Top 10 Motivational Books of All time
I recently read a blog post by Inc.com that listed their top 10 motivational books of all time, as well as including some excellent quotes from each book.
I discovered that I have numbers 10 to 6 in my success library… so I had better get reading the top 5!
Remember: Readers are leaders!
Have you read any of these books?
The Motivational Books I Have in my Success Library
10. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
This book by Steven Covey’s doesn’t just help you develop better habits, it convinces you that acquiring them will make you a better person.
Best quote: “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.”
I particularly like the story about the kids running amok on the train… It will change the way you think, or has Covey suggests, your perceptions.
9. How to Win Friends & Influence People
Carnegie explains that business relationships and personal relationships are absolutely inseparable.
Best quote:“The unvarnished truth is that almost all the people you meet feel themselves superior to you in some way, and a sure way to their hearts is to let them realise in some subtle way that you recognise their importance, and recognise it sincerely.”
8. Think and Grow Rich
Napoleon Hill interviewed “40 millionaires” to discover the common thought processes and behaviours that had led to their success.
His study of these “best practices” was revolutionary in a world where it was largely assumed that great wealth resulted from a combination of greed and luck.
An excellent book I have read several times.
Best quote:“All the breaks you need in life wait within your imagination. Imagination is the workshop of your mind, capable of turning mind energy into accomplishment and wealth.”
7. Awaken the Giant Within
Anthony Robbins is one of the most well known motivational trainers of the current era.
If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know that I am a HUGE Tony Robbins fan.
I have read this book several times and I constantly listen to his audio programs on my iPhone.
Best quote:“If you can’t, you must. If you must, you can.”
6. As a Man Thinketh
This 1902 classic by James Allen, explains how your thoughts mould your personality, and how that personality drives you to take action and determines the type of action you’ll take.
This is only a short little book that you can read in no time at all.
Best quote: “The dreamers are the saviours of the world. As the visible world is sustained by the invisible, so men, through all their trials and sins and sordid vocations, are nourished by the beautiful visions of their solitary dreamers.”
The Motivational Books on my Must Read List
5. The Greatest Salesman in the World
This book by Og Mandino, is required reading for anybody who sells.
Which is just about everybody.
Best quote: “I will live this day as if it is my last. This day is all I have and these hours are now my eternity. I greet this sunrise with cries of joy as a prisoner who is reprieved from death. I lift mine arms with thanks for this priceless gift of a new day.”
4. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Richard Carlson helps you differentiate between what’s really important–and deserving of your attention–and what’s just “noise in the system.”
My Step-Daughter actually has this book… I think I will borrow it 🙂
Best quote: “Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness.”
3. Drive
Daniel Pink’s book illustrates that motivation comes from many sources and that, at the highest level of performance, motivation come from your deepest and most profound sense of who you are and want to be.
Best quote: “For artists, scientists, inventors, schoolchildren, and the rest of us, intrinsic motivation–the drive to do something because it is interesting, challenging, and absorbing – is essential for high levels of creativity.”
2. The Power of Positive Thinking
When it was first published, both psychologists and theologians attacked this book as heretical, and accused author Norman Vincent Peale of being a crank.
Today, science has verified the book’s basic concept–that being optimistic makes you healthier and happier and therefore more likely to succeed.
Best quote: “Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear.
Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow.
But any action is better than no action at all.”
1. Your Favourite Here
Now it’s your turn.
What book do you think should be on this list?
One of my favourite books is Secrets of the Millionaire Mind. by T. Harv Eker.
And I also love Brendon Burchard’s books, “The Charge” and “The Motivational Manifesto”.
But my number one would have to be “Rich Dad Poor Dad”!
You can pick up any of these great books online with FREE delivery from Fishpond.
So how about you?
What are your Top motivational books of all time?
Leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts.
Source: Inc.com
To your success,
John W. Newman
Dream It, Believe It, Then Achieve It!
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Hi John,
Great article. I have read many motivational books over the years and love ‘Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill but with my focus at night and in the morning on my affiliate marketing business (i have a proper job during the day) I have very little time for books and actually when I reflect on this now I realise why I am a bit down in the mouth and not as motivated. I’m going to rectify this now, thanks for the kick in the pants!
I particularly love the quote you chose “Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness.â€
I find that if I am not reading my positive affirmations or reading motivational books that I can find I start procrastinating a bit, start doubting myself and i’m not as motivated to do the work on my online business!
So finding the time to read a good motivational book is an investment in yourself 🙂
Thanks for your comment!
Hi John,
Great to be back on your site again. Today has been a stressful day at work for me so it’s comforting to know that “Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness.” That sounds like almost everyone in my workplace 🙂 Since I am not alone in this chronic condition, I guess I shouldn’t stress about it so much.
My favorite book? Well, it’s actually a PDF I read sometime ago – very down-to-earth and very easy to read – especially if thick help books stress you out.
It’s called Little Book of Contentment by Leo Babauta. You should be able to find it online.
Hi Cathy, great to hear from you again as well.
I know we all get stressed out at times, especially in a work environment!
I hope you are feeling a bit less stressed soon 🙂
I haven’t heard of the little book of contentment, but I will definitely have a read!
Thanks for your comment!
Your top 10 motivational books of all time list is pretty impressive John. Motivational books definitely have their time and place in one’s life. I’ve read a couple of the books in your list and they definitively change your paradigm of thinking.
I think I’d like to check out Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. The more we learn about stress the more we realize how damaging it is to our lives, love the quote btw.
Great list John, thanks.
Thanks for the feedback Todd!
I think personal development and motivational books are extremely beneficial.
Through my personal development over the past few years, I now realise how much of a negative person I had been in the past!
I will admit, negativity can still creep in, but I can now recognise it, and change it!
Motivation and personal development is a life long journey, that is why it is so important to continually feed our mind with good, positive information!
Thanks for your comment 🙂
Hey John, I had read both “Think & Grow Rich” & “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and is now listening to their audio books. Never get tired of listening and always discovering something new. Its good that you are recommending them here.
I had read books by Donald Trump and I find his writing style very entertaining.
Hey Ben, thanks for your comment.
I have read a few of Donald Trump’s books, as well as a couple he co-authored with Robert Kyosaki – good books!
It is also good to hear that you also enjoy listening to audios! It is important to continually feed our minds with positive information! Thanks again 🙂
Great list and I will be sure to add a few of them to my own collection. I have got Think and Grow Rich lined up as my next read but I struggle with fitting reading in amongst putting their advice into practice.
Have you found any way of managing reading new content whilst putting things in place to start making more money?
I must admit Lee that reading something and putting it into practice are two very different things!
Tony Robbins says that repetition is the mother of skill, and that is why sometimes you can hear or read something a number of times before it starts to sink in 😉
I have noticed that my reading has dropped off a fair bit lately, but I have also been taking a lot more action on building out my website and creating some information products!
I guess it is a bit of a balancing act!
Thanks for your comment and enjoy Think and Grow Rich 🙂
This is a very interesting list of motivational books John.
I’m currently reading your number 10 (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People) and I’m enjoying it so far. I’ve also got your number 9 book (How to Win Friends & Influence People) on my ‘to read list’. When I was researching this book, I came across an updated version of it called ‘How to Win Friends & Influence People In The Digital Age’. Have you read this version? It sounds like it might be more relevant to the online world we live in today.
Thanks for the new suggestions in your top 5. Rich Dad Poor Dad is certainly an interesting read.
Thanks for your comment Matt!
No I haven’t read the updated version of ‘How to Win Friends & Influence People In The Digital Age’ yet, but I did see it advertised somewhere recently… another one to add to my must read list!
The 7 habits is an excellent read, I am sure you will continue to enjoy it!
Thanks again 🙂