The most recommended new self help books

Who picked these books? Meet our 82 experts.

82 authors created a book list connected to new self help, and here are their favorite new self help books.
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Book cover of The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life

Jill Stoddard Author Of Imposter No More: Overcome Self-Doubt and Imposterism to Cultivate a Successful Career

From my list on personal development for kicking a$$ at life.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up I never felt good enough. I was called ‘tubby’ and ‘little tubette.’ I tried to people-please my way to love and acceptance, being who I thought others wanted and needed me to be. I achieved. I followed (most of) the rules and was nice and polite. But none of that worked to cultivate a balanced or meaningful life. Not surprisingly, this led me to a career in psychology and a love of learning about how to help others with similar struggles. Reading and writing self-development books has completely changed my life for the better. I hope this list will help you do the same!

Jill's book list on personal development for kicking a$$ at life

Jill Stoddard Why did Jill love this book?

If I had to bring my kids to one more trampoline park I was going to quit parenting. Until I decided to start jumping too!

Spoiler alert—it didn’t go well for my bladder and me, but it was filled with laughter and fun! In The Fun Habit, Mike Rucker convinces us that fun and play are not optional if we truly wish to thrive (I do!) and he shows us how to build in the time for it. He even brings fun to work and parenting!

By Mike Rucker,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Discover the latest compelling scientific evidence for the revitalizing value of fun and how having fun can help you achieve better work-life balance, reduce stress and much more.

Doesn't it seem that the more we seek happiness, the more elusive it becomes?

There is an easy fix, hiding in plain sight. Fun is an action you can take here and now, practically anywhere, anytime. Through research and science, we know fun is enormously beneficial to our physical and psychological well-being, yet fun's absence from our modern lives is striking. Whether you're a frustrated high-achiever trying to find a better work-life…


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Book cover of Currently Away: How Two Disenchanted People Traveled the Great Loop for Nine Months and Returned to the Start, Energized and Optimistic

Currently Away by Bruce Tate,

The plan was insane. The trap seemed to snap shut on Bruce and Maggie Tate, an isolation forced on them by the pandemic and America's growing political factionalism. Something had to change.

Maggie's surprising answer: buy a boat, learn to pilot it, and embark on the Great Loop. With no…

Book cover of Kokoro: Japanese Wisdom for a Life Well Lived

Ali Foxon Author Of The Green Sketching Handbook: Relax, Unwind and Reconnect with Nature

From my list on finding more beauty and joy in your life.

Why am I passionate about this?

Green sketching opened my eyes to the beauty and joy in my life that I’d never noticed before, beauty and joy that cost nothing to me or the planet. It quietened my busy brain, reduced my anxiety, and made me much more resilient. I’m now trying to help others put down their phones and pick up a pencil. Because when we change what we look at, we can change how we feel. And I’m convinced that once we see and appreciate nature’s beauty with fresh eyes, we’ll start to love and take care of it again.

Ali's book list on finding more beauty and joy in your life

Ali Foxon Why did Ali love this book?

I hesitate to recommend a book about grief in a list about joy. Yet, although Beth Kempton’s heartbreaking account of losing her mother and friend certainly made me cry, her explanation of the Japanese concept of kokoro left me feeling lighter and wiser.

While incredibly hard to define, kokoro incorporates a sense of tuning into nature’s fleeting beauty, the bittersweetness of love, and the innate wisdom in our hearts. Before listening to this book, I felt self-conscious about my lack of direction and planning. Afterward, I understood that ever since losing my father 12 years ago, I’ve simply been following the whispers of my own kokoro, noticing beauty and joy wherever I can find them and for however long they last. 

By Beth Kempton,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Kokoro is an invitation to cultivate stillness and contentment in an ever-changing, uncertain world, inspired by ancient and contemporary Japanese wisdom. Drawing on a thousand years of Japanese literature, culture, and philosophical ideas to explore the true nature of time and what it means to be human, Kokoro--which mysteriously translates as "heart-mind"--is a meditation on living well.

Join Japanologist Beth Kempton on this life-changing pilgrimage far beyond the tourist trail, to uncover the soul of the country, its people, and its deeply buried wisdom. Along the way you'll discover a revolutionary way of looking at life and the world that…


Book cover of The Art of Danish Living

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

From Matt's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Matt's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Matt Phelan Why did Matt love this book?

"The Art of Danish Living" offers a captivating glimpse into the cultural values and practices that contribute to Denmark's reputation as one of the happiest countries in the world. I'm particularly interested in the book's exploration of "arbejdsglĂŚde," the Danish concept of happiness at work. It's intriguing how the book connects workplace happiness to factors like trust, purpose, and freedom. This resonates with my research-led approach, and I'm curious to explore further the empirical evidence supporting these claims and how these principles might be applied in diverse organisational contexts.

What I find compelling is the book's emphasis on finding balance and contentment in both life and work. It seems to suggest that a holistic approach, integrating elements like social connection, meaningful work, and a sense of purpose, can contribute to overall well-being. I'm interested in delving deeper into the research on work-life integration and its impact on individual happiness and…

By Meik Wiking,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A beautiful, research-backed guide on how to work like the happiest people in the world, the Danes. From the author of the million-copy bestseller The Little Book of Hygge.

​Based on a new study from the Happiness Research Institute, Meik Wiking reveals the main factors that build happiness at work—purpose, trust, relationships, balance, and more—to show how we can reduce stress, increase productivity, and find fulfillment, both in and out of work.

It is well known that the Danes have a fantastic work-life balance, that working late is discouraged, parental leave is split equally, and long summer holidays are the…


Book cover of Thank You, More Please

Kara Loewentheil Author Of Take Back Your Brain: How a Sexist Society Gets in Your Head--and How to Get It Out

From Kara's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Kara's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Kara Loewentheil Why did Kara love this book?

This is the feminist dating guide I wished I had when I was dating. I read it to better inform my work with my coaching clients, and it was such a refreshing change from all the terrible dating books that existed when I was dating. Those books all told me to change myself; Thank You, More Please didn't assume the reader is broken and needs fixing. Highly recommend for anyone dealing with dating drama, or anyone who works with clients who do!

By Lily Womble,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Thank You, More Please as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Glamour’s "Best Books for Book Clubs to Read"

Get unstuck from the patriarchal dark ages and find love once and for all with this feminist guide to navigating the perils and pitfalls of modern dating.​

It’s not your fault that dating sucks, that the patriarchy has screwed up how we find love. From addictive dating apps that were built like slot machines to advice like “Stop being so picky!” (aka “don’t trust yourself”), to single women being treated as less than because of their relationship status, dating can be a hot soup of existential exhaustion.

In Thank You, More Please,…


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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 What's That Lady Doing?

Lucie Britsch Author Of Thoughtless

From Lucie's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Weirdo Funny Random Absurd Clumsy

Lucie's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Lucie Britsch Why did Lucie love this book?

If you’re familiar with the comic Lou Sanders, you will know she is frank, funny and unashamed. In her memoir she is completely honest about her messy past and takes the reader on her journey to sorting her shit out.

It’s often heartbreaking but she still always manages to make you laugh and you’re rooting for her and will come away from it understanding her better and maybe forgiving yourself for any rough patches you might have gone through. It’s ultimately about how we all stumble through life but keep picking ourselves up, and how it’s better to laugh about it all, which is something I try to do in my own writing.

By Lou Sanders,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked What's That Lady Doing? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

For fans of Really Good Actually and I'm Glad My Mom Died

'A deftness that catches your breath' - Fern Brady
'An incredible piece of writing' - Brett Goldstein
'Interrogates moments of trauma with insight, kindness and humanity' - John Robins

This is a book about mistakes. And why we should de-flower shame in all its messy, complicated glory...

Hello!

It's Lou here...

I've poured my heart and guts on to the page and shared my soul in this book. This won't be for everyone but I hope it helps the people it does connect with. We all have stories…


Book cover of Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts

Cath Bishop Author Of The Long Win : There's more to success than you think

From Cath's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Cath's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Cath Bishop Why did Cath love this book?

As with all Oliver Burkeman's writing, it challenges my thinking, my perspectives on life, society's assumptions and our typical daily habits. It really challenges our relationship with time which is a fundamental part of being human and starts prompting us to rethink how we consider concepts of productivity, success, and how we spend our time.

Book cover of Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us

Theodore Carter Author Of Stealing the Scream

From Theodore's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Theodore's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Theodore Carter Why did Theodore love this book?

This book collected lots of tidbits I'd read about before, as well as introduced a lot of new information. The culminating impact was a renewed appreciation for how important art and creativity are for everyone.

By Susan Magsamen, Ivy Ross,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Your Brain on Art as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A life-altering journey through the science of neuroaesthetics, which offers proof for how our brains and bodies transform when we participate in the arts—and how this knowledge can improve our health, enable us to flourish, and build stronger communities.

“This book blew my mind!”—Angela Duckworth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Grit

Many of us think of the arts as entertainment—a luxury of some kind. In Your Brain on Art, authors Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross show how activities from painting and dancing to expressive writing, architecture, and more are essential to our lives.…


Book cover of Joyful Recollections of Trauma

Amy Tector Author Of The Foulest Things

From Amy's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Amy's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Amy Tector Why did Amy love this book?

Comedian Paul Scheer, host of the How Did This Get Made podcast, writes a tender, heartbreaking and hilarious memoir recounting how creativity and imagination saved him from abusive situations.

Book cover of The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life
Book cover of The Cottage Fairy Companion: A Cottagecore Guide to Slow Living, Connecting to Nature, and Becoming Enchanted Again
Book cover of The Only Constant: A Guide to Embracing Change and Leading an Authentic Life

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