10 Most Famous Self-Help Books

[ahimsavaadhi1]

[b] [b][color=#800000]1.[/color][/b][color=#800000] Interacting with others[/color][/b]

[b] [b][i]How to Win Friends & Influence People[/i], Dale Carnegie; HarperCollins[/b][/b]

[color=#111111][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][indent=1][size=2]First published in 1937, and with a title that says it all, the book offers fundamental techniques for handling people, strategies to win people round to your way of thinking, and shrewd advice on how to change people without giving offense. Lucidly written, each chapter outlines sensible, helpful life skills that would benefit anyone in any decade. It’s no wonder this page-turner has sold over 15 million copies in 36 languages. A salesman turned writer and lecturer, Carnegie was speaking from experience – and his pithy advice hums.[/size][/font][/color][/indent]
[color=#111111][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][indent=1][size=2]Take-home message: Honey generally works better than vinegar.[/size]
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[b] [color=#800000]2. Finding serenity[/color][/b]

[b] [i][b]The Road Less Travelled[/b][/i][b], M. Scott Peck; Rider[/b][/b]

[color=#111111][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][indent=1][size=2]It initially hit bookstores in 1978 and remains the self-help bible of choice. With its opening line, “Life is difficult”, Peck sets the tone for a book that pragmatically discusses everything from taking responsibility, to the healthiness of depression, to the myth of romantic love. Influenced by Buddhist teachings, this New York psychiatrist helped millions to become more self-aware. Many Peck devotees have read this book more than once – I’m one of them – and there are always insights to put into practice in daily life.[/size][/font][/color][/indent]
[color=#111111][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][indent=1][size=2]Take-home message: Life is a series of thorny problems. Get used to it.[/size]
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[b] [b][color=#800000]3. Living a fuller life[/color][/b][/b]

[b] [i]Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway[/i], Susan Jeffers; Rider[/b]

[color=#111111][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][indent=1][size=2]Many people swear by this self-help manual, claiming it changed their lives forever. In fact, so powerful is Jeffers’ book that “feel the fear and do it anyway” has entered common parlance in the Western world, offering another take on “seize the day”! One of the useful insights, among many, is that it’s often not only we who hold ourselves back, but the people around us who don’t want us to shine. Grab a copy of this international bestseller, and start tapping the power within.[/size][/font][/color][/indent]
[color=#111111][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][indent=1][size=2]Take-home message: Is what you’re afraid of honestly that scary?[/size]
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[b] [color=#800000]4. Embracing your partner[/color][/b]

[b] [i]Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus[/i], John Gray; HarperCollins[/b]

[color=#111111][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][indent=1][size=2]The great thing about Gray’s book is that it reminds us we are not alone in our frustrations with the opposite sex. You may think you’re the only woman who has a man incapable of expressing himself, but you’d be wrong. And you might believe that you’re the only man on the planet who finds your partner’s mood swings intolerable – well, honey, take a number. It’s easy to accuse Gray of filling his book with dreadful clichés, but only because they are undisputed nuggets of truth. As a general rule, men do prefer to hang out in their “caves” while women like to talk, and talk, and talk. Essential reading if your partner is driving you nuts; with a light touch, this is a classic.[/size][/font][/color][/indent]
[color=#111111][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][indent=1][size=2]Take-home message: Learn to embrace your gender differences.[/size]
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[b] [color=#800000]5. Loving the single life[/color][/b]

[b] [i]He’s Just Not That Into You[/i], Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo; HarperCollins[/b]

[color=#111111][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][indent=1][size=2]This is a book all single women should read – and one I sure wish I had done when I was one. Why? Because as a modern take on relationships, it’s a must-have reality check. Authors Behrendt and Tuccillo (both of whom worked on TV’s Sex and the City, she as a writer, he as a script consultant) debunk with vivid scenarios all the ridiculous rationalisations we women make when men aren’t jumping through quite as many hoops as we’d like. One tip alone is worth its weight in gold: if a man verbalises the belief that he’s “trouble” or “not into relationships” or “not looking for love”, or whatever… believe him. And run a mile![/size][/font][/color][/indent]
[color=#111111][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][indent=1][size=2]Take-home message: Read the signs better (and earlier) and say goodbye to dead-end relationships.[/size][/font][/color][/indent]

[b] [color=#800000]6. Getting ahead at work[/color][/b]

[b] [i]The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People[/i], Stephen R. Covey; Simon & Schuster[/b]

[color=#111111][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][indent=1][size=2]This tome by Harvard MBA Covey has been a bestseller for 20 years, and no wonder: who can resist checking out the habits and feeling a little smug when you discover you’re already proficient in at least three! The seven habits, in case you’re interested, are to be proactive; to begin with the end in mind; to put first things first; to think win-win; to seek first to understand, then to be understood; to synergise: and, finally, to sharpen the saw. Sound simple? Or more like gobbledegook? Thousands of high-flying achievers can’t be wrong, so wise up and make those habits a lifelong professional mantra.[/size][/font][/color][/indent]
[color=#111111][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][indent=1][size=2]Take-home message: Integrity is the key to success in business, as in life.[/size]
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[b] [color=#800000]7. Embracing the everyday[/color][/b]

[b] [b][i]The Power of Now[/i], Eckhart Tolle; Hodder Headline Australia[/b][/b]

[color=#111111][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][indent=1][size=2]I also have this book in CD format and regularly listen to Tolle espousing his philosophy for living more contentedly. This centres, essentially, on freeing yourself from the enslavement of your chattering mind. If Tolle had his way, more of us would truly “get” that all problems are merely illusions of the mind – the healthier alternative is to find the life beyond one’s situation, to surrender to the present, and quit living in the past or worrying about the future. I prefer Tolle on tape – he’s very funny in person – but either way his book is life-changing.[/size][/font][/color][/indent]
[color=#111111][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][indent=1][size=2]Take-home message: You are not your mind, no matter what you might think.[/size]
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[b] [color=#800000]8. Tapping into your best self[/color][/b]

[b] [i]Awakening the Buddhist Heart: Cultivating Love and Spiritual Intelligence in Your Life[/i], Lama Surya Das; Bantam[/b]

[color=#111111][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][indent=1][size=2]In the tradition of the Dalai Lama and Nyoshul Khenpo Rinpoche, Lama Surya Das lifts a veil on Buddhist philosophy in a way that is enchanting. “The Buddhist heart is alive and well in all of us. It is just a matter of awakening to it,” he notes. From being truly present for others, to using the power of words to build deeper connections, as well as learning meditation techniques, this is a gentle book perfect for anyone’s bedside table. Hopefully, some spiritual intelligence will result too![/size][/font][/color][/indent]
[color=#111111][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][indent=1][size=2]Take-home message: For spiritual enlightenment, connect to the bigger picture.[/size]
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[b] [color=#800000]9. Enjoying success in the world[/color][/b]

[b] [i]The Secret[/i], Rhonda Byrne; Simon & Schuster[/b]

[color=#111111][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][indent=1][size=2]Like it or not, Byrne’s little secret became a global phenomenon in 2006. And while detractors like to pooh-pooh its New Age wrapping, the underlying truths The Secret imparts are simple and startling, especially when put into action. “Thoughts become things” and “you become what you think about most” are just some of the ways various people explain it – which, put simply, deals with the Law of Attraction. Namely, that we are magnets, endlessly drawing into our lives that which we put out. Too simplistic? Pick up a copy of the book, or watch the DVD, and at the very least you’ll be tempted to tweak some of your thinking.[/size][/font][/color][/indent]
[color=#111111][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][indent=1][size=2]Take-home message: How the world happens for you, starts with you.[/size]
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[b] [color=#800000]10. Understanding yourself better[/color][/b]

[b] [i]Intimacy and Solitude[/i], Stephanie Dowrick; Random House Australia[/b]

[color=#111111][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][indent=1][size=2]Some of us have great difficulty letting people get close to us; others have practically no personal boundaries, and can often end up feeling frustrated and put upon. For the rest of us, it’s an ongoing dance of necessary social interaction and much-needed quiet “me” time. The Reverend Dr Dowrick is a psychotherapist and Australia’s leading self-development author, having written many great books for those interested in honing their emotional intelligence. And this one, written in 1991 and updated in 2002, with its own handbook for pertinent exercises, remains eternally relevant.[/size][/font][/color][/indent]
[color=#111111][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][indent=1][size=2]Take-home message: Understand yourself and acceptance will follow.[/size][/font][/color][/indent]

[Yuvatha]

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