Personal self-development is a long and complex process. At the same time, it is subject to constant changes. The mental processes of cognition and will, beliefs and ideals, feelings and emotions are in a complex step-by-step interaction.

You can find people who, in terms of their level of development, are significantly ahead of their peers, and there are those who are far behind them in this regard.

Many of famous people were able to develop their personal qualities thanks to culture, including books. Their spiritual world is distinguished by immeasurable richness. It is worth saying that books intended for self-development contain which the authors own. And this knowledge is priceless. Only thanks to books can a person develop fully and achieve success in any endeavor.

Selecting the required direction

What to read for self-development? It’s worth deciding on this in advance. After all, this difficult path includes a huge number of different areas. In order to determine the highest priority of them, you should choose what is especially important for you in today’s segment of your life’s path.

The main topics for self-development include the following:
- life philosophy;
- intellectual development;
- physical improvement;
- development of creative potential;
- classical fiction;
- business;
- practical psychology.

Books about life philosophy

What should I read for self-development in this direction? Under the pseudonym El Tat, one of the St. Petersburg psychologists published the book “Medicine for the Soul.” It is intended for those who feel endless fatigue from the turbulent cycle modern life. The daily bustle drives the weak into a narrow corridor of inevitability. After reading this book, one simple fact becomes clear. There is no weakness. It's just a state of mind that needs to be changed in better side. In El Tata's book you can find simple and accessible truths about happiness and health for everyone. At the same time, the work popularizes knowledge about man and the world, which was formulated by Hermes Trismegistus. The reader can also familiarize himself with the author's various opinions. In particular, they concern the world and man.

The book “The Mysterious Power of the Word. Love Formula". Its author is Valery Sinelnikov. The book describes effective technique coding words for well-being, health and success. The mysterious nature is also revealed in it. Having become familiar with the author’s judgments, the reader becomes clear that the management of our lives is carried out with words. The main task of a person is to choose the necessary words for any specific situation.

One of the books about life philosophy is the work “What to do when everything is not the way you want.” Its author is a famous psychologist. Accessible and in simple language he conveys to his readers his own unique technique, analyzes problematic situations in detail and gives vital advice to understand the causes of events. Reading this book will, without any doubt, be important event. A person who has become familiar with it will be able to correctly formulate the events he desires for himself.

Intellectual self-improvement

What should I read for self-development in this area? At the beginning of the twentieth century, the classic book “The Master Key” was written. Its author is Charles Haenel. The work describes a system of creative thinking and a statement of the laws that underlie any success. The author conveys to the reader the idea that every person is the creator of his own reality.

The transformation of the brain into the strongest thinking machine will be facilitated by the book by Edward de Bon “Teach yourself to think: a self-instruction manual for the development of thinking.” Having studied this work, any person will be able to effectively use and correctly structure the process of processing incoming information.

In his book entitled "Unlock Your Mind: Become a Genius!" Stanislav Müller proposes super-learning technology. Its assimilation will allow any person, regardless of age, to use all the reserves of the mind.

Physical development

What should I read for self-development that will improve the health and beauty of my body? In the book “The Eye of Renaissance,” authors Peter Kalder and Bernie Siegel offer their readers six simple exercises that are accessible to everyone. All of them are aimed at rejuvenating the body. At the same time, they are very effective. Their execution in parallel with proper nutrition helps prolong youth and strengthen vitality.

What is the best thing to read for self-development when studying yoga? Giris Rabinovich, Narayani Rabinovich and Lucy Lydill offer readers their work. It's called "A New Book on Yoga." This is an accessible and simple tutorial with which you can perform the most simple exercises. Moreover, this can be done without a yoga mentor. At the initial stage, this wonderful book will easily replace it. Moreover, it includes asanas for pregnant women, children, and also for the elderly. This tutorial also describes breathing exercises. For better understanding, the book contains extensive illustrative material.

Literature for self-healing of the body

Alice Christensen’s book, called “Yoga for Everyone,” will allow you to study exercises that have ancient practice. The path to health." The main advantage of this educational work is the accessibility of the proposed asanas, regardless of the person’s level of training.

What should a woman who cares about her health read for self-development? For the fair sex, in the book “Women’s Intimate Health,” she offers her own methodology. The main focus of the set of exercises developed by the author is the prevention of inflammatory and infectious pathologies of the pelvic organs. This technique serves as a preventive measure to prevent cancer.

For physical self-development, we recommend a book by Christina Grof and Stanislav Grof called “Holotropic Breathwork. A new approach to self-exploration and therapy.” This work offers extraordinary insight human capabilities, mental health and healing. The authors developed this technique in the seventies of the last century.

Development of creative potential

What book should I read for self-development in this direction? To improve creativity Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way is recommended. It will be of particular benefit to those who are not confident in their talent. For them, the book will serve as an excellent guide. Moreover, it consists of interesting activities, designed for a twelve-week course.

Stephen King, who is deservedly considered a master of literature, offers his readers a work called “How to Write Books.” In it, the author shares the secrets of bringing interesting texts into the world. When reading, the book will give you the same pleasure as fiction. It provides current examples of stylistic and semantic errors that are present in the works of other authors.

Art classics

What interesting things to read for self-development? literature related to world classics does not need advertising. Each of these books describes complex life situations in which their heroes find themselves. Readers' interest in these works has not waned for centuries. Watching the heroes of books, each of us is enriched with new life experiences.

The following books will undoubtedly have a positive impact on personal self-development:
- “Gone with the Wind” by the famous Margaret Mitchell;
- “War and Peace” by writer Leo Tolstoy;
- “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare;
- “Dowry” by Alexander Ostrovsky.

Business development

What should a man who strives for success in life read for self-development? There is a huge amount of literature for those who have decided to start their own business or want to improve it as much as possible. With laws personal success and the work of money will be introduced in the book “The Greatest Trader in the World,” authored by Og Mandino. It is on the list of the best works designed for personal improvement in the field of sales. At the same time, the author teaches his reader how to overcome the difficulties that arise along the way.

Yuri Moroz's book "How to start" own business. A Guide for Beginners" will be useful not only for beginner students, but also for experienced entrepreneurs. It is worth saying that the author of the book is a famous consultant and business coach.

Practical psychology

For self-development? At a young age, it is recommended to pick up the book “Ten Secrets of Happiness” by Adam Jackson. It is a modern parable about wisdom and love. This work, without any doubt, can change the life of its reader. A work called “The Five Love Languages” will help to establish relationships between people.

Every parent should be interested in their child picking up books. After all, reading, as well as thinking about the plot read, is the main component in the process of self-development. Books shape competent speech, develop the ability to argue, communicate, and defend their positions.

A child may be interested in Bulgakov’s stories and his invaluable work “The Master and Margarita”. Teenagers enjoy reading Conan Doyle and Kaverin. Girls will be interested in “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte. Together with your child, you will laugh at the humorous stories of Zoshchenko and Chekhov. Young romantics will be delighted by Exupery with his work “The Little Prince”.

Have you ever thought that many non-fiction books on the topic of business success, productivity or leadership are very monotonous? And what really useful, with good and applicable advice, is not so much? Everything is subjective, of course, but often fiction you can find ideas that, in terms of self-development, are in no way inferior to the non-fiction genre, or even superior to it.

Master and Margarita

About redemption and creativity, the spirit of the era and morals, God and the devil, truth and lies. The novel is filled with meanings and broken down into aphorisms, some of which themselves are capable of saying more than some books. “Cowardice is the most terrible vice.” "We are talking to you in different languages, as always, but the things we talk about don’t change.” “Do you judge by the suit? Never do this. You can make a mistake, and a very big one at that.”

Martin Eden

About achieving goals, loyalty to the intended path, strong character, overcoming oneself, external conditions and circumstances. And also about working on yourself, development and aspirations. Many readers of 4brain read this novel to anyone interested in self-development.

A little prince

About the meaning of life and true wisdom, friendship and love. "The Little Prince" is often associated with the catchphrase: “We are responsible for those we have tamed.” But this is just the tip of the iceberg - each asteroid and Earth has its own story, each world is interesting, unique and provides food for thought.

Atlas Shrugged

About personality and individuality, strength of character and following convictions, perseverance and overcoming resistance, determination and struggle. And also about selfishness, if you believe the critics. But it’s better to read the trilogy and draw your own conclusions – the book leaves few people indifferent.

For whom the Bell Tolls

About war and love, choice and moral duty, courage and sacrifice. The epigraph already says a lot: “There is no person who would be like an Island, in itself: every person is part of the Continent, part of the Land; and if a Wave carries the coastal Cliff into the sea, Europe will become smaller, and also if it washes away the edge of the Cape or destroys your Castle or your Friend; the death of every Man diminishes me too, for I am one with all Mankind, and therefore never ask for whom the Bell tolls: it tolls for You.”

Lord of the Flies

About the nature of man and civilization, power and strength, personality and society, good and evil. Everything that happens on the island can be transferred to the world globally. Golding perfectly showed the dark side of human nature. It lies dormant in everyone, and in a favorable environment neither moral standards nor common sense are able to resist it.

The Picture of Dorian Grey

About the nature of beauty, spiritual and material, creativity and art. In addition to understanding aestheticism, the novel reveals such eternal themes as the meaning of life, sin, morality, responsibility for one’s actions. From release to today the work remains topically discussed.

451 degrees Fahrenheit

About happiness and pleasure, spirituality, culture, life, books. Don't you think that the world Bradberry wrote about is gradually coming? That technology makes a person a thoughtless consumer and there is no need to read (think) anymore? That momentary pleasures become the meaning of life?

Three Musketeers

About friendship and love, aspirations and service to ideas, the ability to act in defiance of fate, determination and risk, adventurism and courage. Dumas is not a great philosopher; his works are valuable not for the deep ideas hidden behind the text, but for their directness and actualization of important human qualities. “The Three Musketeers,” like his other works, is equally pleasant and useful to read both when you are 15 and when you are 40.

Adventures of Tom Sawyer

About childhood and growing up, friendship and love, enterprise and resourcefulness. In the experiences and actions of the main characters, everyone can certainly recognize themselves - a protester, skipping school, falling in love for the first time, thirsting for adventure and loving life.

1. Natalya Tolstaya "Duel with treason." A book about how to properly face real betrayal “eye to eye” and how not to go crazy after meeting it. Almost all men, alas, are capable of cheating. And there is no guarantee that the most faithful husband will never go “to the left”. If you don’t want to look for answers to questions using books, hire a detective or keep an eye on your loved one yourself!
2. “The bitch’s handbook,” wrote Svetlana Kronna. Men love very much, but they are afraid of any woman whose behavior can be called (safely) bitchy. Make a man fear and love you! The combination of love and fear is a strong and reliable (strong) combination that will play a vital role in the future.
3. "Think and Grow Rich" - writer Napoleon Hill. A wonderful guide that can teach you to live differently, according to a “successful” life plan. Read the book from beginning to end! Try to “read” even in some boring moments. They are found in any publication. However, without such moments, any book loses its “zest of meaning.”
4. Thomas Stanley "My Neighbor is a Millionaire." This book content will shock you! Why? If only because you will find out what tricky questions people with low or medium income ask themselves. Didn't you have such a desire? Check it out!
5. “Never eat alone” - Kate Ferazzi. The book will tell you how to get acquainted correctly and continue acquaintance further. You will also learn how to “attract” success to yourself. Now this is really interesting!
6. Joan Harris "Blackberry Wine" Do you want to escape into the distant past? Have you completely forgotten how to love? own life? Have you stopped understanding anything at all? Read this book quickly!
7. “The Psychology of Lying” - writer Paul Ekman. People lie. They often lie! Sometimes it seems that they love to do this, that lying helps them get through day after day. The contents of this book will help you understand where the truth is and where it is “not true at all.” Facial expressions and gestures will help you!
8. Ivan Bunin "Easy Breathing" In the lines of this book you will “find” the revelation of secrets about what quality is valued by men in women in a special sense and to a special extent. Intrigued? Amazing! This means you'll soon be relaxing with reading instead of alone!
9. Sergey Komarov “If this happens, it depends on me!” The book will help you find yourself. Thanks to her pages, you will help you get the most out of life! You just have to be patient and re-read the book very carefully several times. If needed... Then three, four, five...
10. Adam Jackson "Ten Secrets of Happiness." An old Chinese man will “share” with you the extraordinary secrets of happiness. They won't just be put on the shelf by you! You can apply them in life.
11. Victoria Isaeva “How to lose weight without dieting? Forty nine simple rules" The book talks about the reasons for weight gain. Naturally, we are talking about getting rid of them here. Read! The book will return you to either your previous weight (with which you were happy) or your most gorgeous slimness.
12. “A self-instruction manual for developing intuition,” wrote Laura Day. The book is very, very easy to read. Before you know it, you will have mastered all the intuitive skills. But you will decide (before re-reading this publication) whether you need real mastery of these “magic” skills.

Do you want to read a lot, a lot of books, but your eyes get tired quickly? What else can a woman read for self-development? - There are wonderful audiobooks for this case! They need to be listened to, not read, straining your eyes. By the way, many of the books described above are available in audio versions. You need to do a good search on the Internet. There’s so much that’s missing from his “webs”!

Rules for reading self-development books

1. Remember what student life is. Just take notes on what you read. What seems useful and important to you. This way you will understand that you did not read the book in vain.
2. Buy a lot of pens. Or rods. To have something to write at any time. You can use the computer. It will make it easier to edit the information found.
3. Read books to the end and re-read if something remains unclear to you. Don't stop reading halfway through! Otherwise, show your weakness and you will be ashamed.
4. Don’t be lazy to re-read old books that you read once before. You will be surprised, but you will be able to find information that you could not (for some reason) find.
5. Go to the library. Ask for a list of books that are available. Choose several titles. Take it and promise yourself to read everything you took.
6. Tell your best friends about interesting things you read. But choose as interlocutors those people who will really be interested. Don't impose! You have no right to this.
7. Protect all accumulated knowledge, and do not forget it. They will help you in many situations. Even in the most unexpected.

Why read self-development books?

Decide and decide for yourself why you need it, and whether you need it at all. There are cases when a woman takes up reading smart books in order to “catch up” with her husband’s intelligence or young man. Any woman with such an “understanding of reality” can also be understood. They are afraid of appearing stupid or being abandoned.

Why do other girls and women read books? Because they are not bored, because they thirst for new and new knowledge, because they feel comfortable next to books.

Read and develop! Read and have fun! It's worth learning to be friends with books! If you try it, you will like it. Don't forget to try!

By the way, to avoid confusion, keep a list of books you have read. This "trick" helps most people. Then the main thing becomes saving the list. Take care of what you write!

Improve, develop!

In this post I want to talk about books that are worth reading for self-development if you are just starting to be interested in this topic and are looking for proven sources of information.

Self-development books and personal growth Now there are so many that you can get confused, and most of them are empty “blah-blah” and repetition of truisms that have been said a thousand times. I have been reading such books for more than fifteen years and I admit: there are very few truly worthwhile things that provide fundamentally new knowledge and can really change something in life.

Here I decided to collect the books that I consider the most important and basic for self-development. These are real gems, read and apply. About 10-15 years ago I really missed them.

Books worth reading for self-development: where to start?

Go straight through the list or choose books on the topic that interests you most. Perhaps the post will be supplemented; links are affiliate links.

Stephen Covey - The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

A timeless classic that, unlike other classics like Dale Carnegie, is still relevant today. One of the 25 most influential business books according to Time magazine.

In the book, Covey offers a sequential study of seven skills that are not taught at school and university, and which can take life to a new quality level. These skills help you develop the ability to get along with both the people around you and your own desires and habits, set and achieve big goals and improve your skills. If you are taking your first steps into adulthood independent life or are stuck at some stage of it, then this will be master read No. 1 for you.

Tim Ferriss - How to Work Four Hours a Week

Covey in “Seven Habits” paints a picture of your better future in broad strokes, and Ferris gives clear, practical tools for working on yourself: take it and do it. More than once I have come across the opinion that it was this book that pushed a person to go freelance or develop his own business.

The book destroys the stereotype that you can earn normal money only by working for an “uncle” in a serious company; this is a manifesto of free people against office slavery, people who do not sacrifice their lives and their interests for the sake of working non-stop in the office.

Consistently, Tim explains the following things:

• How to choose and set the right goals in life;
• How to get rid of everything that interferes with achieving these goals;
• How to automate everything to the maximum: work less, earn more;

Plus a lot of case studies, success stories and practical advice, as well as Ferris’ signature humor and descriptions of the adventures that he was able to arrange for himself while practicing the “new” lifestyle. It’s actually amazing how much useful stuff Tim managed to cram into one book. Definitely mastrid.

Barbara Sher - "It's Not Harmful to Dream"

A legendary book about how to find your calling and put it into practice. Unlike other books about finding a calling, Cher’s method works great, thanks to which her books have been selling huge copies for more than 30 years and changing the lives of other people.

“It’s Not Harmful to Dream” is the first and most important book in her seven-book series. She talks about how to discover your talents and strengths, correctly set goals, make plans and track progress; how to create a network of useful contacts and a support group to help you achieve your goals.

Unlike Tim Ferriss' book, this one is less about money and business and more about creativity and finding yourself. As a set, these two books complement each other perfectly.

Definitely a mastrid if you want to do what you like in life.

Kelly McGonigal - "Willpower"

The best book on how to work out good habits and overcome harmful ones. McGonigal, a professor at Stanford University, talks about how our will and self-control depend on processes occurring inside our bodies, and how to trick the brain into controlling them.

The book contains many techniques and experiments that will be useful in different, even everyday situations. How to lose weight and how to give up sweets? How to regularly do exercises in the morning? How to avoid impulse purchases and not waste money on various nonsense? How to stop forcing yourself to do anything in principle and start living more freely and consciously?

Mastrid, if you want to better understand your brain and your body, improve your strong-willed qualities or remove bad habits.

Sharon Melnick - "Resilience"

Similar to the previous one, only not about willpower, but about fighting stress. Sharon Melnik, Harvard business psychologist and presenter of courses on anti-stress, explains in detail where stress comes from in our lives and gives practical advice how to deal with them. After this book, I really began to feel calmer and in many situations I simply don’t get stressed. The book contains many practical exercises that are easy to apply in everyday life.

The book helps you learn how to set priorities correctly, control emotions, alternate periods of concentration and relaxation to increase productivity, and improve the quality of nutrition and sleep.

Mastrid, because stress is a constant phenomenon in the life of every person, and this is the best book about dealing with stress. Read this if you want to learn how to better control your feelings. Along with "Willpower" there will be a bomb.

Jim Lauer, Tony Schwartz - "Life at Full Power"

The best book on human energy. The authors of the book, working with the greatest athletes of our time and FBI special forces, have developed an energy management technique that allows for a long time stay alert, productive and maintain your strength even under high physical or mental stress. This technique is only applicable to ordinary people, found in Living at Full Power.

It is easy and interesting to read, everything is strictly based on science, there are many success stories and useful practices. The authors divide vital energy into three components - physical, mental and spiritual - and provide techniques and recommendations for pumping each of them. Mastrid is for those who want to learn how to manage their life energy.

George Clayson - "The Richest Man in Babylon"

A must read book if you are interested in financial side self-development. If Ferris, in “How to Work Four Hours a Week,” talks about how to make money, then Clason talks about how to save that money and increase it.

"The Richest Man in Babylon" is written as an Eastern parable, but don't let that fool you. In each chapter, Clason reveals one of the common truths of financial literacy, which, in theory, should be taught in school. In general, many books have been written on this topic, there are such authors as Kiyosaki and Schaefer, but I have more than once come across the opinion that “The Richest...” is an ideal book to start with, and I completely agree with it. After reading this one book, you can change your attitude towards money and begin to develop healthy money habits.

Money nowadays decides everything or almost everything, so mastrid.

Travis Macy - "Ultra Mindset"

A book by ultramarathoner Travis Macy about how to cope with difficulties and develop better human qualities. In the book, Macy, who has completed more than a hundred endurance events, describes eight “mindsets” (principles) that underlie his concept of the “ultramindset”—the mindset of a strong person.

If you dig deep into the topic of ultramarathons, triathlons and other endurance sports, you will find out interesting fact: many records were set not on “physics”, but on the “psyche”, that is, exclusively on strong-willed qualities and fantastic concentration. The principles of ultra-thinking help to develop these qualities and apply them not only in sports, but also in business, and in building a career, and in everyday life.

Mastrid, if you want to learn how to take a punch and emerge victorious in any situation.

Josh Kaufman - "Your Own MBA"

MBA is a training program for middle and senior managers, recognized throughout the world. A person's MBA degree not only shows that he knows a lot about business, but also about his leadership qualities, and the desire for self-development. Any self-respecting manager wants to get an MBA.

Josh Kaufman also wanted to, but took a different path and began self-education. He compiled all his experiences into a book. At its core, "Your Own MBA" is an alternative, plain-language MBA textbook that talks about how people work and how business works in all its aspects - from statistics and marketing to working in the field.

If you want to become an entrepreneur, then "Your Own MBA" will be a great start, it is a concentrate that will help you avoid reading dozens of books on business and management.

Kate Ferrazzi - "Never Eat Alone" + "Your Support Group"

A bomb book about networking, the art of building professional relationships, which even captivated an introvert like me. The book's author, Keith Ferrazzi, is known in the West as "Mr. Contact" and is the most sociable person in the world according to Forbes.

Books on how to properly meet people and make business contacts are a dime a dozen. The uniqueness of Ferrazzi’s book is that he doesn’t just teach some psychological techniques, but talks about how, by building a network of contacts, you can improve your life and solve problems that you cannot solve alone. We are used to understanding connections as “blat,” but here connections are friendship and relationships built on mutual respect.

Much attention in the book is paid to the development of such qualities as unselfishness, courage and sincere interest in the people around them; about building long-term and strong relationships in your career and personal life, the ability to speak and listen correctly, as well as present yourself correctly and not let yourself be forgotten.

Mastrid, if you want to improve your communication skills with people and learn how to build a network of useful contacts. A very relevant book in our time.

Tom Rath - Eat, Move, Sleep;

Brett Blumenthal - "A Year Lived Right"

Two books about health with which I recommend starting to study a healthy lifestyle. Unlike books by other popular, “classical” authors like Paul Bragg, there is a minimum of thought and philosophy and a maximum of applied advice on how to change your life and improve three areas of health: nutrition, physical activity and dream. At the same time, no one demands from the reader any sudden physical movements such as switching to some kind of super diet or breaking down in the gym. Only small but reliable healthy lifestyle steps.

The books are very similar, but are built on different principles. Blumenthal suggests something like a year-long course, where you try something new in the world of healthy living every week. Rath talks about everything at once, but I found his book more inspiring.

Develop the right ones eating habits, Go to healthy eating, move more, worry less, sleep soundly - that’s all about it. If you feel that it’s time to take care of your health, then choose any one and read it, and to consolidate, read also “Willpower” and “Life at Full Power,” which I wrote about above.

Books worth reading for self-development: what next?

I hope my list of books to read for self-development was helpful. Let me remind you that these are basic books, after using which you will get the first results.

I intentionally left out a few challenging, more fundamental self-help books like Csikszentmihalyi's Flow, Taleb's Antifragile, or Greg McKeon's Essentialism. Books are powerful, but starting your immersion in the world of self-development is not the best option.

And I will also be happy to share with you several books about healthy way life, which is also, to some extent, self-development, but still a separate and large topic. Therefore, I have cited here only books by Rath and Blumenthal, which provide basic skills for healthy lifestyles in general, and have not said anything about other books that are the best in their healthy lifestyle subtopics.

About all these books next time.

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“We are what we eat” - you can often hear such a saying, but we mistakenly believe that here we are talking exclusively about physical food. After all, we “eat” not only physical food, but also the information that we immerse ourselves in (or are immersed in us), and the energy that surrounds us. And in fact, these three components determine our existence.

“Existence determines consciousness” is another saying that most often serves as an excuse for vices. They say, since this is my “being”, then, as they say, we are not like that, life is like that. In fact, everything is exactly the opposite: consciousness precisely determines being. What kind of consciousness does a person have, he makes such a choice every day, every minute, and in accordance with the quality and level of his consciousness he sees the world the way he can see it.

So, it became clear: consciousness determines being. And what, in this case, determines consciousness itself, its depth, quality, state? There is another principle: what you think about is what you become. We create ourselves and our future every day. Depending on what information we immerse ourselves in, we create such a vector of development for the future. Today we are where our thoughts took us, and tomorrow we will be where our thoughts today lead us. Therefore, what we think actually determines everything.

We live in an era of democratic regimes, but in terms of information freedom the situation is bad. Placed in some long-programmed matrix, from the first days of life we ​​receive the information that will most often lead us to suffering. And, in general, it’s not even our choice. By the age of 10-12, when a person has at least some opportunity to make choices and act in accordance with his preferences, certain patterns of behavior have already been loaded into the person, which will determine this choice in the future.

How to change the situation? First, you should ask yourself the question: are you satisfied with the way you live now? Are you satisfied with the vector of your movement? Objectively speaking, if a person suffers, then there is only one reason for this: he is going in the wrong direction and the Universe is trying in every possible way to tell him about it. First - with friendly advice, and when a person does not understand - then with slaps on the head. And the problem with most is that they don't understand this. When this understanding comes, the question arises: how to change the situation? To change the vector of your movement, you should change the course of your thoughts. And in order to change the course of your thoughts, you should change the information that a person loads into himself.

What books are worth reading for self-development?

At the stage of realizing the wrong direction of your movement, the question arises: where to get adequate information and what are the general criteria for its adequacy? Today in the literature market there are many directions, genres, etc. - for every taste and color, as they say. Each of the authors presents himself as a kind of “enlightened” guru who has learned the truth. And it should be noted that most of them actually have adequate thoughts that are useful to think about, and even bring something into their lives. But, whatever one may say, everyone can still be mistaken, so in terms of choosing literature it is worth paying attention to more ancient texts.

In general, the question of which books to read for self-development is purely individual question, since there is something for everyone. Some people like ancient philosophical treatises, while others are more suitable works of art, which, in general, are sometimes not even inferior to some serious texts. Therefore, there are no bad or good books - every book is good for each level of development. And among fiction books one can also note many sources of invaluable wisdom.

• "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. A legendary book about the search for the spiritual path and truth. Simple and in clear language, using simple and understandable examples, a simple philosophy of life is unobtrusively presented to the reader. But, despite its simplicity, not many are ready to understand and accept it at a deep level. Many people understand it at the mental level and often even repeat these concepts out loud, but at a deep level there is no awareness. And the book allows you to look at the world from a different perspective.
• “Chapaev and Emptiness” Pelevin. The book describes two parallel realities: revolutionary Russia and Russia in the nineties. The teaching and philosophy of the Buddha (in a rather free interpretation, but very interesting) runs through the entire narrative. The book contains many interesting concepts and philosophical ideas, but most importantly, the author gives us the opportunity to look at our familiar reality from an unusual angle.
• "Illusions" Richard Bach. Also quite interesting book. The book questions the reality that we are accustomed to consider objective, as well as the laws by which this world functions. An alternative view of reality, as well as unique methods of interaction with this reality, will be of interest to seekers of truth and those who want to know themselves and the world around them.
• "The Little Prince" Antoine Exupery. Through the mouth of the little Prince, the book sets out a worldview that is opposed to a consumerist and selfish view of the world. At first glance, this worldview is a little naive, but the further you dive into the written story, the more you understand that the Prince understands much more in this life than all the other characters, and indeed many people in this world.
• "Master and Margarita". Bulgakov. The book shows the heavy and thorny path a creative person, a true Master of his craft, who found his destiny and followed it all his life. And this, in fact, is the deepest desire of every person - to find something to which they can devote their life. And the one who has found his path and learned his destiny is already halfway to perfection.
• “Diagnostics of karma” Lazarev. Not exactly a fiction book, its aspect is rather more applied and practical, but this only increases the value of the book. Sergey Lazarev in his book examines in detail the principle of action of karma, the features of its formation and implementation in human life. In the book you can find answers to many questions, the reasons for the presence of certain diseases and problems in life are discussed in particular detail.

You may also be interested in books about proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle:

• "" Arnold Ehret. In the book, the author examines poor nutrition as the cause of the formation of mucus in the body, which causes aging, withering of the body and the development of diseases. The book explores the concept natural nutrition, according to which the specific food of a person is only fruits and some vegetables, and all other food is unnatural for human consumption and therefore destroys health.
• “Raw food diet is the path to immortality” Shemchuk. The author considers the transition of humanity to boiled food as main reason not only diseases, but also death in principle. The book discusses the version that with proper nutrition (proper nutrition is considered to be eating thermally unprocessed food), a person can not only be healed of any disease, but also completely defeat death.
• "The 80/10/10 Diet" by Douglas Graham. The author proposes a diet in which 80% of the food consists of carbohydrates, 10% of proteins and 10% of fats. This diet involves mainly eating fruits, since, according to the author of the book, a person is frugivorous by nature and fruits are the most natural food for his nutrition.

The question of what books to read for self-development remains relevant for many. And for everyone, their answer will be relevant. Paradoxical as it may seem, someone can learn something for themselves even from detective novels. But there are books that everyone is recommended to read in this life in order to adequately perceive the world and have some kind of moral basis for interacting with this world. For this, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the Vedic scriptures.

What books should you read for self-development?

For those who want to dive deeper into the study of philosophy and the laws of the universe, it is recommended to read ancient texts that have been tested by time. What kind of ancient texts are there and what are the criteria for assessing the information that is there? In general, it is worth noting that any information that comes to us must be subject to some criticism and evaluation in accordance with three aspects:

• The presence of this information in ancient scriptures.
• The opinion of a competent person about this.
• Personal experience.

It is recommended to take this or that information on faith only if all these three aspects coincide. That is, if any idea is read in ancient scripture, it is confirmed by the opinion of a competent this issue person and personal experience does not contradict this information - such a concept can be accepted as correct.

As for the ancient texts themselves, we are talking about the main texts of Vedic culture:

• "Mahabharata" - a description of events that occurred 5000 years ago.
• "Bhagavad Gita" - part of the Mahabharata, contains philosophical conversations between Krishna and Arjuna.
• "Ramayana" is a scripture describing the confrontation between Rama and Ravana. Contains basic aspects of Vedic culture and philosophy, and also gives an understanding of dharma and the law of karma.
• “Yoga-Vasishtha” is a text containing the invaluable wisdom of Indian sages who initiate Rama into the secrets of the universe. Sage Vasishtha, in conversations with Rama, expounds the philosophy of yoga and Advaita Vedanta.
• “Avadhuta Gita” - “the song of the eternally free” - the revelations of Avadhuta Dattareya in the style of the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta, or the so-called “non-duality”.

• The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is the basic text on yoga on which most schools are based. The sage Patanjali succinctly outlines not only philosophy, but also practical aspects that can actually be applied in your practice. For a complete understanding of what yoga is, you probably won’t find a better text.
• “Hatha Yoga Pradipika” - the name speaks for itself. The text describes in detail the prescriptions not only for the yogic practices themselves, but also for the lifestyle of a yogi. Despite the name, the scripture contains a description of not only hatha yoga, but also concepts such as pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi.

These are two basic texts for those who want to practice yoga and learn about it from primary sources, and not through a “damaged phone.”

• “The Sutra of Running the Wheel of Dharma” contains the basis of the Buddha’s Teachings - the teaching of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. To get acquainted with the Teachings of the Buddha, it is best to read this sutra.
• "The Lotus Flower Sutra of the Wonderful Dharma." The sutra sets out the Dharma - the Teachings of the Buddha in its most perfect version. There is an opinion that the teaching about nirvana, which is set out in the Sutra of Running the Wheel of Dharma, was just a trick, since people were simply not ready to accept the true version of the Teaching, and the Buddha modified it a little so that people could understand it.
• "Vimalakirti Sutra" - a sutra with instructions from Vimalakirti, one of the most successful disciples of the Buddha.
• "Bodhicharya Avatara" - a text written by the monk and philosopher Shantideva. Contains a laconic presentation of the teachings of the Buddha, the philosophy of Buddhism, and also, what is most valuable, the practical aspects of the teaching - concentration and meditation.
• "Jataka" - short stories about the past lives of Buddha Shakyamuni. Very instructive in terms of knowledge of the law of karma and cause-and-effect relationships.

Nowadays, there are many different recommendations about what a man should read for self-development and what books a woman should read for self-development. And now there really are a lot of such books, but the concepts and advice presented there are very, very dubious. There are books that advise developing “masculine” qualities, and in their most negative manifestations: aggressiveness, arrogance, impulsiveness, while women, on the contrary, are advised to “develop the woman in themselves”: to be emotional, sensitive, and, in general, “ think less." It’s not difficult to imagine what following such advice might lead to. Therefore, when receiving any information, you should exercise common sense, as well as the three criteria for evaluating information that were described above.