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Top 10 Self-Help Books

Today Lindsey Webster, rehabilitation counselor and owner of the site Masters in Counseling writes about her favorite Self-Help books. I’ve only read a few of these so it’s great to get some recommendations from her. Take it away, Lindsey!

My Top Ten List of Self-Help Books

There are so many self-help books on the market today, rummaging for a good one can be a bit overwhelming. Whether you are currently seeing a counselor on a regular basis or you just need a little inspiration in your life, self-help books are great life improvement tools. If you are currently seeing a counselor, ask them to recommend a book relevant to the issue you are seeking therapy for. In the meantime, here is my personal top ten self-help booklist. The following titles are in no particular order or ranking.

1. “A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose” by Eckhart Tolle: As the title suggests, this theme of this book is mindfulness/consciousness. There is also a full discussion on the ego and how dangerous and destructive it is to true awareness. “A New Earth” is a follow-up to Tolle’s first bestseller, “The Power of Now.”

2. “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch: This is one of the most touching, motivational books ever. The book is actually the text form of a lecture that the author gave in 2007 at Carnegie Mellon University. The topic of the lecture (“Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”) was a plea to the audience to live your life to the fullest, as we never know when it will end.

3. “The Four Agreements” by Miguel Angel Ruiz: This book discusses four agreements that we should make with ourselves and others; be impeccable with your word, don’t take anything personally, don’t make assumptions and always do your best. According to the book, when we keep those agreements, we will create happiness and peace in our lives.


4. “Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life” by Spencer Johnson: In this book, Johnson discusses complacency and the four reactions to change in our lives through a “parable” about two mice and two “little people” searching for cheese.

5. “The Art of Happiness” by the Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler: This book discusses perception and where to look for true happiness. According to the Dalai Lama, once one’s basic survival needs are met, all one needs to do is train their own heart and mind to achieve happiness. It will not come from the outside.

6. “Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment” by Deepak Chopra: This novel delves into the life of Jesus. Walking us through the years of his life, this book aims to explain his path to enlightenment and why this path was (and still is) so profound.

7. “Siddhartha” by Hermann Hesse: This novel tells the story of an Indian man, Siddhartha, and his journey to spirituality during the time of the Buddha. The novel explains how all your experiences in life (whether good or evil) help lead you to enlightenment.


8. “When Bad Things Happen to Good People” by Harold Kushner: This book discusses the misconceptions people have about theodicy and why God allows bad, evil things to happen, especially to “good” people.

9. “The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook” by Edmund J. Bourne: This book is a great supplement to those seeking therapy for all types of anxiety disorders. Included in this book are skills for assessing and treating anxiety, current research and medications and new therapeutic techniques.

10. “The Secret” by Rhona Byrne: This book is based on the law of attraction and explains how you can increase health, happiness and wealth through positive thinking. This “law of attraction” works by attracting people, events and situations of a certain frequency to a person with a similar frequency. Therefore, if you think positively, you will receive positive feedback.

Lindsey Webster has been a rehabilitation counselor for 15 years and also owns the site <ahref=http://www.mastersincounseling.org>Masters in Counseling</a>. She likes to write about different topics related to counseling and careers.

Thank you, Lindsey! I loved When Bad Things Happen to Good People and often recommend it to my clients. And now it’s time for the Author Blog Bounce, hosted by Omnific Publishing.

Comments

Cherie Colyer said…
Thanks for sharing your list of books :) I'll have to check a few out.
Nicki Elson said…
I've never actually read a self-help book, but it looks like you have an interesting mix here. Thanks for the mini-synopsis!
I love self help books
and your self help books's contents are very well.