Fans pick 100 books like Atlas of the Heart

By Brene Brown,

Here are 100 books that Atlas of the Heart fans have personally recommended if you like Atlas of the Heart. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Man’s Search for Meaning

Cory Richards Author Of The Color of Everything: A Journey to Quiet the Chaos Within

From my list on mental health and what keeps us sick.

Why am I passionate about this?

My journey with mental health started young and has colored my life for as long as I can remember. So, I have a fascination with storytelling and time. Time is the container for stories. But for a long time, I didn’t understand the depth of what ‘story’ really is and how much it shapes everything. When I started to write my book and unravel how inseparable the story is from the mental health journey I’d been on, my appetite for writing that could help me understand that connection became and remains voracious. I hope these books are as impactful for you as they have been for me. Enjoy!

Cory's book list on mental health and what keeps us sick

Cory Richards Why did Cory love this book?

I’ve read this book over and over and highlighted something new every time. Somehow, through the lens of Nazi death camps, Frankl validates everyone’s suffering, including my own. I’ve always known that suffering is an inescapable part of the human experience, but this helped me understand that to the brain, it isn’t relative in the ways I always thought.

Furthermore, this book helped me understand that my coping mechanisms inform suffering’s hold on me. Stories are a coping mechanism, and I learned that redirecting my attention and creating my personal narratives around what is meaningful to me rather than the source of pain is key to the cage of suffering. This book changed how I understand the importance of purpose and the power of what I build my stories around. 

By Viktor Frankl,

Why should I read it?

46 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 The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

Janet Polach Author Of The Seven Mistakes New Managers Make

From my list on books that prompt breakthrough thinking.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a global executive coach, speaker, and author with over 30 years of diverse experience. My career includes serving as a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps and two decades as a global leadership coach. I have collaborated with new, emerging, and executive leaders across various industries in the U.S., China, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Puerto Rico, Ireland, and the Netherlands. I believe that true leadership is built on a commitment to the mission, clear expectations, and the ability to improvise, adapt, and overcome any obstacle. I hold a Ph.D. in Organization and Leadership Development from the University of Minnesota.

Janet's book list on books that prompt breakthrough thinking

Janet Polach Why did Janet love this book?

This simple yet compelling tale of an organization’s executive team has spoken to dozens of executives about how they can overcome resistance and get their team to pull in the same direction. The characters are well defined and the challenges they face are commonplace. And it can be read on a plane ride.  

By Patrick M. Lencioni,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked The Five Dysfunctions of a Team as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Patrick Lencioni once again offers a leadership fable that is as enthralling and instructive as his first two best-selling books, The Five Temptations of a CEO and The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive. This time, he turns his keen intellect and storytelling power to the fascinating, complex world of teams. Kathryn Petersen, Decision Tech's CEO, faces the ultimate leadership crisis: Uniting a team in such disarray that it threatens to bring down the entire company. Will she succeed? Will she be fired? Will the company fail? Lencioni's utterly gripping tale serves as…


Book cover of The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life

Matt Phelan Author Of The Happiness Index: Why Today's Employee Emotions Equal Tomorrow's Business Success

From my list on workplace happiness.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm Matt Phelan, and I've always been fascinated by how people think and feel, especially in the workplace. That's why I co-founded The Happiness Index, where we use data to help organizations understand and improve their workplace culture. I love exploring the connection between happiness and performance, and I'm eager to share the insights I've gained along the way. 

Matt's book list on workplace happiness

Matt Phelan Why did Matt love this book?

This book highlights the science behind positive psychology and its impact on workplace success. It demonstrates how happiness fuels productivity, creativity, and resilience, leading to improved performance and better outcomes.

By cultivating positive emotions and fostering strong relationships, you can create a more supportive and enjoyable work environment for everyone.

By Shawn Achor,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Most people want to be successful in life. And of course, everyone wants to be happy. When it comes to the pursuit of success and happiness, most people assume the same formula: if you work hard, you will become successful, and once you become successful, then you'll be happy. The only problem is that a decade of cutting-edge research in the field of positive psychology has proven that this formula is backwards. Success does not beget happiness.

Based on the largest study ever conducted on happiness and human potential (a survey conducted by the author of more than 1,600 students),…


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Book cover of Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor's Unlikely Adventure

Tap Dancing on Everest By Mimi Zieman,

Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctor—and only woman—on a remote Everest climb in Tibet.

The team attempts a new route up…

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

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

From my list on 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.

Melanie's book list on revolutionize your life from a personal development enthusiast

Melanie McNally Why did Melanie 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 The Infinite Game

Sean Lemson Author Of One Drop of Poison: How One Bad Leader Can Slowly Kill Your Company

From my list on avoid being the leader everyone wants to leave.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have worked for some really toxic leaders in my lifetime. Over the decades, I’ve figured out that even well-intentioned people can be toxic leaders without knowing it. As a team and leadership performance coach for the past 15 years, my job has been to help leaders show up as people others want to follow; to help employees feel cared for, and as a result, be intrinsically motivated to care about their company’s mission. These books represent the figurative fuel in my tank for this work, and I hope you find them useful.

Sean's book list on avoid being the leader everyone wants to leave

Sean Lemson Why did Sean love this book?

Simon Sinek exposes how the twisted incentives of short-term profits are causing leaders to steer their companies off course. The book had a huge impact on me because it starkly revealed and explained the game my clients are really playing despite their claims to the contrary.

Because of this book, I was able to connect these motives to some of the worst toxic behaviors I observe in leaders and better understand why they behave this way. As someone often tasked with helping them change course, this book really helps me meet leaders where they are and help them move in a better direction.

By Simon Sinek,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Infinite Game as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The New York Times-bestselling author of Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last, and Together Is Better offers a bold new approach to business strategy by asking one question: are you playing the finite game or the infinite game?

In The Infinite Game, Sinek applies game theory to explore how great businesses achieve long-lasting success. He finds that building long-term value and healthy, enduring growth - that playing the infinite game - is the only thing that matters to your business.


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

From my list on 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.

Melanie's book list on revolutionize your life from a personal development enthusiast

Melanie McNally Why did Melanie 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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Book cover of The Boldly Inclusive Leader: Transform Your Workplace (and the World) by Valuing the Differences Within

The Boldly Inclusive Leader By Minette Norman,

To create innovative, collaborative, and high-performing organizations, we need a new leadership model.

Speaker, consultant, and former Silicon Valley executive Minette Norman is committed to inspiring leaders by sharing some of the most important things she learned over the decades she spent in the corporate world, such as: every human…

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

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

From my list on 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.

Melanie's book list on revolutionize your life from a personal development enthusiast

Melanie McNally Why did Melanie 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 Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family

Kim B. Clark Author Of Leading Through: Activating the Soul, Heart, and Mind of Leadership

From my list on illuminate the power of leadership.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was a boy, my mother told me every day, “Be a leader.” By that, she meant to remember who you are, stand up for what you believe, do good, and be good. I was only five years old. That daily lesson on the doorstep sunk deep in my heart. For over forty years, I have had a passion for learning, teaching, and practicing small “L” leadership. I have done that as dean of Harvard Business School, president of BYU-Idaho, and Commissioner of Education for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have learned deeply from the books on this list, and I hope you will, too. 

Kim's book list on illuminate the power of leadership

Kim B. Clark Why did Kim love this book?

I love this book because it helped me understand that real care for people–love for people–is a crucial part of leadership. Real care means really helping people to see and realize their potential. That takes many small and simple things done consistently, coherently, and persistently. But those small and simple things like giving people real work with real responsibility are hard to do.

I saw that so clearly in the way this book weaves together Bob Chapman’s personal leadership journey and the journey of leadership in his company. Bob did not start out caring for his people. He was a classic hard-nosed, financially driven executive who wielded power. But he changed! His journey and his company’s journey did not just instruct me; they inspired me. 

By Bob Chapman, Raj Sisodia,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

'If you're ready for a new way of doing business, this is the book for you' Daniel H. Pink, author of To Sell Is Human and Drive

'Bob Chapman is on a mission to change the way businesses treat their employees' Inc.magazine

Do you want to boost the morale, loyalty, creativity and performance of your employees?

In Everybody Matters, CEO Bob Chapman and bestselling author Raj Sisodia challenge traditional thinking about how to run a business and show you how to lead your company so that everyone feels valued.

As CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, Bob Chapman has pioneered a dramatically different…


Book cover of The Human Side of Agile: How to Help Your Team Deliver

Sean Lemson Author Of One Drop of Poison: How One Bad Leader Can Slowly Kill Your Company

From my list on avoid being the leader everyone wants to leave.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have worked for some really toxic leaders in my lifetime. Over the decades, I’ve figured out that even well-intentioned people can be toxic leaders without knowing it. As a team and leadership performance coach for the past 15 years, my job has been to help leaders show up as people others want to follow; to help employees feel cared for, and as a result, be intrinsically motivated to care about their company’s mission. These books represent the figurative fuel in my tank for this work, and I hope you find them useful.

Sean's book list on avoid being the leader everyone wants to leave

Sean Lemson Why did Sean love this book?

One of the core concepts of how we live our lives–including how we lead–is our mindset. This book, better than any other I’ve read, captures what a mindset actually is: values, beliefs, and principles, and how the three combine to make us feel right about our behaviors–even when we’re wrong.

We all have mindsets for driving, parenting, leading, being a partner, and many other areas of life. I find that in my work, the more that I can help someone examine their values, beliefs, and principles, the more success they will have in changing their behaviors. While the book is about more than mindsets, I continually use Broza’s explanation of the concept in my work.

By Gil Broza,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Does your Agile team experience the following common problems? Members use established Agile practices and tools, but with little motivation or buy-in. Even though the team is cross-functional, members don’t collaborate effectively or leverage everyone’s abilities. Rather than act empowered, they wait for permission and approval. Improvement has stalled — the team performs okay, but it can do so much better.You can’t solve these problems with more practices, rules, and tools. These are people problems.

If you’re a manager, Scrum Master, project manager, or delivery lead — or you aspire to be — you can make all the difference to…


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Book cover of Free Your Joy: The Twelve Keys to Sustainable Happiness

Free Your Joy By Lisa McCourt,

We all want peace. We all want a life of joy and meaning. We want to feel blissfully comfortable in our own skin, moving through the world with grace and ease. But how many of us are actively taking the steps to create such a life? 

In Free Your Joy…

Book cover of Happiness by Design: Finding Pleasure and Purpose in Everyday Life

Matt Phelan Author Of The Happiness Index: Why Today's Employee Emotions Equal Tomorrow's Business Success

From my list on workplace happiness.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm Matt Phelan, and I've always been fascinated by how people think and feel, especially in the workplace. That's why I co-founded The Happiness Index, where we use data to help organizations understand and improve their workplace culture. I love exploring the connection between happiness and performance, and I'm eager to share the insights I've gained along the way. 

Matt's book list on workplace happiness

Matt Phelan Why did Matt love this book?

This book offers practical strategies and tools to boost creativity and foster a more fulfilling work experience by encouraging innovative thinking and problem-solving.

It promotes a human-centered approach, emphasizing empathy and understanding in the workplace. By applying design thinking principles, you can create a more enjoyable and productive environment for yourself and your colleagues.

By Paul Dolan,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

How can we make it easier to be happy? Using the latest cutting-edge research, Professor Paul Dolan reveals that wellbeing isn't about how we think - it's about what we do. By making deliberate choices that bring us both pleasure and meaning, we can redesign our lives for maximum happiness - without thinking too hard about it.

'Outstanding, cutting-edge, and profound. If you're going to read one book on happiness, this is the one' Nassim Nicholas Taleb

'Bold and original ... what I wish for my grandchildren: a life that is rich in activities both pleasurable…


Book cover of Man’s Search for Meaning
Book cover of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
Book cover of The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life

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