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Stephen Lew's Top Book Recommendations

Want to know what books Stephen Lew recommends on their reading list? We've researched interviews, social media posts, podcasts, and articles to build a comprehensive list of Stephen Lew's favorite book recommendations of all time.

1
The keys to understanding and developing courage. This groundbreaking book reveals that courage is more about "managing" fear than not feeling it, and that courage can be learned. The author explains that most courageous people are unaware of their own bravery, and all of us have some form of courage in our lives now, to start with. The book is filled with illustrative examples, studies, and interviews from Greenland to Kenya, and defines the types of individuals who demonstrate general, personal, and civil courage. The author includes clear guidelines and suggestions for increasing our... more
Recommended by Stephen Lew, and 1 others.

Stephen LewWhen asked what books he would recommend to youngsters interested in his professional path, Stephen mentioned The Courage Quotient. (Source)

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2
The collection of ten absorbing tales by master psychotherapist Irvin D. Yalom uncovers the mysteries, frustrations, pathos, and humor at the heart of the therapeutic encounter. In recounting his patients' dilemmas, Yalom not only gives us a rare and enthralling glimpse into their personal desires and motivations but also tells us his own story as he struggles to reconcile his all-too human responses with his sensibility as a psychiatrist. Not since Freud has an author done so much to clarify what goes on between a psychotherapist and a patient. less
Recommended by Stephen Lew, and 1 others.

Stephen LewWhen asked what books he would recommend to youngsters interested in his professional path, Stephen mentioned Love's executioner and other tales of psychotherapy. (Source)

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3
The classic compilation of psychological case studies from a master clinician and lyrical writer

Each generation of therapists can boast of only a few writers like Deborah Luepnitz, whose sympathy and wit shine in her fine, luminous prose. In Schopenhauer's Porcupines, she recounts five true stories from her practice, stories of patients who range from the super-rich to the destitute, who grapple with panic attacks, psychosomatic illness, marital despair, and sexual recklessness. Intimate, original, and triumphantly funny, Schopenhauer's Porcupines goes...
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Recommended by Stephen Lew, and 1 others.

Stephen LewWhen asked what books he would recommend to youngsters interested in his professional path, Stephen mentioned Schopenhauer's porcupines intimacy and its dilemmas. (Source)

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4
In The Upside of Your Dark Side, two pioneering researchers in the field of psychology show that while mindfulness, kindness, and positivity can take us far, they cannot take us all the way. Sometimes, they can even hold us back. Emotions such as anger, anxiety, guilt, and sadness might feel uncomfortable, but it turns out that they are also incredibly useful. For instance: 

• Anger fuels creativity 

• Guilt sparks improvement 

• Self-doubt enhances performance 



In the same vein, we can become wiser and more effective when we...
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Recommended by Stephen Lew, Jessica Flitter, and 2 others.

Stephen LewWhen asked what books he would recommend to youngsters interested in his professional path, Stephen mentioned The Upside of Your Dark Side. (Source)

Jessica FlitterObviously, an anxiety disorder is not helpful for anyone, but the authors argue that anxiety can be an alert or warning that can keep you safe. The authors discuss guilt as a motivator for growth and improvement. Fear protects you, causes you to slow down and be more cautious. Selfishness can lead to bravery. So, there are positive things that come out of negative emotions. (Source)

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5
""The best general introduction to positive psychology available."
Dr Alex Linley, University of Leicester, UK "Dr Ilona Boniwell is recognized as Europe's leading researcher, innovator and thinker in the expanding world of positive psychology. "Positive Psychology in a Nutshell" offers something for everyone with an interest in discovering how to live optimally. This brilliant little book is packed with scientific evidence identifying the key ingredients that help to create a happy life. Read it and learn how to change yours for the better."
Dr Cecilia d'Felice, Consultant...
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Recommended by Stephen Lew, and 1 others.

Stephen LewWhen asked what books he would recommend to youngsters interested in his professional path, Stephen mentioned Positive Psychology in a Nutshell. (Source)

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6

Social

Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect

We are profoundly social creatures – more than we know. 

In Social, renowned psychologist Matthew Lieberman explores groundbreaking research in social neuroscience revealing that our need to connect with other people is even more fundamental, more basic, than our need for food or shelter.  Because of this, our brain uses its spare time to learn about the social world – other people and our relation to them. It is believed that we must commit 10,000 hours to master a skill.  According to Lieberman, each of us has spent 10,000 hours learning to make sense of...
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Recommended by Stephen Lew, and 1 others.

Stephen LewWhen asked what books he would recommend to youngsters interested in his professional path, Stephen mentioned Social: why our brains are wired to connect. (Source)

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7

Wellbeing

The Five Essential Elements

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Tom Rath (more than 2 million copies sold in the U.S.) and bestselling author Jim Harter, Ph.D., a wide-ranging book (based on a 150-country Gallup study) that will help readers improve their careers, relationships, finances, physical health and community wellbeing.

Over the past decade, Gallup has introduced the concepts of strengths-based development and employee engagement to more than 20 million people around the world — largely through the #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath and...
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Recommended by Stephen Lew, and 1 others.

Stephen LewWhen asked what books he would recommend to youngsters interested in his professional path, Stephen mentioned Wellbeing: the 5 essential elements. (Source)

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8

The Compassionate Instinct

The Science of Human Goodness

In these pages you will hear from Steven Pinker, who asks, “Why is there peace?”; Robert Sapolsky, who examines violence among primates; Paul Ekman, who talks with the Dalai Lama about global compassion; Daniel Goleman, who proposes “constructive anger”; and many others. Led by renowned psychologist Dacher Keltner, the Greater Good Science Center, based at the University of California in Berkeley, has been at the forefront of the positive psychology movement, making discoveries about how and why people do good. Four times a year the center publishes its findings with essays on forgiveness,... more
Recommended by Stephen Lew, and 1 others.

Stephen Lew“The Compassionate Instinct” is a great resource for those who wish to enhance their socio-psyche abilities for thought leadership, especially for wellbeing leadership development. The literature probes into the infinite resources of human capital, particularly into avenues of humans’ compassionate instinct. Our compassionate instinct plays a cardinal role in how we choose to connect to others. (Source)

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9
Suppose you could ask God the most puzzling questions about existence - questions about love and faith, life and death, good and evil. Suppose God provided clear, understandable answers. It happened to Neale Donald Walsch. It can happen to you. You are about to have a conversation...

I have heard the crying of your heart. I have seen the searching of your soul. I know how deeply you have desired the Truth. In pain have you called out for it, and in joy. Unendingly have you beseeched Me. Show Myself. Explain Myself. Reveal Myself.

I am doing so here, in terms so plain,...
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Yaro StarakI’m always going through Neale Donald Walsch’s series called “Conversations with God”. He’s got 9 books in his dialogue series; I’m always going through one of them. I love “Conversations with God” from Neale Donald Walsch. (Source)

Stephen LewConversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch is the top of the list. This series of books brought simple and amazing insights, initially I thought it was just another category of religious books (given the titles), and I didn’t like the idea of subscribing to organised religions due to the limitation of perspectives. However, this book opened “doors of perceptions” for me, and I was peeled to... (Source)

Travis Brewer[Travis Brewer said this is one of his most-recommended books.] (Source)

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10
Over a decade ago, Martin Seligman charted a new approach to living with "flexible optimism." Now, in his most stimulating and persuasive book to date, the bestselling author of "Learned Optimism" introduces the revolutionary, scientifically based idea of "Positive Psychology." Positive Psychology focuses on strengths rather than weaknesses, asserting that happiness is not the result of good genes or luck. Seligman teaches readers that happiness can be cultivated by identifying and using many of the strengths and traits that they already possess -- including kindness, originality, humor,... more

Stephen LewWhen asked what books he would recommend to youngsters interested in his professional path, Stephen mentioned Authentic Happiness. (Source)

Jessica Pryce-JonesWhen I heard the title I thought, Oh God! What a title! It’s so American. But I like it because I read Seligman’s work way back when I was a psychology student. He was the man who gave us ‘learned helplessness’ – why men don’t learn how to use washing machines. He did experiments shocking dogs and noticed that two or three out of every ten dogs wouldn’t just lie back and be shocked, they would... (Source)

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Don't have time to read Stephen Lew's favorite books? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
11

The Celestine Prophecy

The Celestine Prophecy contains secrets that are currently changing our world. Drawing on ancient wisdom, it tells you how to make connections among the events happening in your own life right now...and lets you see what is going to happen to you in the years to come!

A book that has been passed from hand to hand, from friend to friend, since it first appeared in small bookshops across America, The Celestine Prophecy is a work that has come to light at a time when the world deeply needs to read its words. The story it tells is a gripping one of adventure and...
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Recommended by Noah Kagan, Stephen Lew, and 2 others.

Noah KaganA few months ago, I was drinking a Noah’s Mill whiskey (cute) with my good buddy Brian Balfour and talking about life... During the conversation, we got on the topic of books that changed our lives. I want to share them with you. I judge a book's success if a year later I'm still using at least 1 thing from the book. (Source)

Stephen Lew“The Celestine Prophecy” by James Redfield, that book pivoted my journey towards personal development and human excellence. At the point of time, nearly 2 decades ago, I started an inner quest of holistic wisdom, through the studies of metaphysics, meditation practices, philosophy, popular psychology, transpersonal psychology, dreams interpretations and comparative religions, I discovered an... (Source)

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12

Man's Search for Meaning

Man's Search for Meaning has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Between 1942 and 1945 psychiatrist Viktor Frankl labored in four different camps, including Auschwitz, while his parents, brother, and pregnant wife perished. Based on his own experience and the stories of his many patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. Frankl's theory—known as logotherapy, from the Greek word logos ("meaning")—holds... more

Tony RobbinsAnother book that I’ve read dozens of times. It taught me that if you change the meaning, you change everything. Meaning equals emotion, and emotion equals life. (Source)

Jimmy FallonI read it while spending ten days in the ICU of Bellevue hospital trying to reattach my finger from a ring avulsion accident in my kitchen. It talks about the meaning of life, and I believe you come out a better person from reading it. (Source)

Dustin Moskovitz[Dustin Moskovitz recommended this book on Twitter.] (Source)

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13
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 all started with why. It was their natural ability to start with why that enabled them to inspire those around them and to achieve remarkable things.
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Tony RobbinsThe basis of this book is so important to anyone looking to increase their influence, profits or impact. People won't truly buy into a product, service, movement, or idea until they understand the WHY behind it. When you start with the why, everything else falls into place. This book is so impactful, I consider it required reading. (Source)

Richard BransonToday is World Book Day, a wonderful opportunity to address this #ChallengeRichard sent in by Mike Gonzalez of New Jersey: Make a list of your top 65 books to read in a lifetime. (Source)

Tony HsiehOver the years he’s [] recommended well over 20 business books — including his own, the 2010 bestseller Delivering Happiness and you can always find what he’s currently reading atop his cluttered desk. Start with Why is amogst those titles. (Source)

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14

The Alchemist

Paulo Coelho's enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and inspiring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. What starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasure found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts. less

Daniel EkIt was fascinating to talk to [the author] about how this book came to be such a hit—he never backed down, and he allowed people to read it for free in order to then boost sales—much like how Spotify’s freemium model was perceived in the early days. (Source)

Eric RipertSpeaks of everyone having an ultimate goal in life, but most of us are too afraid to pursue it. The encouragement to fulfill your dreams is very inspirational! (Source)

Brené BrownThere's a great quote in [this book]: When you're on the right path the universe conspires to help you! (Source)

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15

Grit

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 talent is hardly a guarantor of success. Rather, other factors can be even more crucial such as identifying our passions and following through on our commitments.

Drawing on...
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Benjamin Spall[Question: What five books would you recommend to youngsters interested in your professional path?] [...] Grit by Angela Duckworth (Source)

Bogdan LucaciuGrit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance - it was frustrating to read: “Where was this book 20 years ago!?” (Source)

Stephen LewWhen asked what books he would recommend to youngsters interested in his professional path, Stephen mentioned Grit. (Source)

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Don't have time to read Stephen Lew's favorite books? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.