The Best of Self-improvement Books

Michael Zajaczkowski - The Owner’s Manual To Life: Simple Strategies To Worry Less and Enjoy Life More (Raleigh, NC): International business coach Michael Z. offers 100 time-tested strategies and actionable tips for approaching life’s challenges with a sense of ease, peace, and confidence. Each chapter begins with an inspirational quote, and Michael distills practical advice with real-world application. The subtitle is “In case you missed that day in school when they handed it out…” so help your audience go back to school with his tips. Michael says: “I never imagined the greatest achievement in my life would be peace of mind.”

Kathy Elkind - To Walk It Is To See It (Burlington, VT): Follow Kathy and her husband Jim on their 1,400-mile walk along Europe's GR5 – a journey that took them through The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. Sept. 27th is World Tourism Day. How many of us have it on our bucket list to take a long, challenging hike like “The Camino.” Let’s hear from someone who has literally walked in those shoes. With raw vulnerability, Kathy shares her struggles growing up with dyslexia and not learning to read until the 7th grade; the joy and frustration she feels with Jim during their journey, knowing this trip could either draw them closer together or push them apart; her evolving relationship with food and the role shame has played in the ways she has shown up in her life.

Heather C. Markham - Rough Waters Phoenix, AZ: In life, every one of us faces fear, loss, and the occasional shocking plot twist. How can you navigate rough waters and live an extraordinary life—no matter what? Heather's journey with progressive disease MD has takeaways for all of us. Follow the lead of Heather who has been a competitive Para Surfer (she lives life using a power wheelchair and no mountain is too high for her to climb!) She teaches us how to not get bogged down by "invented" drama, realizing that limits are largely in our minds, and that if you find the right team, nearly anything is possible

Mary Bryant Shrader - The Modern Pioneer Cookbook Austin, TX: At 60 years old, Mary started a YouTube channel teaching the traditional foods lifestyle. Five years later that channel, Mary's Nest, has 1Msubscribers and led to this bestselling cookbook! Mary's personal journey reinventing her career late in life offers self-improvement wisdom but also being a modern pioneer in the kitchen, as she espouses, can help you be more prepared, save money, and eat more nutritiously!

Amy Weinland Daughters - Dear Dana: That time I went crazy and write all 580 of my Facebook friends a handwritten letter Houston, TX | As she told when interviewed on The Kelly Clarkson Show, when Amy Daughters reconnected with her old pal Dana on Facebook, she had no idea how it would change her life. A whopping 580 handwritten letters later, Amy’s life, and most of all her heart, would never, ever, be the same again. As it turned out, there were actual individuals living very real lives behind each social media profile, and she was beautifully connected to each of those extraordinary, flawed people for a specific reason. Let her tell you what happened after she handwrote 580 personal letters to her FB friends.

Jennifer Mrozek Sukalo - Claim Your SWAGGER New Canaan, CT: Jennifer Mrozek Sukalo is a Performance Coach and Well-Being Expert; she is a C-suite influential voice, with work in Fast Company and Livestrong. In Claim Your SWAGGER, Sukalo helps discard self-limiting beliefs and enables one to move beyond surviving life so they may instead follow their passions and greater purpose. Having worked with cancer survivors and over 50,000 leaders at multinational companies, Jennifer delivers actionable ways to start thriving after any sort of trauma or burnout.