6 Books That Will Help You To Answer Big Questions About Yourself

In life, it is sometimes difficult to see yourself as others see you. Whether it be relationships, business matters, job problems, emotional, physical or spiritual issues it is sometimes necessary to take a step back and do a quick reassessment and take stock. The following books on this list are suggestions as to how you can lay out a framework to work on. Each has their plus and minus points but all are, in their way, seminal books on self development that will help you understand more about yourself and the people around you and the interaction of the two.

1) What Color Is Your Parachute - Richard N. Bolles

This book is a must for students, indeed anyone wanting to find out about about the direction in which their studies and working life should lead them. It has been a staple for years, (having sold over 10 million copies) and like a fine wine, just improves with age. It is bang up to date, and is a font of tips, ideas and information about finding work in the new digital age. It starts with what can only be described as a self-critique of your, hopes and aspirations and by a sequence of steps helps you to zero in on those skills which you most value and applies them to seeking satisfaction in the workplace. It covers everything from starting your own business, social media, secrets of today's job market and many others.

2) How To Win Friends And Influence People - Dale Carnegie

An absolute classic. This book - first published in 1936, and having sold over 30 million copies and still sells in significant volume today. Human nature and how to deal with it is much the same as it always has been - it is just the background that has changed since the 1930’s. Last revised in 2011 and aimed firmly at a digital age market it takes the reader through techniques for handling people and leadership and persuasion exercises which have proved invaluable to millions across the years. It will enhance the way you see yourself and others too.

3) Awaken The Giant Within - Tony Robbins

An amazing book which, again, has sold in the millions since its publication in 1991. A book which is based on psychology and offers "ways to take control of your emotional, physical and financial destiny." It certainly pulls no punches and shows how by utilising "the swish pattern" and "scrambling technique" amongst others that it is possible to completely change the course and direction of your life. There are simple to follow plans and mind exercises and plenty of examples of situations to which you can relate and see how to resolve. A very clever and very interesting read.

4) The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell

This book will help you to understand how you fit into the overall picture and what role you see yourself and others playing in your life. Gladwell’s contention is that there are certain people whom he calls Connectors, Mavens and Salespeople. Connectors bring individuals together, a Maven collects and accumulates knowledge and spreads it, and a Salesman uses the ideas and people and persuades them how to use each other. There are other concepts, such as “stickiness” which is a type of quality which is explored and the “Rule of 150” which is his theory of the maximum number of people any one group can sustain before breaking into smaller factions. The Tipping Point will certainly challenge lots of your assumptions about life and the way in which you interact with fellow humans and their ideas.

5)  Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill

Napoleon Hill was a journalist who became friendly with Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie was fabulously wealthy and was, at one time, the richest individual in the world. Hill wanted to find out what made Carnegie tick. How he had risen from the depths of poverty to rise to such heights. He realised that most of this was due to Carnegie’s interpersonal skills and his personality rather than his qualifications and “hard,” skillsets. He spent some time with Carnegie and, in effect, interviewed him for days on his journey and how he had achieved what he had - he then spent the rest of his life distilling the ideas and the lessons he had learned and the result was “Think And Grow Rich.” It is acknowledged to be a classic work about interpersonal skills, leadership, and how to build meaningful relationships, both privately and professionally.

6) Who Moved My Cheese - Spencer Johnson

This book was first published in 1998. It describes two mice and two tiny people who are in a maze. Within the maze, they must deal with change and acceptance of such change, and the aftereffects of it. The way a relationship moves on or stagnates before, during, and after such changes take place and how to deal with these events must also be rationalized. Sold and marketed as a business book, it is also regarded by many as a solid and profound commentary on accommodation and compromise in situations which are fluid and liable to shift profoundly - it suggests ways to deal with the fallout from such change.