Change your life with the top self-help books for men. Self-help books range dramatically in quality, and I did the work of reading dozens of them so you don’t have to. In my experience of reading and implementing the teachings of dozens of popular self-help books over about two decades, I’ve narrowed down the most popular ones that best solve common male problems and shared them with you below.
You’ll find a curated genre book list with specific recommendations for exactly what struggle each book helps with to make it easy for you to decide which ones to read. You’ll also get a free printable PDF checklist to track your reading of these transformative books, so let’s get literary!
The Top Self-Help Books For Men
- 10% Happier: for depression, anxiety, and mental health
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: for personal and professional growth
- Atomic Habits: for behavioral self-growth
- Dare to Lead: for management success
- Four Thousand Weeks: for prioritization and balancing work and family
- How To Win Friends & Influence People: for self-confidence and self-esteem that builds relationships
- Never Split the Difference: for the Alpha male negotiator
- Originals: for ambition in entrepreneurs
- The Tipping Point: for understanding society
- Who Moved My Cheese?: for growth through change
My Reviews of the Top Self-Improvement Books for Men
10% Happier by Dan Harris
My Review: 10% Happier is both a memoir and self-help book by the famous ABC news journalist Dan Harris, whose mental health was crippled by anxiety and restored through meditation.
It helps you feel “seen” and encourages you to try meditation.
Reading Tip: For more, check out Harris’s website, Meditate Happier, for podcasts, courses, meditations, and more. My husband recently got into it!
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven R. Covey
My Review: Considered the most influential business book of the 20th Century, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People presents a principled approach to personal and professional growth. It teaches readers to cultivate habits like proactivity, prioritizing important tasks, and fostering collaboration to achieve long-term success. The book also emphasizes aligning personal values with professional goals.
Readers continue to cherish its timeless wisdom and empowering mindset. It pleasantly surprised me, too! It’s highly psychological, strongly emphasizing emotional intelligence, and remains relevant years after its release. There’s a lot to digest here, so take notes!
Atomic Habits by James Clear
My Review: Atomic Habits is one of the most popular self-help books of recent years because it completely changes how you perceive the concept of habits.
It cuts right to the heart of the matter and gives advice that is not just motivational but also extremely practical and actionable. This helps you create habits that stick. It’s worked for me daily with both big and small new habits I’ve formed, from when I brush my teeth to getting my workouts in!
Related Post: Atomic Habits Quotes
Dare to Lead by Brene Brown
My Review: The renowned “shame” researcher shares new research about leaders, change-makers, and culture shifters in Dare to Lead. More importantly, she teaches you how to put those ideas into practice so you can meaningfully lead.
It encourages leaders to choose courage over comfort to make a difference in a culture of scarcity, fear, and uncertainty. This means working on empathy, connection, and vulnerability.
I couldn’t be a bigger fan of Brown and her research-backed work, which she delivers in her unique Southern twang to make us better people from the inside out.
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
My Review: Four Thousand Weeks is an interesting take on time management. We all know time is limited. We all have endless to-do lists. And we are all presented with “life hacks” for managing it all. But is this the best way to view our time?
This book draws upon the teachings of psychologists and philosophers to provide a different kind of time management guide focused on living a meaningful life, mindful of the limitations of traditional views of time and time management. It’s worth thinking about!
How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
My Review: How To Win Friends & Influence People teaches timeless principles for building positive relationships through empathy and active listening. Carnegie emphasizes the power of influencing others by focusing on their needs and desires while cultivating mutual respect.
This book influenced me in my early career as a lawyer, in which I was trained that talking louder and more was the key to success. It forced me to take a step back and learn there may be more to be gained in the opposite.
It’s considered a classic in the genre and works particularly well for those in sales or other areas of influence.
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
My Review: Never Split the Difference offers negotiation advice from someone who couldn’t afford to lose– a hostage negotiator from the FBI. His stories are suspenseful and memorable, but the real magic in this book lies in how he pulls actionable tips from his “war stories” that can be applied to everyone else’s everyday life.
I recommend it as a good book for men to read. I often saw men reading and loving it, especially when I was a lawyer. My husband also considers it to be a must-read for any sales team.
Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam M. Grant
My Review: Originals is a book I loved so much I recommended it both to my husband and as one of the best books for graduates.
It draws on real-life examples and gives insight into the modern workplace and initiatives like recognizing a good idea, speaking up without being silenced, building a team of allies, knowing when to act, managing your fear and doubt, and welcoming dissent.
It’s about what workplace leadership and success look like in a more modern context.
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
My Review: The Tipping Point explores the moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold and then tips, spreading like wildfire. It’s my husband’s favorite book of all time.
Through a series of compelling narratives and case studies, Gladwell introduces concepts such as “The Law of the Few,” “The Stickiness Factor,” and “The Power of Context” to explain why some ideas soar and others sink.
A few of my favorite takeaways are the power of being a networker and the concept of “sticky” ideas, which can be applied in your business life.
Reading Tip: Already read it and loved it? Then, check out 2024’s Revenge of The Tipping Point. It’s the same concept, but with updated narratives.
Related Post: Malcolm Gladwell Book Order
Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson
My Review: Who Moved My Cheese? is a short and sweet parable that bestows business advice about the need to adapt through the story of mice whose cheese is moved and their different reactions to it.
Change is hard. And it’s often said that we must adapt or die,” particularly in business. The mice in this one of the best self-help books ever make the need to change memorable long after it’s read.
Best Men’s Self-Help Books PDF
Recap: Where to Start
TOP SELF-HELP BOOKS FOR MEN
Get started with these three bestselling books, which have sold 100+ million copies combined.
More Influential Self-Help Books
- The 5 Love Languages Review
- Braving the Wilderness Summary
- Quiet Book Review
- Set Boundaries, Find Peace Review
remember, it’s a good day to read a book. – jules
