessons to be learned from them. A true compendium of works for anyone's self help library. Also, makes a great gift item for those who have a manifested interest in one or more of the Classics collection. I've used these summaries many times in my Principles of Management courses.
In addition to this book, Tom has also written, "50 Success Classics" and a number of others in the "50" Series that I've read. I highly recommend them to you. They are the perfect short reads of 3-5 pages for selected circumstances, whether it's on a night table or waiting in a doctor's office.
Tom writes well and clearly too. I just don't know when he ever sleeps!
My Amazon review for his book appears below:
Very Worthwhile and A Real Time Saver, August 30, 2008
This review is from:
50 Self-Help Classics: 50 Inspirational Books to Transform Your Life (Paperback)
This is a terrific book. It summarizes self-help classics providing pithy information in a highly readable form. It's also a great way to preview many books to ascertain which ones you might want to purchase to read in full.
The author has also published a series of other subject specific classics: Prosperity Classics,Success Classics,Spiritual Classics and Psychology Classics, so if you enjoy the author's format and the excellent quality of his summaries, you'll find similar value in these other offerings.
Not only has the author identified salient points in each of these "Classics" works, he also identifies major lessons to be learned from them. A true compendium of works for anyone's self help library. Also, makes a great gift item for those who have a manifested interest in one or more of the Classics collection. I've used these summaries many times in my Principles of Management courses.
September 5, 2008
Like Oprah, I love self-help books and I'm not ashamed to admit it. This book is awesome. I've read several of these books, and now I know the ones I want to read, and the ones that I'm skipping.
A few things I liked that I picked up was the idea of modeling yourself after successful people in your field you admire and stating your negative fears first, and then your positive motivations second in your affirmations.
I found it interesting that Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand was listed in this title as a self-help book. Huh. Really? The author also listed it in 50 Spiritual Classics so I'm guessing he's an objectivist. I liked 50 Spiritual Classics a little better-and I think people would probably get more from reading those titles than these in general. I believe self-help books are a step to spirituality, and often-there really isn't any difference. Some self-help books are even much more useful, better written, and more intellectual than the loftier titled "spiritual classics" anyway.
Some titles this book talked about that I'm excited to read are McGraw's Life Strategies, The Power of Positive Thinking and Peck's The Road Less Traveled.
I've also read 50 Psychology Classics and recommend that as well.
A few things I liked that I picked up was the idea of modeling yourself after successful people in your field you admire and stating your negative fears first, and then your positive motivations second in your affirmations.
I found it interesting that Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand was listed in this title as a self-help book. Huh. Really? The author also listed it in 50 Spiritual Classics so I'm guessing he's an objectivist. I liked 50 Spiritual Classics a little better-and I think people would probably get more from reading those titles than these in general. I believe self-help books are a step to spirituality, and often-there really isn't any difference. Some self-help books are even much more useful, better written, and more intellectual than the loftier titled "spiritual classics" anyway.
Some titles this book talked about that I'm excited to read are McGraw's Life Strategies, The Power of Positive Thinking and Peck's The Road Less Traveled.
I've also read 50 Psychology Classics and recommend that as well.
August 4, 2022
This book is a decent introduction to some of the most popular self-help books. It does a good job summarizing the main points of each book, explaining each book’s influence or claim to fame, and giving some biographical information about each book’s author. Since it’s really a reference book, I felt like I was being dipped into and out of the ideas, rather than immersed in them. For that, there’s no substitute for the books themselves.
The author uses a looser definition of self-help than I had anticipated. I expected modern self-help books like How to Win Friends and Influence People and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. In addition to these, the list also includes books like Rand’s Atlas Shrugged and Thoreau’s Walden. There are also several ancient philosophical and religious works such as The Bhagavad-Gita and The Bible.
I didn’t like the list's inclusion of New Age, paranormal “spiritual” works, advocating pseudo-scientific nonsense about using your mind to influence the physical world, bring good luck, and heal yourself and others.
The list of all 50 books is available on Butler-Bowden’s site.
Common themes in self-help books
• Take control of your life, and take action! Don’t just float through life.
• Set high goals.
• Success depends on hard work, not luck.
• Be optimistic; think positively.
• Maintain a mindset of abundance, not poverty.
• Achieve “flow”, the mental state in which work comes naturally and brings joy and fulfillment.
Additional notes
• Effectiveness is more important than efficiency. (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)
• Be prosperity-conscious, not poverty-conscious. Appreciate the abundance of what you have, rather than focusing on what you lack. (Real Magic)
• Benjamin Franklin embodied the essence of self-evaluation and self-improvement. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is an excellent guide to self-improvement.
The author uses a looser definition of self-help than I had anticipated. I expected modern self-help books like How to Win Friends and Influence People and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. In addition to these, the list also includes books like Rand’s Atlas Shrugged and Thoreau’s Walden. There are also several ancient philosophical and religious works such as The Bhagavad-Gita and The Bible.
I didn’t like the list's inclusion of New Age, paranormal “spiritual” works, advocating pseudo-scientific nonsense about using your mind to influence the physical world, bring good luck, and heal yourself and others.
The list of all 50 books is available on Butler-Bowden’s site.
Common themes in self-help books
• Take control of your life, and take action! Don’t just float through life.
• Set high goals.
• Success depends on hard work, not luck.
• Be optimistic; think positively.
• Maintain a mindset of abundance, not poverty.
• Achieve “flow”, the mental state in which work comes naturally and brings joy and fulfillment.
Additional notes
• Effectiveness is more important than efficiency. (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)
• Be prosperity-conscious, not poverty-conscious. Appreciate the abundance of what you have, rather than focusing on what you lack. (Real Magic)
• Benjamin Franklin embodied the essence of self-evaluation and self-improvement. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is an excellent guide to self-improvement.
December 22, 2021
We don't attract what we want, but what we are. Only by changing your thoughts will you change your life.
A person is what he thinks about all day long.
Accept things and people how they are, not how we would like them to be.
Seek peace inside yourself, do the work that is yours, and wonder at the mysteries of the universe.
No matter what happens to you, you always have freedom of mind.
Appreciate the rich experience of life, despite circumstances, Low expectations make for pleasant surprises.
All life transitions have a pattern, which if acknowledged will make tough times more comprehensible.
Don't interrupt others or finish their sentences.
Will this matter a year from now?
Imagine yourself at your own funeral.
Family is the greatest investment.
Begin with the end in mind.
Whatever the pressure, be your own person.
The meaning of life is the meaning that you decide to give it.
He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how.
The presence of fear is an indicator that you are growing and accepting life's challenges.
By changing your environment, you can change your life.
Fill your emptiness by living soulfully.
Once you accept responsibility, you can make better choices.
It is time to seize the day and live the life you have imagined.
Make sure that you have time in your life just to think.
A person is what he thinks about all day long.
Accept things and people how they are, not how we would like them to be.
Seek peace inside yourself, do the work that is yours, and wonder at the mysteries of the universe.
No matter what happens to you, you always have freedom of mind.
Appreciate the rich experience of life, despite circumstances, Low expectations make for pleasant surprises.
All life transitions have a pattern, which if acknowledged will make tough times more comprehensible.
Don't interrupt others or finish their sentences.
Will this matter a year from now?
Imagine yourself at your own funeral.
Family is the greatest investment.
Begin with the end in mind.
Whatever the pressure, be your own person.
The meaning of life is the meaning that you decide to give it.
He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how.
The presence of fear is an indicator that you are growing and accepting life's challenges.
By changing your environment, you can change your life.
Fill your emptiness by living soulfully.
Once you accept responsibility, you can make better choices.
It is time to seize the day and live the life you have imagined.
Make sure that you have time in your life just to think.
May 11, 2020
Awesome “cliff-notes” of 50 of the best self help books. I personally liked Phil McGraw... yeah Dr. Phil and Marcus Aurielus. Great audiobook for your commute. Tons of tweet worthy content. Check it out.
October 25, 2019
I strongly recommend this author and his books,this is my second book by him and I'm planning to read more and more.
May 2, 2018
Author offers great insight into different books but unfortunately, a summary only offers the essence but not enough meat to help you internalize. Still a good book to have to get a quick recap.
November 9, 2019
Intanto devo dire che adoro i libri che parlano di libri.
Questo non è stato tradotto in italiano ma è affrontabilissimo anche da un livello intermedio come me.
Prendendo ispirazione da questo carinissimo libro ho creato questa lista di libri di crescita personale.
Effettivamente potrei anche leggerne uno al mese, magari me la pongo come challenge
Questo non è stato tradotto in italiano ma è affrontabilissimo anche da un livello intermedio come me.
Prendendo ispirazione da questo carinissimo libro ho creato questa lista di libri di crescita personale.
Effettivamente potrei anche leggerne uno al mese, magari me la pongo come challenge
September 11, 2014
هذا الكتاب مرجع اساسي لكل من اراد ان يعرف مدارس التنمية الذاتية و المساعدة الذاتية باسهاب .. سافرت بين الاعوام و العقود و القرون و توجهات الايجابيين من الكتاب و المؤثرين
May 14, 2021
Listened to Audiobook more than once.
April 25, 2023
Pretty accurate list of some very important books. Of course, you could pick another 50 as well depending on the individual. The summaries are pretty accurate too, at least from the books I've read.
November 28, 2021
An outstanding list of the top self help books, for those trying to read a lot, this has excellent summaries of some of the top books on self improvement.
I have read many of these, and this was a great way to review these great books, and also give a smorgasbord of the best books, so I know what to include in my to read list.
* 11 hours listened via Libby, at 2 - 3x and skipped 2 of the religious chapters.
The 50 books:
----
James Allen As a Man Thinketh (1904)
Marcus Aurelius Meditations (2nd Century)
The Bhagavad-Gita
The Bible
Robert Bly Iron John (1990)
Boethius The Consolation of Philosophy (6thC)
Alain de Botton How Proust Can Change Your Life (1997)
William Bridges Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes (1980)
David Brooks The Road to Character (2015)
Brené Brown Daring Greatly (2012)
David D Burns The New Mood Therapy (1980)
Joseph Campbell (with Bill Moyers) The Power of Myth (1988)
Richard Carlson Don't Sweat The Small Stuff (1997)
Dale Carnegie How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936)
Deepak Chopra The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success (1994)
Clayton Christensen How Will You Measure Your Life? (2012)
Paulo Coelho The Alchemist (1988)
Stephen Covey The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (1989)
Mihaly Cziksentmihalyi Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (1991)
The Dalai Lama & Howard Cutler The Art of Happiness (1999)
The Dhammapada (Buddha's teachings)
Charles Duhigg The Power of Habit (2011)
Wayne Dyer Real Magic (1992)
Ralph Waldo Emerson Self-Reliance (1841)
Clarissa Pinkola Estes Women Who Run With The Wolves (1996)
Viktor Frankl Man's Search For Meaning (1959)
Benjamin Franklin Autobiography (1790)
Shakti Gawain Creative Visualization (1982)
Daniel Goleman Emotional Intelligence (1995)
John Gray Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus (1992)
Louise Hay You Can Heal Your Life (1984)
James Hillman The Soul's Code: In Search of Character and Calling (1996)
Susan Jeffers Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway (1987)
Richard Koch The 80/20 Principle (1998)
Marie Kondo The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (2014)
Ellen Langer Mindfulness: Choice and Control in Everyday Life (1989)
Lao-Tzu Tao-te Ching (The Way of Power)
Maxwell Maltz Psycho-Cybernetics (1960)
Abraham Maslow Motivation and Personality (1954)
Thomas Moore Care of the Soul (1992)
Joseph Murphy The Power of Your Subconscious Mind (1963)
Norman Vincent Peale The Power of Positive Thinking (1952)
M Scott Peck The Road Less Traveled (1990)
Anthony Robbins Awaken The Giant Within (1991)
Florence Scovell-Shinn The Game of Life and How To Play It (1923)
Martin Seligman Learned Optimism (1991)
Samuel Smiles Self-Help (1859)
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin The Phenomenon of Man (1955)
Henry David Thoreau Walden (1854)
Marianne Williamson A Return To Love (1993)
I have read many of these, and this was a great way to review these great books, and also give a smorgasbord of the best books, so I know what to include in my to read list.
* 11 hours listened via Libby, at 2 - 3x and skipped 2 of the religious chapters.
The 50 books:
----
James Allen As a Man Thinketh (1904)
Marcus Aurelius Meditations (2nd Century)
The Bhagavad-Gita
The Bible
Robert Bly Iron John (1990)
Boethius The Consolation of Philosophy (6thC)
Alain de Botton How Proust Can Change Your Life (1997)
William Bridges Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes (1980)
David Brooks The Road to Character (2015)
Brené Brown Daring Greatly (2012)
David D Burns The New Mood Therapy (1980)
Joseph Campbell (with Bill Moyers) The Power of Myth (1988)
Richard Carlson Don't Sweat The Small Stuff (1997)
Dale Carnegie How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936)
Deepak Chopra The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success (1994)
Clayton Christensen How Will You Measure Your Life? (2012)
Paulo Coelho The Alchemist (1988)
Stephen Covey The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (1989)
Mihaly Cziksentmihalyi Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (1991)
The Dalai Lama & Howard Cutler The Art of Happiness (1999)
The Dhammapada (Buddha's teachings)
Charles Duhigg The Power of Habit (2011)
Wayne Dyer Real Magic (1992)
Ralph Waldo Emerson Self-Reliance (1841)
Clarissa Pinkola Estes Women Who Run With The Wolves (1996)
Viktor Frankl Man's Search For Meaning (1959)
Benjamin Franklin Autobiography (1790)
Shakti Gawain Creative Visualization (1982)
Daniel Goleman Emotional Intelligence (1995)
John Gray Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus (1992)
Louise Hay You Can Heal Your Life (1984)
James Hillman The Soul's Code: In Search of Character and Calling (1996)
Susan Jeffers Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway (1987)
Richard Koch The 80/20 Principle (1998)
Marie Kondo The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (2014)
Ellen Langer Mindfulness: Choice and Control in Everyday Life (1989)
Lao-Tzu Tao-te Ching (The Way of Power)
Maxwell Maltz Psycho-Cybernetics (1960)
Abraham Maslow Motivation and Personality (1954)
Thomas Moore Care of the Soul (1992)
Joseph Murphy The Power of Your Subconscious Mind (1963)
Norman Vincent Peale The Power of Positive Thinking (1952)
M Scott Peck The Road Less Traveled (1990)
Anthony Robbins Awaken The Giant Within (1991)
Florence Scovell-Shinn The Game of Life and How To Play It (1923)
Martin Seligman Learned Optimism (1991)
Samuel Smiles Self-Help (1859)
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin The Phenomenon of Man (1955)
Henry David Thoreau Walden (1854)
Marianne Williamson A Return To Love (1993)
April 14, 2020
Kişisel gelişim konusunda yazılmış kitaplar arasından bir seçki. Ne yazık ki psikoloji bilimi ve kişisel gelişim arasında net bir sınır bulunmuyor. Okuyucu yeterince eleştirel değerlendirmiyorsa aradaki fark anlaşılmıyor. Bazılarının yazarlarının psikolog olması da cabası. Üstelik işin garip tarafı, pek çok kişisel gelişim kitabı en çok okunanlar listesinin başından gitmiyor. Belli ki pek çok insanın kafası karışık ve arayış içerisinde. Bana göre, çoğu kişisel gelişim kitabı, derinlemesine insanı kavramaktan uzak, sadece cesaret verici sözlerle insanlara boş umutlar dağıtıyor. Bilimsel birkaç atıfta bulunup, bazen de mistisizm ve spiritüalizm ile boyanmış gereksiz okumalar.
Kitapta, değerli olduğunu düşündüğüm ve diğerleri arasında anılmayı haketmeyen yazarlar ve bilim insanları bulunuyor, Paulo Coelho, Joseph Campbell, Stephen Covey, Mikail Csikszentmihalyi, Viktor Frankl, Daniel Goleman, Abraham Maslow, Martin Seligman gibi.
Kitapta, değerli olduğunu düşündüğüm ve diğerleri arasında anılmayı haketmeyen yazarlar ve bilim insanları bulunuyor, Paulo Coelho, Joseph Campbell, Stephen Covey, Mikail Csikszentmihalyi, Viktor Frankl, Daniel Goleman, Abraham Maslow, Martin Seligman gibi.
May 12, 2020
En strålande bok för bite-sized konsumtion av självhjälpslitteratur. Det är en bok som kan fungera som ett index, där man sedan själv kan djupdyka i böcker man resonerar extra starkt med. Kommer ta mig igenom boken igen vid ett annat tillfälle.
Jag saknade Eckart Tolles 'The Power of Now'.
Favoritkapitel:
Ch 1: James Allen As a Man Thinketh (1904)
Ch 2: Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Ch 10: Brené Brown Daring Greatly (2012)
Ch 12: Joseph Campbell (with Bill Moyers) The Power of Myth (1988)
Ch 15: Deepak Chopra The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success (1994)
Ch 28: Shakti Gawain Creative Visualization (1982)
Ch 29: Daniel Goleman Emotional Intelligence (1995)
Ch 34: Richard Koch The 80/20 Principle (1998)
Ch 38: Maxwell Maltz Psycho-Cybernetics (1960)
Ch 41: Joseph Murphy The Power of Your Subconscious Mind (1963)
Ch 49: Henry David Thoreau Walden (1854)
Ch 50: Marianne Williamson A Return To Love (1993)
Jag saknade Eckart Tolles 'The Power of Now'.
Favoritkapitel:
Ch 1: James Allen As a Man Thinketh (1904)
Ch 2: Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Ch 10: Brené Brown Daring Greatly (2012)
Ch 12: Joseph Campbell (with Bill Moyers) The Power of Myth (1988)
Ch 15: Deepak Chopra The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success (1994)
Ch 28: Shakti Gawain Creative Visualization (1982)
Ch 29: Daniel Goleman Emotional Intelligence (1995)
Ch 34: Richard Koch The 80/20 Principle (1998)
Ch 38: Maxwell Maltz Psycho-Cybernetics (1960)
Ch 41: Joseph Murphy The Power of Your Subconscious Mind (1963)
Ch 49: Henry David Thoreau Walden (1854)
Ch 50: Marianne Williamson A Return To Love (1993)
September 27, 2024
*50 Self-Help Classics* by Tom Butler-Bowdon is a comprehensive guide that summarizes and explores the key insights from fifty influential self-help books. The author distills the essence of each book, offering readers a broad overview of timeless advice on personal development, success, happiness, motivation, and spirituality.
The selections include works from famous authors like Dale Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, and Stephen Covey, alongside classic philosophical texts from figures like Marcus Aurelius and modern-day thinkers such as Deepak Chopra and Tony Robbins. Each summary includes key takeaways and practical applications that readers can implement in their own lives.
The book serves as a roadmap to self-improvement, helping readers identify which titles resonate with their personal goals while providing foundational wisdom from some of the most respected self-help literature in history.
The selections include works from famous authors like Dale Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, and Stephen Covey, alongside classic philosophical texts from figures like Marcus Aurelius and modern-day thinkers such as Deepak Chopra and Tony Robbins. Each summary includes key takeaways and practical applications that readers can implement in their own lives.
The book serves as a roadmap to self-improvement, helping readers identify which titles resonate with their personal goals while providing foundational wisdom from some of the most respected self-help literature in history.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 8, 2025
This well written collection that covers fifty major books on personal improvement, and it shows how often the same reliable ideas reappear, over 2000+ yrs.
Several of his summaries were especially good and reminded me of these old books, some of these I will reread again in full:
As a Man Thinketh — the reminder that we can’t wait for life to change without changing our own habits and reasoning.
Meditations — practical advice for meeting everyday frustrations with steadiness instead of complaint.
The Bhagavad Gita — the value of doing the work itself without obsessing over the outcome.
The Consolation of Philosophy — external success is unstable; self-knowledge gives a stable core.
The Power of Habit — cues and rewards can be adjusted so behavior improves automatically.
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway — fear often signals growth, not danger.
Learned Optimism — how we explain setbacks to ourselves determines whether we keep going.
Several of his summaries were especially good and reminded me of these old books, some of these I will reread again in full:
As a Man Thinketh — the reminder that we can’t wait for life to change without changing our own habits and reasoning.
Meditations — practical advice for meeting everyday frustrations with steadiness instead of complaint.
The Bhagavad Gita — the value of doing the work itself without obsessing over the outcome.
The Consolation of Philosophy — external success is unstable; self-knowledge gives a stable core.
The Power of Habit — cues and rewards can be adjusted so behavior improves automatically.
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway — fear often signals growth, not danger.
Learned Optimism — how we explain setbacks to ourselves determines whether we keep going.
January 30, 2019
Tom Butler-Bowdon succeeds again in doing what he set out to do. This is the fifth of his 50 Classics books that I have listened to, and once again the book is concise, to the point, but still giving enough information.
I could easily recommend this to anyone even remotely interested in self-help. I was a little skeptical at first since self-help most of the time does vex me quite a bit, but I am happy that I got over my initial hesitation. The book delves into various different books that can be put in the category of self-help, e.g. Bhagavad-Gita, Dhammapada, Bible, Marcus Aurelius, Benjamin Franklin mixed with more contemporary self-help along with popular psychology titles.
5/5
I could easily recommend this to anyone even remotely interested in self-help. I was a little skeptical at first since self-help most of the time does vex me quite a bit, but I am happy that I got over my initial hesitation. The book delves into various different books that can be put in the category of self-help, e.g. Bhagavad-Gita, Dhammapada, Bible, Marcus Aurelius, Benjamin Franklin mixed with more contemporary self-help along with popular psychology titles.
5/5
March 16, 2018
So this is something that I never thought I would do, but here I am.
Clearly this year has a theme and it's growth. Now, since there's a lot of resources about self-improvement out there this book was a great review of the most relevant ones. I'm not that interested in reading old school books, but I still wanted an overview of the literature, so this was perfect for me. Specially the audiobook version, because I know me and I know that I would have preferred to read fiction and procrastinated this forever. Which is exactly why I had to pick it up!
Clearly this year has a theme and it's growth. Now, since there's a lot of resources about self-improvement out there this book was a great review of the most relevant ones. I'm not that interested in reading old school books, but I still wanted an overview of the literature, so this was perfect for me. Specially the audiobook version, because I know me and I know that I would have preferred to read fiction and procrastinated this forever. Which is exactly why I had to pick it up!
November 26, 2020
I do not know what I was expecting but the author left me with a feeling like I had somehow gotten super. I was not familiar with the series when I checked out this book, if I was I can tell you now I would not have checked it out as one of my ten downloads.I found myself thinking he speed researched the moat popular or most purchased, and gave me the run down ( the outside cover summary) for each one. I also believe that some of the reviewers here could have done a better job with the dubious. Not my cup of tea.
February 12, 2020
One book that shows many historically popular different points of view in religion, psychology and philosophy influencers without leaning you in any one direction.
Great summary comparison of historical and modern classics. 1 per chapter, book by book, so it’s long but worth it to get to the end, huge time saver, easy to digest, gives author backgrounds/ life contributions and their cited influences. Lots of very different points of view in a short amount of time.
Great summary comparison of historical and modern classics. 1 per chapter, book by book, so it’s long but worth it to get to the end, huge time saver, easy to digest, gives author backgrounds/ life contributions and their cited influences. Lots of very different points of view in a short amount of time.
August 10, 2020
I wanted to like this book and when I first started reading it I was quite interested but it is basically a book about other books you should check out. If I had paid more attention to the full title I would have realized this. As I continued to read I would get frustrated because they would mention something interesting and it was basically an overview instead of really getting into it... so what is the point... google can do the same thing...
Meh Read!
Meh Read!
Read
May 23, 2022I love learning about other religions, reading other people's perspectives, and finding out what makes people tick. The theories about life that people come up with - the what and why of it all - are so interesting to me. So this book is amazing because it gives a summary of 50 different perspectives and theories about how we can make our time here better. I don't think any one answer fits for everyone - but how cool to be able to sample 50 different approaches all in one place?
July 18, 2024
This book definitely rekindled my love for self-help books. It turned my demotivated brain around. Literally life-changing and a life-saver. The wisdom and advice really help me in terms of my motivation problems and my search for inspiration. This gave so many perspectives in life, love, work and self-improvement. It made me wanna read more and discover how other people navigated and lived their life. One of my favorite 5 star reads so far for me this year.
March 25, 2020
As a non organised religious person I found some of the choices odd. There are some books in here that should have been in his 50 Philosophical book rather than the self help book. Saying that there are a variety of very different approaches to the self help genre scoping over many years, there is something in there to suit everyone.
June 11, 2022
It was a good book but I h8ted how GOD was mixed up with the universe, other religions , and success after that I had to drop it because due to my personal beliefs those are complete different things to me because you can be worldly successful & not have GOD’s covering so it became confusing after chapter 27 ; this would make a good book for an atheist or new age Christian or whatever ……
February 16, 2019
An amazing anthology of 50 of the best known self-help books. Each summary covers the main ideas in the book and highlights a few typical concepts, then ends with a brief bio of the author. Well done.
March 1, 2019
As with all Toms books - absolutely master summaries of some great books!
Highly recommended!! Fantastic!! What a great book - I would recommend this book to anybody who wants to understand and discover self help books!
Highly recommended!! Fantastic!! What a great book - I would recommend this book to anybody who wants to understand and discover self help books!
March 7, 2019
Great source of data
Worthwhile read to understand the history and universe of the self-help genre over the annals of history. Some of the books are very old and so the language used is difficult to understand but the author does a good job of interpretation.
Worthwhile read to understand the history and universe of the self-help genre over the annals of history. Some of the books are very old and so the language used is difficult to understand but the author does a good job of interpretation.
October 5, 2020
Useful overview of this field. I like that he tries to be even-handed in his appraisals, calling out dated and sexist approaches and identifying what he sees as the core, relevant messages of each book.
March 15, 2021
I really enjoyed this! It is nice to get a snip it into these books and I found a few that I am very interested in reading the original. I thought it was well put together and liked that the author put together a brief blurb about the original author of each book.
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