100 Best Productivity Books of All Time

We've ranked the best productivity books using expert recommendations, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. At Shortform, we know books. Our book guides are the best in the world. Learn why.

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity book cover1

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

David Allen

5.0
"The Bible of business and personal productivity" —Lifehack

"A completely revised and updated edition of the blockbuster bestseller from 'the personal productivity guru'"Fast Company


Since it was first published almost fifteen years ago, David Allen’s Getting Things Done has become one of the most influential business books of its era, and the ultimate book on personal organization. “GTD” is now sh
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change book cover2

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

Stephen R. Covey

4.7
When Stephen Covey first released The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, the book became an instant rage because people suddenly got up and took notice that their lives were headed off in the wrong direction; and more than that, they realized that there were so many simple things they could do in order to navigate their life correctly. This book was wonderful education for people, education
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World book cover3

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

Cal Newport

4.7
One of the most valuable skills in our economy is becoming increasingly rare. If you master this skill, you'll achieve extraordinary results.

Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It's a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. Deep work will make you better at what you do and provide th
4

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

Charles Duhigg

4.7
A young woman walks into a laboratory. Over the past two years, she has transformed almost every aspect of her life. She has quit smoking, run a marathon, and been promoted at work. The patterns inside her brain, neurologists discover, have fundamentally changed.

Marketers at Procter & Gamble study videos of people making their beds. They are desperately trying to figure out how to sell a new produ
The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right book cover5

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right

Atul Gawande

4.6

The New York Times bestselling author of Better and Complications reveals the surprising power of the ordinary checklist

We live in a world of great and increasing complexity, where even the most expert professionals struggle to master the tasks they face. Longer training, ever more advanced technologies‚neither seems to prevent grievous errors. But in a hopeful turn, acclaimed surgeon and writer

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones book cover6

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

James Clear

4.6
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich book cover7

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich

Timothy Ferriss

4.6
More than 100 pages of new, cutting-edge content.
Forget the old concept of retirement and the rest of the deferred-life plan there is no need to wait and every reason not to, especially in unpredictable economic times. Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, experiencing high-end world travel, earning a monthly five-figure income with zero management, or just living more and working less, Th
The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results book cover8

The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results

Gary Keller and Jay Papasa

4.5
The One Thing explains the success habit to overcome the six lies that block our success, beat the seven thieves that steal time, and leverage the laws of purpose, priority, and productivity.
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less book cover9

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

Greg McKeown

4.5
Have you ever found yourself stretched too thin?

Do you simultaneously feel overworked and underutilized?

Are you often busy but not productive?

Do you feel like your time is constantly being hijacked by other people’s agendas?

If you answered yes to any of these, the way out is the Way of the Essentialist.

The Way of the Essentialist isn’t about getting more done in less time. It’s about getting only
Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time book cover10

Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time

Brian Tracy

4.5
Stop Procrastinating
Get More of the Important Things Done--Today!
There just isn't enough time for everything on our to-do list--and there never will be. Successful people don't try to do everything. They learn to focus on the most important tasks and make sure those get done. They eat their frogs.
There's an old saying that if the first thing you do each morning is eat a live frog, you'll have t
Thinking, Fast and Slow book cover11

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Kahneman

4.5
Major New York Times bestseller
Winner of the National Academy of Sciences Best Book Award in 2012
Selected by the New York Times Book Review as one of the best books of 2011
A Globe and Mail Best Books of the Year 2011 Title
One of The Economist's 2011 Books of the Year
One of The Wall Street Journal's Best Nonfiction Books of the Year 2011
2013 Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient

In the internatio
How to Win Friends & Influence People book cover12

How to Win Friends & Influence People

Dale Carnegie

4.5
You can go after the job you want—and get it!
You can take the job you have—and improve it!
You can take any situation—and make it work for you!

Dale Carnegie’s rock-solid, time-tested advice has carried countless people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives. One of the most groundbreaking and timeless bestsellers of all time, How to Win Friends & Influence People will teach
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success book cover13

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

Carol S. Dweck

4.4
Now updated with new research — the book that has changed millions of lives.

After decades of research, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. In this brilliant book, she shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor can be dramatically influenced by how
14

The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy

Chris Bailey

4.4
A fresh, personal, and entertaining exploration of a topic that concerns all of us: how to be more productive at work and in every facet of our lives.

Chris Bailey turned down lucrative job offers to pursue a lifelong dream—to spend a year performing a deep dive experiment into the pursuit of productivity, a subject he had been enamored with since he was a teenager. After obtaining his business d
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience book cover15

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

4.4
Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's famous investigations of "optimal experience" have revealed that what makes an experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness called flow. During flow, people typically experience deep enjoyment, creativity, and a total involvement with life. In this new edition of his groundbreaking classic work, Csikszentmihalyi demonstrates the ways this posit
Tools of Titans book cover16

Tools of Titans

Timothy Ferriss

4.4

The latest groundbreaking book from Tim Ferriss, the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The 4-Hour Workweek.

From the author:

“For the last two years, I’ve interviewed nearly two hundred world-class performers for my podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show. The guests range from super celebs (Jamie Foxx, Arnold Schwarzenegger, etc.) and athletes (icons of powerlifting, gymnastics, surfing, etc.) to l

The War of Art book cover17

The War of Art

Steven Pressfield

4.4
The Art of War meets "The Artist's Way" in this no-nonsense, profoundly inspiring guide to overcoming creative blocks of every kind.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life book cover18

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

Mark Manson

4.3
Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780062457738

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. "Fk positivity," Mark Manson says. "Let’s be honest, shit is fked and w
19

Rework

Jason Fried, David Heinemeier Hansson

4.3
Most business books give you the same old advice: Write a business plan, study the competition, seek investors, yadda yadda. If you're looking for a book like that, put this one back on the shelf.

Rework shows you a better, faster, easier way to succeed in business. Read it and you'll know why plans are actually harmful, why you don't need outside investors, and why you're better off ignoring the c
The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done book cover20

The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done

Peter F. Drucker

4.3
A handsome, commemorative edition of Peter F. Drucker’s timeless classic work on leadership and management, with a foreword by Jim Collins.

What makes an effective executive?

For decades, Peter F. Drucker was widely regarded as "the dean of this country’s business and management philosophers" (Wall Street Journal). In this concise and brilliant work, he looks to the most influential position in mana
Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business book cover21

Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business

Charles Duhigg

4.3
A new book that explores the science of productivity, and why, in today’s world, managing how you think—rather than what you think—can transform your life.
22

Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind

99U

4.3
Do you work at a breakneck pace all day, only to find that you haven't accomplished the most important things on your agenda by the time you leave the office? With wisdom from 20 leading creative minds, 99U's Manage Your Day-to-Day will equip you with pragmatic insights for using your time wisely and making your best work. We'll show you how to build a rock-solid daily routine, field a constant ba
23

Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World

Cal Newport

4.3
The key to living well in a high tech world is to spend much less time using technology.

Georgetown computer scientist Cal Newport's Deep Work sparked a movement around the idea that unbroken concentration produces far more value than the electronic busyness that defines the modern work day. But his readers had an urgent follow-up question: What about technology in our personal lives?

In recent year
Outliers: The Story of Success book cover24

Outliers: The Story of Success

Malcolm Gladwell

4.3
In this stunning new book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"--the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different?

His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their
So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love book cover25

So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love

Cal Newport

4.3
In an unorthodox approach, Georgetown University professor Cal Newport debunks the long-held belief that "follow your passion" is good advice, and sets out on a quest to discover the reality of how people end up loving their careers.

Not only are pre-existing passions rare and have little to do with how most people end up loving their work, but a focus on passion over skill can be dangerous, leadi
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing book cover26

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

Marie Kondō

4.3
Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles?

Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you'll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us book cover27

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

Daniel H. Pink

4.3
The New York Times bestseller that gives readers a paradigm-shattering new way to think about motivation

Most people believe that the best way to motivate is with rewards like money—the carrot-and-stick approach. That's a mistake, says Daniel H. Pink (author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Motivating Others). In this provocative and persuasive new book, he asserts that the secret t
The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses book cover28

The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses

Eric Ries

4.3
Most startups fail. But many of those failures are preventable. The Lean Startup is a new approach being adopted across the globe, changing the way companies are built and new products are launched.

Eric Ries defines a startup as an organization dedicated to creating something new under conditions of extreme uncertainty. This is just as true for one person in a garage or a group of seasoned profes
The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less book cover29

The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less

Richard Koch

4.2
How anyone can be more effective with less effort by learning how to identify and leverage the 80/20 principle--the well-known, unpublicized secret that 80 percent of all our results in business and in life stem from a mere 20 percent of our efforts.

The 80/20 principle is one of the great secrets of highly effective people and organizations.

Did you know, for example, that 20 percent of customers a
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion book cover30

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

Robert B. Cialdini

4.2
Influence, the classic book on persuasion, explains the psychology of why people say "yes"—and how to apply these understandings. Dr. Robert Cialdini is the seminal expert in the rapidly expanding field of influence and persuasion. His thirty-five years of rigorous, evidence-based research along with a three-year program of study on what moves people to change behavior has resulted in this highly
Think and Grow Rich book cover31

Think and Grow Rich

Napoleon Hill

4.2
One of the most popular personal development and self-improvement books of all time, Think and Grow Rich has sold over 100 million copies worldwide since its first publication during the Great Depression. In this hardcover edition, Napoleon Hill presents a "Philosophy of Achievement" in 13 principles drawn from the success stories of such greats as Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and o
Principles: Life and Work book cover32

Principles: Life and Work

Ray Dalio

4.2
Ray Dalio, one of the world’s most successful investors and entrepreneurs, shares the unconventional principles that he’s developed, refined, and used over the past forty years to create unique results in both life and business—and which any person or organization can adopt to help achieve their goals.

In 1975, Ray Dalio founded an investment firm, Bridgewater Associates, out of his two-bedroom apa
The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future book cover33

The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future

Ryder Carroll

4.2
The long-awaited first book by the founder of the enormously popular Bullet Journal® organizational system.

For years Ryder Carroll tried countless organizing systems, online and off, but none of them fit the way his mind worked. Out of sheer necessity, he developed a method called the Bullet Journal that helped him become consistently focused and effective. When he started sharing his system with
The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life: Before 8AM book cover34

The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life: Before 8AM

Hal Elrod

4.2
What if you could miraculously wake up tomorrow and any—or every area of your life was transformed? What would be different? Would you be happier? Healthier? More successful? In better shape? Would you have more energy? Less Stress? More Money? Better relationships? Which of your problems would be solved?

What if I told you that there is a "not-so-obvious" secret that is guaranteed to transform any
Grit book cover35
In this must-read book for anyone striving to succeed, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows parents, educators, students, and business people both seasoned and new that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a focused persistence called grit.

Why do some people succeed and others fail? Sharing new insights from her landmark research on grit, Angela Duckworth explains why
The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It book cover36

The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It

Kelly McGonigal

4.2
The first book to explain the new science of self-control and how it can be harnessed to improve our health, happiness, and productivity.

After years of watching her students struggling with their choices, health psychologist Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., realized that much of what people believe about willpower is actually sabotaging their success. Committed to sharing what the scientific community alre
The Compound Effect book cover37

The Compound Effect

Darren Hardy

4.2
The New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, based on the principle that little, everyday decisions will either take you to the life you desire or to disaster by default.

No gimmicks. No Hyperbole. No Magic Bullet. The Compound Effect is a distillation of the fundamental principles that have guided the most phenomenal achievements in business, relationships, and beyond. This easy-to-use,
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference book cover38

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

Malcolm Gladwell

4.2
An alternate cover edition exists here.

The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. This widely acclaimed bestseller,
The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play book cover39

The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play

Neil Fiore

4.2
Learn how to overcome procrastination and enjoy guilt-free play! One of the most effective programs to combat procrastination, THE NOW HABIT has sold over 100,000 copies, has been translated into 11 languages, and is now revised and updated.

Featuring a new introduction and a new section providing strategies to understand and deal with the role technology plays in procrastination today, THE NOW HAB
The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph book cover40

The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph

Ryan Holiday

4.2
“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” — Marcus Aurelius

We are stuck, stymied, frustrated. But it needn’t be this way. There is a formula for success that’s been followed by the icons of history—from John D. Rockefeller to Amelia Earhart to Ulysses S. Grant to Steve Jobs—a formula that let them turn obstacles into opportunities. Faced with impossible si
Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams book cover41

Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams

Matthew Walker

4.2
Why We Sleep is an important and fascinating book…Walker taught me a lot about this basic activity that every person on Earth needs. I suspect his book will do the same for you.” —Bill Gates

A New York Times bestseller and international sensation, this “stimulating and important book” (Financial Times) is a fascinating dive into the purpose and power of slumber.

With two appearances on CBS This Mor
Magic of Thinking Big book cover42

Magic of Thinking Big

David J. Schwartz

4.2
The Magic of Thinking Big gives you useful methods, not empty promises. Dr. Schwartz presents a carefully designed program for getting the most out of your job, your marriage and family life, and your community. He proves that you don't need to be an intellectual or have innate talent to attain great success and satisfaction, but you do need to learn and understand the habit of thinking and behavi
43

Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness

Richard H. Thaler

4.2
Every day, we make decisions on topics ranging from personal investments to schools for our children to the meals we eat to the causes we champion. Unfortunately, we often choose poorly. The reason, the authors explain, is that, being human, we all are susceptible to various biases that can lead us to blunder. Our mistakes make us poorer and less healthy; we often make bad decisions involving educ
First Things First book cover44

First Things First

Stephen R. Covey, A. Roger Merrill, Rebecca R. Merrill

4.2
The authors of this book apply insights from their previous book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, to the daily problems of people who must struggle with the demands of work and home life. Rather than focusing on time and change, the book emphasizes relationships and results.
Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future book cover46

Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future

Peter Thiel

4.2
If you want to build a better future, you must believe in secrets.

The great secret of our time is that there are still uncharted frontiers to explore and new inventions to create. In Zero to One, legendary entrepreneur and investor Peter Thiel shows how we can find singular ways to create those new things.

Thiel begins with the contrarian premise that we live in an age of technological stagnation,
Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day book cover47

Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day

Jake Knapp

4.2
From the New York Times bestselling authors of Sprint, a simple 4-step system for improving focus, finding greater joy in your work, and getting more out of every day

Nobody ever looked at an empty calendar and said, "The best way to spend this time is by cramming it full of meetings!" or got to work in the morning and thought, Today I'll spend hours on Facebook! Yet that's exactly what we do. Why?
Mastery book cover48
In this book, Robert Greene demonstrates that the ultimate form of power is mastery itself. By analyzing the lives of such past masters as Charles Darwin, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, and Leonard da Vinci, as well as by interviewing nine contemporary masters, including tech guru Paul Graham and animal rights advocate Temple Grandin, Greene debunks our culture’s many myths about genius and d
The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks Than Others Do in 12 Months book cover49

The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks Than Others Do in 12 Months

Brian P. Moran, Michael Lennington

4.2
The guide to shortening your execution cycle down from one year to twelve weeks

Most organizations and individuals work in the context of annual goals and plans; a twelve-month execution cycle. Instead, "The 12 Week Year" avoids the pitfalls and low productivity of annualized thinking. This book redefines your "year" to be 12 weeks long. In 12 weeks, there just isn't enough time to get complacent,
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't book cover50

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't

Jim Collins

4.2
To find the keys to greatness, Collins's 21-person research team read and coded 6,000 articles, generated more than 2,000 pages of interview transcripts and created 384 megabytes of computer data in a five-year project. The findings will surprise many readers and, quite frankly, upset others.

The Challenge
Built to Last, the defining management study of the nineties, showed how great companies trium
Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life book cover51

Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life

Nir Eyal

4.1
You sit down at your desk to work on an important project, but a notification on your phone interrupts your morning. Later, as you're about to get back to work, a colleague taps you on the shoulder to chat. At home, screens get in the way of quality time with your family. Another day goes by, and once again, your most important personal and professional goals are put on hold.

What would be possibl
52

Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days

Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky, Braden Kowitz

4.1
Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win book cover53

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win

Jocko Willink

4.1
An updated edition of the blockbuster bestselling leadership book that took America and the world by storm, two U.S. Navy SEAL officers who led the most highly decorated special operations unit of the Iraq War demonstrate how to apply powerful leadership principles from the battlefield to business and life.

Combat, the most intense and dynamic environment imaginable, teaches the toughest leadership
Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise book cover54

Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise

Anders-Ericsson

4.1
Selected as a Book of the Year by New Statesman

Mozart wasn’t born with perfect pitch.

Most athletes are not born with any natural advantage.

Three world-class chess players were sisters, whose success was planned by their parents before they were even born.

Anders Ericsson has spent thirty years studying The Special Ones, the geniuses, sports stars and musical prodigies. And his remarkable finding, r
When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing book cover55

When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing

Daniel H. Pink

4.1
Everyone knows that timing is everything. But we don't know much about timing itself. Our lives are a never-ending stream of "when" decisions: when to start a business, schedule a class, get serious about a person. Yet we make those decisions based on intuition and guesswork.

Timing, it's often assumed, is an art. In When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, Pink shows that timing is really a
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action book cover56

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

Simon Sinek

4.1
Why do you do what you do?

Why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over?

People like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers might have little in common, but they a
Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything book cover57

Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything

Joshua Foer

4.1
The blockbuster phenomenon that charts an amazing journey of the mind while revolutionizing our concept of memory

An instant bestseller that is poised to become a classic, Moonwalking with Einstein recounts Joshua Foer's yearlong quest to improve his memory under the tutelage of top "mental athletes." He draws on cutting-edge research, a surprising cultural history of remembering, and venerable tri
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration book cover58

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

Ed Catmull

4.1
“What does it mean to manage well?”
From Ed Catmull, co-founder (with Steve Jobs and John Lasseter) of Pixar Animation Studios, comes an incisive book about creativity in business—sure to appeal to readers of Daniel Pink, Tom Peters, and Chip and Dan Heath. Creativity, Inc. is a book for managers who want to lead their employees to new heights, a manual for anyone who strives for originality, and t
How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading book cover59

How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading

Mortimer J. Adler, Charles Van Doren

4.1
With more than half a million paperback copies in print and now in this stunning hardcover keepsake edition, How to Read a Book is the classic and definitive guide to reading comprehension and retention for students of literature, scholars across disciplines, and anyone who just loves to read.

Originally written in 1940 and first published by Simon & Schuster in 1972, How to Read a Book introduces
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions book cover60

Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

Dan Ariely

4.1
Why do our headaches persist after taking a one-cent aspirin but disappear when we take a 50-cent aspirin?

Why does recalling the Ten Commandments reduce our tendency to lie, even when we couldn't possibly be caught?

Why do we splurge on a lavish meal but cut coupons to save twenty-five cents on a can of soup?

Why do we go back for second helpings at the unlimited buffet, even when our stomachs are a
The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload book cover61

The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload

Daniel J. Levitin

4.1
New York Times bestselling author and neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin shifts his keen insights from your brain on music to your brain in a sea of details.

The information age is drowning us with an unprecedented deluge of data. At the same time, we’re expected to make more—and faster—decisions about our lives than ever before. No wonder, then, that the average American reports frequently losing ca
The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement book cover62

The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement

Eliyahu M. Goldratt, Jeff Cox

4.1
Written in a fast-paced thriller style, 'The Goal' contains a serious message for all managers in industry and explains the ideas which underline the Theory of Constraints developed by the author.
Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard book cover63

Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard

Chip Heath and Dan Heath

4.1
Why is change so difficult and frightening? How do you create change when you have few resources and no title or authority to back you up? Chip and Dan Heath, the best-selling authors of Made to Stick, are back with a ground-breaking book that addresses one of the greatest challenges of our personal and professional lives — how to change things when change is hard.

In their follow-up book to the cr
Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success book cover64

Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success

Adam Grant

4.1
Give and Take highlights what effective networking, collaboration, influence, negotiation, and leadership skills have in common.

For generations, we have focused on the individual drivers of success: passion, hard work, talent, and luck. But today, success is increasingly dependent on how we interact with others. It turns out that at work, most people operate as either takers, matchers, or givers.
Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs book cover66

Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs

John Doerr

4.1
Legendary venture capitalist John Doerr reveals how the goal-setting system of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) has helped tech giants from Intel to Google achieve explosive growth--and how it can help any organization thrive.

In the fall of 1999, John Doerr met with the founders of a start-up whom he'd just given $12.5 million, the biggest investment of his career. Larry Page and Sergey Brin h
Never Split the Difference book cover67

Never Split the Difference

Chris Voss

4.1
A former international hostage negotiator for the FBI offers a new, field-tested approach to high-stakes negotiations—whether in the boardroom or at home.

After a stint policing the rough streets of Kansas City, Missouri, Chris Voss joined the FBI, where his career as a hostage negotiator brought him face-to-face with a range of criminals, including bank robbers and terrorists. Reaching the pinnacl
168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think book cover68

168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think

Laura Vanderkam

4.1
There are 168 hours in a week. This is your guide to getting the most out of them.

It's an unquestioned truth of modern life: we are starved for time. We tell ourselves we'd like to read more, get to the gym regularly, try new hobbies, and accomplish all kinds of goals. But then we give up because there just aren't enough hours to do it all. Or if we don't make excuses, we make sacrifices- taking
A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra) book cover69

A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra)

Barbara Oakley

4.1
Whether you are a student struggling to fulfill a math or science requirement, or you are embarking on a career change that requires a higher level of math competency, A Mind for Numbers offers the tools you need to get a better grasp of that intimidating but inescapable field. Engineering professor Barbara Oakley knows firsthand how it feels to struggle with math. She flunked her way through high
Who Moved My Cheese? book cover70

Who Moved My Cheese?

Spencer Johnson

4.1
Who Moved My Cheese? is a simple parable that reveals profound truths. It is an amusing and enlightening story of four characters who live in a "Maze" and look for "Cheese" to nourish them and make them happy.

Two are mice named Sniff and Scurry. And two are "Littlepeople"—beings the size of mice who look and act a lot like people. Their names are Hem and Haw.

"Cheese" is a metaphor for what you wan
The Art of Learning: A Journey in the Pursuit of Excellence book cover71

The Art of Learning: A Journey in the Pursuit of Excellence

Josh Waitzkin

4.1
Josh Waitzkin knows what it means to be at the top of his game. A public figure since winning his first National Chess Championship at the age of nine, Waitzkin was catapulted into a media whirlwind as a teenager when his father's book "Searching for Bobby Fischer" was made into a major motion picture. After dominating the scholastic chess world for ten years, Waitzkin expanded his horizons, takin
The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal book cover72

The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal

Jim Loehr, Tony Schwartz

4.1
We live in digital time. Our pace is rushed, rapid-fire, and relentless. Facing crushing workloads, we try to cram as much as possible into every day. We're wired up, but we're melting down. Time management is no longer a viable solution. As bestselling authors Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz demonstrate in this groundbreaking book, managing energy, not time, is the key to enduring high performance as
Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative book cover73

Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative

Austin Kleon

4.1
You don’t need to be a genius, you just need to be yourself. That’s the message from Austin Kleon, a young writer and artist who knows that creativity is everywhere, creativity is for everyone. A manifesto for the digital age, Steal Like an Artist is a guide whose positive message, graphic look and illustrations, exercises, and examples will put readers directly in touch with their artistic side.
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Ego is the Enemy

Ryan Holiday

4.1
As in the Obstacle is the way, Ryan holiday delivers practical and inspiring philosophy, this time exploring a powerful concept that runs back centuries, across borders and schools of thought: Ego. Ego is our biggest enemy. Early in our careers, it can prevent us from learning and developing our talents. When we taste success, ego can blind us to our own faults, alienate us from others and lead to
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking book cover75

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

Susan Cain

4.1
The book that started the Quiet Revolution

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society.

In Quiet, Susan Cain a
The 48 Laws of Power book cover76

The 48 Laws of Power

Robert Greene

4.1
This amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive book synthesizes the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, and Carl Von Clausewitz with the historical legacies of statesmen, warriors, seducers, and con men throughout the ages.
77

Awaken the Giant Within

Tony Robbins

4.0
Based on his exclusive "Date with Destiny" seminars, the bestselling author of Unlimited Powerional anecdotes, case studies, personalized self-help tests and a program anyone can follow teach readers the lessons in destiny that lead to self-mastery.
Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School book cover78

Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School

John Medina

4.0
Most of us have no idea what’s really going on inside our heads. Yet brain scientists have uncovered details every business leader, parent, and teacher should know—like the need for physical activity to get your brain working its best.

How do we learn? What exactly do sleep and stress do to our brains? Why is multi-tasking a myth? Why is it so easy to forget—and so important to repeat new knowledge
Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning book cover79

Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning

Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, Mark A. McDaniel

4.0
To most of us, learning something "the hard way" implies wasted time and effort. Good teaching, we believe, should be creatively tailored to the different learning styles of students and should use strategies that make learning easier. Make It Stick turns fashionable ideas like these on their head. Drawing on recent discoveries in cognitive psychology and other disciplines, the authors offer concr
80

Do the Work

Steven Pressfield

4.0
“There is an enemy. There is an intelligent, active, malign force working against us. Step one is to recognize this. This recognition alone is enormously powerful. It saved my life, and it will save yours.” —Steven Pressfield

Could you be getting in your way of producing great work? Have you started a project but never finished? Would you like to do work that matters, but don’t know where to start?
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking book cover81

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

Malcolm Gladwell

4.0
Drawing on cutting-edge neuroscience and psychology and displaying all of the brilliance that made The Tipping Point a classic, Blink changes the way you'll understand every decision you make. Never again will you think about thinking the same way.

Malcolm Gladwell redefined how we understand the world around us. Now, in Blink, he revolutionizes the way we understand the world within. Blink is a bo
82

High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become That Way

Brendon Burchard

4.0
THESE SIX HABITS WILL MAKE YOU EXTRAORDINARY.

After extensive original research and a decade as the world’s highest-paid performance coach, Brendon Burchard finally reveals the most effective habits for reaching long-term success. Based on one of the largest surveys ever conducted on high performers, it turns out that just six habits move the needle the most in helping you succeed. Adopt these six
How to Become a Straight-A Student book cover83

How to Become a Straight-A Student

Cal Newport

4.0
Looking to jumpstart your GPA? Most college students believe that straight A's can be achieved only through cramming and painful all-nighters at the library. But Cal Newport knows that real straight-A students don't study harder--they study smarter. A breakthrough approach to acing academic assignments, from quizzes and exams to essays and papers, "How to Become a Straight-A Student" reveals for t
84

Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?

Seth Godin

4.0
"This is what the future of work (and the world) looks like. Actually, it's already happening around you." — Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos.com

In bestsellers such as Purple Cow and Tribes, Seth Godin taught readers how to make remarkable products and spread powerful ideas. But this book is about you—your choices, your future, and your potential to make a huge difference in whatever field you choose.

There
Decisive: How to Make Better Decisions book cover85

Decisive: How to Make Better Decisions

Dan Heath, Chip,Heath

4.0
Just making a decision can be hard enough, but how do you begin to judge whether it's the right one? Chip and Dan Heath, authors of #1 New York Times best-seller Switch, show you how to overcome your brain's natural shortcomings.

In Decisive, Chip and Dan Heath draw on decades of psychological research to explain why we so often get it very badly wrong - why our supposedly rational brains are fr
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die book cover86

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

Chip Heath, Dan Heath

4.0
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The instant classic about why some ideas thrive, why others die, and how to improve your idea's chances--essential reading in the "fake news" era.

Mark Twain once observed, "A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can even get its boots on." His observation rings true: Urban legends, conspiracy theories, and bogus news stories circulate effortlessly. Mean
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment book cover87

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

Eckhart Tolle

4.0
Eckhart Tolle is emerging as one of today's most inspiring teachers. In The
Power of Now, a #1 national bestseller, the author describes his transition
from despair to self-realization soon after his 29th birthday. Tolle took
another ten years to understand this transformation, during which time he
evolved a philosophy that has parallels in Buddhism, relaxation techniques,
and meditation theory but is
Show Your Work! 10 Ways to Show Your Creativity and Get Discovered: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered book cover88

Show Your Work! 10 Ways to Show Your Creativity and Get Discovered: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered

Austin Kleon

4.0
In his New York Times bestseller Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon showed readers how to unlock their creativity by stealing from the community of other movers and shakers. Now, in an even more forward-thinking and necessary book, he shows how to take that critical next step on a creative journey getting known. Show Your Work! is about why generosity trumps genius. It s about getting findable, ab
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos book cover89

12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos

Jordan B. Peterson

4.0
What does everyone in the modern world need to know? Renowned psychologist Jordan B. Peterson's answer to this most difficult of questions uniquely combines the hard-won truths of ancient tradition with the stunning revelations of cutting-edge scientific research.

Humorous, surprising, and informative, Dr. Peterson tells us why skateboarding boys and girls must be left alone, what terrible fate awa
Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success book cover90

Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success

Brad Stulberg, Steve Magness

4.0
A few common principles drive performance, regardless of the field or the task at hand. Whether someone is trying to qualify for the Olympics, break ground in mathematical theory or craft an artistic masterpiece, many of the practices that lead to great success are the same. In Peak Performance, Brad Stulberg, a former McKinsey and Company consultant and journalist who covers health and the scienc
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals book cover91

Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals

Oliver Burkeman

4.0
92

The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals

Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, Jim Huling

4.0
The 4 Disciplines of Execution is a book every leader should read.” —Clayton Christensen, Professor, Harvard Business School, and author of The Innovator’s Dilemma

For fans of Good to Great and The First 90 Days, The Four Disciplines of Execution is the foundational text for creating lasting organizational change. A #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller with more than 500,000 copies sold, The Four Dis
93

Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong

Eric Barker

4.0
Much of the advice we’ve been told about achievement is logical, earnest…and downright wrong. In Barking Up the Wrong Tree, Eric Barker reveals the extraordinary science behind what actually determines success and most importantly, how anyone can achieve it. You’ll learn:


• Why valedictorians rarely become millionaires, and how your biggest weakness might actually be your greatest strength
• Whethe
The 10x Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure book cover94

The 10x Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure

Grant Cardone

4.0
Achieve "Massive Action" results and accomplish your business dreams! While most people operate with only three degrees of action-no action, retreat, or normal action-if you're after big goals, you don't want to settle for the ordinary. To reach the next level, you must understand the coveted 4th degree of action. This 4th degree, also known as the 10 X Rule, is that level of action that guarantee
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The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness

Jeff Olson

4.0
The Slight Edge is a way of thinking, a way of processing information that enables you to make the daily choices that will lead you to the success and happiness you desire. Learn why some people make dream after dream come true, while others just continue dreaming and spend their lives building dreams for someone else. It’s not just another self-help motivation tool of methods you must learn in or
The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How. book cover96

The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How.

Daniel Coyle

4.0
What is the secret of talent? How do we unlock it? In this groundbreaking work, journalist and New York Times bestselling author Daniel Coyle provides parents, teachers, coaches, businesspeople—and everyone else—with tools they can use to maximize potential in themselves and others.

Whether you're coaching soccer or teaching a child to play the piano, writing a novel or trying to improve your golf
Tribe of Mentors book cover97

Tribe of Mentors

Tim Ferriss

4.0
Tim Ferriss, the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The 4-Hour Workweek, shares the ultimate choose-your-own-adventure book—a compilation of tools, tactics, and habits from 130+ of the world's top performers. From iconic entrepreneurs to elite athletes, from artists to billionaire investors, their short profiles can help you answer life's most challenging questions, achieve extraordinary res
98

Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Getting Things Done

David Allen

4.0
In his bestselling first book, Getting Things Done, veteran coach and management consultant David Allen presented his breakthrough methods to increase efficiency. Now "the personal productivity guru" (Fast Company) shows readers how to increase their ability to work better, not harder every day. Based on Allen's highly popular e-newsletter, Ready for Anything offers readers 52 ways to immediately
Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career book cover99

Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career

Scott H. Young

4.0
Now a Wall Street Journal bestseller.

Learn a new talent, stay relevant, reinvent yourself, and adapt to whatever the workplace throws your way. Ultralearning offers nine principles to master hard skills quickly. This is the essential guide to future-proof your career and maximize your competitive advantage through self-education.

In these tumultuous times of economic and technological change, stayi
Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life... And Maybe the World book cover100

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life... And Maybe the World

William H. McRaven

4.0
If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.

If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact th