4 Essential Must-Read Self-Help Books

Charles Baudelaire once said, “A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company, a counselor, a multitude of counselors.” Whether you are someone who is just beginning to wander into the world of books, or reading is your second nature, chances are that you will learn a bit or two from everything you read.

With the growing popularity of non-fiction books, one of the biggest and best-selling genres these days has become that of self-help and self-improvement books. If that piques your interest and makes you want to get one for yourself, here is a list of 4 essential self-help books that everybody should read.

Also, read Things About Self-Love That You Need To Know Right Now!

1. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

Victor Frankl’s 1946 book Man’s Search for Meaning is a chronicle of the traumatic experiences he went through while imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. The book breaks down his psychotherapeutic method into two simple steps— identifying one’s purpose in life – something that imparts positive energy and wholly dedicating the imagination to that outcome.

2. Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life

If you are active on social media, then this aesthetic little blue book must have appeared on your feed at least once. But don’t be fooled by its charming appeal, because this book by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles, as claimed in the subtitle, holds the elusive key to happiness and contentment in one’s life. It uses the principle of finding and adhering to your ‘ikigai’ or ‘reason for living’ to strike a balance between your interests, contribution to the world, and personal sustainability.

3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

In his book, Stephen Covey shares 7 simple habits, which if followed diligently, can improve your life by making you truly effective and efficient in everything that you do. Not only that, the realistic advice in this book focuses on uplifting not just yourself, but also encouraging others around you to do the same, thus creating a stable and flourishing environment.

4. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

No list about self-help books can be considered complete without including this absolute classic from 1936 by Dale Carnegie, the be-all and end-all of this kind of literature. How to Win Friends and Influence People tackles a variety of social spheres from the public to the private, and the original edition had six sections, namely: “Twelve Things This Book Will Do For You”, “Fundamental Techniques in Handling People”, “Six Ways to Make People Like You”. “Twelve Ways to Win People to Your Way of Thinking”, “Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment”, “Letters That Produced Miraculous Results”, and finally, “Seven Rules For Making Your Home Life Happier”.

As is clear, Carnegie’s book covers a lot of bases that people struggle with— which is why the book was an instant bestseller upon launch.