Humans are constantly striving to improve their lot in life, and self-help books are the quickest way to forge a new path. It should come as no surprise that self-help shelves in bookstores are typically the most populated ones, with titles tackling countless topics.
According to a report from NPD Bookscan, the company that tracks the U.S. publishing market, the number of self-help books released between 2013 and 2019 nearly tripled. This doesn’t even consider all the titles sold during the last two years of quarantining and constant self-reflection. Motivational and inspirational books, the two most popular topics in the self-help category, accounted for sales of 4.3 million volumes during those years.
Labeling these books as merely self-help doesn’t fully reflect how instrumental each can be in changing a man’s life. These self-help
In no particular order, these ten books on self-help and personal development are perfect for guys embarking on a journey of rediscovery or men looking to get their lives back in order after a minor life setback.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Daily habits are the key to success, and James Clear is one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation. Atomic Habits offers practical strategies to help create new habits, eliminate old bad habits, and strengthen existing habits. Clear believes that people don’t rise to the level of their goals. They fall to the level of their systems. Atomic Habits offers step-by-step advice to building habit systems that work – and stick.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
“F**k positivity,” author Mark Manson explains. “Let’s be honest, shit is f**ked, and we have to live with it.” Manson isn’t one to sugarcoat his message, and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k explains that improving our lives means handling every situation with a sharper mind, especially when things inevitably go wrong.
Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and into Your Life
Why do so many self-help books for men need the f-bomb in the title? We’re not sure, but Unfu*k Yourself is more than just profanity and humor. Gary John Bishop speaks right to the people who are tired of feeling messed up in the head thanks to decades of negative self-talk. Bishop gives practical advice to men about how to get out of their own heads to start living a healthier life. As Bishop told us back when the book was first published, Unfu*k Yourself is advice for men to “stop doing all that shit you know you shouldn’t be doing and start doing the shit you know you should be doing.”
Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World
If you’ve spent time searching inspirational videos on YouTube, you’ve likely come across Admiral William McRaven’s speech to the graduating class of the University of Texas at Austin back in 2014. McRaven shared the ten principles he learned during Navy Seal training that helped him overcome military and life challenges. The speech turned into this popular self-help book for men that provides practical advice and words of encouragement that will help any man through even in the darkest moments in life.
Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds
David Goggins seems inhuman, probably because the man survived a life that would crush the average person. Goggins had a nightmare childhood and found himself at a dead end as an adult. Depressed, fat, and broke, Goggins transformed himself into an elite soldier and then a top endurance athlete. He’s the only man in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller. Can’t Hurt Me is Goggins’ story in his own words and explains how the only way for any man to reach his full potential is to push past the pain.
No More Mr. Nice Guy: A Proven Plan for Getting What You Want in Love, Sex, and Life
Dr. Robert Glover, a pioneering expert on the “Nice Guy Syndrome,” wants men to stop being so damn nice, but that’s doesn’t mean we should all strive to be assholes. What is a nice guy? Nice guys do whatever it takes to be liked by everyone, even if it makes them miserable, and hide anything that others might look at negatively. No More Mr. Nice Guy is the blueprint to diagnosing Nice Guy Syndrome, learning why so many men try to be the nice guy, and offering tactical advice on how to stop being so damn agreeable.
F*ck Your Feelings
At first glance, this book appears to be about our feelings. It’s much more than just ideas about how to put on our big boy pants and deal with life, though. Ryan Munsey understands that 95% of decisions are based on a feeling. Not logic. Not rational thought. Feelings and not feeling like doing the hard things that will make our lives better. You want to write a book, but you “don’t feel like it today.” You want a better body, but you “don’t feel like” putting on your sneakers and going to the gym. F*ck Your Feelings is an essential read for any man who isn’t terrified of tough love. Munsey walks readers through specific mind-control techniques designed to complement how the brain is wired and gives tips on how to feel more pleasure throughout the day.
The Unplugged Alpha
The playbook to women and life has changed drastically over the last decade. “Most men today are sent off into a society with a broken belief system,” explains author Richard Cooper. Men have been conditioned and trained to be overly humble, kind to a fault, and taught that “being themselves” is enough to attract and keep the woman of their dreams. This has led to an entire generation of men forming very unhealthy relationships with women. The Unplugged Alpha aims to teach men that being a man isn’t bad and to concentrate on chasing excellence instead of women.
The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph
Arnold Schwarzenegger. LL Cool J. Greg Popovich. There are just some of the names who have mentioned how much they love Ryan Holiday’s book, The Obstacle Is The Way. The book draws inspiration from the ancient Greek philosophy of stoicism and preaches perseverance and resilience to endure pain and adversity. This book reveals how knowledge and reason are the keys to living a happy life, offers workable suggestions on how to stay indifferent to pleasure and pain, and how to keep your emotions from coloring your perception of the world.
