Why am I passionate about this?

I'm fascinated by how our world operates, from the macro-level to the microlevel and metaphysics. It creates more depth and makes life infinitely colorful and exciting, even in the most mundane things. I've been studying personal development and spirituality for almost 20 years now, and I find the journey of growth and becoming to be rewarding. Books that help me expand my horizon and think differently enable this process, and I find that to be exciting.


I wrote

One Million Steps: Lessons From A Legendary Hike

By Ngan H. Nguyen,

Book cover of One Million Steps: Lessons From A Legendary Hike

What is my book about?

Stretching 500-miles across the northern part of Spain is the Camino Francés of the Camino de Santiago. A pilgrimage to…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "a Course in Miracles"

Ngan H. Nguyen Why did I love this book?

This is probably my all-time favorite book, and it is one that I can rely on as a pick me up when my faith is low, or the road gets hard. It is based on A Course In Miracles which is a more elaborate spiritual text and not the easiest to read. Marianne has a talent for making convoluted spiritual principles relatable and personable. She has been teaching these principles for decades, and this is one of the first books that put her on the map as a spiritual teacher. It’s beautiful writing and a powerful message.

By Marianne Williamson,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked A Return to Love as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Back by popular demand -- and newly updated by the author -- the mega-bestselling spiritual guide in which Marianne Williamson shares her reflections on A Course in Miracles and her insights on the application of love in the search for inner peace.

Williamson reveals how we each can become a miracle worker by accepting God and by the expression of love in our daily lives. Whether psychic pain is in the area of relationships, career, or health, she shows us how love is a potent force, the key to inner peace, and how by practicing love we can make our…


Book cover of Good Strategy Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters

Ngan H. Nguyen Why did I love this book?

There are thousands of strategy books, from personal success strategies to business strategies to financial strategy. This is one of the best I’ve read so far. It’s insightful, colorful, to the point, and paints a very vivid picture of what it takes to develop a good strategy, a concept that is not too easy to define. Precisely what is strategy? This book demonstrates that it is the skilled approach and the ability to move resources and people to achieve an objective. While the book uses many business examples, I think the lessons can be deducted for any industry if you have a desire to get ahead.

By Richard Rumelt,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked Good Strategy Bad Strategy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When Richard Rumelt's Good Strategy/Bad Strategy was published in 2011, it immediately struck a chord, calling out as bad strategy the mish-mash of pop culture, motivational slogans and business buzz speak so often and misleadingly masquerading as the real thing.

Since then, his original and pragmatic ideas have won fans around the world and continue to help readers to recognise and avoid the elements of bad strategy and adopt good, action-oriented strategies that honestly acknowledge the challenges being faced and offer straightforward approaches to overcoming them. Strategy should not be equated with ambition, leadership, vision or planning; rather, it is…


Book cover of Maro Up: The Secret to Success Begins with Arigato: Wisdom from the “Warren Buffet of Japan”

Ngan H. Nguyen Why did I love this book?

Known as the Warren Buffer of Japan, Wahei Takeda was a billionaire and investor living in Japan that passed away in 2016. He had a philosophy of life that built upon the concept of gratitude. A mentor of mine met and studied with this man, and he shared that every day, every day, he has a practice of giving 1,000 gratitude. Not figuratively, but honestly, living in a state of gratitude. I have tried this and go back to the practice of giving 1,000 when I need to shake myself out of a rut. It’s transformational, and it’s hard. It usually takes me three days before I can get to 1,000 and the last 600 pushes me to see beyond the surface. Give it a try!

By Janet Bray Attwood, Ken Honda,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Maro Up as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This is the story of Japan’s largest private investor, Wahei Takeda: how he made his fortune and how he thinks about money—making it, investing it and using it for good in the world—based on his profound teaching of maro, the core principle of his way of life and the foundation of his success. By learning about maro through the example of Wahei’s life, you can also become financially successful—and profoundly happy to boot.

Often called “the Warren Buffet of Japan,” Wahei Takeda is the most successful investor in the country, and no doubt he’s the happiest one, too! My success…


Book cover of The Wizard of Us: Transformational Lessons from Oz

Ngan H. Nguyen Why did I love this book?

For anyone growing up in western culture, you’ve probably have heard of the story of The Wizard of Oz or are familiar with pieces of it. The excellent storyteller and teacher, Jean Houston, whom I’ve had the opportunity to study with and a good friend of my dear mentor, Mary Morrissey, shares insights that make this story personal. It is a story of transformation, of Dorothy traversing a new land, conquering her adversaries, and finally discovery the path home by tapping her feet together three times. Why, she asked the good witch why she wasn’t just told that in the beginning, the good witch’s response was, “because you wouldn’t have believed me anyway.” Maybe the journey is part of the process that enables us to build the awareness to open our doors.

By Jean Houston,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Take the journey of a lifetime with Human Potential visionary Jean Houston as she guides you through mythic Oz to become an essential human for the new world.

Learn how to expand your mind, open your heart, and find the courage to connect with your own life journey with The Wizard of Us, an accessible guide to help you envision the world as you choose to create it.

With specific and easily understandable exercises and epiphanies, The Wizard of Us harkens to the classic tale and defines the hero’s journey through the skills and internal qualities that live within each…


Book cover of The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living: A Guide to ACT

Ngan H. Nguyen Why did I love this book?

I’m a personal development junkie and have read many popular titles out there. I came across this book years ago, and I found it incredibly insightful and transformational. Reflecting on it, it aligns perfectly with the spiritual principles of seek and do not find, and only in surrender do you honestly claim something because, in that state, you already have it. This book talks about how in Western culture, many strive for happiness, but the expectation of being happy makes us feel deficit. Those emotions and handling all the range of emotions are natural, and being happy could also mean accepting whatever state of feeling you’re in. It is in that state of surrender that there is peace.

By Russ Harris,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

THE MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER

Do you ever feel worried, miserable or unfulfilled - yet put on a happy face and pretend everything's fine? You are not alone. Stress, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem are all around. Research suggests that many of us get caught in a psychological trap, a vicious circle in which the more we strive for happiness, the more it eludes us.

Fortunately, there is a way to escape from the 'Happiness Trap' in this updated and expanded second edition which unlocks the secrets to a truly fulfilling life. This empowering book presents the insights and techniques of Acceptance…


Explore my book 😀

One Million Steps: Lessons From A Legendary Hike

By Ngan H. Nguyen,

Book cover of One Million Steps: Lessons From A Legendary Hike

What is my book about?

Stretching 500-miles across the northern part of Spain is the Camino Francés of the Camino de Santiago. A pilgrimage to the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela. It was by fate that I found this path, and it became one of the most incredible adventures of my life. The path was a unique window into historical, natural, and cultural beauty, but even more than that, it was a walk into more depth within my own being. It became a journey of healing and self-discovery.

In this book, I tell the story of that adventure as well as the countless powerful lessons I learned. May these lessons shine more light on your journey to whatever destination that may be pulling at your consciousness at this moment.

Book cover of A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "a Course in Miracles"
Book cover of Good Strategy Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters
Book cover of Maro Up: The Secret to Success Begins with Arigato: Wisdom from the “Warren Buffet of Japan”

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A Daily Dose of Now: 365 Mindfulness Meditation Practices for Living in the Moment

By Nita Sweeney,

Book cover of A Daily Dose of Now: 365 Mindfulness Meditation Practices for Living in the Moment

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Nita Sweeney Author Of How to Make Every Move a Meditation: Mindful Movement for Mental Health, Well-Being, and Insight

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Why am I passionate about this?

As a thirty-year meditator, certified meditation leader, and award-winning author, it’s my job to keep up on the latest books about mindfulness and Zen practice. Despite seeing new volumes being published regularly, I return to these books as great sources of solid practice information. Each of these authors explains meditation in accessible terms, easy for readers to follow and understand. I can’t remember who said that a confused reader is an antagonistic reader, but they are right. The books I’ve suggested offer clarity. They help readers begin or continue their practice and understand how and why meditation is worth their time.

Nita's book list on why meditation is worth your time and effort

What is my book about?

Reduce stress, ease anxiety, and increase inner peace—one day at a time—with a year of easy-to-follow mindfulness meditation techniques. Certified mindfulness teacher, bestselling author, ultramarathoner, wife, and dog-mom Nita Sweeney shares mindfulness meditation practices to help anyone break free from worry and self-judgment.

Mindfulness meditation trains you to live in the present moment—the now. Feel calmer. Think more clearly. Respond more effectively and enjoy a more fulfilling life. Even in tiny doses, mindfulness is scientifically proven to enhance physical and mental health, boost creativity, and improve cognition function.

A Daily Dose of Now: 365 Mindfulness Meditation Practices for Living in the Moment

By Nita Sweeney,


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in spirituality, Japan, and military strategy?

Spirituality 320 books
Japan 517 books