100 books like The Good Human

By Dawn K. Hammer,

Here are 100 books that The Good Human fans have personally recommended if you like The Good Human. 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 Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life

Geanne Meta Author Of Parenting Well After Childhood Abuse: Be a Great Parent Even if Yours Were Crap

From my list on self-help I wish I’d read sooner.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been on a quest of healing my childhood trauma for decades. Now I’m living with gratitude and a zest for life. Let my research help you on your own unique journey. Since you’re reading this, it may be the exact time for you to move forward on your self-actualization trip! Here’s a tip: You don’t need “improvement.” You’re already good – you just need help to find it inside and believe it. Here are 5 books that helped me accept myself, made me think differently about others, and opened new possibilities for happiness and peace. 

Geanne's book list on self-help I wish I’d read sooner

Geanne Meta Why did Geanne love this book?

This book, and a couple of seminars with Byron Katie, really did change my life! I was stuck in negative thinking and couldn’t seem to get out of it. She offers a straightforward method to challenge your thoughts and turn them around to other possibilities. It‘s almost magical how your hurtful beliefs can be changed into accepting “the way it is” without the hurt.

Get this book and get some relief from whatever is bothering you. Truly.

By Byron Katie, Stephen Mitchell,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Loving What Is as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Discover the truth hiding behind troubling thoughts with Byron Katie’s self-help classic.

In 2003, Byron Katie first introduced the world to The Work with the publication of Loving What Is. Nearly twenty years later, Loving What Is continues to inspire people all over the world to do The Work; to listen to the answers they find inside themselves;and to open their minds to profound, spacious, and life-transforming insights. The Work is simply four questions that, when applied to a specific problem, enable you to see what is troubling you in an entirely different light.

Loving What Is shows you step…


Book cover of The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

Andrew P M Yiallouros Author Of The Dragon and The Princess

From my list on spiritual allegory.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been thinking about spiritual things since I was around 9 years old, and as soon as I was old enough, I was off learning experientially in the world. This has allowed for deep learning and understanding of a wide range of subjects, particularly spirituality and ultimate reality. I teach philosophy, religious studies, and politics in my day job, and so, now on the cusp of 46 years, I can truly say I love spiritual and philosophical thought. I also think it’s hard to write books about these topics and I love how allegory and fable can be so accessible.

Andrew's book list on spiritual allegory

Andrew P M Yiallouros Why did Andrew love this book?

I completely had my perspective literally turned upside down and reframed by this book. I could not stop thinking about how interesting the idea that everyone is yourself is. I learned about empathy and experienced a huge shift in my consciousness because of this book.

I also loved the spiritual adventure and the journey. I am always inspired by seeing other people’s perspectives, and this book is a whole deep dive into a better understanding of how to see them.

By Don Miguel Ruiz,

Why should I read it?

20 authors picked The Four Agreements as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In The Four Agreements, bestselling author don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.

•  A New York Times bestseller for over a decade
•  Translated into 46 languages worldwide
 
“This book by don Miguel Ruiz, simple yet so powerful, has made a tremendous difference in how I think and act in every encounter.” — Oprah Winfrey

“Don Miguel Ruiz’s…


Book cover of The Voices We Carry: Finding Your One True Voice in a World of Clamor and Noise

Geanne Meta Author Of Parenting Well After Childhood Abuse: Be a Great Parent Even if Yours Were Crap

From my list on self-help I wish I’d read sooner.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been on a quest of healing my childhood trauma for decades. Now I’m living with gratitude and a zest for life. Let my research help you on your own unique journey. Since you’re reading this, it may be the exact time for you to move forward on your self-actualization trip! Here’s a tip: You don’t need “improvement.” You’re already good – you just need help to find it inside and believe it. Here are 5 books that helped me accept myself, made me think differently about others, and opened new possibilities for happiness and peace. 

Geanne's book list on self-help I wish I’d read sooner

Geanne Meta Why did Geanne love this book?

I love the way the author uses honest stories to impart valuable life lessons. He humbly shares what a jerk he had been and how he learned to be more tolerant and loving in relationships.

As a hospital chaplain he hears intimate life stories and often, dying wishes. This is where such profound wisdom comes from, I believe. God is mentioned a few times but there is no judgment or preaching from this guy.

I highlighted so much in this book I almost ran out of ink! I will be going back whenever I need inspiration.

By J. S. Park,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Reclaim Your Headspace and Find Your One True Voice

As a hospital chaplain, J.S. Park encountered hundreds of patients at the edge of life and death, listening as they urgently shared their stories, confessions, and final words. J.S. began to identify patterns in his patients’ lives—patterns he also saw in his own life. He began to see that the events and traumas we experience throughout life become deafening voices that remain within us, even when the events are far in the past. He was surprised to find that in hearing the voices of his patients, he began to identify his…


Book cover of The Cafe on the Edge of the World

Gary Orleck Author Of Travels With Maurice: An Outrageous Adventure in Europe, 1968

From my list on life and it's changes – the what, where, and why.

Why am I passionate about this?

At 13 years old I told my father that “I will be travelling around the USA as soon as I graduate college." It took 10 days to prepare but prepare and depart I did. I worked my way around the USA for 6 months and on the way home I told my Dad, “Next is Europe.” A year later I traveled with the son of the richest man in the world and the adventures we had driving 19,865 miles through 12 European countries for 10 weeks were both mind-blowing and life-changing. My passion for traveling and life shows throughout my book, and I assure you that you'll enjoy travelling along with me. 

Gary's book list on life and it's changes – the what, where, and why

Gary Orleck Why did Gary love this book?

This book was inspirational in making me want to write my own story in order to look into my life-changing adventure, which changed me as a person and gave me a new awareness about myself. I am sure the author would be delighted that his words affected my life that way.

Isn't that why we as authors slave to do our work in order to be heard and change the reader's thinking about life and what it means to them? Well, this author accomplished that and I assure you it will have a similar effect on you if you read it.

Simply put, this may well change your perspective of your own life. 

By John Strelecky,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Cafe on the Edge of the World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Gifted by millions to those they love. The simple yet profoundly life changing story for anyone struggling to find their place in life. Seven time winner- Bestseller of the Year.

In a small cafe at a location so remote it stands in the middle of the middle of nowhere, a visitor finds three unusual questions on the back of a menu.

Why are you here?

Do you fear death?

Are you fulfilled?

With this food for thought and the guidance of three people at the cafe, the visitor embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Along the way discovering a new…


Book cover of As a Man Thinketh

Stephen McGarvey Author Of Ignite a Shift: Engaging Minds, Guiding Emotions and Driving Behavior

From my list on the power of ideas and positive thinking.

Why am I passionate about this?

I wasn’t always a reader. Diagnosed with a learning disorder in elementary school, I hated reading and school. Eventually, I discovered my passion for psychology, neurolinguistics, and persuasion and influence, and have now become a lifelong reader! Through my boutique consulting firm Solutions In Mind, my colleagues and I have been coaching executive teams to make the changes required to improve sales, organizational behavior, and communication. In my latest book, Ignite a Shift, I equip readers to think about how they and those around them think, feel and do. With greater awareness you’ll be able to better establish and meet your goals and persuade and influence others to do the same. 

Stephen's book list on the power of ideas and positive thinking

Stephen McGarvey Why did Stephen love this book?

Although this book is more than a century old, I find it just as relevant today as it was when it was first published. As a Man Thinketh offers digestible and easily understood tips to transform the way you look at barriers in life and positively embrace them. Each person holds the key to their own happiness and by dealing with thoughts intelligently and patiently, can help reconstruct life for the better. 

By James Allen,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked As a Man Thinketh as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THIS little volume (the result of meditation and experience) is not intended as an exhaustive treatise on the much-written-upon subject of the power of thought. It is suggestive rather than explanatory, its object being to stimulate men and women to the discovery and perception of the truth that “They themselves are makers of themselves.” …by virtue of the thoughts, which they choose and encourage; that mind is the master-weaver, both of the inner garment of character and the outer garment of circumstance, and that, as they may have hitherto woven in ignorance and pain they may now weave in enlightenment…


Book cover of Deep Meditation: Pathway to Personal Freedom

Tony Endelman Author Of The Big Stick: Collected and Applied Wisdom from the Teachings of Dr. Robert Glover

From my list on men’s self-development books that don’t totally suck.

Why am I passionate about this?

In 2013, my father–an amazing man who was the picture of health–died suddenly and unexpectedly while at the gym. At the time, I was miserable and unfulfilled. My father’s passing sent me down a path of deep self-exploration, where I realized that life is simply too short and unpredictable to settle for less than what you truly want. As I endeavored to change my life, I became a certified life coach, relationship coach, and happiness trainer, initially to help myself, but soon discovered a passion for helping others. I've been lucky to have incredible mentors like Dr. Robert Glover. My unconventional brand of self-help has been featured in numerous publications.

Tony's book list on men’s self-development books that don’t totally suck

Tony Endelman Why did Tony love this book?

Whenever I recommend meditation to other men, they all ask the same questions I once asked: How the hell do I meditate? What exactly am I supposed to do? So, I’m supposed to sit there for how long? And think about nothing?

All the answers are in this book. Yogani is the author of the Advanced Yoga Practices (AYP) system, covering all aspects of Full-Scope Yoga Practice.

Unlike other books, this book actually offers concise step-by-step instructions for a method of meditation that has allowed me to experience more inner peace, creativity, and energy in my daily life.

By Yogani,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Deep Meditation is a concise step-by-step instruction book for a simple yet powerful method of daily meditation that will systematically unfold inner peace, creativity and energy in daily life. Whether you are seeking an effective tool for reducing stress, improving your relationships, achieving more success in your career, or for revealing the ultimate truth of life within yourself, Deep Meditation can be a vital resource for cultivating your personal freedom and enlightenment. 

Yogani is the author of groundbreaking books on highly effective spiritual practices, including: Advanced Yoga Practices - Easy Lessons for Ecstatic Living (two comprehensive user-friendly textbooks) and The…


Book cover of Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender

Tony Endelman Author Of The Big Stick: Collected and Applied Wisdom from the Teachings of Dr. Robert Glover

From my list on men’s self-development books that don’t totally suck.

Why am I passionate about this?

In 2013, my father–an amazing man who was the picture of health–died suddenly and unexpectedly while at the gym. At the time, I was miserable and unfulfilled. My father’s passing sent me down a path of deep self-exploration, where I realized that life is simply too short and unpredictable to settle for less than what you truly want. As I endeavored to change my life, I became a certified life coach, relationship coach, and happiness trainer, initially to help myself, but soon discovered a passion for helping others. I've been lucky to have incredible mentors like Dr. Robert Glover. My unconventional brand of self-help has been featured in numerous publications.

Tony's book list on men’s self-development books that don’t totally suck

Tony Endelman Why did Tony love this book?

David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D., is a pioneering researcher in the field of consciousness and is internationally lauded as a lecturer, physician, and scientist.

This book gave me practical techniques to help remove some of the inner blocks that always seemed to stand in the way of my happiness. The techniques in the book can be applied to all areas of life, from health and wealth to sex and relationships.

By David R. Hawkins,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A powerful mechanism to help you surrender anything holding you back on your path to Enlightenment and find fulfilment, truth and spiritual growth.

Letting Go describes a simple and effective means by which to let go of the obstacles to Enlightenment and become free of negativity. During the many decades of the author's clinical psychiatric practice, the primary aim was to seek the most effective ways to relieve human suffering in all of its many forms.

The inner mechanism of surrender was found to be of great practical benefit and is described in this book. Dr Hawkins's previous books focused…


Book cover of The Pursuit of Happiness

Adam Ellwanger Author Of Metanoia: Rhetoric, Authenticity, and the Transformation of the Self

From my list on why looking for your ‘true self’ is pointless.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a professor of rhetoric at the University of Houston – Downtown. In addition to my academic research, I write political and cultural commentary for a variety of right-of-center online publications. Much of my own work focuses on how individuals come to be persuaded about who they are. I argue that much of the frustration people feel when searching for their authentic identity is due to the fact that the existence of the hidden ‘true self’ is an illusion. The quest for authenticity is never complete. The good news, though, is that you can put an end to the suffering… only if you’re willing to give up the fevered pursuit of the “true self.”

Adam's book list on why looking for your ‘true self’ is pointless

Adam Ellwanger Why did Adam love this book?

This is an older book that traces the development of the American definition of happiness from the founding of the nation until the mid-twentieth century. Jones carefully illustrates that happiness transformed from a collective political concept to an individual moral entitlement. His reading of self-help texts shows that earlier Americans tried to achieve happiness by learning to conform themselves to the obligations imposed on them by others outside the self. In contrast, Jones’ investigation shows that the modern understanding of happiness demands individual liberation from the expectations of others, a feat achieved by listening to the internal desires of the self.

By Howard Mumford Jones,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Number seven in the William W. Cook Foundation Lectures at the University of Michigan. Presented in January, 1952.


Book cover of How To Stop Worrying and Start Living

Lou Lomas Author Of The Bad Habit Kicker

From my list on start your day off right.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m just an ordinary person who’s struggled with their own habits and compulsions. My fear and anxiety led me to read many self-help books over the last thirty-something years, and a lot of them helped me to firmly believe that if you start your day in the best way you can, then there’s no limit to the things that you can achieve!

Each of the books I’ve recommended has given me simple tools to help me do just that. Ultimately, I know they inspired me to create the Bad Habit Kicker system. I truly believe they can all help others optimize their lives and become the best versions of themselves!

Lou's book list on start your day off right

Lou Lomas Why did Lou love this book?

This is an oldie but a classic in the self-help arena and a book that I’ve re-read many times. There are some real nuggets of gold in the book, including the author’s advice to live in "Day-tight compartments," and I absolutely love the 32 true-life examples that are included in the back.

It just goes to show that the simplest ideas are timeless—this book was originally published in 1948!

By Dale Carnegie,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How To Stop Worrying and Start Living as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"""Let's not allow ourselves to be upset by small things we should despise and forget. Remember 'Life is too short to be little.'" An expert on interpersonal skills, Dale Carnegie gives his readers the facts of worry and techniques of dealing with it while focusing on the more important aspects of life. Drawing from high personal experience, he speaks of the golden rule for keeping your energy and spirits high. Ingrained with true stories to inspire readers in overcoming worry and moving on to success, this self-help book uses everyday nuances to help readers focus on keeping spirits high.""


Book cover of The Labyrinth

Charlotte Fox Weber Author Of Tell Me What You Want: A Therapist and Her Clients Explore Our 12 Deepest Desires

From my list on self-help that aren’t about self-help.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always cringed to hear my book described as “self-help” because it sounds dry and instructive. I prefer to describe it as a series of therapy stories. Help comes from surprising sources and I love that we can find support in our own imaginative ways. A wonderful book will always be helpful emotionally, and great writers investigate our inner lives and motivations. It’s up to each of us to insist on living exciting lives and books remind us that it’s always possible to have a fresh experience. Self-help often means embracing the complexities. There is no magical solution for figuring out life but great books make living so much better. 

Charlotte's book list on self-help that aren’t about self-help

Charlotte Fox Weber Why did Charlotte love this book?

Oh the joys of Saul Steinberg’s drawings! More psychologically attuned than most therapy books or self-help, Steinberg’s illustrations are brilliant illuminations of what goes on in the inner lives of human beings.

I want to play and celebrate and express and engage with nature when I look at this book, and seeing my internal angst depicted visually consoles me. As a psychotherapist, I cherish words but I also see the limitations of language. It’s liberating to see what can’t always be described.

As for the labyrinth theme, it’s universal and shockingly apt as a metaphor for what goes on in our emotional lives – we are so often seduced by labyrinths – we get drawn into situations and patterns that feel impossible to resolve and yet somehow too hard to leave.

Our inner conflicts are full of mazes we feel we can’t exit but also can’t sort out – should…

By Saul Steinberg,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A seminal work by an artist whose drawings in The New Yorker, LIFE, Harper's Bazaar, and many other publications influenced an entire generation of American artists and writers.

Saul Steinberg’s The Labyrinth, first published in 1960 and long out of print, is more than a simple catalog or collection of drawings. These carefully arranged pages record a brilliant, constantly evolving imagination confronting modern life. Here is Steinberg, as he put it at the time, discovering and inventing a great variety of events: "Illusion, talks, music, women, cats, dogs, birds, the cube, the crocodile, the museum, Moscow and Samarkand (winter, 1956),…


Book cover of Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life
Book cover of The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
Book cover of The Voices We Carry: Finding Your One True Voice in a World of Clamor and Noise

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