10 Must-Read Books for Career and Personal Development - CareerMetis.com

10 Must-Read Books for Career and Personal Development Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comAuthor of globally renowned Harry Potter series of books, J.K. Rowling says: “I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book.” Her quote is rather astute. Books do help us in our daily lives.Reading books authored by greatest motivational speakers, management gurus and successful businessmen indeed serve as beacon for those looking for career and personal development.Importance of readingevalReading books is among the first casualties of the onslaught of smart-phones, Internet and satellite TV. Indeed, reading is now labeled as ‘old fashioned’, despite easy availability of excellent books.evalRegardless whether they are based on fact or fiction, theory or evidence, books help us in different ways. They help improve vocabulary, enrich our general knowledge, creates awareness of threats and opportunities and help in overall career and personal development, vital for a successful life.Here we present a selection of 10 books th at are helping people worldwide to develop their career and overall personality.1) Rich Dad, Poor Dad- by Robert KiyosakiThis bestseller by Japanese-American motivational speaker and financial expert, Robert Kiyosaki, is a must-read for everyone from teenage students to those embarking on careers, middle aged people as well as top executives.Rich Dad, Poor Dad is based on real life experiences of the author. It speaks about how the educated generally lag behind in wealth. Robert Kiyosaki provides you with a goldmine of information, based on his own experiences, about how a person can strike the perfect balance between education, wealth and happiness.First published in 1997, this book has helped millions of people worldwide to fulfill their dreams over the last two decades. It continues to remain a bestseller in its genre.2) The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People â€" by Dr. Stephen R. CoveyAuthored by America’s topmost motivational speaker, ‘The Seven Habits…” takes you on a journey of character development from childhood till teenage and beyond, when people start their career.The first three habits primarily focus on growth years, when we depend upon parents, teachers and the society for our needs.The next three habits cover teenage and mid-20s when young women and men migrate from the state of dependence to inter-dependence.Dr. Covey speaks of the new person born as a result of these first six steps, as the seventh habit.3) The Eighth Habit- by Dr. Stephen R. Coveyeval‘The Eighth Habit’, the author, Dr. Stephen R. Covey is a sequel to his earlier book, we mention above.This book shows readers how to open vistas for their career and personal growth.Dr.Covey exhorts readers to delve deeper into their inherent attributes- talent, need, conscience and passion to scale great heights in life.eval4) Zero to One- By Peter ThielNot many outside the IT or finance industry may have heard of Peter Thiel. He is better known as the founder of PayPal, the world’s largest global payments gateway.‘Zero-to One’ is actually a collection of lectures and personal experiences of the author. The book is fun to read, highly informative and extremely encouraging, to say the least.Thiel was associated with several top Silicon Valley companies, including Facebook and Napster. In ‘Zero to One’, this American entrepreneur of German origin gives valuable advice to anyone- from teenager to retiree- about how to start an enterprise with almost no investment.The book is excellent for career and personal development since it features a number of quizzes It consists of several to-do exercises and puzzles including an imaginary universe with zero gravity that you can rule and games for getting rid of our ‘impostor’ syndrome or the person we pretend to be.6) The Journey Within- By Radhanath SwamiThough the author, Radhanath Swami is a renowned preacher of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness 7) The Power of Onlyness- By Nilofe r MerchantEveryone is unique and each brain is capable of conceiving some rare yet workable idea. In her book, The Power of Onlyness, author Nilofer Merchant forces readers to search deeper into themselves to find their inherent uniqueness, regardless whether they are strengths or weaknesses.It helps readers to get rid of that lingering feeling of being a misfit or being unable to cope with others due to differences. Instead, she encourages readers to look upon everyone as a unique creation and accept all people are one by accepting their peculiarities.Nilofer Merchant explains why some people attain greatness and shows ways and means by which you too can soar to heights you never imagined.8) Stealing Fire- by Steven Kotler and Jamie WhealAuthors Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal make readers do something they never dared attempt. They help you dive deep into gray areas of your consciousness and personality.Stealing Fire draws on four elements- psychology, neurobiology, pharmacology and technology to explain functioning of our brain. It helps us to understand why we behave in a particular manner or how we react or respond to situations.The authors teamed up for a four year study which culminates as the book. Kotler and Wheal explain why some people become presidents and CEOs and mental aptitudes to become successful. It helps you personally map gray areas of your brain. Stealing Fire is one of the topmost books for career and personal development.9) Tools of Titans- by Tim FerrisSurely, you would love to be as rich and famous as Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates. Author Tim Ferris says, everyone can attain heights of greatness by following some simple habits and discipline.Becoming rich and famous does not involve only exceptional talent, Ferris adds. In his book, Tools of Titans, author Tim Ferris analyzes these habits and routines of some of the world’s top rich and famous.The book features interviews with personalities such as Hollywood star Kevin Costner, founde r of LinkedIn, Reid Hoffmann and others, where they speak about simple measures that helped them achieve success.This book is a must read for anyone eyeing career and personal developments to soar to great heights by following simple habits.10) Own It : The Power of Women at Work- by Sallie KrawcheckDespite centuries of progress, women lag behind in entrepreneurship when compared to males. In her book, Own It, author Sallie Krawcheck deals with this issue.She aptly highlights why women lag behind, blaming lack of confidence and other self-created issues as hurdles. She includes examples of successful businesswomen in her book.‘Own It’ is a great book for every woman who wishes to realize her dream of striking it rich and famous. Regardless whether you are a teenage girl or a working woman, ‘Own It’ will inspire you to take that leap you felt were impossible, for attaining great heights.In conclusionThanks to online stores and Kindle-based publications, these books can be bou ght as hard copies or downloaded at very economical rates.A majority of these books are authored by American writers. Yet, their contents have global relevance.While you can learn a great deal from these book, action on your part is the prerequisite for career and personal growth.