The Best Self Help Books

How do you choose the best self help books? That depends on what you want to accomplish. Are you looking for peace of mind, more money or less fear? Here are five self help books which I have read and can recommend, along with some tips on how to find more that are right for you.

"Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway," by Susan Jeffers, is all about personal growth and building confidence. It addresses the backward idea that we need to wait until we feel no fear before we can act to change our lives, when in fact it is in action that fear is overcome.

"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," by Stephen Covey, deals with seven essential principles you can incorporate into habits that will make you more effective in any area of life. This one is about character building above all.

"The Millionaire Next Door," by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko is about money. Specifically, it's about how people accumulate wealth in the United States. Subtitled, "The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy," it clues you in to little known facts like the tendency of millionaires to buy used cars, and the simplest strategy of all for getting rich: spend less than you make and invest the difference.

"Peace Is Every Step," by Thich Nhat Hanh, is about living a more spiritual life and finding peace. If you have ever needed a good example of forgiveness and love to follow, this is the man. The subtitle is, "The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life," and suggests the method he uses in his own life: mindfulness meditation.

"The Essential Law of Fearless Living," by Guy Finley, is the best of these self help books. Finley has a way of getting at the heart of a matter with stories, metaphors and insight that is transformative. In my experience, nobody does a better job revealing what is really going on in the human mind, and helping us see into our own minds.

Best Self Help Books - Finding More

There are thousands of self help books out there. If you want to find more of the ones that are best for you, look for those presenting ideas which are new to you. You should be able to learn something after reading a page or two. Why new ideas? Because none of us would need these books if the ideas we already have were working perfectly.

That may seem obvious, but it is easy to fall into the habit of looking for books which confirm our existing beliefs. Believe it or not, there are "self help" books out there which will help you defend your desire for retribution, encourage your greed, give you reasons to stay angry and unforgiving, and help you engage in fantasies of instant wealth, health and happiness.

Also, don't limit yourself to regular books. Many of the best self help books are on CD now as well, so you can listen while driving or taking a walk. In fact, some programs are only on CD or MP3 recordings, and you won't find them in bookstores.