12 Non-Fiction Books That Will Transform Your Life

Drone view of the La Jolla Cove - photo by Hakan Ozturk
© Photo by Hakan Ozturk - Adobe Stock

1/ Mindset, Carol Dweck

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

“Talent is not passed down in the genes. It’s in the mindset”

Key Take Away:

We are all born with a growth mindset that anyone can develop at any age.

And the only difference between success and failure is how you turn a situation to your benefit.

An absolute must-read to develop a growth mindset!

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2/ Influence, Robert Cialdini

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

In this book, you’ll learn why people say yes and how to apply these insights to Customer Success and more.

Key Take Aways: the 7 Principles of Persuasion 

  • Reciprocation

  • Commitment and Consistency

  • Social Proof 

  • Liking 

  • Authority

  • Scarcity

  • and Unity

After reading this book, you’ll never talk to your customers the same way again.

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3/ Atomic Habits, James Clear

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

“Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement”

Key Take Aways

All habits have the same 4-step pattern:

  • Cue

  • Craving

  • Response

  • and Reward.

To form habits, you must make them:

  • Obvious

  • Attractive

  • Easy

  • and Satisfying.

Whether you want to form a new habit or get rid of a bad one, read this book for a life-changing experience.

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4/ Start with Why, Simon Sinek

Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it”

Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers had little in common, but they all started with why.

They realized that people won’t buy into a product, service, or idea until they understand the why.

Key Take Away

  • To inspire others, always communicate your Why, first.

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5/ As a Man Thinketh, James Allen

As A Man Thinketh, James Allen

As A Man Thinketh, James Allen

“As we think, so we are”

James Allen reveals how our thoughts shape our character. They manifest themselves in our finances, health, appearance, and environment.

The choice is yours.

Master your thoughts and create the life you want. Or remain stuck in negativity, frustration, and failure.

Key Take Away:

  • Your actions follow your thoughts.

  • Thoughts can keep you young or make you age faster.

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6/ The Almanack of Naval Ravikant

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness

Naval Ravikant is an entrepreneur, philosopher, and investor.

In this book, you’ll learn how to walk your own path to a happy and wealthy life.

Key Take Aways:

  • Compounding interest also applies to your finances and your relationships.

  • Money is the ultimate tool for freedom.

  • To become happy, learn how to be neutral and stay quiet.

A must-read!

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7/ The 4-Hour Workweek, Tim Ferriss

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich

“Doing something unimportant well does not make it important”

This book is the ultimate guide to living the lifestyle of your dreams.

Key Take Aways:

• How Tim went from $40,000 per year to $40,000 per month and 4 hours per week.

• How to cut 50% of your work.

• How to trade a long-term career for short work bursts and frequent “mini-retirements”.

Read it and you’ll never consider “work” the same way again!

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8/ Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill

Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill

Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill

Number 1 motivational personal development and self-help book of all times.

Napoleon Hill studied more than 500 wealthy businessmen over 20 years. In this masterpiece, he describes the 13 common habits of the most successful people.

The philosophy taught in this book will help you succeed in everything you do.

Here are the 13 Laws of Success:

  1. Desire

  2. Faith

  3. Auto Suggestion

  4. Specialized Knowledge

  5. Imagination

  6. Organized Planning

  7. Decision

  8. Persistence

  9. Power of the Master Mind

  10. Transmutation

  11. The Subconscious Mind

  12. The Brain

  13. The Sixth Sense

Key Take Aways

  1. Use the power of auto-suggestion to build a strong belief in yourself.

  2. Always stand by your decisions.

  3. Join a mastermind group to speed up the learning curve.

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9/ Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money

A bestseller in the categories of Personal Finance, Parenting, and Investing.

It’s the story of Robert growing up with his two dads: his own father and the father of his best friend.

The way in which both men shaped his thoughts about money and investing has changed his life forever.

Key Take Aways:

• You don’t need to earn a high income to become rich

• Defines what an asset is (puts money in your pocket)

and a liability (takes money from your pocket).

• You can’t rely on the school system to teach your kids about money

A must-read!

And you’ll never look at your finances the same way again!

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10/ Never Split the Difference, Chris Voss

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It

Chris Voss is a former FBI hostage negotiator.

In this awesome book, he explains how to negotiate in any type of situation.

Key Take Away:

  • Build trust by using the mirroring technique.

  • Label your counterpart’s emotions to build empathy.

  • Use the right tone of voice.

A must-read for any Customer Success professional!

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11/ The Psychology Of Money, Morgan Housel

Doing well with money isn’t about what you know.

It’s about how you behave. And behavior is hard to teach, even to smart people.

The book tells you 19 short stories exploring the strange ways people think about money.

Key Take Aways:

  • Leave greed out when managing your money.

  • Don’t envy how others are doing with their money as it can lead you to make the wrong decisions for yourself.

  • Your childhood experiences influence the financial decisions you make later in life.

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12/ How To Win Friends & Influence People, Dale Carnegie

How to Win Friends & Influence People, Dale Carnegie

How to Win Friends & Influence People, Dale Carnegie

A self-development book written by Dale Carnegie, and published in 1936. 

One of the most groundbreaking and timeless bestsellers of all time!

The one book you should have close to you and read at least once every year!

Key Take Aways:

  • Six ways to make people appreciate you

  • Twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking

  • Nine ways to change people without appearing rude

And much more!


Here are 17 other absolute must-reads:

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