The best personal growth books that use more logic and science than New Age thinking to overcome self-imposed limitations and flourish

This was the book that single-handedly jolted me AWAKE. Prior to reading this book in 2008, I was sleepwalking through life, doing and achieving all the things I “should” be doing but feeling unfulfilled. But why?! My life looked great on paper, so why did I lack a sense of real purpose?

But then I read this book because a mentor said it would be life-changing. My friend wasn’t kidding! As one of the pioneers of epigenetics, Lipton details how our environment, and, namely, our beliefs, influence the behavior of our cells and, thus, our lives. In a matter of 176 pages, Bruce offered the science I had been craving to prove just how powerful our minds are and just how much agency we have to create our own reality.

This book was the trailhead of the new trajectory that would later define the life I was absolutely meant to live.

This book is the one I’ve recommended the most to friends, family, and clients. In fact, I had a sales team I was coaching read it as an exercise, and it completely transformed their way of working!

I live for distinctions, and Dweck’s distinction between growth mindset and fixed mindset is so simple, so obvious, and yet so profound it transformed the way I endeavor to take risks, show up in life, be in relationships, and parent my children. I thought I understood what these mindsets were just by the names of them, but the subtleties and the nuance blew me away. The implications are deep! Dweck makes the invisible visible about why we thrive and why we suffer in certain aspects of our lives, clearly mapping our suffering and freedom to either being focused on inherent worth or process.

I love that she uses multiple categories (sports, business, relationships, and parenting, for example) to comprehensively illustrate the difference between having a growth mindset and a fixed mindset. By the end of the book, I felt so clear and empowered; it felt like I had the secret to real success and happiness. This book is rich and transformative; I’ll continue to recommend it to many of the (competitive, hard-on-themselves) people in my orbit. 

This is one of those books you don’t find–it finds you. At least, that’s what happened to me. When my friend first recommended it, I remember reading part of the first chapter captivated. But for whatever reason, I failed to continue reading it.

Years later, it fell off the shelf while I was trying to decide which of the books on my bookshelf was the one to read. Boy, did it catapult me into a wildly evolved level of consciousness. It ripped me open (in a gentle and inviting way) cleared me of fears and beliefs I didn’t even know I had and transformed me from being a human being reaching for spirituality to a spiritual being reaching out to humanity. 

Singer made distinct all the imperceptible knowings I’ve felt throughout my existence about the power of the mind, beliefs, and all the habits we have that hold us back. He made the invisible visible and with that came more choices and possibilities. I felt invigorated, at peace and also empowered while I read this book. I honestly couldn’t put it down!

I reveled in not just the content but the style with which he presents truths about our existence. (And it was just so enjoyable to read!) The last part about death changed me in a profound way and offered me the gift of presence in a way I’ve never been able to achieve through other means. 

I love frameworks. Especially ones that make simple and clarifying distinctions about our complex inner life. That’s exactly what Chamine has done with this book. When I read this book in 2012 and completed the accompanying free online assessment to identify my saboteurs, I was greatly humbled by the sobering accuracy of how I self-sabotage.

While reading the book, I was engrossed in the combination of logic, science, and stories helping to illuminate how and why we all have a unique mix of these universal saboteurs: Controller, Stickler, Hyper-Achiever, Restless, Hyper-Rational, Victim, Avoider, Pleaser, Hyper-Vigilant. I learned how to identify when I was coming from a place of self-sabotage and what to do to overcome unhelpful habits, (i.e., strengthen my PQ muscles).

It was fun, engaging, and motivating to read, and the practical tips made this book incredibly useful. I use his framework in conjunction with my own to make sense of and thrive in this one wild and precious life we have. That’s why I recommend his book to anyone interested in upgrading their own personal operating system.