The best books to revolutionize your life from a personal development enthusiast

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always looked to books for support, even as a child when in need of comfort from my parents’ constant fighting. As I became older, I looked for ways to build stress resilience and optimism, so it was only natural that I would turn to books again. I would spend hours in libraries and bookstores reading the self-help books. I eventually went on to get a master’s degree in counseling and a doctoral degree in clinical psychology, each providing plenty of opportunity to expand my collection. I now write my own self-help books and cherish the idea of giving someone else the support I once so desperately needed.


I wrote...

The Emotionally Intelligent Teen: Skills to Help You Deal with What You Feel, Build Stronger Relationships, and Boost Self-Confidence

By Melanie McNally,

Book cover of The Emotionally Intelligent Teen: Skills to Help You Deal with What You Feel, Build Stronger Relationships, and Boost Self-Confidence

What is my book about?

Unlock the power of emotional intelligence, an often underestimated facet of intelligence that is at the forefront of success. Employers now rate it as one of the most in-demand skills, ranking it above technical skills. Despite its rising significance, the intricacies of emotional intelligence aren’t yet fully understood by many. 

My book acts as your guide and teaches you about each of the building blocks of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-regulation, and interpersonal skills. I walk you through each component so you have a deep understanding of their significance. I give you exercises and tools, so you learn how to build and maintain the necessary skills. The world would be a significantly better place if we each took the time to master emotional intelligence.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain

Melanie McNally Why did I love this book?

I thought I had a fairly strong understanding of how the mind works until I read this book!

I was blown away to learn how our thoughts, feelings, and actions are impacted by our environments, movements, and others.

Not only was it informative, I learned how to change things up immediately so that I’m more in tune with my body and know what I need to do to think more clearly and focused.

By Annie Murphy Paul,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A New York Times Editors' Choice
A Washington Post Best Nonfiction Book of 2021
A New York Times Notable Book

A bold new book reveals how we can tap the intelligence that exists beyond our brains—in our bodies, our surroundings, and our relationships

Use your head.
 
That’s what we tell ourselves when facing a tricky problem or a difficult project. But a growing body of research indicates that we’ve got it exactly backwards. What we need to do, says acclaimed science writer Annie Murphy Paul, is think outside the brain. A host of “extra-neural” resources—the feelings and movements of our…


Book cover of Be Your Future Self Now: The Science of Intentional Transformation

Melanie McNally Why did I love this book?

Whenever I need a dose of inspiration and motivation, I listen to this book. The idea of first visualizing how we want to be in the future and then acting from THAT place is revolutionary.

Usually, we’re taught to create change in the present through new habits, which will then impact our future. I use this book to clarify my vision for the future so I can then act as though I’m already that person or living that life.

It’s a game-changer.

By Benjamin Hardy,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Be Your Future Self Now as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This isn't a book about BECOMING it's about BEING: noted psychologist Dr. Benjamin Hardy shows how to imagine the person you want to be, then BE that person now. When you do this, your imagined FUTURE directs your behavior, rather than your past.

Who is your Future-Self?

That question may seem trite. But it's literally the answer to all of your life's questions. It's the answer to what you're going to do today. It's the answer to how motivated you are, and how you feel about yourself. It's the answer to whether you'll distract yourself on social media for hours,…


Book cover of Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience

Melanie McNally Why did I love this book?

The emotional vocabulary of most humans is seriously limited. Not only did this book help me expand mine, but it really helped me understand what others might be feeling as well. Plus, I love how she differentiates between emotions that appear similar on the surface but are actually quite different on a deeper level.

I ended up giving it as a gift to clients and friends!

By Brene Brown,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In her latest book, Brené Brown writes, “If we want to find the way back to ourselves and one another, we need language and the grounded confidence to both tell our stories and be stewards of the stories that we hear. This is the framework for meaningful connection.”

Don’t miss the five-part HBO Max docuseries Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart!

In Atlas of the Heart, Brown takes us on a journey through eighty-seven of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human. As she maps the necessary skills and…


Book cover of Man’s Search for Meaning

Melanie McNally Why did I love this book?

Reading Mr. Frankl’s story of surviving the holocaust and being able to find purpose in the direst of circumstances puts everything in perspective.

Not only is it mind-blowing to think of what he (and others) went through, but he also managed to create meaning and find a way to inspire others. It’s truly remarkable. 

By Viktor Frankl,

Why should I read it?

43 authors picked Man’s Search for Meaning as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

One of the outstanding classics to emerge from the Holocaust, Man's Search for Meaning is Viktor Frankl's story of his struggle for survival in Auschwitz and other Nazi concentration camps. Today, this remarkable tribute to hope offers us an avenue to finding greater meaning and purpose in our own lives.


Book cover of Love + Work: How to Find What You Love, Love What You Do, and Do It for the Rest of Your Life

Melanie McNally Why did I love this book?

I love how the author uses elements of flow to help the reader figure out what they’re passionate about and want to do for work. He acts as a friendly guide, giving us exercises to do and questions to ponder that are truly mind-expanding.

I often refer back to some of his questions when journaling and reflecting on my life.

By Marcus Buckingham,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A Wall Street Journal bestseller

World-renowned researcher and New York Times bestselling author Marcus Buckingham helps us discover where we're at our best-both at work and in life.

You've long been told to "Do what you love." Sounds simple, but the real challenge is how to do this in a world not set up to help you. Most of us actually don't know the real truth of what we love-what engages us and makes us thrive-and our workplaces, jobs, schools, even our parents, are focused instead on making us conform. Sadly, no person or system is dedicated to discovering the…


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Cold War: A Novel of the Berlin Airlift

By Helena P. Schrader,

Book cover of Cold War: A Novel of the Berlin Airlift

Helena P. Schrader Author Of Cold Peace: A Novel of the Berlin Airlift, Part I

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I first went to Berlin after college, determined to write a novel about the German Resistance; I stayed a quarter of a century. Initially, the Berlin Airlift, something remembered with pride and affection, helped create common ground between me as an American and the Berliners. Later, I was commissioned to write a book about the Airlift and studied the topic in depth. My research included interviews with many participants including Gail Halvorsen. These encounters with eyewitnesses inspired me to write my current three-part fiction project, Bridge to Tomorrow. With Russian aggression again threatening Europe, the story of the airlift that defeated Soviet state terrorism has never been more topical. 

Helena's book list on the Russian blockade of Berlin and the Allied Airlift

What is my book about?

Stopping Russian Aggression with milk, coal, and candy bars….

Berlin is under siege. More than two million civilians will starve unless they receive food, medicine, and more by air.

USAF Captain J.B. Baronowsky and RAF Flight Lieutenant Kit Moran once risked their lives to drop high explosives on Berlin. They are about to deliver milk, flour, and children’s shoes instead. Meanwhile, two women pilots are flying an air ambulance that carries malnourished and abandoned children to freedom in the West. Until General Winter deploys on the side of Russia...

Based on historical events, award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader delivers an…

Cold War: A Novel of the Berlin Airlift

By Helena P. Schrader,

What is this book about?

Fighting a war with milk, coal and candy bars....

In the second book of the Bridge to Tomorrow Series, the story continues where "Cold Peace" left off.

Berlin is under siege. More than two million civilians in Hitler's former capital will starve unless they receive food, medicine and more by air.

USAF Captain J.B. Baronowsky and RAF Flight Lieutenant Kit Moran once risked their lives to drop high explosives on Berlin. They are about to deliver milk, flour and children's shoes instead. Meanwhile, two women pilots are flying an air ambulance that carries malnourished and abandoned children to freedom in…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in personal development, cognition, and the meaning of life?

11,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about personal development, cognition, and the meaning of life.

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