Why am I passionate about this?

Since I was 8 years old starting my journey to master the skill of playing the piano, my whole life has been devoted to two things: to constantly learn and to master new skills, and to help others achieve things they didn't think they were capable of. My journey has taken me through most if not all types of neurosciences and behavioral sciences, including psychology and psychiatry, to figure out how to manage your mind and body to live a life of learning. The lack of commitment to such a life is one of the reasons why so many people suffer from dissatisfaction and mental health issues.  


I wrote

Intrinsic Motivation: Learn to Love Your Work and Succeed as Never Before

By Stefan Falk,

Book cover of Intrinsic Motivation: Learn to Love Your Work and Succeed as Never Before

What is my book about?

For over thirty years I’ve helped thousands of individuals achieve things they didn’t think they were capable of. Drawing on…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Creativity: The Psychology of Discovery and Invention

Stefan Falk Why did I love this book?

Written by my mentor for many years, Mihaly “Mike” Csikszentmihalyi, this is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand what it means to be truly creative and what is required to be able to generate important insights and contributions in any field.

You will learn about the habits of creative people and their complex personalities as well as understand which professional fields that are easy or difficult to make creative contributions in.

I would urge you to read very carefully what Mike writes about the complex personality of creative people and try to rebuild yourself in that manner.    

By Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Creativity as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“Although the benefits of this study to scholars are obvious, this thought-provoking mixture of scholarly and colloquial will enlighten inquisitive general readers, too.” —  Library Journal (starred review)

The classic study of the creative process from the bestselling author of Flow.

Creativity is about capturing those moments that make life worth living. Legendary psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (“The leading researcher into ‘flow states.’”  — Newsweek) reveals what leads to these moments—be it the excitement of the artist at the easel or the scientist in the lab—so that this knowledge can be used to enrich people's lives. Drawing on nearly one hundred…


Book cover of The Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing & Thinking

Stefan Falk Why did I love this book?

The Pyramid Principle is about problem-solving and communication, two areas completely decisive for anyone who has the ambition to get the most out of their personal and professional lives.

It offers practical advice on how to organize your ideas and present them in a clear and persuasive manner. It provides a framework for effective problem-solving communication that can be applied to a variety of contexts, from business writing to presentations and speeches.

By Barbara Minto,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Brand New Deliver In 6-18 Working Days


Book cover of Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do

Stefan Falk Why did I love this book?

This excellent book explores the power of the unconscious mind and in how it shapes our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Our unconscious mind plays a much bigger role in our behavior than we realize. In fact, much of what we do is driven by unconscious processes.

The book provides a range of practical advice for using the insights from research on the unconscious mind to improve our lives, including setting goals, making better decisions, and forming better habits.

By John Bargh,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Before You Know It as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'John Bargh's Before You Know It moves our understanding of the mysteries of human behaviour one giant step forward. A brilliant and convincing book.' - Malcolm Gladwell, author of Blink and David and Goliath

How much of what we say, feel and do is under our conscious control? How much is not? And most crucial of all: if we understood how our unconscious worked - if we knew why we do what we do - could we finally, fundamentally, know ourselves?

From checking a dating app to holding a cup of coffee or choosing who to vote for, our unconscious…


Book cover of Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise

Stefan Falk Why did I love this book?

In this book, my friend the late Professor K Anders Ericsson, proves that innate talent is not the most important factor in achieving expertise in any field.

Instead, deliberate practice is the key to improving performance and achieving mastery. But deliberate practice is not the same as regular practice: it involves specific and focused efforts to improve skills, often with the guidance of a teacher or coach.

It requires a high level of concentration and effort and can be mentally and physically exhausting. The book provides practical advice on how to apply this concept to any field.

By Anders Ericsson, Robert Pool,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Selected as a Book of the Year by New Statesman

Mozart wasn't born with perfect pitch.

Most athletes are not born with any natural advantage.

Three world-class chess players were sisters, whose success was planned by their parents before they were even born.

Anders Ericsson has spent thirty years studying The Special Ones, the geniuses, sports stars and musical prodigies. And his remarkable finding, revealed in Peak, is that their special abilities are acquired through training. The innate 'gift' of talent is a myth. Exceptional individuals are born with just one unique ability, shared by us all - the ability…


Book cover of Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder

Stefan Falk Why did I love this book?

In Antifragile, Nassim Taleb describes the concept of convexity as a property of systems that benefit from volatility, stressors, or uncertainty, and suffer from calm or stability.

You should work to make your body and mind antifragile by exposing yourself to stressors, such as exercise, fasting, and solving complex cognitive problems. That will make you stronger and more resilient.

The principle of convexity can be applied to your own cognitive development in several ways for example make it an everyday habit to embrace small failures and mistakes, pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone, and working on skills that are just beyond your current level of ability, and pursue diverse experiences.

By seeking out new experiences and challenging yourself to learn new things, you can increase your cognitive flexibility and resilience.

By Nassim Nicholas Taleb,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

'Really made me think about how I think' - Mohsin Hamid, author of Exit West

Tough times don't last. Tough people do.

In The Black Swan, Taleb showed us that highly improbable and unpredictable events underlie almost everything about our world. Here Taleb stands uncer tainty on its head, making it desirable, even necessary. The antifragile is beyond the resilient or robust. The resil ient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better and better.

Just as human bones get stronger when subjected to stress and tension, many things in life benefit from stress, disorder, volatility, and turmoil.…


Explore my book 😀

Intrinsic Motivation: Learn to Love Your Work and Succeed as Never Before

By Stefan Falk,

Book cover of Intrinsic Motivation: Learn to Love Your Work and Succeed as Never Before

What is my book about?

For over thirty years I’ve helped thousands of individuals achieve things they didn’t think they were capable of. Drawing on my experience helping top business executives, special ops in the armed forces, and elite athletes succeed, my book offers more than 30 practical methods for you to unlock your limitless potential with the power of intrinsic motivation. 

If you do, you'll be able to: command new topics and skills much faster than others; work successfully toward any goal or dream; and enjoy a high level of satisfaction in whatever you want or need to do. If you don’t, you risk: losing interest in things that used to interest you; viewing new ideas you encounter as uninteresting, uncomfortable, or too difficult; procrastinate, develop negative thinking; and suffer from increased stress levels.

You might also like...

Raising an Entrepreneur: How to Help Your Children Achieve Their Dreams - 99 Stories from Families Who Did

By Margot Machol Bisnow,

Book cover of Raising an Entrepreneur: How to Help Your Children Achieve Their Dreams - 99 Stories from Families Who Did

Margot Machol Bisnow Author Of Raising an Entrepreneur: How to Help Your Children Achieve Their Dreams - 99 Stories from Families Who Did

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve become passionate about telling parents how to raise happy, resilient, creative, confident, entrepreneurial children who are doing something that gives them joy. So many young people are unhappy; parents don’t understand how to help. They think their children should follow their path, but that no longer works for many. For the last 10 years, I’ve been speaking to parent groups; I was an Advisor to EQ Generation, an after-school program that gives children the skills to succeed; on the Advisory Board of MUSE School, preparing young people with passion-based learning; and on the Board of Spark the Journey, mentoring low-income high school students to achieve college and career success. 

Margot's book list on learn how to raise confident children

What is my book about?

This book shakes longstanding assumptions of parenting.

Through 99 stories of people who are now changing the world, it shows how to raise creative, confident, resilient children who are filled with joy and purpose. Based on interviews with top entrepreneurs and their parents, it guides you to help your children identify their passion and figure out how they can spend their professional lives doing something they love. 

Parents' well-intentioned efforts often boomerang. By ignoring their children’s skills and interests, parents can inadvertently create pressure and anxiety, thwarting their children's ability to excel and find happiness. Too often, following your heart…

Raising an Entrepreneur: How to Help Your Children Achieve Their Dreams - 99 Stories from Families Who Did

By Margot Machol Bisnow,

What is this book about?

Learn how successful entrepreneurs were raised! Could your children start a company that disrupts existing industries? Or a non-profit that helps people around the world? Or follow their passion as an artist or activist? And most important, lead a life of joy and purpose, to be happy and fulfilled? Margot Machol Bisnow, mother of two thriving entrepreneurs, reveals how to raise creative, confident, resilient, fearless kids who achieve their dreams, through 99 stories of families who did it.

Read stories from 70 families who raised true game changers. See family photos of these thriving entrepreneurs, both when they were young…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in execution, creativity, and cognition?

Execution 18 books
Creativity 145 books
Cognition 41 books