The most recommended coaching books

Who picked these books? Meet our 23 experts.

23 authors created a book list connected to coaching, and here are their favorite coaching books.
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Book cover of Britt-Marie Was Here

Debbie Chein Morris Author Of We Used to Dance: Loving Judy, My Disabled Twin

From my list on getting through life’s challenges.

Why am I passionate about this?

At the age of fifty-three, I was suddenly thrust into the role of primary caregiver for my disabled twin sister who was unable to sit, stand, feed herself, eat solid foods, or communicate. Up to that point, that role had been my mother’s with the help of home-attendants; but my mother was aging and the care provided by the ever-changing attendants was wanting. I was forced to place Judy in a nursing home. The challenge left me overwhelmed with the responsibility of overseeing her care and there were days I wondered if I could go on. With the support of family and friends, I was able to make it through.

Debbie's book list on getting through life’s challenges

Debbie Chein Morris Why did Debbie love this book?

Britt-Marie Was Here is a book of fiction. Nonetheless, it speaks to me as an example of persevering to get through life’s challenges.

Backman is a master of character development and I easily connected with the protagonist. I, like Britt Marie, have found myself outside my comfort zone, slowly moving forward to figure out how to navigate my new position in life.

For Britt Marie, it was living on her own in a new place, with new people, after leaving her husband upon whom she depended for everything; for me it was becoming a primary caregiver and decision-maker for my disabled twin sister.

Very different positions and yet sharing the challenge of accepting our new situation in life. I didn’t want the book to end.

By Fredrik Backman,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Britt-Marie Was Here as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, and Anxious People captivates readers with this “warm and satisfying” (People) story “about a woman rediscovering herself after a personal crisis…fans of Backman will find another winner in these pages” (Publishers Weekly).

Britt-Marie can’t stand mess. A disorganized cutlery drawer ranks high on her list of unforgivable sins. She is not one to judge others—no matter how ill-mannered, unkempt, or morally suspect they might be. It’s just that sometimes people interpret her helpful suggestions as criticisms, which is certainly not…


Book cover of The Art of Extreme Self-Care: 12 Practical and Inspiring Ways to Love Yourself More

Jen Lawrence Author Of The Designed Divorce: How to preserve your wealth and peace of mind in divorce

From my list on getting through divorce successfully.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a Certified Divorce Coach and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®, I work with clients during one of the most difficult stages of their lives. Clients often feel regretful about the past and fearful for the future, and the right book recommendation can really help them move forward. I often give clients reading assignments between coaching sessions that help them process their grief, figure out their goals, educate themselves about finances, feel less alone in the divorce process, and become more confident in making major decisions. I’m never not reading on this subject.

Jen's book list on getting through divorce successfully

Jen Lawrence Why did Jen love this book?

One of the keys to getting through divorce is to make a commitment to self-care. This book, by life coach Cheryl Richardson, offers powerful self-care exercises, which can be practiced one month at a time. Richardson’s tips go well beyond booking a massage or taking a bubble bath, as she explores establishing boundaries, managing anger, and learning to say no. I’ve recommended this book countless times to clients and friends.

By Cheryl Richardson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Art of Extreme Self-Care as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This life-changing handbook by New York Times bestselling author Cheryl Richardson offers you 12 strategies to transform your life one month at a time.

Designed as an action-oriented programme, each chapter challenges you to alter one behaviour that keeps getting you in trouble. The book is filled with personal stories of how Cheryl and others have learned to make the practice of Extreme Self-Care their new standard for living. With chapters such as 'End the Legacy of Deprivation', 'Take Your Hands off the Wheel' and 'Does That Anger Taste Good?' you will stop the endless cycle of self-betrayal and neglect…


Book cover of Inverting the Pyramid: The History of Soccer Tactics

Gavin H. MacPhee Author Of Connecting the Continent: The Birth of the European Cup and Football's Golden Age

From my list on understanding the amazing global history of men's soccer.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a Scottish writer who has been obsessed with soccer from an early age. I devour books, new or old, on any topic related to the game and have an extensive collection of books, old and new, that keeps outgrowing my bookshelves. I love learning more about the history of the game and especially new soccer cultures.

Gavin's book list on understanding the amazing global history of men's soccer

Gavin H. MacPhee Why did Gavin love this book?

I’ve read this book 3-4 times, and every time I’ve picked up something new.

The writer focuses his entire history of the game on how the tactics have evolved from its beginnings to the modern day, showing how the global nature of the game created melting pots of ideas.  

The book is peppered with interesting anecdotes and trivia, which I love, and made me a much more informed viewer of soccer matches.

By Jonathan Wilson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Inverting the Pyramid as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In INVERTING THE PYRAMID, Jonathan Wilson pulls apart the finer details of the world's game, tracing the global history of tactics, from modern pioneers right back to the beginning when chaos reigned. Along the way, he looks at the lives of great players and thinkers who shaped the sport and probes why the English, in particular, have 'proved themselves unwilling to grapple with the abstract'.

This fifth-anniversary edition of a football modern classic has been fully updated to include an investigation of the modern-day Barcelona and how their style of play developed from Total Football, which itself was an evolution…


Book cover of Hoops

Jenn Bishop Author Of Free Throws, Friendship, and Other Things We Fouled Up

From my list on middle school basketball books that show there’s more to life than the game.

Why am I passionate about this?

Despite playing precisely one year of competitive basketball myself, as a gangly sixth grader in the 1990s forced to play without her (desperately needed) glasses and capable of only granny-style free throws, I fell in love with the sport later in life as a superfan of my local college basketball team, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. I’m forever interested in players as human beings, and the way forces from their off-court life affect the game and vice versa.  

Jenn's book list on middle school basketball books that show there’s more to life than the game

Jenn Bishop Why did Jenn love this book?

A graphic novel about girls’ basketball after the passing of Title IX? Sign me up!

This book takes readers into the early 1970s as Judy, Cindy, and Lisa join their school’s first-ever girls’ basketball team. Tavares is best known for his beautiful picture books, but here he crafts a completely winning story that’s as much about basketball as it is a slice of life in the seventies. Current middle schoolers will be blown away by the differences between then and now, both on and off the court.

I gobbled this book up in less than an hour, but I keep coming back to it again and again because there’s just that much to appreciate with the combination of the visual elements and the text. 

By Matt Tavares,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hoops as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

As seen on the Today show

A work of fiction inspired by a true story, Matt Tavares’s debut graphic novel dramatizes the historic struggle for gender equality in high school sports.

It is 1975 in Indiana, and the Wilkins Regional High School girls’ basketball team is in their rookie season. Despite being undefeated, they practice at night in the elementary school and play to empty bleachers. Unlike the boys’ team, the Lady Bears have no buses to deliver them to away games and no uniforms, much less a laundry service. They make their own uniforms out of T-shirts and electrical…


Book cover of How to ADHD: An Insider's Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It)

Amelia Kelley Author Of Powered by ADHD: Strategies and Exercises for Women to Harness Their Untapped Gifts

From my list on get the most out of your ADHD.

Why am I passionate about this?

Inspired both by my marriage to someone with ADHD as well as my own neurodiversity, I have been researching this topic for the last 15 years. As a collegiate athlete and stimulation seeker myself, my doctoral dissertation explored the impact of HIIT exercise on symptom presentation in adults with ADHD, and the results were inspiring. I truly believe that with the right set of tools and supports, those with ADHD can be the driving force behind humanity's many accomplishments. This belief also informs my strength-based counseling approach with those who have ADHD that I am honored to continue working with throughout their own self-empowerment journeys.  

Amelia's book list on get the most out of your ADHD

Amelia Kelley Why did Amelia love this book?

I first found Jessica Mccabe’s YouTube channel (How to ADHD) when I was researching for my own book and was drawn to how well-researched yet funny and relatable her content was about the topic. I had hoped her book would offer the same energy, and it truly did not disappoint. Especially listening to it on audible, she was brutally honest and authentic in sharing her experience of being diagnosed with ADHD as a female and how it impacted her in most areas of her life.

Her practical answers to many of the ADHD life problems (a result of executive functioning woes) provided so many wonderful ideas for my own life as well as ways to support clients I work with. I love the community she is creating of ADHD “brains,” and I would highly recommend her book to complement her wildly successful YouTube channel.

By Jessica McCabe,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How to ADHD as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

***THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER***

'Jessica McCabe changed my life for the better with her kind, bright and thoroughly researched ADHD videos - and now with her book, she just might change yours too' KAT BROWN, AUTHOR OF IT'S NOT A BLOODY TREND: UNDERSTANDING LIFE AS AN ADHD ADULT

'The world of ADHD has been waiting for this book' DR EDWARD HALLOWELL, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING CO-AUTHOR OF ADHD 2.0 AND DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION

**From the host and creator of the award-winning HOW TO ADHD YouTube channel**

In How to ADHD, Jessica McCabe reveals the insights and tools that have…


Book cover of The Singles Game

Brooke Bentley Author Of Sideline Confidential

From my list on sports for women.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a little girl I dreamed of becoming a sports reporter. I loved to write and spent most of my free time playing or watching sports. I earned an academic-athletic scholarship to Davidson College to play volleyball and went on to receive my master’s in journalism from the University of Southern California. After landing a job as media personality with the Houston Texans, I thought my career would skyrocket to national television. But I quickly learned that the world of sports journalism is anything but predictable. As I balanced motherhood and a career in sports reporting, I realized the most fascinating stories were the ones being created inside my own head.

Brooke's book list on sports for women

Brooke Bentley Why did Brooke love this book?

I pitched Sideline Confidential as The Devil Wears Prada set in professional football.

When I saw that Lauren Weisberger had written a sports novel, I was all in. After pro tennis player Charlie Silver suffers a devastating loss and injury at Wimbledon, she fires her longtime coach and sets out to rebrand her image from goodie girl to vicious competitor and sexy cover girl.

Of course, this journey abounds with bad decisions - like Charlie wearing a tiara in a tennis match- and results in some in-depth soul-searching about the person and player she really wants to be. This entertaining read mixes together the right amounts of sexiness and sports to appeal to any fiction fan.

By Lauren Weisberger,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Singles Game as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada and When Life Gives You Lululemons comes a dishy tell-all about a beautiful tennis prodigy who, after changing coaches, suddenly makes headlines on and off the court.

How far would you go to reach the top?

When America’s sweetheart, Charlotte “Charlie” Silver, makes a pact with the devil, the infamously brutal coach Todd Feltner, Good Girl Charlie is banished. After all, no one ever wins big by playing nice. Charlie finds herself catapulted into a world of celebrity stylists, private parties, charity events on mega-yachts, and secret dates…


Book cover of The Renaissance Soul: How to Make Your Passions Your Life--A Creative and Practical Guide

Emilie Wapnick Author Of How to Be Everything: A Guide for Those Who (Still) Don't Know What They Want to Be When They Grow Up

From my list on when can't figure out what to do with your life.

Why am I passionate about this?

Emilie Wapnick is an award-winning author and community builder. She is the founder and creative director at Puttylike, where she helps multipotentialites (people with many passions and creative pursuits) integrate all of their interests to create dynamic, fulfilling, and fruitful careers and lives. Her popular TED talk, Why some of us don’t have one true calling, has been viewed 7 million times and she has been featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, Forbes, New York Magazine, The Huffington Post, BBC, and Vice.

Emilie's book list on when can't figure out what to do with your life

Emilie Wapnick Why did Emilie love this book?

Another important antecedent to How to Be Everything, this book offers a serious focus on career, work, and revenue streams. Lobesnstine, a career and life coach, makes the argument that a need for variety and love for finding new challenges are not liabilities, but assets. If you’re ready to get down to business, this might be the read for you.

By Margaret Lobenstine,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Renaissance Soul as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The guide to leading a creative, passionate, and multifaceted life―big enough to embrace all your dreams

Are you unwilling to settle on doing just one thing “for the rest of your life”? Do you jump at the chance to learn something new―or, after achieving success in one field, find yourself yearning for new challenges and looking around for something different to do? If so, you may be a Renaissance Soul. The Renaissance Soul is the first book devoted to this personality type, and in this updated edition―in paperback for the first time― author Margaret Lobenstine offers a life-planning strategy perfectly…


Book cover of Coaching A to Z: The Extraordinary Use of Ordinary Words

Michael Bungay Stanier Author Of The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever

From my list on unexpectedly useful books about coaching.

Why am I passionate about this?

Coaching is a wonderful technology that can help people be a force for change… and is often wrapped up in mystic and woo-woo and privilege that makes it inaccessible and/or unattractive to too many. I want being more coach-like—by which I mean staying curious a little longer, and rushing to action and advice-giving—to be an everyday way of being with one another. Driven by this, I’ve written the best-selling book on coaching this century (The Coaching Habit) and have created training that’s been used around the world by more than a quarter of a million people. I’m on a mission to unweird coaching.

Michael's book list on unexpectedly useful books about coaching

Michael Bungay Stanier Why did Michael love this book?

Moon realizes that certain words are particularly helpful and powerful in making conversations better (all conversations, not just coaching ones). It’s one short word per letter (“Difference”, “Might”, and “Yet” are three of my favourites), and this feels like a collection of twenty-six precise tools that can help any type of discussion more elegant, more curious, more filled with potential and more useful.

By Haesun Moon,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Coaching A to Z as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Your indispensable guide for coaching mastery.

Language is a powerful tool that can unite, engage, and move people to action. It's all in what you choose to say, and how you say it.

In this practical, accessible guide to having more powerful conversations, leading evidence-based coaching expert Haesun Moon offers a set of powerful words or phrases-one for every letter of the alphabet-to help you move others toward greater purpose and accomplishment. Based on her extensive research with the University of Toronto and Harvard Medical School, Moon shows you how to apply each of these concepts to transform the way…


Book cover of What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful

Jude Sclater Author Of Think Like a Coach: Empower your team through everyday conversations

From my list on managers who want to empower their teams.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a practical, straight-talking New Zealander who has lived in the UK since 2007. I’ve coached managers for over a decade, and one thing they all have in common is that they want to develop and empower their teams. What I love the most about my work is seeing the ‘aha’ moments unfold when they work out a path that is right for them. I’ve chosen these books for the ‘aha’ moments they sparked in me, and I hope they do the same for you.

Jude's book list on managers who want to empower their teams

Jude Sclater Why did Jude love this book?

I love this book because the title tells you all you need to know, and the short chapters packed with stories and practical advice show you what to do about it. Goldsmith’s direct yet gentle style shines through, and you can see why he’s considered one of the best coaches in the world.

The most helpful thing for me is that he gives you examples of things to say, for example, when asking for feedback. One thing to be aware of is that the language is a bit dated, especially around gender, and many of the behaviors may speak more to men than women. Marshall addresses this in a book co-written with Sally Helgesen called How Women Rise, which I’m reading right now.

By Marshall Goldsmith, Mark Reiter,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked What Got You Here Won't Get You There as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Your hard work is paying off. You are doing well in your field. But there is something standing between you and the next level of achievement. That something may just be one of your own annoying habits.Perhaps one small flaw - a behaviour you barely even recognise - is the only thing that's keeping you from where you want to be. It may be that the very characteristic that you believe got you where you are - like the drive to win at all costs - is what's holding you back. As this book explains, people often do well in…


Book cover of The Book of Joe: Trying Not to Suck at Baseball and Life

Jeff Fletcher Author Of Sho-time: The Inside Story of Shohei Ohtani and the Greatest Baseball Season Ever Played

From my list on for fans who want to see baseball from all sides.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ever since I started playing Strat-O-Matic baseball as a 13-year-old and then realized that they actually pay people to write about Major League Baseball, it’s been my dream to be a baseball beat writer. I’ve been lucky enough to do it for 25 years. I’ve seen thousands of baseball games and I’ve spent thousands of hours talking to players, managers, coaches, and executives about the sport, but I still learn things from every baseball book I read. Hopefully these books teach you something and help you enjoy the game more.

Jeff's book list on for fans who want to see baseball from all sides

Jeff Fletcher Why did Jeff love this book?

If you’re a Shohei Ohtani fan, you may also be a Los Angeles Angels fan, which means you are probably interested in Joe Maddon.

This book is not just Maddon’s ranting against the way baseball has changed over his 40-plus years in the sport, it also includes third-person narrative from Verducci, who interviewed other managers to get their perspective. For example, Astros manager A.J. Hinch detailed his pitching decisions in the 2019 World Series. That was one of my favorite parts of the book.

By Joe Maddon, Tom Verducci,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Book of Joe as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

No one sees baseball like Joe Maddon. He sees it through his trademark glasses and irrepressible wit. Raised in the "shot and beer" town of Hazleton, PA, and forged by 15 years in the minors, Maddon over 19 seasons in Tampa Bay, Chicago, and Anaheim has become one of the most successful, most colorful, and most quoted managers in Major League Baseball. He is a workplace culture expert, having engineered two of the most stunning turnarounds in the past quarter century: taking the Rays from the worst record in baseball one year to the World Series the next and leading…