The best 100 Skills books

Some things seem to improve if they are placed in environments of volatility and unpredictability. Antifragile (2014) analyzes why this is the case. It suggests that this quality has been vital for the progress of human civilization since ancient times.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb takes a critical look at modern society and its aim to smooth out life by interfering in systems like the economy. Far from making society a better place, this interfering nature is destroying the volatile environment essential for antifragility to take place.

• Anyone who wants to know why some systems improve over time
• Anyone who wants to know how to take advantage of uncertainty
• Anyone interested in why crises happen

The Psychology of Winning (1985) reveals the secret to becoming a winner in life. The author argues that there are ten qualities that a person must possess if he wants to achieve this positive, confident lifestyle. Each of these qualities is explained with the help of tangible real-life examples and accompanied by techniques that can help anyone adopt them.

• Anyone who wants to be a winner in life
• Anyone who has bad “loser” habits they’d like to get rid of
• Anyone who wants to adopt a positive lifestyle

The 80/20 Principle (1997) was named one of GQ's Top 25 Business Books of the Twentieth Century. It's about the 80/20 principle, which says that 80 percent of results are generated by just 20 percent of effort. This phenomenon has huge implications for every area of life, as it helps single out the most important factors in any situation.

• Anyone who wants to get better results without expending more time
• Anyone who wants to free up more of their time and lead a happier life
• Anyone who wants to increase the profitability of their business

Moonwalking with Einstein takes us on the author’s journey towards becoming the USA Memory Champion. Along the way he explains why an extraordinary memory isn’t just available to a select few people but to all of us. The book explores how memory works, why we’re worse at remembering than our ancestors, and explains specific techniques for improving your own memory.

• Anyone who can’t remember their spouse’s or best friend’s phone number   
• Anyone who wants to impress others with their broad knowledge at a cocktail party
• Anyone who has trouble remembering names

This book is all about the hidden meanings we can find in our body language. Our brains control our body movements without us being conscious of it, and sometimes those movements can be very revealing. This book goes into detail about the ways you can train yourself to become an expert in observing other people’s nonverbal cues and uncovering their meaning.

• Anyone interested in psychology
• Anyone who wants to improve his or her observational skills
• Anyone who wants to get better at understanding people’s true thoughts and intentions

In Talk like TED (2014), you’ll learn about presentation strategies used by the world’s most influential public speakers. Author Carmine Gallo analyzed more than 500 TED talks to identify common features that make these talks so influential and appealing.

• Anyone interested in founding a start-up
• Anyone interested in giving effective, memorable presentations
• Anyone who wants to learn how to sell themselves better

With The Five Elements of Effective Thinking, you’ll learn how to think effectively and realize your full potential. Using as an organizing principle the four elements – earth, fire, air and water – the authors explain many techniques for improving the way in which we think. With the addition of a fifth element, change, they demonstrate how adopting the right attitude helps to bring about lasting, positive change.

• Anyone who wants to improve their thinking processes
• Anyone who wants to master a particular subject or skill
• Anyone wanting to enact a substantial change in their life

Your people skills become increasingly important the further you climb up the ladder of success. What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There (2007) describes some of the bad habits that commonly hold back successful people and explains how to change them.

• Managers wanting to become more successful
• Anyone who wants to gain respect in the office and improve relationships with coworkers
• Leaders and executives who are proud of their personality flaws

The New Trading for a Living (2014) is your complete guide to getting started in trading. These blinks provide a detailed overview of a range of trading methods that will allow you to approach the market with minimum risk.

• Those interested in alternative investment opportunities
• People studying finance or working in the financial sector
• Anyone who wants to start trading and earn a living doing it

Reclaiming Conversation (2015) reflects on how we interact with one another in our increasingly digitized world. Constant interruptions, leaving messages unanswered and lack of interest have all become the norm in a world rife with mobile devices and screens. But is this what we want? And if not, what can we do about it?

• Anyone who spends a lot of time in front of screens
• Parents and caregivers
• Anyone who wants to have more meaningful conversations

Now, Discover Your Strengths (2004) provides insight into what strengths are, where they come from and why we should focus on them. These blinks outline tips and techniques for detecting natural talents and using them to put yourself or your employees on the path to excellence.

• Anyone looking for ways to discover their hidden talents
• Anyone who wants to push their boundaries to become more successful
• Managers interested in capitalizing on their employees’ strengths

Peak (2007) reveals how hotelier Chip Conley became inspired by a book on psychology and applied it to his own successful business philosophy. These blinks show us how we can find lasting success and happiness by shifting away from fixating on profit and instead focusing on creating positive relationships with customers and investors.

• Anyone who owns or runs a company
• Anyone who wants to find more meaning in their work
• Anyone who wants to be more appreciative of good service

Reading Like a Writer (2006) shows us how to read literary masterpieces with open eyes. These blinks explain the patterns of writing that make fiction memorable, powerful and authentic, helping us slow down our reading and find more enjoyable experiences in every book.

• Avid readers who want to get more out of their fiction-reading experience
• Writers and those dreaming of becoming one
• Anyone who promised themselves they’d read the classics, but hasn’t managed to yet

The Storytelling Animal (2012) explores humanity’s addiction to stories. It reveals their surprising evolutionary value, and clearly explains the importance – as well as the complications – that stories bring to our lives.

• Anyone who is addicted to good stories
• Teachers and parents who fear reading and storytelling is going out of style
• Students of psychology or evolutionary biology

Emotions Revealed (2003) puts emotions under the microscope, revealing where they come from and how to recognize them, whether they’re yours or someone else’s. If you’ve ever wanted to know if someone was being dishonest or trying to deceive you with a friendly smile, these are the blinks for you!

• Law enforcement officers who need to recognize the emotions of criminals and victims
• Therapists and psychologists who want to help patients cope with their emotions
• Empathetic people who want to connect more effectively with others

Learn Better (2017) upends traditional approaches to learning skills and obtaining knowledge. Learning was once thought to depend entirely on the innate ability and intelligence of the learner. Rote learning was the order of the day. We now know there are much more effective ways to learn. In fact, there are six simple steps to better learning.

•  Anybody with learning difficulties
• Teachers, professors and students
• Anyone who needs to master a skill

Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t (2016) is a guide to the ins and out of writing, whether it’s a book, a screenplay or advertising material. Making a living writing isn’t an easy thing to do, especially since the last thing a busy person wants to do is read some poorly written manuscript. But with these helpful tools and the insight of a 30-year veteran of the industry, you can be on your way to writing the kind of captivating work that people love to read.

• Writers of all kinds seeking advice
• Advertisers in need of inspiration
• Screenwriters who don’t know which story to tell

Find Out Anything From Anyone, Anytime (2014) is a guide to asking questions that will elicit the responses you seek. The authors draw on decades of experience to show that everyone – from teachers to journalists to doctors – can benefit from asking the right questions in the right way.

• Journalists, lawyers or anyone whose job involves asking a lot of questions
• People interested in the sociology of language
• Those wishing to improve their conversational techniques

Adaptability (2012) examines a skill that’s becoming ever more important in today’s fast-paced and highly fickle business environment: the ability to adapt. It’s what makes the difference between successful innovators who go on to thrive and stick-in-the-muds who struggle to survive – or simply go under. Packed with illuminating portraits of both, these blinks analyze adaptability in action everywhere from the golf course to the battlefield and the boardroom.

• Entrepreneurs and self-starters
• Managers and strategists
• Marketplace Machiavellis

Objections (2019) explores the secrets behind turning around common sales objections. Drawing on insights from both the business world and psychology, it shows how you can transform even the most reluctant prospect into an eager buyer. 

• Sales people looking to up their game
• Budding entrepreneurs about to pitch to investors
• Business buffs seeking fresh insights

The Polymath (2019) explains how the hyper-specialization encouraged by society stifles people’s development, creativity and self-fulfilment. Instead, the book argues that everyone should nurture their polymathic capacities, and that educational and professional structures need to be reconfigured to reflect our innate human potential to think, learn and work across multiple fields and in varied ways.

• Employees interested in achieving a more fulfilling professional life
• Entrepreneurs or organizational leaders seeking to improve the work cultures of their companies or organizations
• Anyone with varied, unrelated interests looking for ways to juggle them all

The Storytelling Edge (2018) is a study of communication by two content strategists who’ve taken an old Native American proverb to heart – “those who tell the stories run the world.” As Shane Snow and Joe Lazauskas assert, it doesn’t much matter if you’re an individual, a business, or a government: if you want to thrive in today’s world, you need to be able to tell your story as convincingly and fluently as possible.

• Marketing and advertising pros   
• Brand managers and copywriters
• Entrepreneurs looking for new ideas

How to Decide (2020) investigates the way we make decisions, as well as common types of bias and faulty techniques that afflict them. It teaches you how to identify different types of decisions, and then design practical processes to help slow down or speed up the deliberation process accordingly.

• Anyone interested in decision-making strategies
• People who like psychology
• Business managers who make big decisions regularly

Write Your Book in a Flash (2018) provides a comprehensive roadmap to writing non-fiction business books. By following its clear system, you can create a quality book quickly and effectively, to showcase that you’re a leader in your field.

• Thought leaders wanting to share their knowledge
• Business executives seeking to build their personal brand
• Non-fiction writers struggling with procrastination

The Biggest Bluff (2020) follows writer Maria Konnikova’s journey to becoming a poker champion under the guidance of Poker Hall of Fame inductee Erik Seidel. Applying her background in psychology to the world of poker, Konnikova reveals the game as a metaphor for life and shares lessons that can be applied on – and off – the tables.

• Game enthusiasts
• Psychologists
• Novices who want to master a new skill

On Writing Well (1976) by William Zinsser is an indispensable guide to the art and craft of nonfiction writing. Adapted from Zinsser’s writing course at Yale University, this handbook introduces the principles of good writing in a warm, accessible way. What’s more, it’s packed with tips, tricks, and tools for polishing prose to perfection.

• Beginner writers who feel intimidated by the blank page
• Storytellers who want to tame their sentences and sharpen their skills
• Professionals who know that writing well is non-negotiable

Skip the Line (2021) is a practical guide to achieving your dreams – fast. It reveals strategies for shortening your path to success, which include how to execute and scale ideas, learn new skills, and harness fear to help you grow.

• Anyone with unexplored passions
• Professionals who want to switch careers
• Those who have always been told that they “can’t”

Communicate with Mastery (2020) is a practical guide for senior leaders wishing to improve their communication skills. It provides actionable advice and useful strategies to become an influential speaker and a compelling writer.

• Business leaders
• Entrepreneurs
• People who want to improve their communication skills

Noise (2021) is an exploration into the chaotic and costly role that randomness plays in human judgment. By uncovering the mechanisms behind how our minds and societies work, the authors show how noise – unwanted variability in decisions – is both inescapable and elusive. We can, however, with a few solid strategies, make our judgments less noisy and our world fairer.

• Behavioral economists, psychologists, CEOs, and students
• Anyone interested in how we make judgments and how those judgments shape society
• Anyone who cares about accuracy and fairness

Bulletproof Problem Solving (2019) delves into one of the most important yet consistently neglected skills in the modern workplace: creative problem-solving. With many conventional jobs declining around the world, more and more employees are being tasked with tackling open-ended challenges. But you don’t need an advanced degree in statistical analysis to be a great problem solver – you just need the right strategies and a dash of creativity. 

• Strategists and company leaders
• Creatives and thinkers
• Analysts and number-crunchers
• Graduates entering the workforce

The Scout Mindset (2021) explores two very different mindsets: that of the soldier and that of the scout. It explains that most of us have a soldier mindset – we cling to our beliefs and often ignore evidence that might prove us wrong. But we can all learn to be scouts, seeking out truth and improving our “map” of the world.

• Anyone who wants to overcome their inherent biases
• People who want to learn how to be wrong
• Truth seekers

Start Finishing (2019) is a guide for turning your ideas into projects that you can push all the way to completion. It shares easy-to-follow steps and tips for selecting the right idea, making it feasible, and overcoming any challenges that you may encounter along the way. 

• Would-be entrepreneurs sitting on great ideas
• Frustrated creatives who want to be more productive
• People interested in improving their project management skills

The Hidden Habits of Genius (2020) is a guide to the traits that set geniuses apart from the rest of us. Drawing on the lives of extraordinary creatives, thinkers, and disruptors from ancient Greece to modern Japan, it traces the factors that make up the complex and fascinating phenomenon that we call “genius.”

• Embryonic geniuses who want to reach their full potential
• Students of human nature wondering what makes a genius tick
• All those looking to boost their creative abilities

Listen Like You Mean It (2021) is a friendly, comprehensive guide to deepening relationships through the power of listening. Too often, our conversations with family, friends, and coworkers remain superficial – we talk past each other, refrain from showing vulnerability, or get caught in a tangle of misunderstanding. With tips and scripts taken from the author’s experience as a user researcher, we can improve our listening skills and, in doing so, be heard and understood ourselves.

• Professionals who want to improve their workplace communication skills
• The socially awkward
• Anyone seeking more connection and understanding

How to Think More Effectively (2020) is a simple guide to improving the way you think. Drawing lessons from sources as diverse as the feeling of envy and the prose of Proust, it lays out the characteristics of effective thoughts – and shows how you can start cultivating them.

• Reflective types who want to up their cognitive game
• Creatives trying to release their inner potential
• Anyone who’d like to feel a little bit smarter

Lateral Thinking (1970) explains the important differences between vertical and lateral thinking. It offers techniques on how to strengthen your ability to think creatively – and spark important changes and innovations along the way. It also provides lessons that teachers can use to help young students develop a talent for lateral thinking.

• People who want to improve at thinking outside the box
• Teachers looking for lessons to inspire creative thinking
• Executives eager for more productive brainstorming sessions

Goals (2019) provides a comprehensive guide to setting goals and achieving them. By learning how to plan, hold yourself accountable, and foster the personal qualities you need to pursue your dreams, you’re more likely to succeed.

• Ambitious dreamers
• Unconventional individuals trying to reach a breakthrough
• The chronically busy who still can’t seem to achieve their goals

Atlas of the Heart (2021) is a guide to understanding your emotions and learning how to regulate them. Everyone experiences strong emotions, but most people can’t identify what it is they’re feeling, or work out where the feelings come from. Developing your emotional vocabulary will transform your relationship to yourself, and the people around you.

• Curious adventurers interested in exploring their own emotional landscapes
• Anyone who feels flooded by painful emotions that they can’t understand or control
• Fans of Brené Brown’s work wanting to learn more about her latest insightful theories of emotion

In Know Thyself (2021) cognitive neuroscientist Stephen M. Fleming lays out the basic principles of metacognition – the way we think about what we think. This revealing book shows by understanding of our metacognitive processes, we can turn them to our advantage, to make accurate, informed judgments.

• Psychology buffs 
• People grappling with difficult decisions
• Anyone who wants to know more about why they think what they think

Smarter Tomorrow (2021) shows you how to upgrade your brain using a technique called neurohacking. You’ll learn how to improve your memory, creativity, emotional regulation, and what’s known as “executive functioning” through self-testing and experimentation – all backed up with insights from neuroscience.

• Thinkers looking to improve their cognitive skills
• Budding neuroscientists and brain nerds
• Anyone looking to keep up with modern science

Getting to Zero (2021) is a guide to dealing with conflict in intimate, high-stakes relationships – those with your family, good friends, and partners. It describes a process for “getting to zero” by achieving resolution and closure after conflict.

• Conflict avoiders
• Those who project childhood experiences onto others
• All who want to resolve conflict in their interpersonal relationships

Own Your Greatness (2020) is a guided workbook for people who constantly feel like imposters. Drawing on Drs. Lisa and Richard Orbé-Austin’s expertise, it helps you identify and overcome the tiggers, habits and thoughts that activate your imposter syndrome, so you can beat self-doubt and succeed in life.

• People with a penchant for self-doubt
• Counselors searching for new strategies
• Imposter syndrome sufferers ready to take action

Mastering Communication at Work (revised edition, 2021) is a classic guide on leading in the workplace through strong communication skills. It teaches you how to communicate effectively by understanding your listener’s tendencies and motivations.

• Managers looking for new communication tactics
• Employees aiming to make the next step up
• Executives who want to improve relations with staff

Building a Second Brain (2022) by productivity expert Tiago Forte offers simple, effective, and workable solutions to one of the biggest challenges we face today: information overload. Using four key organizational principles, Forte shows how you can leverage digital tools to create a knowledge storage system as intuitive and efficient as a second brain. 

• Knowledge workers whose professional success hinges on information management;
• Students struggling to synthesize vast amounts of new information;
• Anyone who wants to boost their calm, creativity, and productivity.

Win Every Argument (2023) is a guide to the art of argument by one of the world’s most combative debaters: journalist, anchor, and writer Mehdi Hasan. Drawing on ancient theories of persuasion, neuroscientific theories of cognition, and the rhetorical tricks of contemporary politicians, Hasan reveals the secrets to winning arguments in today’s post-factual world.

• Natural-born arguers and debaters
• Anyone interested in the art of persuasion
• Public speakers and politicos

Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager (2015) examines the phenomenon that so many people face – they’re tasked with managing projects but have no formal training in project management. If you’re in this situation, don’t worry. By learning how to combine inspiring leadership with effective project management, you’re guaranteed to increase the chances of your next project succeeding.

• Employees who have unexpectedly been given the lead on a project
• Anyone who’s struggled with project management in the past
• People looking to rock an upcoming or ongoing project

Trade Like a Stock Market Wizard (2013) is a guide to the SEPA (Specific Entry Point Analysis) investment methodology. It navigates you through managing risk, maximizing profits, and, most importantly, having faith in your own ability. You don’t have to be a professional to get started in the stock market – in fact, your status as a lay investor might actually be your biggest strength. 

• Anyone curious about how to get started in trading
• Stock market geeks
• Seasoned wealth managers 

The Tools: 5 Tools to Help You Find Courage, Creativity, and Willpower—and Inspire You to Live Life in Forward Motion (2012) outlines five mental exercises to immediately tackle common challenges that may be holding you back in life. The coauthors are therapists and include patient cases and sketches to elaborate on how to use each tool. 

• People seeking immediately actionable methods for life improvement
• Those frustrated with traditional therapy
• Anyone looking to interact more positively with other people

I Don’t Agree (2020) is a practical guide to improving your conflict resolution skills. Disagreement is seen as bad, and even scary. But, actually, conflict can be a powerful engine for growth if you know how to deal with it effectively. I Don’t Agree provides ten practical strategies that will help you become an expert in dealing with conflict in all areas of your life.

• Employees seeking to improve their collaborations
• Anyone wanting to resolve a bitter argument
• Parents who want to learn how to teach conflict resolution skills to their kids

Flipnosis (2010) looks at the role of persuasion in our lives, and the social and biological underpinnings that allow some people to quickly and successfully encourage and convince those around them. By examining the science and looking at real-world master persuaders – from magicians and advertisers to criminals and psychopaths – you too can tap into the art of persuasion.

• Would-be social engineers, looking for a few tricks to improve their influence
• Free-thinkers who want to make sure that their choices are, in fact, their own
• Anyone who has been sold something they didn’t want, and were left wondering: What just happened?

Master Your Emotions (2018) offers tips on understanding your emotions and controlling them. Instead of letting your negative emotions control your life, this guide encourages you to build positive instead of negative emotions and take back control of your life.

• People going through upsetting life situations such as the loss of a loved one
• Those trying to cope with difficult coworkers or family members
• Anyone who struggles with overwhelming emotions

The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook (2019) offers basic and advanced exercises to help people hone the four core emotional competencies. While it can be used alone, it’s also an excellent companion for anyone working with a therapist. 

• Anyone currently in therapy
• People interested in self-improvement 
• Individuals struggling to manage their emotions

Mindreader (2022) explains how to read and understand people. Written by an FBI instructor and lie-detection expert, it delves deep into how to understand situational subtext, interpret language, and determine whether a person is being honest.

• Mixed signal receivers – at work or while dating
• Those who have trouble reading others
• Negotiators who want to up their game

Exactly What to Say (2017) is designed to provide you with the key phrases and words to make your conversations count and bring you success. It contains magic words. Words that are heard and interpreted by the subconscious mind. Words which will help you get the results you want.

• Anyone interested in how words can influence others at a subconscious level
• Success-driven individuals who want to up their game
• Entrepreneurs who want to get their prospects to say yes more often

Decision Making and Problem Solving (2019) explains decision-making, problem-solving, and creative thinking. It provides instructions for building and improving these skills and explores the importance of these abilities enabling you to expand your practical thinking capacity.

• Business leaders who want to improve their teams’ decision-making and problem-solving.
• Employees seeking to polish their practical thinking skills
• Anyone interested in elevating their capacity for creative and critical thinking

The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control is about understanding your perfectionist traits and making them work for you, not against you. It details different types of perfectionists and explains how all of them can adapt to their perfectionism.

• Those who identify as perfectionists in any area of their lives
• People interested in understanding perfectionist traits and tendencies
• Readers who are interested in the mental health field

Cues (2022) is about the signals we send unconsciously and how they affect the way others perceive us. The book is geared toward improving your professional life by managing the cues you send and responding appropriately to the ones you receive. 

• Professionals looking to achieve their goals
• Those interested in the science of communication
• People who want to improve their professional relationships

The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication (2023) addresses the fear of public speaking. It offers tried-and-true techniques that can transform any beginner or average speaker into a trusted and effective communicator.

• Anyone trying to improve their communication skills
• Speakers addressing anyone from small groups to stadium crowds
• Leaders and organizers looking to inspire their teams

The Portfolio Life (2023) is a guide to veering off of the traditional path and creating a well-balanced, fulfilling, and sustainable life that incorporates all of your varied skills and personal goals. Combining a practical playbook with self-help style coaching, it gives you the tools and motivation to achieve true work-life balance, preserve your happiness, and protect your future.

• People seeking a big life change
• Anyone looking to follow a less traditional career path
• Fans of self-help books

Successful Time Management (2003) is a practical guide containing tools and techniques to improve workflow productivity. It offers time-saving and actionable advice that will help you organize projects, delegate tasks, and select priorities in the workplace.

• Office workers looking to get ahead
• Managers who want to increase employee productivity
• Those struggling with their own time management

Read People Like a Book (2020) unravels the complex tapestry of human behavior, guiding readers to decipher verbal and non-verbal signals broadcast by people 24/7. Marrying scholarly wisdom to sly real-world tales, the book presents the art and science of people-reading with both flair and finesse. Dive in, and soon you'll be navigating human interactions like a seasoned anthropologist.

• Story seekers eyeing deeper connections
• Negotiators seeking an edge
• HR specialists scouting the right talent

Time to Think (1999) is a thought-provoking exploration of the power gained by giving individuals our undivided attention and creating a space for authentic thinking and dialogue. It unveils the profound impact that dedicated listening and respectful silence can have on unlocking creativity, fostering growth, and nurturing meaningful relationships.

• Leaders and managers who want to create an empowering environment
• Parents, caregivers, and coaches seeking to deepen their connections with children
• Anyone interested in personal growth and cultivating thinking skills

Gap Selling (2019) challenges traditional sales techniques that have frustrated generations of salespeople. Dispensing with platitudes, it advocates techniques that create value and establish influence throughout the sales process. Liberating salespeople from the role of order-takers beholden to capricious buyers, it provides a bold new framework for sales success in the modern era. 

• Sales professionals looking to improve their skills and effectiveness
• Business owners wanting to increase sales and revenue
• Anyone in a client-facing role aiming to build trust and relationships

Future Skills (2022) outlines 20 core skills that will be essential for success in an increasingly digital world. From digital literacy to social media awareness, these competencies can benefit anyone regardless of career focus or life goals.

• Those worried about the AI revolution and its impact on the future of work 
• Career optimizers seeking practical advice for the next digital age
• Anyone looking for a competitive edge in an increasingly automated world

Clear Thinking (2023) presents a strategy and tactics to improve your quality of reasoning using a concise synthesis of the insights from thought leaders in business, psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy. It begins with teaching how to discern when critical thought is most important and then to manage the factors that most commonly obscure real problems. It then shares tactics to optimally develop and evaluate possible solutions, choose the best one, and take action.

• Anyone who wants to improve their quality of thinking for better outcomes in life
• Business leaders seeking effective decision-making strategies
• People who want to establish better habits

How to Win at Chess (2021) is a comprehensive beginner-oriented guide to the ancient game of chess. Packed with insights into openings, endings, tactics, and strategy, it provides a clear, structured path for players to get to grips with the fundamentals of the game, and build on their skills.

• Beginners wanting to learn fundamental chess strategies
• Chess players aiming to improve their tactics and gameplay
• Fans of GothamChess’s YouTube channel

Robinson Crusoe (1719) is a tale of a man who spends 28 years on a remote tropical island near Trinidad. He faces solitude, crafting his survival from his shipwreck’s remains, and encounters cannibals, captives, and mutineers before he is finally rescued.

• Adventure literature lovers
• Students of English literature
• Fans of survival stories

Critical Thinkers (2018) delves into the techniques and philosophies of some of history's most renowned thinkers. It provides practical strategies for applying their methods to enhance decision-making and problem-solving skills in daily life. As such, it bridges the gap between historical wisdom and contemporary challenges, offering insights into clearer and more effective thinking.

• Students looking to enter a field requiring critical analysis and thought
• Educators who want to incorporate critical thinking skills into their curriculum
• Lifelong learners interested in improving their thinking skills

Living the Artist’s Way (2024) offers a six-week program designed to strengthen your connection to your intuition and the higher forces that supply us with inspiration. By looking at day-to-day concerns, it offers ways to stay calm, motivated, and optimistic about your work. 

• Anyone seeking creative inspiration
• People suffering from self-doubt
• Artists looking for a more spiritual approach

Speed Reading (2018) reveals how to dramatically increase your reading speed without sacrificing comprehension or retention. It delves into your brain’s and eyes’ natural capabilities to process more words in less time and offers practical strategies and exercises beyond mere skimming and scanning. Through innovative techniques, it promises to enhance your reading speed and improve your focus, memory, and understanding.

• Curious minds eager to devour more books
• Busy professionals aiming to boost their productivity
• Students looking for a way to improve comprehension and retention

Get Better at Anything (2024) identifies three key factors for effective learning: observing others, practicing extensively, and receiving reliable feedback. Drawing on research and real-life examples, it provides valuable insights for anyone looking to improve their skills.

• Anyone who wants to learn something new and doesn’t know where to start
• Those who have stalled on their learning journey
• People who feel their skillset is starting to backslide

How to Master the Art of Selling (1979) provides a comprehensive guide to effective selling techniques and strategies. It emphasizes the importance of mastering the basics of selling to achieve success in the profession. 

• Aspiring salespeople seeking to learn proven sales techniques
• Experienced sales professionals wanting to refine their skills
• Individuals interested in personal and professional growth in sales

The 12 Traits of the Greats (2020) explores twelve key characteristics that are essential for achieving greatness in any field. It distills wisdom from the lives and habits of highly successful individuals, offering practical advice and inspiring stories. By examining traits like vision, passion, and discipline, it provides readers with actionable insights to help them cultivate these qualities in their own lives.

• Aspiring entrepreneurs seeking personal and professional growth
• Business leaders aiming to enhance leadership skills
• Students looking to develop success-oriented habits

Coach Yourself Confident (2024) delves into the art of building true self-assurance – not through acquiring new traits but by unlocking and nurturing the confidence that already resides within you. It provides practical tools for quieting your inner critic and overcoming “self-doubt tax” while maintaining powerful yet humble confidence that amplifies your potential in both personal and professional arenas.

• Anyone struggling with self-doubt
• Aspiring entrepreneurs and leaders
• Personal development enthusiasts

The Art of Conflict-Free Negotiations (2024) covers strategies for navigating workplace conflicts and deals while achieving mutually beneficial outcomes. By mastering these techniques, you’ll be able to conduct negotiations with integrity and foster successful relationships in all areas of life.

• Business professionals seeking to enhance their negotiation skills 
• Mediators and coaches looking for effective strategies to handle conflicts 
• Leaders and managers needing to navigate team dynamics 

Active Listening Techniques (2020) focuses on improving communication skills by teaching the art of active listening. It provides practical tools and exercises to help people become more engaged listeners, fostering better understanding and stronger connections in both personal and professional interactions.

• Professionals seeking to improve workplace communication skills
• Couples interested in strengthening their relationship dynamics
• Anyone striving to improve their interpersonal communication abilities

Critical Thinking (2013) explores how to enhance cognitive skills and decision-making abilities using basic principles of thinking. It offers guidance on overcoming cognitive biases, developing more logical reasoning, and applying these skills to all aspects of life, from careers to personal relationships.

• Professionals looking to improve their analytical and critical thinking skills
• People wishing to release themselves from conditioned thought patterns and assumptions
• Anyone seeking to open their mind and broaden their mental horizons

Negotiation Made Simple (2024) is a practical guide to mastering the art of negotiation in both professional and personal contexts. The book outlines five essential skills that anyone can develop to become a more effective negotiator, transforming everyday interactions into opportunities for mutual benefit and long-term success.. 

• Business professionals negotiating deals, contracts, and partnerships
• Parents and partners dealing with conflict-resolution and decision-making
• Anyone navigating complex stakeholder interests and building consensus

How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci (1998) introduces seven Da Vincian principles that define genius, drawing on Da Vinci's very own notebooks and masterpieces. These principles, ranging from curiosity to recognizing interconnectedness, provide a framework for approaching life and problem-solving in innovative ways. Through practical exercises and thought-provoking lessons, it empowers individuals to tap into their own inner genius, cultivating skills such as creative thinking, self-expression, and achieving balance between the mind and body.

• Artists and designers seeking to boost creativity through interdisciplinary thinking
• Managers aiming to foster creative thinking and strategic problem-solving in teams 
• Anyone focused on self-mastery and balancing mind and body

The Art of Witty Banter (2018) is about mastering the skill of quick, clever conversation to engage and charm others in social settings. It provides practical strategies for developing wit, confidence, and humor, helping to build rapport and navigate social interactions with ease. Through actionable tips, it teaches you how to think on your feet and keep conversations light, playful, and memorable.

• Introverts looking to engage more socially with ease
• Professionals aiming to enhance networking and rapport-building skills
• Anyone hoping to add humor to everyday conversations

Job Moves (2024) redefines how you approach job changes by putting you in control of your career path. Using a proven nine-step framework, it helps you uncover what truly drives your decisions, test opportunities before committing, and craft a career that aligns with your goals. It’s your guide to making career moves that lead to lasting fulfillment.

• Career changers seeking actionable steps for smarter job decisions
• Professionals aiming to align work with personal growth and priorities
• Managers interested in understanding employee motivations and career progress patterns

The Science of Rapid Skill Acquisition (2019) offers actionable strategies to master new skills efficiently and effectively. It emphasizes breaking down complex information, practicing strategically, and optimizing your environment to accelerate learning and improve performance. Designed for both personal and professional growth, it provides practical insights to help you work smarter, not harder.

• Learners who are improving their skills for personal or professional growth
• Professionals seeking efficiency and mastery in their fields
• Anyone committed to lifelong learning

5 Types of People Who Can Ruin Your Life (2018) explores high-conflict personalities – those with borderline, narcissistic, paranoid, antisocial, or histrionic traits – who create chaos and harm through volatile emotions, aggression, and blame. It provides actionable advice for protecting yourself, building healthier relationships, and even addressing your own tendencies toward high-conflict behavior.

• Family members who want to manage challenging relationships
• Managers who need to deal with high-conflict individuals in the workplace
• Therapists who want to support the victims of high-conflict personalities

Don’t Say Um (2025) breaks down outdated ideas about speaking and gives you tools to communicate with clarity, confidence, and ease. Treating speaking as a skill that can be practiced and improved, it’s packed with useful exercises and actionable insights. 

• Professionals seeking to improve public speaking and communication skills
• Individuals overcoming anxiety around speaking in high-pressure situations
• Anyone aiming to communicate more clearly, confidently, and effectively

What to Do When You Become the Boss (2007) offers practical strategies for effectively managing in all directions: upward, downward, and inward. This accessible manual covers essential management skills from team leadership and performance management to decision-making and self-management, serving as both an introduction for new managers and a reference tool for experienced leaders navigating workplace challenges.

• New managers seeking guidance on immediate challenges
• Aspiring managers ready to demonstrate their management potential
• Experienced managers who want to brush up their team leadership skills

The Ellipsis Manual (2017) reveals the hidden psychological patterns that influence people's thoughts and behaviors without their awareness. It explores how natural mental processes can be leveraged through systematic frameworks to guide decision-making, and how understanding these techniques can also provide protection against unwanted persuasion. 

• Professionals in sales, marketing, and negotiation looking to master the principles of psychological influence
• Individuals who want to better recognize — and defend against — manipulation in media and advertising
• Anyone seeking to strengthen their critical thinking skills amid today’s constant information overload

Read Write Code (2021) introduces the fundamentals of computer science and programming in a clear, accessible way for beginners. It covers core concepts like data, algorithms, the internet, and AI, helping readers build confidence in coding and computational thinking so they can better engage with the digital world around them. 

• Anyone curious about learning to code 
• Students commencing study in computer science 
• Teachers seeking to introduce key coding concepts 

The Complete Guide to Memory (2022) offers a thorough exploration of how memory functions, how different types of memory are formed, and how brain structure and emotional regulation influence what you remember. It presents a practical framework for improving memory at any age, weaving in real-life strategies and insights into the mind-body connection.

• Adults concerned about memory and brain health
• People seeking better learning and recall strategies
• Anyone curious about how memory shapes identity and thought

The Art of Community (2016) distills seven ancient principles –⁠ Boundary, Initiation, Rituals, Temple, Stories, Symbols, and Inner Rings –⁠ to show how leaders can cultivate belonging in the workplace. It blends three thousand years of history and modern insight to help communities thrive while also providing practical tools to defeat loneliness and build lasting connection.

• Team leaders and managers looking to foster a sense of community and belonging
• Startup founders and entrepreneurs seeking to build strong internal cultures
• Anyone interested in community-building and experience design

The Science of Leadership (2023) distills decades of academic research into nine practical leadership capacities that help leaders expand their influence and effectiveness. It combines scientific findings from over 15,000 studies with real-world coaching experience to create a powerful self-development guide for leaders at all levels. 

• Senior executives seeking to refine their approach with research-backed methods
• Junior leaders seeking practical guidance for their first roles
• Professional coaches developing leadership frameworks for their clients

Confident by Choice (2025) shows you that confidence isn’t something you’re born with – it’s something you can create through small, intentional steps. This process is called the Confidence Cycle, and it’s a science-backed framework that transforms tiny bursts of energy, courage, and action into lasting proof of your capabilities. With its practical micro-steps, it helps you unlock everyday courage and start building the confident life you’ve been waiting for. 

• Professionals eager to speak up in meetings or take on leadership roles
• Creatives looking to take bold steps forward
• Individuals facing self-doubt or social anxiety

Robin Hood Math (2025) is your backstage pass to the hidden math running rankings, credit scores, and the feeds you didn’t choose. The good news is, by familiarizing yourself with these formulas, you can gain a street-smart toolkit that will help you build your own rankings, average predictions the right way, update beliefs, and “train” your social algorithms. It’s a practical playbook to take back a little power – both online and off.

• Anyone tired of being fed junk on their social media feeds
• Creators and marketers curious about the math behind a viral video
• People interested in the ethics of modern technology

Respect (2025) argues that restoring everyday respect – toward yourself and others – is a practical, learnable behavior with outsized effects on workplaces, families, and communities. You will find specific mindsets and strategies to model civility, manage disagreement, and build trust, turning abstract concepts into daily habits.

• Overstretched managers seeking healthier team dynamics
• Conflict-weary coworkers wanting smoother daily collaboration
• Civility-minded people aiming for kinder communities

Read Your Mind (2025) reveals how the mindset of a world-class mentalist can help you unlock your potential by turning your attention inward, breaking through mental blocks, and strengthening your memory and emotional intelligence. You’ll also learn practical habits for connecting more deeply, communicating persuasively, and succeeding when the stakes are high.

• Entrepreneurs and business professionals in high-stakes environments
• Leaders, managers, and aspiring influencers at work
• Individuals seeking greater confidence focus and self-mastery

The Need to Lead (2025) presents leadership as the fundamental solution to every challenge, whether in professional settings, family life, or community involvement. It translates lessons learned in high-pressure military aviation and ground combat situations into accessible principles for mastering internal qualities, building reciprocal relationships, and developing future leaders.

• People who want to increase their influence without formal authority
• Entrepreneurs or new team leaders transitioning from individual contributor roles
• Anyone feeling powerless

The Lost Art of Listening (2009) shows how conversations break down and why even well intentioned people end up talking past each other. It explains the emotional forces that disrupt understanding and offers clear, practical ways to create more receptive, empathic exchanges in everyday life.

• communicators seeking better conversations
• colleagues or partners caught in repeating loops
• anyone who wants calmer and closer relationships

The Next Renaissance (2025) explores how AI’s ability to deliver limitless cognitive power at near-zero cost will reshape work, health care, education, and finance. It examines the technological and societal thresholds that will determine outcomes, addressing both the promise and the costs.

• Technology leaders and executives navigating AI adoption decisions in their organizations
• Educators and administrators rethinking what learning looks like when AI handles cognitive work
• Anyone curious about AI who wants to move beyond hype and understand both promise and peril

The Well-Educated Child (2026) makes a bold case for reimagining education as something far deeper than academic achievement: a process of shaping curious, disciplined, and morally grounded young people. Drawing on decades of classroom experience, it explores how children develop into curious people who show quality thinking, ethical purpose, and a genuine sense of agency.

• Parents who want more than just academic success for their children
• Educators seeking practical approaches to cultivating curiosity, discipline, and critical thinking
• Education reformers imagining how schools can better serve children's intellectual and moral development