My favorite books about maximizing potential and improving performance

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a professional keynote speaker and author that has studied the pillars of high performance for most of my life. This journey started through basketball, as I was able to work with, work alongside, and observe many of the game’s top players and coaches and witness firsthand the disciplines, rituals, and routines they modeled in pursuit of optimal performance on and off the court. That transitioned into the business world where I not only watched these foundational principles be applied by executives and entrepreneurs… but I applied them to my own life and business as well. 


I wrote...

Raise Your Game: High-Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best

By Alan Stein Jr., Jon Sternfeld,

Book cover of Raise Your Game: High-Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best

What is my book about?

Raise Your Game peeks behind the curtain and shares the routines and rituals of world-class performers. Elite athletes, musicians, and entrepreneurs are at the top of their game because of the discipline they have during the Unseen Hours. They have made a commitment to establish, tweak and repeat optimal habits in everything they do. Raise Your Game examines the top leaders in sports and business and proves that success is a result of the little things we do all the time.

The basic principles provided in Raise Your Game are basic, but not easy. But the basics work. They always have and they always will. Raise Your Game will inspire and empower readers and organizations to commit to the fundamentals, respect the process, and create a winning mindset.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Success Is a Choice: Ten Steps to Overachieving in Business and Life

Alan Stein Jr. Why did I love this book?

This is one of the most impactful books I have ever read. My approach to life was infused with an entirely new perspective immediately after reading it. And I’ve read it several times since. This book does a masterful job blending powerful stories with practical lessons and really focuses on how our daily habits, decisions, and mindsets shape our results.

By Rick Pitino,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Success Is a Choice as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In Success is a Choice, Rick Pitino, the Boston Celtics' legendary coach takes the same proven 10-step method that has earned him and his teams unrivaled success, and gives you a plan of attack for achieving extraordinary success in your own life. Jeff Woodman's energetic narration will leave listeners bursting with enthusiasm to put this book to use.


Book cover of The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

Alan Stein Jr. Why did I love this book?

I first listened to the audiobook, and found it so powerful and impactful, that I immediately invested in a physical copy and read it cover-to-cover (and have read it multiple times since). This book shares a treasure trove of practical, actionable principles to help anyone achieve their goals and dreams. The basic formula for success is to identify what you want, know that you deserve to have it, and then work consistently to progress towards it.

By Jack Canfield, Janet Switzer,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked The Success Principles as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, a revised and updated edition of Jack Canfield’s classic bestseller with a brand new foreword and an afterword for succeeding in the digital age.

Since its publication a decade ago, Jack Canfield’s practical and inspiring guide has helped thousands of people transform themselves for success. Now, he has revised and updated his essential guidebook to reflect our changing times.

In The Success Principles, the cocreator of the phenomenal bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul series, helps you get from where you are to where you want to be, teaching you how to increase your…


Book cover of Leading with the Heart: Coach K's Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, and Life

Alan Stein Jr. Why did I love this book?

This book reshaped my view of leadership and what it takes to build an unbeatable team. Coach K is a proven master at maximizing both individual performance and team performance by focusing on fundamentals such as character and respect… and why success, achievement, and winning are a by-product of doing the little things right every single day. 

By Mike Krzyzewski, Donald T. Phillips,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Duke University's basketball coach shares his insights into the secrets of success in business and in life.


Book cover of Life is Good: The Book

Alan Stein Jr. Why did I love this book?

This was such an easy and enjoyable read… I knocked it out cover-to-cover in less than 24 hours. It teaches impactful lessons through brilliantly told stories… some of which make you laugh, some of which make you cry, but all of which make you think! The cornerstone belief of this book is on developing and harnessing the power of optimism and gratitude. 

By John Jacobs, Bert Jacobs,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Life is Good as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Entertaining yet profound, easygoing yet powerful, this engaging book reveals how to tap into the hidden power of optimism. Beginning with their upbringing in working class Boston and following the arc of their lives from postgrad wanderlust to the birth of a small business, Bert and John use their experiences to illuminate the ten superpowers on which optimism is founded - from humor and compassion to gratitude and authenticity. Capturing their buoyant, community-focused outlook and supplementing with top-ten lists and the company's iconic stick-figure illustrations, this book doesn't preach. Instead, it offers lighthearted, practical self-help that will inspire and empower…


Book cover of Exactly What to Say: The Magic Words for Influence and Impact

Alan Stein Jr. Why did I love this book?

The brilliance of Exactly What to Say is in its brevity and simplicity. It was built on the premise that when you ‘change your words you change your world’ and how what we say heavily impacts our ability to influence others. It is full of practical, actionable concepts on word choice and phrasing that can be implemented immediately by anyone looking to the effectiveness of their communication. While this book is a quick read–it is incredibly profound and powerful. 

By Phil M Jones,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Often the decision between a customer choosing you over someone like you is your ability to know exactly what to say, when to say it, and how to make it count. Phil M. Jones has trained more than two million people across five continents and over fifty countries in the lost art of spoken communication. In Exactly What to Say, he delivers the tactics you need to get more of what you want.


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Who Will Take Care of Me When I'm Old?: Plan Now to Safeguard Your Health and Happiness in Old Age

By Joy Loverde,

Book cover of Who Will Take Care of Me When I'm Old?: Plan Now to Safeguard Your Health and Happiness in Old Age

Joy Loverde

New book alert!

What is my book about?

Everything you need to know to plan for your own safe, financially secure, healthy, and happy old age.

For those who have no support system in place, the thought of aging without help can be a frightening, isolating prospect. Whether you have friends and family ready and able to help you or not, growing old does not have to be an inevitable decline into helplessness. It is possible to maintain a good quality of life in your later years, but having a plan is essential. Who Will Take Care of Me When I'm Old? Equips readers with everything they need to prepare on their own:

Advice on the tough medical, financial, and housing decisions to come Real solutions to create a support network Questions about aging solo readers don't know to ask Customizable worksheets and checklists that help keep plans on course Guidance on new products, services, technology, and resources

Who Will Take Care of Me When I'm Old?: Plan Now to Safeguard Your Health and Happiness in Old Age

By Joy Loverde,

What is this book about?

For those who have no support system in place, the thought of aging without help can be a frightening, isolating prospect. Whether you have friends and family ready and able to help you or not, growing old does not have to be an inevitable decline into helplessness. It is possible to maintain a good quality of life in your later years, but having a plan is essential. WHO WILL TAKE CARE OF ME WHEN I'M OLD? equips readers with everything they need to prepare on their own:

* Advice on the tough medical, financial, and housing decisions to come
*…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in success in life, communication, and life satisfaction?

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