BOOKS
4 Powerful Books to Help You Be Successful
Great books do great things for the brain
A Favorite Pastime
Avid readers would no doubt agree that reading books is one of the time-honored, evergreen pastimes that never gets old, mainly because of all the endless possibilities to choose from, because reading is simply enjoyable, and because reading books for success has been a strategy for many successful people.
A Pew Research study shows that reasons people love to read are many — learning, discovery, entertainment, enrichment, expanding the worldview, and escaping reality.
Pandemic reading is probably a way of escaping reality for some, getting lost in the pages of a good book — or better yet, a great book.
Reading books is powerful and amazing, and the four books that I’m recommending below are great books that do great and powerful things to the brain when read.
These benefits of reading can help you on your road to success in anything that you wish to do or achieve.
Benefits Gained from Reading Books
The power of books is in the benefits reading offers, to influence positive effects in your mental and physical health, which can fuel your success.
Reading books can:
- Increase the EQ (emotional quotient)
- Strengthen the brain
- Prevent cognitive decline
- Reduce stress
- Build vocabulary
- Alleviate depression
- Lengthen lifespan
- Aid sleep
Every man who knows how to read has it in his power to magnify himself, to multiply the ways in which he exists, to make his life full, significant, and interesting. — Aldous Huxley
Magnifying yourself in multiple ways can give you the necessary power to be successful in anything that you choose to do.
4 Great Reads
If this intrigues you, check out my recommendations of four great books to read that are sure to make a positive difference in your life, as they have for mine.
These are old school books with tried and true techniques to help you realize the greatness inside of yourself.
If you have not read these, you should. You’ll learn much about how to apply specific success techniques to your life from reading this books.
Note: No affiliate links included.
Book #1: The Power of Positive Thinking — Norman Vincent Peale
About the author
Norman Vincent Peale was an inspirational religious leader credited with popularizing the positive thinking concept, in part because of his best seller, The Power of Positive Thinking.
He passed away in 1993 at the age of 95.
This was the first self-help book I ever read when I was in my 20s, and it enlightened me more than I ever thought it would.
It is a very easy to read book, written in real-talk and laymen’s terms. However, if there’s a con that I could point out about this book is that it uses a bit too many examples written in narrative. But once you get the concepts down for each chapter, you can skip over some of the examples and finish the book faster.
Quotes from the author:
Change your thoughts and you change your world.
It’s always too early to quit.
Live your life and forget your age.
Become a possibilitarian. No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities — always see them, for they’re always there.
As you may have guessed, the book teaches techniques on how to focus and self-direct the attitude and mind to achieve success and happiness as well as train your thinking to overcome your most difficult problems to realize the best positive outcomes in all areas of life.
Book #2: The Power of Your Subconscious Mind — Joseph Murphy
About the author
Dr. Joseph Murphy was an author over 30 books, with The Power of Your Subconscious Mind being his most famous work. He was also a proponent of the New Thought movement along with many philosophers and deep thinkers studying the phenomenon.
He passed away in 1981 at the age of 83.
This was the second self-help book I ever read, inspired by reading my first self-help book above, and it took me to new heights of awareness. I was going through a very hard time in life then and it helped me cope and survive.
Quotes from the author:
The only path by which another person can upset you is through your own thought.
Your desire is your prayer. Picture the fulfillment of your desire now and feel its reality and you will experience the joy of the answered.
The way to get rid of darkness is with light; the way to overcome cold is with heat; the way to overcome the negative thought is to substitute the good thought. Affirm the good, and the bad will vanish.
This book is an easy read and does an excellent job of keeping the reader’s attention to want to turn the next page. It was hard for me to put the book down and get to sleep at night because I just wanted to keep reading!
Book #3: Power vs. Force — David R. Hawkins
About the author
David R. Hawkins was a nationally-renowned psychiatrist, physician, researcher, spiritual teacher and lecturer, known for his unique contribution to humanity working through what he described as an advanced state of spiritual awareness.
He passed away in 2002 at the age of 88.
This is truly an incredible read. It is nothing like I had ever read before, and I gained so much deep knowledge from reading this book. It delves into the concept of truth and how behavior relates to several levels of consciousness that exist within individuals and collectively for all.
Quotes from the author:
Power serves others, whereas force is self-serving.
We change the world not by what we say or do but as a consequence of what we have become.
All of us have available at all times a computer far more advanced than the most elaborate artificial intelligence machine — the human mind itself.
Because power is effortless, it goes unseen and unsuspected. Force is experienced through the senses; power can be recognized only through inner awareness.
The con to this book I would say is that it is not an easy read, as it is highly intellectual. I kept a dictionary and Google handy while reading this book. But, it is well worth it, as it teaches how to resolve many human dilemmas.
Book #4: Get Anyone to Do Anything — David J. Lieberman
About the author
Dr. David J. Lieberman is an award-winning, internationally-renowned author, lecturer, and leader in the fields of interpersonal relationships and human behavior. He is the creator of a revolutionary short-term therapy called NeuroDynamic Analysis.
Quotes from the author:
Whenever you are questioning a person’s desire for something, consider what he does, not necessarily what he says.
Sometimes people who adamantly assert an opinion or view don’t even hold it themselves.
When a person gives, he loves the object of his giving more — and so love is planted and grows.
The book gives amazingly accurate insight into human behavior and how to deal with people on all levels and in all of your interpersonal relationships or interactions. Dr. Lieberman teaches how to reclaim power and reveals many psychological strategies to help you handle all types of personalities.
Takeaways
These four book recommendations are full of useful and practical guidance, and techniques that can help you be successful in any area of your life — physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and financially.
These are books that I read often as reference materials, which is a great way to get the most out of reading books, instead of just making it a one-and-done experience.
Hopefully, you will find as much value as I have in these great reads.
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