Self-Help Books

Self-Help Books describes a diverse selection of titles that focus on self-discovery and self-improvement. The self-help genre is characterized by literature that shares research and advice to promote self-understanding and prompt changes in one's outlook or behavior, thus improving one's quality of life. The Self-Help Collection features texts that discuss topics ranging from business and personal finance to interpersonal relationships, mental health, and sexuality.

Publication year 2016

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: New Age

Tags Self Help, Philosophy, Psychology, Education, Education, Psychology, Philosophy, Mental Illness


Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Self Help, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Self Help, Inspirational, Psychology, Parenting, Sociology, American Literature, Science / Nature, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Politics / Government

12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos (2018) is Jordan B. Peterson’s second book. Peterson’s self-help book seeks to provide practical and virtuous rules to live by for a wide audience and general readership. The book streamlines, simplifies, and reimagines some of the more traditionally academic topics of Peterson’s first book, Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief. Each non-fiction work aims to explain human history and human nature according to universal frameworks. 12... Read 12 Rules for Life Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Globalization, Society: Community

Tags Science / Nature, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Politics / Government

21 Lessons for the 21st Century (2018) is historian, philosopher, and acclaimed author Yuval Noah Harari’s in-depth look at the current global affairs and the immediate future of humankind. To Harari, the merging of biotechnology and artificial intelligence potentially represents the end of history with some humans becoming godlike. Despite the ramification of this situation on all of humanity, most people are distracted by irrelevant information and do not realize the debate that is occurring... Read 21 Lessons for the 21st Century Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Self Help, Relationships, Philosophy, Philosophy, Psychology, Psychology, Romance, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Psychology, Parenting, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Health, Education


Publication year 2000

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Identity: Sexuality

Tags Gender / Feminism, Philosophy, Psychology, Love / Sexuality, Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology, Relationships, Self Help, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1986

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Community

Tags Self Help, Education, Education, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Humor, Philosophy, Inspirational

In his compilation of essays, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, Robert Fulghum studies the simplicity embedded in everyday experiences. First published in 1989, this collection captivated a global audience, becoming a cultural touchstone as a #1 New York Times bestseller and selling over 7 million copies. Fulghum draws from his life experiences to craft this collection of essays. This collection, which falls within the self-help, motivational, and personal transformation genres... Read All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten Summary


Publication year 1899

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Tags Military / War, Business / Economics, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Classic Fiction

Elbert Hubbard’s essay “A Message to Garcia” tells of the heroic journey of an Army soldier who must deliver a letter to a freedom fighter, and of the need for a similar spirit of determination in the workplace. The work first appeared as a magazine article in 1899 and became a pamphlet and book that reached millions of readers. “Carry a message to Garcia” (3) was a commonly used phrase in America during the first... Read A Message to Garcia Summary


Publication year 2005

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Language, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Self Help, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Religion / Spirituality, Inspirational, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

A New Earth: Create a Better Life by Eckart Tolle was originally published in 2005 with the title A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose. The book followed in the wake of Tolle’s seminal 1997 work The Power of Now, which discusses the potential inherent in the present moment and suggests that the destructive voice in our heads, which causes us to be constantly dissatisfied and compare ourselves to others, is the ego and... Read A New Earth Summary


Publication year 2012

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Nation

Tags Philosophy, Business / Economics, Psychology, Science / Nature, Finance / Money / Wealth, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help


Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Sociology, Social Justice, Gender / Feminism, Business / Economics, Inspirational, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Politics / Government

A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity is a nonfiction book published in 2014 by the husband-and-wife team of Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. The book speaks to altruism and how people can do something to promote more opportunities for others around the world. The authors declare, “We wrote this book mostly to encourage others—rich and poor alike—to join in this push to improve the world” (16). They promote three ways of doing so:... Read A Path Appears Summary


Publication year 1973

Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, History: World, Finance / Money / Wealth, Self Help


Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride

Tags Self Help, Psychology, Relationships, Inspirational, Sociology, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: Education

Tags Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help, Health / Medicine

James Clear’s Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones is a guide to adopting good behaviors through incremental changes to your everyday routines. Avery first published the book in 2018, and this guide refers to the ebook edition. The book has unique pagination, with the page numbers beginning again at the start of each new chapter. Clear likely numbered his book this way because of his emphasis... Read Atomic Habits Summary


Publication year 2010

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Relationships, Self Help, Psychology, Science / Nature, Love / Sexuality, Psychology, Mental Illness


Publication year 1946

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Self Discovery

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Indian Literature, Philosophy, History: Asian, Philosophy, Biography, Self Help

Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952) was first published in 1946 and has since become a much-loved and admired book around the world. It is regarded as one of the classics of 20th-century spiritual literature. In 1999, it was named by a HarperCollins panel of authors and scholars as one of the “100 Best Spiritual Books of the Century.” In the book, Yogananda tells the story of his life, beginning with his childhood... Read Autobiography of a Yogi Summary


Publication year 2004

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Sociology, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help, Arts / Culture

Daniel H. Pink’s A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, released in 2005, considers and challenges society’s history of valuing left-brained attributes over creative and empathic right-brained thinkers. Pink, an author of several books on business and human behavior, argues that the age of left-brain supremacy is over, making way for whole-minded thinkers who will define and thrive within the coming Conceptual Age. Pink offers six essential whole-minded aptitudes that are key... Read A Whole New Mind Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Self Help, Inspirational, African American Literature, History: U.S.


Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality