The best books to help you be your best self

Why am I passionate about this?

I try to use my platform to  help people consider how to live a more meaningful life. I've made mistakes, learned from them, and want to pass on those lessons. There are many definitions of success and fulfillment and many paths to achieve it. I hope by telling my story others can avoid some of the mistakes I made.


I wrote...

The Algebra of Wealth: A Simple Formula for Financial Security

By Scott Galloway,

Book cover of The Algebra of Wealth: A Simple Formula for Financial Security

What is my book about?

Building wealth is a whole-person project. I've encountered many wealthy individuals throughout my life and have noticed a distinct difference between merely having a lot of money and being genuinely rich. Through both my failures and successes as an entrepreneur, I've gained valuable insights into the keys to success.

While many factors influencing wealth are beyond one's control, this book offers a realistic guide on how to gradually build wealth. It provides practical advice on making smart decisions and fostering relationships that can lead to true richness. This book is grounded in my experience and top-notch research, and I hope it helps others in their journey to financial security. 

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness

Scott Galloway Why did I love this book?

Jonathan Haidt is a role model of mine. His unique insights into societal issues are not just thought-provoking but transformative. I’m a father of two sons, so Professor Haidt’s insights on the challenges of today’s youth hit close to home for me. I find his research extremely important and relevant.

While reading, I was struck by his comparison of modern online friendships to what my generation grew up with. When I was growing up, the friends and groups we hung out with were highly formative and influential. But the modern generation is forming these relationships online; it's an entirely different dynamic. Our kids are growing further and further apart and struggling increasingly with aspects like mental health and relationships.

Jonathan’s insights and advice are extremely valuable for parents, teachers, and leaders to learn from to address the impacts of technology on the next generation. 

By Jonathan Haidt,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

An urgent and insightful investigation into the collapse in youth mental health, from the influential social psychologist and international bestselling author

Jonathan Haidt has spent his career speaking truth and wisdom in some of the most difficult spaces - communities polarized by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the mental health emergency hitting teenagers today in many countries around the world.

In The Anxious Generation, Haidt shows how, between 2010 and 2015, childhood and adolescence got rewired. As teens traded in their flip phones for smartphones packed with social media apps, time online soared, including time spent…


Book cover of The Way Of The Champion: Pain, Persistence, and the Path Forward

Scott Galloway Why did I love this book?

This book is a guide to having a winning mindset. I recommend this book to people looking for tangible advice to grow personally and professionally.

Paul is an inspiration, and I share his commitment to physical fitness. I believe working out is tantamount to investing in your physical and mental health. It taps into our primal instincts of hunting and gathering, providing a sense of accomplishment akin to bringing home the kill. The more you exercise, the stronger your sense of purpose becomes, and vice versa.

Consistent exercise is a common trait among high-performing individuals. The science is irrefutable: workplace physical fitness activities significantly boost productivity and pay dividends in your health and productivity.

By Paul Rabil,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

“Accessible and practical, Rabil’s book will appeal to anyone seeking not only to understand what it takes to succeed, but also to understand the courage, discipline, and grace it takes to become a champion. . .Wise, inspired reading.”

— Kirkus

From lacrosse legend Paul Rabil, lessons on becoming a true champion— in sports, business, and life

Long before Paul Rabil had become lacrosses's most acclaimed player, the sport's first million-dollar man, and the cofounder of the Premier Lacrosse League, he always strove for greatness.

The problem was he lacked a manual for how to achieve it— so, he set out…


Book cover of Thirst: A Story of Redemption, Compassion, and a Mission to Bring Clean Water to the World

Scott Galloway Why did I love this book?

In this memoir Scott Harrison, founder of Charity: Water, tells of his transformation from a party-seeking youth to a man of grace and influence. Through his charity, he has brought water and hope to millions.

I am deeply inspired by his journey and how he overcame past mistakes to find a new purpose. I knew Scott during my early days in New York City. I support his cause not only because I respect him personally but also because of his approach to philanthropy. Charity: Water applies innovation to a noble cause.

By Scott Harrison,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An inspiring personal story of redemption, second chances, and the transformative power within us all, from the founder and CEO of the nonprofit charity: water.
 
At 28 years old, Scott Harrison had it all. A top nightclub promoter in New York City, his life was an endless cycle of drugs, booze, models—repeat. But 10 years in, desperately unhappy and morally bankrupt, he asked himself, "What would the exact opposite of my life look like?" Walking away from everything, Harrison spent the next 16 months on a hospital ship in West Africa and discovered his true…


Book cover of Thinking, Fast and Slow

Scott Galloway Why did I love this book?

Professor Kahneman’s ideologies on decision-making have helped me in business and my personal life.

His insights have enhanced my decision-making process and helped me navigate the strait between instinct and decision. His insights have encouraged me to delegate routine decisions, allowing me to reserve my mental energy for the most critical choices.

By Daniel Kahneman,

Why should I read it?

42 authors picked Thinking, Fast and Slow as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The phenomenal international bestseller - 2 million copies sold - that will change the way you make decisions

'A lifetime's worth of wisdom' Steven D. Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics
'There have been many good books on human rationality and irrationality, but only one masterpiece. That masterpiece is Thinking, Fast and Slow' Financial Times

Why is there more chance we'll believe something if it's in a bold type face? Why are judges more likely to deny parole before lunch? Why do we assume a good-looking person will be more competent? The answer lies in the two ways we make choices: fast,…


Book cover of The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness

Scott Galloway Why did I love this book?

This book is a classic must-read about the why behind wealth. He answers the questions of why people act the way they do: why do people gamble, lose money, making money?

I have referenced his insights a lot in my takes and when I wrote my book on personal finance. He makes understanding money easy, and I think anyone at any stage of their life can pick up this book and learn something new about financial success.

I wish I had this book 30 years ago when I was much younger and made a lot of bad financial decisions myself. I love how he discusses aspects like risk and the importance of being realistic when it comes to money. 

By Morgan Housel,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked The Psychology of Money as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Doing well with money isn't necessarily about what you know. It's about how you behave. And behavior is hard to teach, even to really smart people.

Money-investing, personal finance, and business decisions-is typically taught as a math-based field, where data and formulas tell us exactly what to do. But in the real world people don't make financial decisions on a spreadsheet. They make them at the dinner table, or in a meeting room, where personal history, your own unique view of the world, ego, pride, marketing, and odd incentives are scrambled together.

In The Psychology of Money, award-winning author Morgan…


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Book cover of The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever

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

New book alert!

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

What is my book about?

The coaching book that's for all of us, not just coaches.

It's the best-selling book on coaching this century, with 15k+ online reviews. Brené Brown calls it "a classic". Dan Pink said it was "essential".

It is practical, funny, and short, and "unweirds" coaching. Whether you're a parent, a teacher, a leader, or even a coach, you can stay curious longer.

By Michael Bungay Stanier,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Look for Michael's new book, The Advice Trap, which focuses on taming your Advice Monster so you can stay curious a little longer and change the way you lead forever.

In Michael Bungay Stanier's The Coaching Habit, coaching becomes a regular, informal part of your day so managers and their teams can work less hard and have more impact.

Drawing on years of experience training more than 10,000 busy managers from around the globe in practical, everyday coaching skills, Bungay Stanier reveals how to unlock your peoples' potential. He unpacks seven essential coaching questions to demonstrate how-by saying less and…


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Interested in the water supply, decision making, and money?

11,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about the water supply, decision making, and money.

The Water Supply Explore 15 books about the water supply
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