Books which you must absolutely read as soon as possible.
- 9 Out Of 10 Climbers Make The Same Mistakes by Dave MacLeod (this is technically about climbing, but it’s so good at breaking down the practicalities of skill acquisition that you really should read it anyway)
- Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott
- Conflict Communication by Rory Miller (this changed my approach to dealing with people more than probably any other book, but nobody’s read it. Get it now!)
- Range by David Epstein
- Four Thousand Hours by Oliver Burkeman
- How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- On The Shortness Of Life by Seneca
- Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss
- Flow: The Psychology of Happiness by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
- Peak by Anders Ericsson
Books that are full of good advice or insights, and definitely worth reading.
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- The Power Of Habit by Charles Duhigg
- Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg (the three above are all good in different ways. For me, Fogg actually has the best habit system, Duhigg makes the case for habits in the best way, and Clear ties habits to a better quality of life overall in the most compelling way. If you want a summary of how I think they all tie together, you can find one here)
- Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
- Show Your Work by Austin Kleon
- Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness
- Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky (not very self-help framed but very good on the causes of, and issues caused by, stress)
- Make It Stick by Henry L. Roediger, Mark A. McDaniel, and Peter C. Brown