24 Life Changing Books - 2

There's really no dearth of books that are a real source of inspiration and motivation. Every day, every moment we discover real gem of books, some old and some new, but the message conveyed remains the same - become your best version. Here's another compilation of  24 amazing books that can transform our lives and catapult us to new heights of success, happiness and achievement in life.

My criteria for selection remains the same

• The book should touch our lives and personality at a deeper level
• The book should should be an easy and simple read so that any reader could relate to it
• The book length should keep the reader motivated to finish it in 1-2 readings to deliver the desired impact instantly. 

The books are listed in random order and not in terms of any rating or preference. Here goes the list

1. 52 Changes by Leo Babauta - Nice compilation of 52 topics - simple and relevant. There is a bit of exaggeration or extrapolation for few topics but that gets compensated with the rest of the topics. Nicely structured with clear guidelines on how to implement the change. The book has a nice mix of topics ranging from the most basic and obvious ones to the most relevant ones.
2. Happiness in a Nutshell by Andrew Matthews - Wit and Humour is always at the core of each of Andrew Matthew's book and this one is no exception. Simple nuggets of wisdom, beautifully illustrated and rendered in a funny yet engaging way. The book is quite addictive. 
3. The Art of Good Life by Rolf Dobelli - Though this book is promoted as a follow up to his earlier book "Tha Art of Thinking Clearly" but this book stands on its own beautifully. The selection and delivery of  all the 52 ideas in the book are unique and contain lot of substance and weight. The book definitely delivers on what it promises to i.e. a good life. It leaves the reader with plenty of food for thought and action too. 
4. Think Small by Owain Service and Rorry Gallagher - The beauty of the book lies in linking the concept of "small changes" with human behaviour and converting into an easy to use framework. The 7 steps mentioned in the book have been carefully culled out from behavioural scientific which renders lot of credibility to the content of the book. 
   
5. The Dolphin: Story of a Dreamer - The story of a Dolphin which teaches the reader a lot about life including the importance of goals and dreams. The book is a story of hope and courage and a great reminder about how we can overcome our biggest fears and struggles by listening to our inner voice. 
6. One Minute for Yourself by Spencer Johnson - Here's another gem from the author. A first glance at the title and one would think that the book is all about self-care and like but once we start reading, the realisation dawns that the book is more about utilising the power of that "one minute". The book reveals a lot about the potential of the "one minute" and how it could transform our lives for the better.
7. Enjoy Every Sandwich by Lee Lipsenthal - Much on the lines of "The Last Lecture" and "Tuesdays with  Moorie", the book chronicles the journey of a doctor (the author) on being detected with a terminal disease (a rare form of cancer with only 10 percent chance of surviving). The book, in its own unique way, makes the readers realise (via the protagonist) about the value of "being alive" and how much importance each moment holds for us. The book is indeed quite heart-rending. 
8. The Law of the Garbage Truck by David J. Pollay - Living in a world full of toxicity, this book comes as a real blessing. The book is like a manual on avoiding toxicity and negativity in life. In the book, the "garbage" refers to anger, frustration and similar negative emotions and guides the readers on how to avoid garbage in life (personal and professional), whether in terms of being dumped or dumping it on others. The message of the book is straightforward - Avoid Garbage in your life and achieve happiness and success. 
9. Do The Work by Steven Pressfield - A wonderful book about the resistance we face in life in the form of fear, self-doubt, procrastination and other forms of self-sabotaging behaviour. Primarily written from a writer's perspective but the content is equally applicable to any form of creative pursuits that we may engage in. The lessons delivered are quite powerful. 
10. Choose the Life You Want by Tal Ben-Shahar - If i have to identify two key messages from this book, they would be - 1. elements of happiness, and, 2. the power of choice. The 101 nuggets of happiness i.e the chapters/ topics are carefully chosen and laden with real examples/ stories that appeal to the reader. The book is definitely going to leave the reader much happier than before.  
11. Attitude is Everything by Jeff Keller - The topic of  "Attitude" is definitely among the topics that has been explored at length, researched in depth and also written about a lot. Make no mistake, this book discusses the topic in an entirely different way, a way that is far more engaging, enlightening and makes you reflect deep about our own attitude. The lessons are not only short and crisp but highly impactful too.   
    
     
12. Don't Sweat The Small Stuff by Richard Carlson - This book is about the reiterations we need in our life about many of the small things that negatively impacts us in a big way. The 100 topics/ chapters dealt with in this book are bound to leave us much more relaxed and calmer by virtue of the simplicity and clarity of the content.    
13. The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins - Quite an inspiring book, especially because of the way the author discovered the wonderful tool of "5 seconds". This book is for anyone looking for the missing inspiration to get back and go for things. How "5 seconds" could prove to your "push moment" is the key idea of this book. Apply the concepts in the book and you might discover the panacea.
14. Little Voice Mastery by Blair Singer - A cluttered mind is the source of confusion, distraction, aggression and disappointment in our life. With so many voices playing in our head, it becomes very difficult to focus and listen to the right voice. This book is about that inner voice (crudely called as mind chatter) and guides us primarily on 1. getting aware of the voices in our head, and 2. filtering and identifying the voice that will lead us to growth, freedom and success in life. In a nutshell, this book is a useful guide on how to use the mind chatter to our advantage. 
15. Live It ! by Jairek Robbins - The book attempts to bridge the achievement gap and taking you to where you want to be.  The 3 step process described in the book (Learn It, Live It and Give It) helps the readers not only create a realistic vision but also helps convert that vision into reality. On of the important component of the 3-step process is about creating an exponential effect through giving back.   
16. Just Shut Up And Do It by Brian Tracy - Don't get deceived by the length of this book as this book is one of the most powerful books on the subject of Goals. The book is a blueprint for achieving our goals and lays out the formula in 7 lucid steps. The book highlights the importance of action in actualising our goals and acts as a ready recknoner in times of inaction, doubt or fear. 
17. The Dip by Seth Godin - Succintly put, the book wonderfully teaches that winners are not only good at winning but good at quitting too. The book delivers about "dip" that all of us hit at some point in our life. A real winner is the person who knows how to beat the dip, much before they hit a cul-de-sac.
    
18. Life is Tremendous by Charlie Jones - Perhaps one of the shortest but the most lively book on personal development. The enthusiasm of the author is quite evident in each page of the book. The seven laws of leadership mentioned in the book deal with the most essential skills needed to be productive and successful.
19. 177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class by Steve Siebold - No idea, why 177  secrets ! But the book is a great attempt at compiling the secrets of world class achievers/ champions. It talks in detail about the thought processes, attitudes and actions of the achievers. Each chapter has a lot to offer the readers and include sections on action items and external references too. A powerful book to become a champion.
20. The Little Big Thing by Henry Fraser- An incredible true story of a young man who never lost hope even in the direst of circumstances and situations. An inspirational memoir filled with courage, hope, perseverance, passion and an intent to live life inspite of all odds. Definitely an emotional read but very inspiring, teaching us to celebrate life in the face of gravest adversity. Indeed a very touching account.   
21. Life's Golden Ticket by Brendon Burchard - This book delivers powerful messages about life - the need for transformation and showing gratitude to the chances that life provides us every now and then. With the metaphor of an amusement park, the protagonist takes the readers on a journey of personal transformation and creating a turnaround, from a life laden with obstacles and tragedies in life to a one filled with positivity, love and redemption. 
22. The One Thing by Gary Keller - Staying focused in a world full of "distraction" is the biggest challenge today. Smitten by the bugs of  "Busyness" and "Multitasking", we carry on without any realisation of how our obsession with these two (busyness and multitasking) is doing us more harm than good. The book provides a whole range of tools, techniques and methods to get focused and live a more fulfilling life.   
23. Ready For Anything by David Allen - A nice compilation of 52 principles that could really bring about a turnaround in terms of success and achievement in personal and professional spheres. The 52 principles are nicely categorised in 4 sections and each of the 52 chapter has enough food for reflection and action.
24. You can be Happy No Matter What by Richard Carlson - Another masterpiece from the author. Among the many highlights of the book, one of the key highlight is the structuring. The book explains 5 key Principles of Life and then explains (in 5 different chapters) their impact on 5 key areas of our life. The 5 key principles mentioned in the book are all about what each of us can relate to easily - 1. Thoughts, 2. Moods, 3. Separate Realities, 4. Feelings and 5. Present Moment. The 11th chapter on checklist for life answers some of the very pertinent questions about life.