78 books like Dusty's Diary

By Bobby Adair,

Here are 78 books that Dusty's Diary fans have personally recommended if you like Dusty's Diary. 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 YOU: The Owner's Manual: An Insider's Guide to the Body That Will Make You Healthier and Younger

Allan & Barbara Pease Author Of The Answer: How to discover what you want from life then make it happen

From my list on living an extraordinary life.

Why are we passionate about this?

Barbara and Allan Pease are the most successful relationship authors in the business. They have written 18 bestsellers – including 10 number ones – and given seminars in 70 countries. Their books are bestsellers in over 100 countries, are translated into 55 languages, and have sold over 30 million copies. Both Barbara and Allan appear regularly in the media worldwide and their work has been the subject of 11 television series, four stage plays, and a number one box office movie and TV series, which attracted a combined audience of over 100 million.

Allan's book list on living an extraordinary life

Allan & Barbara Pease Why did Allan love this book?

Here is a fabulous and practical health book that puts you back in touch with how your incredible body works for you, not against you. Simple guidelines give you the confidence to separate myth from fact in the ever-increasing content about our bodies. Knowledge is power, and the most fundamental thing you can study is your own health and happiness.

By Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The #1 bestseller that gives YOU complete control over your body and your health

With new health studies and advice bombarding us every day, few people know much about what chugs, churns, and thumps throughout the miraculous system that is the human anatomy.

YOU: The Owner's Manual challenges preconceived notions about how the human body works and ages, and takes you on a fascinating grand tour of all your blood-pumping, food-digesting, and numbers-remembering systems and organs—including the heart, brain, lungs, immune system, bones, and sensory organs.

In this updated and expanded edition, America's favorite doctors, Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz,…


Book cover of Crushing The Microstakes

Alton Hardin Author Of Master Micro Stakes Poker: Learn to Master Online 6-Max No Limit Hold'em Micro Stakes Cash Games

From my list on poker for beginner and struggling poker players.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m the founder and lead instructor at MicroGrinder Poker School, arguably, the most prominent micro stakes poker school, and I’m fascinated by poker. I started playing poker as a hobby, and it soon became an obsession. I delved into poker theory, seeking to understand the game’s nuances. And as my game improved, I wanted to share my success with others. I’ve always been passionate about teaching, so I started MicroGrinder Poker School. Between my best-selling poker books and 35+ courses, I’ve helped over 80,000 poker players improve their poker game drastically.

Alton's book list on poker for beginner and struggling poker players

Alton Hardin Why did Alton love this book?

Crushing the Microstakes has been around since 2011, and it’s still highly recommended. This is a no B.S., straight to the point, but also a comprehensive 200+ page micro stakes cash game book. Nathan is one of the biggest winners at the micro stakes, and he shows the strategies he personally uses to beat these games in this book. The book covers just about everything you’d need to know to start beating micro stakes cash games, from player types to post-flop strategy.  

By Nathan Williams,

Why should I read it?

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


Book cover of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

Dr. CI Author Of DEI-ing: A Guide to Navigating the Gotdamn Mess They’ve Made of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

From my list on pushing you into badassery.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been in the DEI trenches for over 20 years, and let me tell you, it's been one hell of a ride. As a Black woman navigating this shit show, I've seen it all—from clueless executives to well-meaning “allies” who can't get out of their own way. My passion? Calling out the bullshit and actually making DEI work. I've gone toe-to-toe with tech giants, founded Inclusology, and now I'm tackling a second PhD because I believe in the work, even at is most discouraging. DEI-ing is my no-holds-barred guide to creating real change. I’m all about busting AI bias and building DEI that sticks, not just some feel-good fluff. 

Dr.'s book list on pushing you into badassery

Dr. CI Why did Dr. love this book?

This book had me saying, “Finally!” It taught me to let go of the nonsense and focus on what really matters. Mark Manson doesn’t hold back, and I appreciate that. This book is a reality check on how limited our time is—death is coming whether we like it or not—so we better start living right.

It’s not just a book; it’s a guide to cutting the crap and enjoying life before it’s too late.

By Mark Manson,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

New York Times Bestseller In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be "positive" all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people. For decades, we've been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. "F**k positivity," Mark Manson says. "Let's be honest, shit is f**ked and we have to live with it." In his wildly popular Internet blog, Manson doesn't sugarcoat or equivocate. He tells it like it is-a dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today.…


Book cover of No B.S. Direct Marketing: The Ultimate No Holds Barred Kick Butt Take No Prisoners Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses

Ray Edwards Author Of How to Write Copy That Sells: The Step-By-Step System for More Sales, to More Customers, More Often

From my list on marketing your business or brand.

Why am I passionate about this?

I know it's kind of weird, but I have been fascinated by the world of direct-response marketing ever since I first saw the full-page ads in the "newspapers" my grandmother loved to read (The National Inquirer and the Weekly World News). Those ads fascinated me because, at first, I thought they were stories in the newspaper. That was my first exposure to the work of the brilliant Eugene Schwartz. I used to check our mail so I could grab all the "junk mail" that everyone else threw away because that's the only mail I wanted to read. That's why I became a direct-response copywriter.

Ray's book list on marketing your business or brand

Ray Edwards Why did Ray love this book?

This book was a massive revelation to me years ago when I first read it. It showed me how to use all the marketing knowledge I had to help “direct marketing companies”—companies that sold online or through the mail—and transfer it to “regular businesses.”

Regular businesses like retail stores, professional practices, healthcare providers, and virtually any other business you can think of. I am a huge fan of Dan’s work and this is my favorite book by him. One of the most valuable things I learned from this book was how to simplify my marketing and only invest time (and money) in the things that work.

By Dan S. Kennedy,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked No B.S. Direct Marketing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Dan S. Kennedy dares marketers to dramatically simplify their marketing, refocusing on what works. Updated to address the newest media and marketing methods, this marketing masterplan delivers a short list of radically different, little-known, profit-proven direct mail strategies for ANY business. Strategies are illustrated by case history examples from an elite team of consultants-all phenomenally successful at borrowing direct marketing strategies from the world of online sales, infomercials, etc., to use in 'ordinary' businesses including retail stores, restaurants, and sales.


Book cover of Neuroscience: Exploring The Brain

Jo Owen Author Of The Mindset of Success: Accelerate Your Career from Good Manager to Great Leader

From my list on helping to think, live, and lead better.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an accidental guru on leadership, as a result of starting Teach First which is now the UK’s largest graduate recruiter. I discovered that the best leaders are not always the most skilled. That set me on a 20 year quest to discover their secret X-Factor: their mindset. I have conducted thousands of original interviews plus studying neuroscience with Harvard and Positive Psychology with the University of Pennsylvania. I also practice what I preach: I have set up 7 NGOs with turnover of £100m, started a bank, and built a business in Japan. It has been a life-enhancing journey of discovery: I hope you enjoy it too.

Jo's book list on helping to think, live, and lead better

Jo Owen Why did Jo love this book?

Let’s face it, this book is heavy. It is a university textbook, so it requires hard work. But it is worth it.

This is a magical mystery tour into the bizarre wonders of our own brains: why spend a fortune exploring the world when you can explore your own brain sitting in a chair, for free?

By the end of it, I was left ruminating over how we really see and think and over reality itself. The book is your entry ticket to a world of wonder: your own brain.

The book is a massive antidote to all the pop psychology books out there, and will enable you to be a far more critical and insightful reader of such books.

By Mark Bear, Barry Connors, Michael A. Paradiso

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Acclaimed for its clear, friendly style, excellent illustrations, leading author team, and compelling theme of exploration, Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain, 4e takes a fresh, contemporary approach to the study of neuroscience, emphasizing the biological basis of behavior. The authors' passion for the dynamic field of neuroscience is evident on every page, engaging students and helping them master the material.

In just a few years, the field of neuroscience has been transformed by exciting new technologies and an explosion of knowledge about the brain. The human genome has been sequenced, sophisticated new methods have been developed for genetic engineering, and new…


Book cover of Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth at a Time

Sergey Gorbatov Author Of Move Up or Move On: 10 Secrets to Develop your Career

From my list on your boss won’t tell you this stuff.

Why am I passionate about this?

Throughout my corporate experience, I’ve been frustrated with how access to good career advice has been reserved for the elite few. Careers aren’t always fair—who usually wins? Those with parents with successful corporate or professional careers, who went to an elite school, parents with a degree, and who were not a first generation at university or college, had access to a coach or sponsor, etc. Furthermore, I am still stunned with untrue or half-true advice like “good work speaks for itself” or “be your authentic self”. I like reading evidence-based books and not being lied to by “experts.”

Sergey's book list on your boss won’t tell you this stuff

Sergey Gorbatov Why did Sergey love this book?

Pfeffer’s no-bullshit “let’s see what’s really happening” accounts of organizational reality left me wanting more. We all want positive messages (myself included), but the truth is more important.

This book taught me to learn from effective mid-level leaders and not from inspirational but anecdotal tops. I like his critical and, at times, cynical style, as Pfeffer eschews the toxic misrepresentations of how leadership and personal development happen, opting for pragmatic, science-proven solutions.

By Jeffrey Pfeffer,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Finalist for the 2015 Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Best business book of the week from Inc.com The author of Power, Stanford business school professor, and a leading management thinker offers a hard-hitting dissection of the leadership industry and ways to make workplaces and careers work better. The leadership enterprise is enormous, with billions of dollars, thousands of books, and hundreds of thousands of blogs and talks focused on improving leaders. But what we see worldwide is employee disengagement, high levels of leader turnover and career derailment, and failed leadership development efforts. In Leadership BS, Jeffrey…


Book cover of Pulling Your Own Strings: Dynamic Techniques for Dealing with Other People and Living Your Life As You Choose

Xolani Kacela Author Of Stop Anxiety In Its Tracks

From my list on a deep understanding of human nature.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have a passion for helping people realize they are only limited by their imagination. By dreaming wildly and acting on one’s dreams, a person can achieve highly unlikely outcomes. People are born to be free and pursue the things in life that make them happy and fulfilled. However, people need education, training, and mentoring. I am driven to do each of these to help others live fulfilling and purposeful lives. My expertise arises from my formal training and applied life lessons acquired from modeling highly-gifted teachers and friends.

Xolani's book list on a deep understanding of human nature

Xolani Kacela Why did Xolani love this book?

I read this book when I was a teenager and it set me on a path of assertiveness and self-determination.

He had memorable content, such as “A clerk is a jerk,” that helped me put life in a different perspective. After reading the book, I was empowered and free to do as I felt was right in the world. The book taught me not to put up with other people’s BS.

By Wayne Dyer,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Pulling Your Own Strings as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER, WITH OVER 3 MILLION COPIES SOLD

From the #1 bestselling author of Your Erroneous Zones, a directed and practical book that shows you how to stop being manipulated by others and start taking charge of your own life.

Wayne Dyer reveals how we all can prevent ourselves from being victimized by others and begin to operate from a position of power at the center of our own lives. Asserting that we alone are responsible for how much we will be controlled by others, Dyer offers his practical plan for developing new attitudes toward the most common sources…


Book cover of Afro Puffs Are the Antennae of the Universe

Drew Philp Author Of A $500 House in Detroit: Rebuilding an Abandoned Home and an American City

From my list on why Detroit is the most interesting city in the US.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve lived in Detroit for nearly 15 years, where I built my house with my own two hands out of the shell of one I purchased for $500. A longtime journalist, I grew up in a small town in the countryside of Michigan. When I moved to Detroit after college people told me I was throwing my life away, but I looked at it as a moral decision, as “staying home” when it seemed like most other people were leaving. I’m glad I did—it offered me a look into a world more strange and beautiful than I could have imagined, potentially even a vision into a brave new future. I hope this world comes across in A $500 House in Detroit, and I hope we can make it last. 

Drew's book list on why Detroit is the most interesting city in the US

Drew Philp Why did Drew love this book?

Do you want a sense of the flavor of Detroit? To know what it sounds like, what it smells like, what it tastes like in all of its deliciousness and funk? Would you like to rub Detroit all over yourself? This is a book that comes with a soundtrack, and it can give you all of those things and more.

A native Detroiter, a friend of mine, and a great friend to the writing community as a whole in the Motor City, Zig has been writing speculative fiction for decades, and this is his latest. While not explicitly about Detroit—the book takes place on a spaceship—I don’t think you can get any closer to the real soul of the place than this.

By Zig Zag Claybourne,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Afro Puffs Are the Antennae of the Universe as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

No one has time for your BS...but Captain Desiree Quicho and crew of utter badasses surely don't. Got a universe to save. Again. Commandeer one piece of out-of-this-world tech and suddenly you have an evil billionaire and a corporate queenpin on your ass, factions scrabbling at the power grab to end all power grabs, and an ultimate AI bent on a rampage of healing.

 

All a captain wanted was a little chill time, a few tunes, and quality barbecue.

 

Woe to those blocking her groove.

 

Four women; One machine goddess; a Hellbilly, Saharan elves, the baddest Pacific Octopus this side…


Book cover of Albert Angelo

Tom Bolton Author Of Vanished City: London's Lost Neighbourhoods

From my list on revisiting lost London.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the author of five books, including the New Angles Prize shortlisted, Low Country, London’s Lost Rivers and Camden Town: Dreams of Another London. I write about forgotten history, lost places, and strange landscapes in London and on the coast. I have appeared on television (including PBS) and radio and have written for The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph, among others. I also write about music and theatre.

Tom's book list on revisiting lost London

Tom Bolton Why did Tom love this book?

BS Johnson was a brilliant London writer who broke conventional writing apart. Albert Angelo is a powerful account of teaching in a hard Islington school in the mid-1960s.

It is also an audacious experiment in form, as narrative voices break apart and unravel, but always anchored in a London that feels both very close and very different.  

By B.S. Johnson,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Why don't you take a permanent job, Albert? You're twenty-eight now, you know," his mother remarks when he goes on his weekend duty visit home. Albert Angelo is by vocation an architect and only by economic necessity working as a substitute teacher. He had thought he was, if not dedicated, at least competent. But now, on temporary assignments in schools located in the tough neighborhoods of London, Albert feels ineffectual. He is failing as a teacher and failing to fulfill himself as an architect. And then, too, he is pained by the memory of a failed love affair. "I'm trying…


Book cover of No B.S. Wealth Attraction in the New Economy

Bradley Bevers Author Of The Mental Game of Real Estate: How to Thrive as a Real Estate Agent

From my list on showing you how to sell anything without losing your soul.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love to read books. I read over 100 books a year and really try to implement principles and tips from those that I love. I also hate traditional sales advice and have worked on building my business differently from the typical salesperson, trying to serve my clients better by learning and practicing in a different way. Nothing happens until somebody sells something, but there is a better way. That’s why I wrote my book, The Mental Game of Real Estate, about the same principles that I teach my agents every day.

Bradley's book list on showing you how to sell anything without losing your soul

Bradley Bevers Why did Bradley love this book?

I love this book and re-read it at least every couple of years. All of Dan Kennedy’s books are fantastic, but this one is special.

As a real estate agent, I didn’t realize how much my view of the world and the economy held me back. This book helped shift my perspective, and I now see the world from an abundance mindset instead of a scarcity mindset. I give this to anyone who is stuck in an "if I win, then someone loses" mindset, and it will shake them out of it. I also love his chapters on the magic of generosity and on learning to expect "the phenomenon" at least once every few years (you will have to read it to learn more).

I love how this book has freed me up to go after my goals without hesitation because, as an entrepreneur, it is my job to grow…

By Dan Kennedy,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked No B.S. Wealth Attraction in the New Economy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Become A Money Magnet

The old economy is shattered, and GONE FOREVER. It's never coming back as it was, and in its place a generally tougher, more demanding marketplace is emerging. The realities of the business and financial landscape that you knew have been forced to change.

HOWEVER, when it comes to wealth, one instrumental reality is unchanged: No matter the economic conditions-booms or recessions, including the fast-emerging New Economy-there is wealth. And who better to show you how to lure, bait, attract, and become a magnet for it than "Millionaire Maker" Dan S. Kennedy?

Kennedy covers:

How to experience…


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