Last Updated on September 19, 2022 by Dayanand Kadella
In a month, 75% of self-made millionaires read at least two books. Not only that, but the world’s most successful and wealthy people read books on a daily basis to improve their knowledge and wisdom, for example, Bill Gates reads one book per week even after becoming the world’s richest person, Warren Buffet used to read 600 to 1000 pages in his early days, and he still reads books 80 percent of the time today, and almost every billionaire like them reads. I’ve also read many books after graduation just for the purpose of self-growth and self-improvement. Therefore, I recommend some of the books I’ve read in my post-academic career. Below you will find the list of books I recommend to MUST READ. The Top 20 Books to Read Before you die so that you can improve your life.
Elon Musk, the owner of a $3 billion company, Opera Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg –the Metaverse idea owner, and others all read books. Why do they read books and learn from them after being so wealthy and successful? Because they understand one fundamental fact: THE MORE THEY LEARN, THE MORE THEY EARN.
Reading, on the other hand, does not only help us earn money; it also helps us improve our attention, intellect, focus, and, according to various studies, reading books helps to decrease stress, which in turn helps to boost happiness, and there are numerous other advantages of reading. As a result, those who make up less than 1% of the population (the most influential people) are always reading books and learning from them, or even better, from mentors. So, if you want to be one of the one percent, you should read as well.
1. Managing Oneself
Managing Oneself
If you haven’t read any self-help books yet, or if you’re not sure where to begin, here are some suggestions. Then you should begin with this book, “MANAGING ONESELF,” because it is a small book that is easy to read and you will not feel overwhelmed. And the topics covered in this book are really essential and fascinating. You will learn numerous facts and insights about yourself as a result of reading it, which will genuinely assist you in moving forward in your life. Peter Ducker is a management consultant and the author of this book. He is a teacher and the author of several management publications, which are currently utilized in management courses all over the world.
The author of this book has revealed to us in a very clear and concise manner how we may make the most use of ourselves and how we can advance in life by managing our most valuable asset, “yourself.”
2. Think and Grow Rich
Think and Grow Rich
The first non-academic book I read. Not for any type of exams but for personal growth. Therefore, it’s impossible for me to provide you with book suggestions without including this title. Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich is the most popular book in the self-help genre, and it rightfully so. Andrew Carnegie, the richest man in the world at the time, made an intriguing offer to Hill, telling him that he would assist him to meet the world’s most successful and wealthy individuals who had accomplished amazing things in their lives.
After that, he must compile all of their wisdom and expertise into philosophy and book. And this book should be so powerful that anyone may have the ability to be successful and excellent after reading it. But he would not compensate him for any of this; he will just assist him in achieving his obligations. Within a minute, Napoleon accepted the offer, and he spent the next 20 years of his life amassing wisdom information for a book titled “Think and Grow Rich.” There are many helpful and significant concepts in this knowledge resource. This book, which I found to be both remarkable and fascinating.
3. The Four agreements
The Four Agreements
This book, in my opinion, is also a life-changer. The four agreements in this book can help you become wise and successful, because in today’s world, people take things too personally, get offended easily, and are unable to understand others, as a result of which they do not achieve success in their personal and professional lives, nor are they able to live happily.
After reading this book, I am sure that you will be able to better understand people, which will enhance your relationships and enable you to have a happier and more successful life.
4. The power of habits
The Power of Habits
True, you have no control over your future!! However, you can manage your habits, and a person who learns to control his habits may eventually influence his destiny to a degree. Your habits are the most potent weapon you have, and they may help you last longer in life’s battles as well as help you win many battles, so try to be more cautious with them. Because it’s a fact that forming a good habit is difficult, but once formed, it will make your life easy and comfortable, whereas forming bad habits is very easy but once formed, it will make your life very difficult, you will learn how to form new good habits and how to replace your bad habits with good habits from this book.
AUTHOR Charles Duhigg has discussed several outstanding themes in this book that are quite valuable (using his 8 years of research). He’s gone through how habits are formed, the cycle of cue, routine, and reward, and how changing the loop of the routine may change your habit.
5. Rich dad poor dad
Rich Dad Poor Dad
This was the second self-help book I read, and believe me, it had a significant positive impact on my life and mentality; as a result, my desire to read books increased dramatically, resulting in many significant changes in my life; thus, I strongly advise you to read this book; however, if you prefer, you can begin with this book rather than “MANAGING ONESELF,” as it is also an easy to read and interesting book. Author Robert Kiyosaki gives us some extremely significant financial advice in this book by using his own personal experiences, such as when he says he had two fathers.
The first was his real father, who was a professor and a poor father, and the second was his friend’s father, who was his rich father, and in this book, his rich father is teaching him how to become successful and wealthy, and how the author became a millionaire by following the principles and teachings of this rich father. You can acquire a lot of useful information from this book, so read it.
6. Start with WHY
Start with WHY
Well, I won’t say it’s the finest book to start with, but the central concept in this book is quite significant and valuable to newcomers. The author of this book shows why we should pay more attention to WHY??? Rather than HOW? And WHAT? Many individuals continuously asking me, “Sir, what should I do?” and other such things. How can I get high grades? Many people wonder how they can do this or that, while others wonder what they should do with their lives. However, according to the author, this is not the first question they should ask for others; instead, they should ask “themselves” “WHY” first.
People nowadays have a common problem: they don’t know why they want what they want. Their WHY’S are a mystery? WHY do they care about getting excellent grades? Do they really need good grades to get a better job or do they just want to make money? Because while we can make good money through the job that we are thinking of, the fact is that there are many other options today through which they can make money, so WHY do the same things that everyone else is doing, which is also difficult, WHY do something that doesn’t make you feel good? WHY can’t you make money doing what you enjoy or enjoy doing? Why? If we first figure out WHY, we’ll be able to figure out WHAT. AND IN WHAT MANNERS? It’s extremely simple, believe me. Your book will undoubtedly assist you in this endeavor.
7. How to win friends and influence people
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Even if a person comes from a technical profession, it is believed that social and communication skills account for 75% of a person’s success. Which, my friend, I believe is absolutely true, and I believe that this book will be the best place to start improving your social skills because Dale Carnegie has explained many useful concepts in this book using beautiful stories for each of them; you will definitely have fun reading this book; Dale Carnegie is one of my favorite authors, and once you read his books, you will understand why. So, please read this book; trust me, you will thank me later for suggesting it.
8. How to stop worrying start living
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living
Every person’s life has its ups and downs, and mine was no exception, and still exist. I recall how depressed and unhappy I was at the time. Fortunately, I learned about this book while going through this difficult time, and I began reading and listening to it. Well, it turned out to be a wise option since, thanks to this book, I gained a great deal of bravery and strength to deal with similar events in my life. This book contains numerous inspiring anecdotes as well as practical advice on how to deal with difficult situations and develop stronger as a result of them.
Do read this book because, no matter what, some days will be difficult, and certain things will be really difficult to deal with, all of which may take a toll on you. This article will undoubtedly assist you.
9. 7 Habits of highly effective people
7 Habits of Highly Effective People
This is one of the greatest self-help books ever read by many like me. As I previously stated, habits are powerful, and this book teaches us some amazing habits that successful and effective individuals possess, which we all should and must possess as they are the master keys to a great life and success. These 7 habits brought me amazing results when I first started following them, and they will do the same for you if you follow them. So go ahead and have a look.
10. The richest man in Babylon
The Richest Man in Babylon
This is a classic book that I read right from the beginning. Surely, it’s a fantastic book. Where the author uses a narrative to convey some timeless financial wisdom, wealth secrets, and how we might become wealthy. A story about a poor man who aspired to be wealthy, and how he discovered key principles that helped him become “THE RICHEST MAN IN BABYLON.” This book teaches us about how to handle money and how to save it, How to pay our bills and many more money-related topics that are vital for every one of us to be understood. You’ll like reading this book, since it’s a quick and easy read that’s jam-packed with insight. If you wish to improve your financial situation, you should read this book.
11. The 5 love languages
The 5 Love Languages
One of the most powerful feelings we experience is love. It has the potential to make us the most powerful or perhaps the weakest person on the planet. As a result, it becomes really crucial for us to comprehend it. The author of this book has shown in a very intriguing way how each person has one or more of five love languages that he or she knows and may use to experience love.
For example, if you speak Hindi to a Chinese person, he will not understand you; similarly, each individual has a different language of love that he understands and through which he can feel love; therefore, we should learn those love languages so that we can impress, love, and make others happy, which will make us happy.
12. The 4-hour work week
The 4 Hour Work Week
This is a well-known and inspirational book; after reading it, you will realize that you can easily escape your mundane job and that by working smartly, you may even earn a lot of money, all while traveling the globe without anxiety or worry. Isn’t it too wonderful to be true? This book, on the other hand, has some really useful lessons that will not lead you to believe that. Don’t be fooled by the title; this book offers many valuable concepts and principles that will assist you in starting your internet company. While this book may be a true jewel for individuals living in developed nations such as the United States, we Asians can learn a lot from it as well. So, have a look at this.
13. The Greatest Salesman in the World
The Greatest Salesman in the World
Whether you believe it or not, selling is a critical skill that we all need to master. Every book which is most famous has written on its cover page “Best Seller.” Because you will have to sell something to someone at some point in the future. It might be either a product or a service, a concept or a style of thinking, and it might also include persuading an interviewer to hire you for a certain position, for example. With the use of a tale, this book will offer you some precious pearls of knowledge about marketing. A story of a little child who aspired to be a great salesman. It’s interesting to read and easy to comprehend. Please read it if you enjoy it.
14. Influence: The psychology of persuasion
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
You can influence individuals to think or act in the way you wish. This is a crucial ability that may make a huge difference in your life and the lives of others. Persuading someone with your views can be a lot of fun, and this book will teach you how to do it in a scientific way. I recommend that instead of utilizing these skills to do something terrible, you use them to get others to do good things. After reading this book, you will see how large corporations employ the same strategies as those described in this book to persuade you to buy their product. As a result, teach children to do good for others.
15. The lean start-up
The Lean Start-Up
It may be really difficult to figure out how to establish a business. What should I do and what should I avoid? How much should I invest and where should I spend? These questions might be really challenging. This book will offer you with all of the answers you need to launch a successful business. If you want to launch a million-dollar company, read this book.
16. 48 laws of power
48 Laws of Power
Everyone strives to be strong in this world because it allows them to influence others, get a sense of significance, and, most importantly, bring about the changes they desire in the world. This book is an excellent resource for learning how to gain and sustain power in this regard. The author has utilized numerous genuine historical anecdotes to help us comprehend his profound beliefs. This book has a total of 48 distinct lessons that will help you become a powerful guy who is admired by others. This is a strong book that will empower you, so read it.
17. Men are from Mars and women are from Venus
Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus
As previously stated, love and relationships are extremely essential in each person’s life, thus understanding the other sex is critical if we wish to feel and show love to them. And it is staying that is most important. This book teaches that males are from Mars and women are from Venus, using a really attractive illustration. And we have all forgotten this really crucial truth. We have lost sight of the truth that men and women are fundamentally different, and this has resulted in a great deal of misery and pain in our lives. So the author of this book has gone into great depth about the differences and provided some extremely valuable lessons that will help us sustain our connection and understand each other.
18. Anti-fragile
Anti-fragile
Glass is a delicate material that can easily broke. If I ask you what the opposite of fragile is, or what is anti-fragile, most people will respond to iron, steel, or something that is difficult to break. This is not the right response. Because if you claim iron is anti-fragile, you’re implying that the polar opposite of negative is neutral, which is false. Positive is the polar opposite of negative. Similarly, anything that becomes stronger as it is attempted to break, such as a diamond, will be the polar opposite of a delicate object like glass. The more it is tossed and put under strain, the more anti-fragile it gets.
We, humans, are anti-fragile, according to the author, and the more we live under strain, the stronger we get, thus we should enjoy the terrible things in our lives. These are the things that make us powerful. This book does an excellent job of making us understand the significance of horrible things happening to us. So go ahead and read it.
19. Thinking fast and slow
Thinking Fast and Slow
We see a lot of unreasonable, illogical individuals making a lot of horrible decisions and doing things that are utterly stupid. Why is this the case? Because humans are emotional beings with a lot of biases when it comes to making judgments. Daniel Kahneman, the author of this book, is a Nobel Laureate who teaches us about all of the biases that we humans have while making judgments, whether professional or personal. And how we might improve our own decision-making abilities. If you want to understand why individuals may become so irrational while supporting someone or their own beliefs, or when buying anything, this book is a must-read.
Read this if you want to learn how to understand people in a more effective way so that you may live a better life and run a better business.
20. The $100 Startup
The $100 Startup
This book will show you how to build a business on a shoestring budget while doing what you love, following your passion, working from home, or even better, while on a global tour. This book contains many inspiring stories that will motivate you to take action and establish your own business. There are some concrete measures that you may take immediately after reading this book, which is beneficial. You might call it a step-by-step guide on creating a business that you should read if you want to start one.
Final Thought!
There is no specific sequence in which these works should be read. It is possible that a book ranked number 5 will be the number one for you. In the future, the list may be altered. As I’ve built this list with the information I have at the moment. Nonetheless, all of these novels are fantastic and should be read at least once.
All books mentioned here are healthy dozes for many people, from a common man to billionaire, all have got benefited from these amazing books. Still, many books are still to be read by me; and of course, you also want to read as many as you can, like me.
Also Read | READERS ARE LEADERS | BE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT BY READING BOOKS