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urfavmurtad · 6 years ago

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Hi ! Do you have any books recommendations for someone who want to have a better understanding of Islam (on the historical aspect for exemple)? Beside the quran/hadiths. I want to learn more but I don't want Islamic propaganda or something overtly negative. Thanks!!! I love your blog and you're a great writter

No problem anon, I’d love to give some book recs! There are so many shitty books on Islamic history out there, and they’re shitty in many ways. It’s not just the ones written by Muslims that have problems. Some books are written by pop “historians” who have no business writing about this subject, others are from Orientalists who think Arabs invented civilization, others are from revisionists who don’t seem to have met a single Arab person in their lives. I have had to read through buckets of shit to find some gems. This is the true jihad.

I’m gonna dig through my bookshelf and mostly focus on the books that can be found for free online or in most libraries, just for the sake of accessibility.

I think a very good and very basic place to start is this… semi-series by Robert Hoyland, who is a professor at NYU. Hoyland was a student of a writer I’m not fond of (Patricia Crone, who did make some valuable contributions about the status of Mecca but was an extreme revisionist). But he’s not really like that at all, and his sources are basically impeccable. He has three books that I’d happily recommend for beginners, starting in the pre-Islamic era and going into the conquests:

Arabia and the Arabs* (pdf here). This is one of the very few works about pre-Islamic Arabia that brings in information from non-Islamic sources. It’s mostly about northern and southern Arabia (as in… not Mecca or anything near it) because those are the places mentioned by outside sources, but still. This is one of, like, three respectful books on pre-Islamic Arabia that I’ve ever read. I was so happy when I found it.

Seeing Islam as Others Saw It* (pdf here). I’ve linked this before in this post, so you can glance through that to see if the subject interests you. This is just a collection of early non-Islamic sources about the Islamic conquests. It’s a huge reference book, so feel free to skip around and just read the parts you’re interested in. It’s good stuff and may make you stan Muawiya a little purely based on his competency idk

In God’s Path: The Arab Conquests and the Creation of an Islamic Empire* (pdf here). I like this a lot, but I don’t agree with all of its conclusions. This is where you can see some of Crone’s influence, but it’s not super revisionist and there are some interesting ideas within it. Hoyland does significantly downplay the role of Islam as a faith here, seeing it as essentially a glue pulling Arabs together and uniting them into one political entity. The last three pages of Fred Donner’s frankly bitchy review… points were made. I still recommend it tho!His ideas on one of the driving forces of the conquests being the Arab “muhajirun” (applied to the conquering army as a whole instead of just the group that left Mecca) and their desire to settle in other lands is at least food for thought.

I’d also v strongly suggest reading up at least a little on the poor long-forgotten empires that dominated the Middle East before Islam’s glorious birth, the Byzantines and the Sassanids. In my experience, most ppl know very little about the former and nothing about the latter. But they were kind of, uh, important? So it might be worth reading a bit on them.

For the Byzantines, take your pick: do you want a dense scholarly book or a lighter but quicker read? The scholarly one I’d suggest is The Making of Byzantium by Mark Whittow (pdf here). The lighter one, Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization* by Lars Brownworth (borrow), has a very ott title that reminds me of those “ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION SAVED EUROPE!!” books that I hate. But the content focuses far more on internal Byzantine stuff than its “legacy” or w/e. It’s definitely less academic than Whittow’s book, but on the plus side it’s way easier to read tbh.

If you really get into it and want to read more single-topic Byzantine books, I’d also suggest most of Judith Herrin��s books, including Unrivalled Influence: Women and Empire in Byzantium and Margins and Metropolis: Authority Across the Byzantine Empire. She also has a general overview of Byzantium (borrow).

There’s also a Byzantine history podcast, I stan it.

The Two Eyes Of The Earth* by Matthew Canepa (pdf here). This is half regular-history and half art history, but don’t let that scare you!! I know very little about art history and I found it easy to read. It’s REALLY GOOD and for a book you can find for free it lays out the relationship between the Byzantines and Persians really well.

For the Sassanids: Sasanian Persia* by Touraj Daryaee (pdf here) is a very brief, easy read and only around 150 pages long. It’s worth it just to familiarize yourself with the topic. A more in-depth rec is Arsacids and Sasanians by Rahim Shayegan (pdf here), which is a longer-term view of Persian history.

Arabs and Empires Before Islam* (pdf here) is a collection from multiple authors that touches on Arabs in relation to both empires, and extends its reach into South Arabia as well.

The Palestinian historian Irfan Shahid’s long series on Byzantium and the Arabs* has been made available online via the Dumbarton Oaks library. His work is a tad outdated nowadays, but it’s still a great resource. This guy has literally spent decades on this single topic and he provides us with his work for free…… a legend tbh. (The download links are on the top right of each page, if you can’t find them.) Honestly every book has worthwhile information in it, but on the topic of Islam/Islamic history you probably want the ones on the sixth century, since that’s when Mo was born. The full thing is like… 800 pages, so. Take it slow! Other scholars on Byzantine-Arab interactions include Walter Emil Kaegi and Greg Fisher, with Fisher being more skeptical of later Islamic texts than the other two. But I’ve read useful stuff from all three.

Rome and the Arabs (pdf here)

Byzantium and the Arabs in the 4th Century (pdf here)

…Fifth Century (pdf here)

…Sixth Century: Volume 1, Part 1 (pdf here)

…Volume 1, Part 2 (pdf here)

…Volume 2, Part 1 (pdf here)

…Volume 2, Part 2 (pdf here)

Now… if you are looking for some actual history about Mohammed and his earliest followers, just be aware that 100% of the information on The Life And Times Of Crazy Mo comes from Islamic sources written over a century after he died. All that anyone can do is dig through them and try to determine, based on whatever criteria, what is plausible and what isn’t plausible. I’d actually suggest you read the primary sources (as in the stuff written by Muslims over a thousand years ago) yourself, since that’s what all these books are based upon. If you don’t wanna slog through the big ahadith collections, you might wanna read one of these:

The Expeditions* by Mamar ibn Rashid (pdf here). I might suggest starting here, because 1) it’s short! (the page count is a lie bc it’s dual Arabic-English) and 2) once you understand the stuff in this, it’ll make reading the larger works way easier. This is a selection of ahadith narrated by a student of al-Zuhri, who was a student of one of the sahaba (Anas ibn Malik). So there is a short and very direct chain of transmission all the way back to the rise of Islam here. You can see how much of the “official story” of Islam was already decided-upon in the 8th century (a lot!), what spots were vague and still being filled in (90% of the pre-hijra days), and what was open to debate (tidbits like: when was the “year of the elephant”?). Note that this covers like… fragments of the story, it is not a full sira.

It’s interesting to compare the above to Ibn Ishaq’s long-ass sira (pdf here), which is from the same century. I might do a post on the differences between them at some point. Ibn Ishaq’s is referenced by virtually all later authors so it’s kinda… important to read it, even though it’s long.

There is another early biography by al-Waqidi (who was considered less credible by his contemporaries and deemed an outright liar by many of them), I don’t really care for it but you can read about the differences between his and Ibn Ishaq’s sira here. It’s still worth a read even tho al-Waqidi himself is questionable, but I can’t find a free English translation.

Muhammad and the Origins of Islam* by F.E. Peters (borrow) is a decent summary of the story, if you don’t feel like reading a sira. The book mostly just quotes from Islamic texts. But at only 300 pages, around a third of which is more about Middle Eastern history around the 7th century, it’s a pretty easy read.

There’s also al-Tabari’s 40-book-long history series (pdfs here), which covers like… everything up to the 9th century. You obviously aren’t gonna read this whole-ass thing but it’s useful as a reference if you wanna check up on a particular topic. I’ve read multiple volumes of this and I didn’t find them hard to read at all, they’re surprisingly short.

If you’re looking for a recent English-language biography of Mohammed and his followers, well. The truth is that there are very few decent English-language books on this topic, and by Allah, some are absolutely cancerous. I’d strongly suggest staying away from: 1) anything written by someone who is not a scholar of Islam, Arabic, or Middle Eastern history in general, 2) older ones written by Orientalists, especially the white guys who were in the habit of dressing in thobes, and 3) works written by Saudi or Qatari-funded scholars (who tend to work at places helpfully named after their benefactors). Also, pls do not read anything that begins a discussion of goddamn 7th century Arabia with “ever since 9/11…”.

Look for something fairly recent (like… since the 90s, maybe) written by a credible scholar of Islam whose work is favorably reviewed by his or her peers. And be aware that no book is going to get it 100% right because of the limitations I mentioned. I think this short article (pdf) summarizes what you should expect going into any of these works.

Since I don’t really like any of them, I can’t recommend any, but I can at least point you in the right direction, hopefully...

In my experience, single-topic articles (that you can read using scihub 👀) are way better and more informative than any books on the topic. I dunno why, but I think it’s just because each individual topic requires so much specialized knowledge that no one can write about the entire era convincingly. I’d be happy to suggest some articles on any particular subject you’re curious about.

If you want some scholarly “analysis” of early Islamic history:

Analysing Muslim Traditions by Harald Motzki (pdf here) presents a convincing argument against people who reject the ahadith because they see them as completely unreliable. The book is basically a defense of “the science of ahadith” created by scholars in the 9th/10th centuries. Not all ahadith are “real” in the sense that they can be plausibly traced back to Mo & Crew–but it’s pretty clear that many of them can be.

Islamic Historiography* by Chase F. Robinson (pdf here) isn’t about whether some parts of Islamic history are true or not–it’s more of a look at the development of Islamic historians and how they built upon the very early ahadith. Short and an easy read.

Arabic Historical Thought in the Classical Period by Tarif Khalidi is somewhat similar, but touches more on specific authors in a specific period. Khalidi is a big name in Arab Islamic studies, and a lot of his work is pretty decent, though I’ve noticed it’s kinda hard to find some of his books in libraries.

Sectarianism!!!

The Caliph and the Heretic, Ibn Sabaʾ and the Origins of Shīʿism by Sean W. Anthony (pdf here). This is a subject that I’ve been weirdly fascinated by for whatever reason. The guy it’s named after has long been accused of being one of the “ghulat”, meaning people who took Ali to be a divine figure in blatant violation of Islamic doctrine. (A book that goes into more depth on “ghulat” sects is Ghulat Sects by Matti Moosa, pdf here. The “extremist” subtitle means their religious beliefs, not terrorism.) A lot of legends and myths have popped up with respect to this guy and his place in Islamic history, and the author tries to disentangle all the stories and find the root of it all to find an actual basis for early Shiism, without the hateful propaganda that’s clouded it. Really good.

A more general overview of Shia history is Shi’ism by Heinz Halm.

The Heirs of Muhammad* by Barnaby Rogerson (borrow) is a very, very basic overview of the political clusterfuck of the Rashidun era. It’s not super scholarly and leaves out a lot of details, but if you don’t know anything about the topic, give it a try.

The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate by Wilferd Madelung (pdf here) is essentially a book about the title’s topic from a Shia perspective, or at least from an Abbasid perspective. It’s very… credulous, in the sense that it doesn’t question the sources, but it’s good if you want to know one side of the story. The Umayyads, and to a lesser extent Abu Bakr & Crew, are the bad guys here. Full disclosure: the author works at a place funded by the Aga Khan (Ismaili Shia leader).

The Ismailis by Farhad Daftary (pdf here) is an absolutely gigantic book that I would not recommend for beginners, but if you happen to be curious about the Ismailis–this is a historically important Shia group distinct from Iranians et al, who are from another sect called Imamiyya or “Twelvers”–here you go.

The Birth of the Prophet Muhammad by Marion Holmes Katz (pdf here). This is a single-topic book about Sunni (including Sufi) mythology surrounding Mohammed and his life. I’m not talking history here, but outright mythological elements, like Mo’s dad being glowy. This is semi-topical re: the crazies who blow people up for celebrating Mohammed’s birthday, but is also useful in understanding the process by which Islamic theology built Mohammed into a hell of a lot more than “just a man”. Slightly more specialized than the other books here, but I included it because I don’t think it’s so academic that you’ll be lost and confused while reading it.

Here are some basic overviews of the Umayyad and early Abbasid eras, which is when 90% of what we think of as “Islam” was crystallized:

Again, al-Tabari’s history series is really useful for these eras. The Expeditions and Ibn Ishaq’s sira also touch on some of this stuff. Don’t discount the classics! The only thing to remember is that all of these were written after the Abbasids overthrew the Umayyads, so obviously they have a certain angle to them. But they’re still useful.

The New Cambridge History of Islam (pdf here). A great, six-volume-long series of articles on a huge variety of topics of early Islamic history. Look through the tables of contents and pick an article that seems interesting, and give it a shot.

The Encyclopedia of Islam* (a tad outdated in places, but still great overall) covers this era and…. like, basically everything. It’s huge. I got all my pdfs of it from Tehran University’s site here, idk why that’s the only place where I can find it. The glorious Islamic Republic doesn’t gaf about copyright laws I guess. There’s also an Encyclopedia of the Quran (pdfs here), but that’s more for religious matters than historical stuff.

The First Dynasty of Islam: The Umayyad Caliphate* by G.R. Hawting (pdf here) is, imo, a very dry and scholarly book. But if you need an overview, it’s useful. It’s also only like 150 pages so it shouldn’t be too hard to get through.

Black Banners from the East: The Establishment of the Abbasid State by Moshe Sharon is an account of the Abbasid revolution and everything that led up to that moment.

Inquisition in Early Islam: The Competition for Political and Religious Authority in the Abbasid Empire by John Turner. I really wish I had a pdf for this one, but I don’t. This is probably more suited for someone raised Muslim or at least someone who already knows a bit about Islamic history–if you’ve heard of Imam Ahmad’s trial before the caliph al-Mamun, you’re good–but it’s a good look at how religious authority was handled by the early Abbasid leaders.

The Canonization of Islamic Law by Ahmed El Shamsy (pdf here). Oh boy, if you don’t really enjoy the legal side of Islam, this one will bore you to tears. Regrettably this topic is extremely important for understanding Islamic history, so try to power through it.

For some other Islamic empires, here are three books about al-Andalus, two of which I’ve already recced:

Kingdoms of Faith: A New History of Islamic Spain* by Brian Catlos. This one focuses more on the religious communities themselves, the relationships between them, and the conflicts within them.

Muslim Spain and Portugal: A Political History of Al-Andalus* by Hugh Kennedy. Kennedy has written a lot of books, and for me they’re very hit-or-miss. His style can sometimes be dry, and at other times he glosses over important details. But this one’s good. It’s…. well, it’s what it says it is, a political history. If you want intrigue and drama, here you go.

Philosophers Sufis & Caliphs by Ali Humayun Akhtar (pdf here). This is more about Islamic scholars in Andalus and focuses on their interaction with and responses to Fatimid (Ismaili Shia) ideology. A lot of texts on Andalus frame it as part of a European context (as in, devoting a lot of space to Christians), but this one puts it more in the context of the wider Arab world, which is helpful.

Ottomans!!!!

Osman’s Dream* by Caroline Finkel (pdf here) is a great and really in-depth summary of centuries of Ottoman history. It covers over 600 years, so forgive the length and take it one chapter at a time.

The late Halil Inalcik was a master of producing really good, in-depth books about Ottoman history with the driest titles you could possibly imagine. I’m pretty sure he is (or… was) one of the top Turkish experts on the subject, so any of his stuff is worth a look. The one I read was The Ottoman Empire: The Classical Age 1300-1600*. But if you can find any of his stuff at your library, you might wanna check it out.

Three books from Roger Crowley touching on the Crusades era, in order: City of Fortune: How Venice Won and Lost a Naval Empire*, 1453: The Holy War for Constantinople* (borrow here), and Empires of the Sea: The Final Battle for the Mediterranean* (yes the first one is mostly about the Italian city-states but there is plenty of Turkish nonsense too). I’ve recced these before but they’re great. There’s also an interlude about Acre called The Accursed Tower, which is likewise excellent.

Before Homosexuality in the Arab-Islamic World, 1500-1800 by Khaled El-Rouayheb. Well… not all of it is about the Ottomans, but a large portion of it is. Don’t be put off by the title–it doesn’t mean that gay sex didn’t exist before the year 1801. I don’t agree with all the author’s conclusions, but the sources he’s collected are still useful. Everything you could possibly want to know about pederasty is contained within, enjoy.

“Roxolana: The Greatest Empress of the East”*. This is an article, not a book, but it’s a brief summary of the Eastern European slave girl who used her body and mind to worm her way into the highest echelons Ottoman politics. I’ll write about this whole weird era someday.

The Ottoman Age of Exploration (pdf here) by Giancarlo Casale is the story of how the Ottomans tried and almost succeeded in getting in on the whole Asia imperialism thing. (Despite this occurring during the Ottoman heyday, you hardly ever hear them mentioned in discussions about it.) It begins with a man named Selim the Grim. If that doesn’t sell you on it, what will?

There is ALSO an Ottoman history podcast (+articles) although tbh the earlier seasons were better and more, uh, Ottoman-focused. It’s kinda more a Muslim history podcast now. It descends into academic jargon and glorification at times but there are still some gems to be found there.

Some of the important Shia dynasties:

Converting Persia: Religion and Power in the Safavid Empire by Rula Jurdi Abisaab (pdf here). Iran became Shia under the Safavids, which is… kind of important, for modern-day issues! So you might wanna read about it! Because this happened in the 16th century, there’s also a lot about geopolitics between them and the Ottomans, interactions with Asian and European nations, etc.

The Fatimids were a hugely important Ismaili dynasty that ruled large swaths of land, including Egypt, during ye olde “golden age” that they’ve been largely erased from. There are, unfortunately, very few decent overviews of the caliphate, but there are some nice “character studies” (for lack of a better word) so I’d suggest reading articles about them instead. There are some collections of essays, including a long series called Egypt and Syria in the Fatimid, Ayyubid and Mamluk Eras.

Maghrebi topics:

Black Morocco: A History of Slavery, Race, and Islam* by Chouki El Hamel is a recent book about a tragically underexplored topic, namely Black slaves in Arab countries (which is usually dismissed with “slavery wasn’t about race!!!”). This covers mostly the early modern era (~1600s-1800s) of Morocco.

A History of the Maghrib in the Islamic Period by Jamil M. Abun-Nasr. This is a 20th century book that’s kinda written in the style of an old Arab history book, but it’s still good. There’s a lot goin on in the Maghreb and keeping track of all the tribes and their loyalties is very difficult, so a basic primer like this is very useful.

Some miscellaneous dynasties:

The Empire of the Steppes* by René Grousset (borrow) is only, like, half about any sort of Islamic dynasty (Timurlane and the Timurids), but the early Mongols are part of Islamic history by virtue of killing lots of people, so! Might be worth a read. It’s an old-fashioned book, but it’s an intro to the subject.

The Millennial Sovereign: Sacred Kingship and Sainthood in Islam (pdf here) by Azfar Moin. I’m sure this is noticeable, but I know about 1) Arabs, 2) Turks, 3) Persians, and 4) Amazigh people, in that order. India is kinda beyond my wheelhouse, but I’m trying to learn more. This one was a good start and covers topics that you’ve probably heard of before (the Mughal Empire and the emperor Akbar) in great depth. It covers Iran and the Timurids too, but most of it is about India.

The Seljuks are another one where I’ve just been really unimpressed with the books I’ve leafed through tbh. The only one I’ve enjoyed and actually read through to the end was The Great Seljuqs: A History by Osman Aziz Basan, so if you can find that, go for it.

Books specifically focusing on women:

Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate* by Leila Ahmed (borrow). This is a Hot Topique as many of you know, and if you search for Islam+women you are likely to receive a bunch of bullshit in return. But Leila Ahmed has been covering this subject for decades and her book is about as in-depth and “fair” as you can get.

Concubines and Courtesans: Women and Slavery in Islamic History*. Hey, wanna hear something fucked up? Many if not most of the notable Muslim women throughout history were sex slaves. Some were used purely for sex, others for entertainment, others as the mothers of their masters’ heirs. A few slaves managed to manipulate or charm their way to political power, and they’re some of the most powerful “Muslim” women in history. This messy topic is explored in a series of essays in this book.

Marriage and Slavery in Early Islam* by Kecia Ali (pdf here). This approaches the same topic as the above from more of a religious perspective rather than a historical survey. It traces the development of religious opinions and justifications for slavery, the “proper” treatment of women, the differences or lack thereof in the ultimate status of a freed woman vs a slave woman, etc.

That is…………. a lot!!! But I do think that all of them taken together are a pretty solid basis for understanding the first…. I dunno, 1000 years or so? of Islamic history. I think most of them are accessible for someone with zero or very little knowledge about any of these subjects, though some are denser than others. I put asterisks on the one that I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to get through, no matter how little you know about the topic.

Also, I know you said no Quran or ahadith but… ur gonna be real-ass confused about many things if you don’t at least know a little about them tbh. If you’re ever in the mood for it, there are a bunch of tafsirs online (Ibn Kathir’s famous one is here) and I have @quranreadalong for this exact purpose so pls enjoy!

If anyone wants more recs about any specific topic, hit me up! I got literally hundreds of books on my bookshelf.

#ask #anon #recs #history #reference

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holidays-events · 6 years ago

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alltimebestbooks · 4 years ago

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Best 100 Books

I Suggestion Best 100 Books the Books all Self Development and Motivation and Life Changing and Finance and Investment and Communication and Leadership Biographies and Autobiographies and Fiction and Non Fiction Books

The intelligent investor

It is a widely acclaimed book by Benjamin Graham on value investing. Written by one of the greatest investment advisers of twentieth century, the book aims at preventing potential investors from substantial errors and also teaches them strategies to achieve long-term investment goals.

Over the years, investment market has been following teachings and strategies of Graham for growth and development. In the book, Graham has explained various principles and strategies for investing safely and successfully without taking bigger risks. Modern-day investors still continue to use his proven and well-executed techniques for value investment.

The current edition highlights some of the important concepts that are useful for latest financial orders and plans. Keeping Graham's unique text in original form, the book focuses on major principles that can be applied in day-to-day life. All the concepts and principles are explained with the help of examples for better clarity and understanding of the financial world.

Combination of original plan of Graham and the current financial situations are the reason behind this book’s preference today’s investors. It is a detailed version with several wisdom quotes that are likely to change one’s investing career and lead to the path of financial safety and security.

2. The girl in room no 105

Hi, I’m Keshav, and my life is screwed. I hate my job and my girlfriend left me. Ah, the beautiful Zara. Zara is from Kashmir. She is a Muslim. And did I tell you my family is a bit, well, traditional? Anyway, leave that.

Zara and I broke up four years ago. She moved on in life. I didn’t. I drank every night to forget her. I called, messaged, and stalked her on social media. She just ignored me.

However, that night, on the eve of her birthday, Zara messaged me. She called me over, like old times, to her hostel room 105. I shouldn’t have gone, but I did… and my life changed forever.

This is not a love story. It is an unlove story.

From the author of Five Point Someone and 2 States, comes a fast-paced, funny and unputdownable thriller about obsessive love and finding purpose in life against the backdrop of contemporary India.

3. The Big Leap

With over 100,000 copies sold, New York Times bestselling author Gay Hendricks demonstrates how to go beyond your internal limits, release outdated fears and learn a whole new set of powerful skills and habits to liberate your authentic greatness. Fans of Wayne Dyer, Eckhart Tolle, Marianne Williamson, and Gabrielle Bernstein will discover the way to break down the walls to a better life.

4. Becoming

The intimate, powerful, and beautifully written memoir by the United States' former First Lady that inspired the major Netflix documentary

'I found myself lifting my jaw from my chest at the end of every other chapter . . . this was not the Obama I thought I knew. She was more' Independent In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era.

As First Lady of the United States of America - the first African-American to serve in that role - she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world. She dramatically changed the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and stood with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.

In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her - from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world's most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it - in her own words and on her own terms.

Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations - and whose story inspires us to do the same

5. You are a Badass

YOU ARE A BADASS IS THE SELF-HELP BOOK FOR PEOPLE WHO DESPERATELY WANT TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVES BUT DON'T WANT TO GET BUSTED DOING IT.

In this refreshingly entertaining how-to guide, bestselling author and world-traveling success coach, Jen Sincero, serves up 27 bitesized chapters full of hilariously inspiring stories, sage advice, easy exercises, and the occasional swear word, helping you to: Identify and change the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that stop you from getting what you want, Create a life you totally love. And create it NOW, Make some damn money already. The kind you've never made before.

By the end of You Are a Badass, you'll understand why you are how you are, how to love what you can't change, how to change what you don't love, and how to use The Force to kick some serious ass.

6. The power of your subconscious mind

Did you know that your mind has a 'mind' of its own? Yes! Without even realizing, our mind is often governed by another entity which is called the sub-conscious mind.

This book can bring to your notice the innate power that the sub-conscious holds. We have some traits which seem like habits, but in reality these are those traits which are directly controlled by the sub-conscious mind, vis-à-vis your habits or your routine can be changed if you can control and direct your sub-conscious mind positively. To be able to control this 'mind power' and use it to improve the quality of your life is no walk in the park. This is where this book acts as a guide and allows you to decipher the depths of the sub-conscious.

In this book, 'The power of your subconscious mind', the author fuses his spiritual wisdom and scientific research to bring to light how the sub-conscious mind can be a major influence on our daily lives. Once you understand your subconscious mind, you can also control or get rid of the various phobias that you may have in turn opening a brand new world of positive energy.

7. The power of self confidence

Praise for The Power of Self-Confidence "Brian Tracy is the master in understanding and teaching self-enrichment. In this priceless book, he unlocks the key to your door of success and fulfillment belief in your own potential. Internalize his wisdom and you will surely realize your goals." DENIS WAITLEY, author of Psychology of Success "Brian continues to impact the lives of everyone he touches. This book provides a logical road map that everyone can use to maximize their true potential." JOSEPH SHERREN, CSP, HoF, author of iLead: Five Insights for Building Sustainable Organizations "When Brian Tracy writes a new book, I drop everything and start reading. We all need sharp lessons on developing more self-confidence and pursuing challenging goals. This book will make a significant difference in your life." PAT WILLIAMS, Orlando Magic Senior Vice President and author of Leadership Excellence "The one quality that makes all the success principles work is unshakable confidence in yourself. Brian now shows you how to grow your confidence to the point where you become unstoppable." JACK CANFIELD, coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Soul "Lacking confidence erodes your self-worth and paralyzes your productivity. In this book, Brian Tracy shares the secrets to developing and maintaining high levels of self-confidence so that you can live the greatest life!" KRISTIN ARNOLD, author of Boring to Bravo: Proven Presentation Techniques to Engage, Involve, and Inspire Your Audience to Action

8. The art of public speaking

Public speaking is a vital skill which is important in all spheres of life. Generally, people who are good at public speaking go a long way in their professional careers. Hence, acquiring sound public speaking skills at an early age is critical. The book, 'The Art of Public Speaking’ helps the readers in learning the various techniques of 'speaking with confidence'. Written using several examples and powerful narration, this book is a wholesome learning material for public speaking. It is authored by Dale Carnegie and it was published by Prabhat Prakashan in 2013. The book begins with the most essential component of public speaking - confidence. The author explains the various ways in which readers can improve their confidence so that once they go on stage, they have no fear. Then, it deals with important factors of speaking like when to pause and the various pausing techniques. Then, it moves on to the topic of delivering the content. More than what you speak, what is crucial is how you speak and hence delivery is the most important factor in public speaking. It discusses the various techniques of delivery and force. Additionally, there are notes on preparation and body language.

9. How to talk to anyone

Perfect your people skills with his fun, witty and informative guide, containing 92 little tricks to create big success in personal and business relationships. In How to Talk to Anyone, bestselling relationships author and internationally renowned life coach Leil Lowndes reveals the secrets and psychology behind successful communication. These extremely usable and intelligent techniques include how to:

Work a party like a politician works a room

Be an insider in any crowd

Use key words and phrases to guide the conversation

Use body language to connect

This is the key to having successful conversations with anyone, any time.

10. Emotion and relationships

2 Books in 1

Book 1: Emotion: The Juice of Life

“One can make any emotion into a creative force in one’s life.” – Sadhguru

It’s not just poetic license that allows us to refer to emotions as “juicy”. In a literal sense also, emotions are a chemical cocktail that course through our bodies. But while we have no problems with pleasant emotions, unpleasant emotions are the source of much angst in our lives. In Emotion: The Juice of Life, Sadhguru looks at the gamut of human emotions and how to turn them into stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks.

Sadhguru is a yogi and profound mystic of our times. An absolute clarity of perception places him in a unique space in not only matters spiritual but in business, environmental and international affairs and opens a new door on all that he touches.

Book 2: Relationships: Bond or Bondage

“If you enhance yourself into a very beautiful state, everyone will want to hold a relationship with you.” – Sadhguru

Human beings constantly make and break relationships. Unfortunately, relationships can make and break human beings too. Why are relationships such a circus for most of us? What is this primal urge within us that demands a bond – physical, mental, or emotional – with another? And how do we keep this bond from turning into bondage? These are the fundamental questions that Relationships: Bond or Bondage looks at as Sadhguru shares with us the keys to forming lasting and joyful relationships, whether they are with husband or wife, family and friends, at work, or with the very existence itself.

11. dont sweat the small stuff

Braille edition of the popular bestseller. "Let go of the idea that gentle, relaxed people can't be super-achievers," advises Dr. Richard Carlson in his widely popular self-help book, DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF. In 100 chapters--each only a few pages long--Dr. Carlson shares his ideas for living a calmer, richer life. This book has been on the New York Times bestseller list for 38 weeks and is No. 3 on USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books list. Two small volumes in braille.

12. Deep Work

Cal Newport discusses in his new book, Deep Work: Rules For Focused Success In A Distracted World, about how professionals of today have started valuing quantity over quality; and how this has turned young professionals of today into puppets who try to indulge in extensive multitasking, dealing with multiple emails and projects. This prevents them from doing 'deep work'; which is focused work free from all other distractions. This also means that the professionals of today should sort out their priorities.

Newport uses principles of psychology and neuroscience to enhance his points. He elaborates how to improve a person's cognitive abilities and how employers should encourage workers to not take shortcuts for completing projects. He claims that the best way to break away from the corporate race is to take a break from technology and social media and use some alone-time to rewind and introspect. Newport enforces the beliefs of a non-technophile to deliver work that is productive and efficiently delivered.

13. Built to last

Drawing upon a six-year research project at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras took eighteen truly exceptional and long-lasting companies and studied each in direct comparison to one of its top competitors. They examined the companies from their very beginnings to the present day -- as start-ups, as midsize companies, and as large corporations. Throughout, the authors asked: "What makes the truly exceptional companies different from the comparison companies and what were the common practices these enduringly great companies followed throughout their history?"

Filled with hundreds of specific examples and organized into a coherent framework of practical concepts that can be applied by managers and entrepreneurs at all levels, Built to Last provides a master blueprint for building organizations that will prosper long into the 21st century and beyond.

14. The millionaire next door

The bestselling The Millionaire Next Door identifies seven common traits that show up again and again among those who have accumulated wealth. Most of the truly wealthy in this country don't live in Beverly Hills or on Park Avenue-they live next door. This new edition, the first since 1998, includes a new foreword for the twenty-first century by Dr. Thomas J. Stanley.

15. Common stocks and uncommon profits

Widely respected and admired, Philip Fisher is among the most influential investors of all time. His investment philosophies, introduced almost forty years ago, are not only studied and applied by today's financiers and investors, but are also regarded by many as gospel. This book is invaluable reading and has been since it was first published in 1958. The updated paperback retains the investment wisdom of the original edition and includes the perspectives of the author's son Ken Fisher, an investment guru in his own right in an expanded preface and introduction "I sought out Phil Fisher after reading his Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits...A thorough understanding of the business, obtained by using Phil's techniques...enables one to make intelligent investment commitments." Warren Buffet

16. You can heal your life

‘You Can Heal Your Life’ is practical and insightful books which help in evaluating the do’s and don’ts of life. Your mind plays an important role in the well-being of the body. The book is appreciated by various people for its content. The writer provides guidance towards the right path to heal your life. The author has been able to explain just how our negative thoughts and beliefs about ourselves are able to lead to various health conditions and emotional issues that can ruin our lives.

The right thought pattern can heal anything, change the way of thinking and your body will be fit and fine. The book is all about the in-depth relationship between the body and mind. You Can Heal Your Life is a gift from the author Louise L. Hay. Let us give this gift to ourselves and our dear ones in order to keep them fin and healthy always. Stay away from the negative thoughts and negative beliefs and see the change into your life. Just by simple healing techniques make your dreams come true and create a truly happily ever after life.

The book has been a New York Times bestseller and has sold more than 39 million copies all over the world. The methods and guidance offered by the author have been able to bring relief to millions of people everywhere.

17. Yoga and stress management

Yoga & stress management is a therapeutic guide for those dealing with mental and physical stress, as well as a reference book for healthy living. Although urban work culture has greatly improved the individual economic status, it has grossly diminished br> Nature’s endowments. While modern psychology effectively helps in creating an awareness of what causes this, the Yoga philosophy is capable of changing one’s overall attitude towards life. This book combines both and provides valuable guidelines, tips, and techniques. Yoga offers the complete toolkit to deal with psychological and psycho-somatic disorders that are globally on the rise. With yogic techniques one can understand the nature of human consciousness and attain its higher stages. Using yogic practices like meditation and Pranayama, one can delve deep within and connect the body and mind to the inner self. By enhancing the latent energy in man, yoga offers a holistic solution to erase conflicts, suppression, and sensitivity.

18. Thinking Fast and Slow

Major New York Times bestseller Over two million copies sold Selected by the New York Times Book Review as one of the ten best books of 2011 Selected by The Wall Street Journal's as one best nonfiction books of 2011 2013 Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient Daniel Kahneman's work with Amos Tversky is the subject of Michael Lewis's best-selling The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds

In his mega bestseller, Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman, world-famous psychologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. The impact of overconfidence on corporate strategies, the difficulties of predicting what will make us happy in the future, the profound effect of cognitive biases on everything from playing the stock market to planning our next vacation?each of these can be understood only by knowing how the two systems shape our judgments and decisions.

Engaging the reader in a lively conversation about how we think, Kahneman reveals where we can and cannot trust our intuitions and how we can tap into the benefits of slow thinking. He offers practical and enlightening insights into how choices are made in both our business and our personal lives?and how we can use different techniques to guard against the mental glitches that often get us into trouble. Topping bestseller lists for almost ten years, Thinking, Fast and Slow is a contemporary classic, an essential book that has changed the lives of millions of readers.

19. Think and Grow Rich

Think And Grow Rich has earned itself the reputation of being considered a textbook for actionable techniques that can help one get better at doing anything, not just by rich and wealthy, but also by people doing wonderful work in their respective fields. There are hundreds and thousands of successful people in the world who can vouch for the contents of this book. At the time of author’s death, about 20 million copies had already been sold. Numerous revisions have been made in the book, from time to time, to make the book more readable and comprehensible to the readers.

The book details out the most fundamental questions that once bothered the author, Napoleon Hill. The author once set out on a personal quest to find out what really made some people so successful. Why is it that some people manage to remain healthy, happy and financially independent, all at the same time? Why, after all, do some end up being called as lucky? The answers, no wonder, had to be no less than revelations.

For more than a decade, the author interviewed some of the wealthiest and most successful people in the world. It was based on what author learnt in the process from all these people, when asked about how they achieved not just great riches but also personal wellbeing. The author formulated hundreds and thousands of answers, into concise principles which when acted upon, many claim, can help one achieve unprecedented success.

The author has in many places narrated short stories and examples that help explain the concept at hand in an engaging manner. Think and Grow Rich teaches not just concepts but also methods. It is not a book that a reader can use for one time consumption. The book, even author recommends, has to be read one chapter at a time and in sequence. Several readers and even some motivational speakers claim to have been reading this book over and over again, few pages at a time, for a long time now. Till date, it remains the number one self help book in the world, as far as sales are concerned!

20. The Success Principles

Jack Canfield, cocreator of the phenomenal bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul

series, turns to the principles he's studied, taught, and lived for more than 30 years in this practical and inspiring guide that will help any aspiring person get from where they are to where they want to be.

The Success Principles

will teach you how to increase your confidence, tackle daily challenges, live with passion and purpose, and realize all your ambitions. Not merely a collection of good ideas, this book spells out the 64 timeless principles used by successful men and women throughout history. Taken together and practiced every day, these principles will transform your life beyond your wildest dreams!

Filled with memorable and inspiring stories of CEOs, world-class athletes, celebrities, and everyday people, The Success Principles

will give you the proven blueprint you need to achieve any goal you desire.

21. The Power of Habit

We can always change. In The Power of Habit, award-winning New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg translates cutting-edge behavioural science into practical self-improvement action, distilling advanced neuroscience into fascinating narratives of transformation.

Why can some people and companies change overnight, and some stay stuck in their old ruts? The answer lies deep in the human brain, and The Power of Habits reveals the secret pressure points that can change a life. From Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps to Martin Luther King Jr., from the CEO of Starbucks to the locker rooms of the NFL, Duhigg explores the incredible results of keystone habits, and how they can make all the difference between billions and millions, failure and success – or even life and death.

The Power of Habit makes an exhilarating case: the key to almost any door in life is instilling the right habit. From exercise to weight loss, childrearing to productivity, market disruption to social revolution, and above all success, the right habits can change everything.

Habits aren't destiny. They’re science, one which can transform our businesses, our communities, and our lives.

'Plenty of business books that try to tap into the scientific world manage to distil complicated research into readable prose. But few take the next step and become essential manuals for business and living. The Power of Habit is an exception.' ANDREW HILL, FINANCIAL TIMES

22. The monk who sold his ferrari

A renowned inspirational fiction, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is a revealing story that offers the readers a simple yet profound way to live life. The plot of this story revolves around Julian Mantle, a lawyer who has made his fortune and name in the profession. A sudden heart-attack creates havoc in the successful lawyer’s life. Jolted by the sudden onset of the illness, his practice comes to a standstill. He ponders over material success being worth it all, renounces all of it and leaves for India.

A visit to India about a spiritual awakening that opens up new vistas and Julian begins to view life in a different perspective. He decides to live his life once again but in a way that is much more fulfilling and meaningful than before.

In the book, the reader goes through a spiritual journey and into a very old culture that has gathered much wisdom over the millennia. The book advocates about how to live happily, think deep and rightly, value time and relationships, be more disciplined, follow the heart’s call and live every moment of the life.

Written in simple words, the book has turned out to be a bestseller and is more than just an endearing story. Through storytelling, Robin Sharma showcases the miracles and wonders of living a fulfilling life. In the process, the book introduces readers to enlightening yet simple principles that vouch to make life better, happier and more meaningful.

A bestselling novel, what readers all over the globe appreciate about this book is its deft amalgam of the philosophies from both western and eastern worlds. The book has been followed by important personalities around the world.

23. The Alchemist

Paulo Coelho's enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and inspiring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself

24. The 48 Laws of Power

Drawn from 3,000 years of the history of power, this is the definitive guide to help readers achieve for themselves what Queen Elizabeth I, Henry Kissinger, Louis XIV and Machiavelli learnt the hard way. Law 1: Never outshine the master Law 2: Never put too much trust in friends; learn how to use enemies Law 3: Conceal your intentions Law 4: Always say less than necessary. The text is bold and elegant, laid out in black and red throughout and replete with fables and unique word sculptures. The 48 laws are illustrated through the tactics, triumphs and failures of great figures from the past who have wielded - or been victimised by - power.

25. The 4 Hours Work Week

The New York Times bestselling author of The 4-Hour Body shows readers how to live more and work less, now with more than 100 pages of new, cutting-edge content.

Forget the old concept of retirement and the rest of the deferred-life plan–there is no need to wait and every reason not to, especially in unpredictable economic times.Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, experiencing high-end world travel, or earning a monthly five-figure income with zero management, The 4-Hour Workweekis the blueprint.

This step-by-step guide to luxury lifestyle design teaches: • How Tim went from $40,000 per year and 80 hours per week to $40,000 per month and 4 hours per week • How to outsource your life to overseas virtual assistants for $5 per hour and do whatever you want • How blue-chip escape artists travel the world without quitting their jobs • How to eliminate 50% of your work in 48 hours using the principles of a forgotten Italian economist • How to trade a long-haul career for short work bursts and frequent “mini-retirements”

The new expanded edition of Tim Ferriss’ The 4-Hour Workweek includes: • More than 50 practical tips and case studies from readers (including families) who have doubled income, overcome common sticking points, and reinvented themselves using the original book as a starting point • Real-world templates you can copy for eliminating e-mail, negotiating with bosses and clients, or getting a private chef for less than $8 a meal • How Lifestyle Design principles can be suited to unpredictable economic times • The latest tools and tricks, as well as high-tech shortcuts, for living like a diplomat or millionaire without being either

26. Start With Why

The inspiring, life-changing bestseller by the author of LEADERS EAT LAST and TOGETHER IS BETTER. In 2009, Simon Sinek started a movement to help people become more inspired at work, and in turn inspire their colleagues and customers. Since then, millions have been touched by the power of his ideas, including more than 28 million who’ve watched his TED Talk based on START WITH WHY -- the third most popular TED video of all time. Sinek starts with a fundamental question: Why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over? People like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers had little in common, but they all started with WHY. They realized that people won't truly buy into a product, service, movement, or idea until they understand the WHY behind it. START WITH WHY shows that the leaders who've had the greatest influence in the world all think, act, and communicate the same way -- and it's the opposite of what everyone else does. Sinek calls this powerful idea The Golden Circle, and it provides a framework upon which organizations can be built, movements can be led, and people can be inspired. And it all starts with WHY.

27. Secrets of the millionaire mind

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind reveals the missing link between wanting success and achieving it!

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get rich easily, while others are destined for a life of financial struggle? Is the difference found in their education, intelligence, skills, timing, work habits, contacts, luck, or their choice of jobs, businesses, or investments?

The shocking answer is: None of the above!

In his groundbreaking Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, T. Harv Eker states: "Give me five minutes, and I can predict your financial future for the rest of your life!" Eker does this by identifying your "money and success blueprint." We all have a personal money blueprint ingrained in our subconscious minds, and it is this blueprint, more than anything, that will determine our financial lives. You can know everything about marketing, sales, negotiations, stocks, real estate, and the world of finance, but if your money blueprint is not set for a high level of success, you will never have a lot of money—and if somehow you do, you will most likely lose it! The good news is that now you can actually reset your money blueprint to create natural and automatic success.

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind is two books in one. Part I explains how your money blueprint works. Through Eker's rare combination of street smarts, humor, and heart, you will learn how your childhood influences have shaped your financial destiny. You will also learn how to identify your own money blueprint and "revise" it to not only create success but, more important, to keep and continually grow it.

In Part II you will be introduced to seventeen "Wealth Files," which describe exactly how rich people think and act differently than most poor and middle-class people. Each Wealth File includes action steps for you to practice in the real world in order to dramatically increase your income and accumulate wealth.

If you are not doing as well financially as you would like, you will have to change your money blueprint. Unfortunately your current money blueprint will tend to stay with you for the rest of your life, unless you identify and revise it, and that's exactly what you will do with the help of this extraordinary book. According to T. Harv Eker, it's simple. If you think like rich people think and do what rich people do, chances are you'll get rich too!

28. Screw it lets do it

Global entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson has built a business empire and made billions, yet is renowned for his approachability, ability to challenge and succeed against the odds. Screw It, Let’s Do It reveals the lessons from life that have helped him through his business and personal life – such as, believe it can be done and that, if others disagree with you, try and try again until you achieve your goal; or that you must love what you do. These and other lessons, with examples of how he learned them and how he’s used them, are included in this stirring and candid look at his lessons from an exceptional life, which will inspire you to make a difference in your own life.

29. Sapiens

What makes us brilliant? What makes us deadly? What makes us Sapiens? Yuval Noah Harari challenges everything we know about being human in the perfect read for these unprecedented times.

Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it: us.

In this bold and provocative book, Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here and where we’re going.

‘I would recommend Sapiens to anyone who’s interested in the history and future of our species’ Bill Gates

‘Interesting and provocative… It gives you a sense of how briefly we’ve been on this Earth’ Barack Obama

ONE OF THE GUARDIAN'S 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE 21st CENTURY

30. Psycho cybernetics

A magnificent, deluxe edition of one of the greatest and top-selling self-help books ever written, suited to a lifetime of reading, rereading, notetaking, and display.

Since 1960, Maxwell Maltz's Psycho-Cybernetics has sold millions of copies in dozens of editions and gained the loyalty of generations of artists, athletes, and high achievers who atrribute their success to the book's mind-conditioning program. Maltz's avowed admirers ranged from artist Salvatore Dali to first lady Nancy Reagan to actress Jane Fonda. Now -- in the only edition featuring Maltz's original, unexpuragated text -- Psycho-Cybernetics joins TarcherPerigee's highly successful line of Deluxe Editions in a keepsake volume that can be treasured for a lifetime.

Psycho-Cybernetics Deluxe Edition features: shrink-wrapped, vegan-leather hardbound casing; acid-free paper; o-card with vintage cover art; marbled endpapers; gold-stamped lettering on the casing; a bibliography of Maltz's work; and the original 1960 text, which is available nowhere else.

31. Loosing My Virginity

Richard Branson is a worldwide icon known for his tremendous wealth and industry leading business models. His spectacular journey has remained a topic of discussion and now Branson himself, reveals his story through his biography, 'Losing My Virginity’. This book follows a spectacular narrative style and is written in an engaging tone. This book was published by RHUK in 2009. This is an inspiring as well as an interesting story that takes the readers on a successful journey marked by courage and unparalleled self-belief.

Richard Branson has created unconventional businesses and made them successful for the world to see. He has a unique philosophy to life which separates him from the rest. Branson tells the story of his first 43 years of life sharing all the details of the pangs and toils he faced.

While others choose a life of modesty, Branson has always believed in living life to the fullest. What sets him apart is his legendary vision which enables him to earn success in domains where there not much scope. The book is divided in 28 chapters which showcase how Richard Branson became the successful person he is today. This is an exciting saga of a man who strived hard to create what he believed in, even if conventions were prompting him to act otherwise.

32. The Last Lecturer

A lot of professors give talks titled The Last Lecture. Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?

When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didnt have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave, Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, wasnt about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because time is all you have and you may find one day that you have less than you think). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.

In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humour, inspiration, and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given

33. I Do What i Do

When Raghuram G. Rajan took charge as Governor of the Reserve Bank of India in September 2013, the rupee was in free fall, inflation was high, India had a large current account deficit and India's exchange reserves were falling. As measure after measure failed to stabilize markets, speculators sensed a full-blown crisis and labelled India one of the Fragile Five economies. Rajan's response was to go all out, not just to tackle the crisis of confidence, but also to send a strong message about the strength of India's institutions and the country's ongoing programme of reform. He outlined a vision that went beyond the immediate crisis to focus on long-term growth and stability, thus restoring investor confidence. Boldness and farsightedness would be characteristic of the decisions he took in the ensuing three years. Rajan's commentary and speeches in I Do What I Do convey what it was like to be at the helm of the central bank in those turbulent but exciting times. Whether on dosanomics or on debt relief, Rajan explains economic concepts in a readily accessible way. Equally, he addresses key issues that are not in any banking manual but essential to growth: the need for tolerance and respect to assure India's economic progress, for instance, or the connection between political freedom and prosperity. I Do What I Do offers a front-row view into the thinking of one of the world's most respected economists, one whose commitment to India's progress shines through in the essays and speeches here. It also brings home what every RBI Governor discovers for himself when he sits down at his desk on the 18th floor: the rupee stops here. Right here!

34. How to enjoy your life and your job

UNCOVER YOUR HIDDEN ASSETS -- YOU CAN FILL EACH DAY WITH EXCITEMENT AND A SENSE OF SATISFACTION!

Even if you love your work, you probably have days when almost nothing goes right. Bestselling author Dale Carnegie shows you how to make every day more exciting and rewarding -- how you can get more done, and have more fun doing it. Dale Carnegie's time-tested advice will help you to:

Make other people feel important -- and do it sincerely

Avoid unnecessary tension -- save your energy for important duties

Get people to say yes -- immediately

Turn routine tasks into stimulating opportunities

Spot a sure-fire way of making enemies -- and avoid it

Smile in the face of criticism -- you've done your very best!

How to Enjoy Your Life and Your Job will help you create a new approach to life and people and discover talents you never knew you had. Dale Carnegie can help you get the most out of yourself -- all the time. Start developing your innate strengths and abilities -- start enriching your life TODAY!

35. Habit Stacking

Build Powerful Routines Into Your Day by Buy this book

36. Good to Great

The Challenge Built to Last, the defining management study of the nineties, showed how great companies triumph over time and how long-term sustained performance can be engineered into the DNA of an enterprise from the very beginning.

But what about the company that is not born with great DNA? How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness?

The Study For years, this question preyed on the mind of Jim Collins. Are there companies that defy gravity and convert long-term mediocrity or worse into long-term superiority? And if so, what are the universal distinguishing characteristics that cause a company to go from good to great?

The Standards Using tough benchmarks, Collins and his research team identified a set of elite companies that made the leap to great results and sustained those results for at least fifteen years. How great? After the leap, the good-to-great companies generated cumulative stock returns that beat the general stock market by an average of seven times in fifteen years, better than twice the results delivered by a composite index of the world's greatest companies, including Coca-Cola, Intel, General Electric, and Merck.

The Comparisons The research team contrasted the good-to-great companies with a carefully selected set of comparison companies that failed to make the leap from good to great. What was different? Why did one set of companies become truly great performers while the other set remained only good?

Over five years, the team analyzed the histories of all twenty-eight companies in the study. After sifting through mountains of data and thousands of pages of interviews, Collins and his crew discovered the key determinants of greatness -- why some companies make the leap and others don't.

37. Freedom from the known

Freedom From The Known is a book that provides much needed insight into the monotonous quality our lives have adapted into. The book does an in-depth exploration of the idea that life as we know it is a result of the pressure we are under to maintain and achieve what is expected of us by the society.

In Freedom From The Known, readers are provided with the opportunity to reflect on all of the achievements of their lives and analyze how much of it was what they truly wanted to do as opposed to what was expected of them. The author opines that people disillusion themselves into believing that societal expectations are norms that define the construct of their daily lives will bring them happiness. The book goes on to suggest that people have forgotten the true value and meaning of happiness.

The book talks about the importance of freeing ourselves from societal norms, values and expectations. It is suggested that only by doing so can we focus on the right way to find peace and happiness in our lives. The book was published by RHUK in 2010 and is available in paperback.

38. Autobiography of a yogi

Autobiography of a Yogi is one of the famous Spiritual Book of the Twentieth Century which is written by Paramahansa Yogananda. In this book he explained memorable findings of the world of saints and yogis and also explained science and miracles, death and resurgence. With soul-satisfying consciousness and endearing wit, he lightens the hidden secrets of life and the world opening our hearts and minds to the happiness, splendour and limitless spiritual capacities that last in the lives of every human being. This edition has been offered specially from Yogoda Satsanga Society of India, the association established by the writer. The book containing extensive content about all of his desires. Moreover, the book has several high definition pictures. It is a spiritual treasury that will make you understand the meaning of life. Hence this book is real treasure for people who are on a spiritual quest. You can easily get this book on Amazon India. About the Author Paramahansa Yoganandaborn is not only famous among the Indians but also popular among the westerners as a great Yogi. He teaches millions of people mediation and Kriya Yoga through his master piece Autobiography of a Yogi.

39. Miracle Morning

"Hal Elrod is a genius and his book The Miracle Morning has been magical in my life. What Hal has done is taken the best practices, developed over centuries of human consciousness development, and condensed the 'best of the best' into a daily morning ritual. A ritual that is now part of my day." -Robert Kiyosaki, bestselling author of Rich Dad Poor Dad

What's being widely regarded as "one of the most life changing books ever written" may be the simplest approach to achieving everything you've ever wanted, and faster than you ever thought possible.

What if you could wake up tomorrow and any-or EVERY-area of your life was beginning to transform? What would you change? The Miracle Morning is already transforming the lives of tens of thousands of people around the world by showing them how to wake up each day with more ENERGY, MOTIVATION, and FOCUS to take your life to the next level. It's been right here in front of us all along, but this book has finally brought it to life.

Are you ready? The next chapter of YOUR life-the most extraordinary life you've ever imagined-is about to begin. Buy the book and WAKE UP to your full potential!

40. Mindset

World-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck, in decades of research on achievement and success, has discovered a truly groundbreaking idea-the power of our mindset.

Dweck explains why it's not just our abilities and talent that bring us success-but whether we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset. She makes clear why praising intelligence and ability doesn't foster self-esteem and lead to accomplishment, but may actually jeopardize success. With the right mindset, we can motivate our kids and help them to raise their grades, as well as reach our own goals-personal and professional. Dweck reveals what all great parents, teachers, CEOs, and athletes already know: how a simple idea about the brain can create a love of learning and a resilience that is the basis of great accomplishment in every area.

41. Mans Search for Meaning

Man's Search for Meaning was first published in 1946. Victor Frankl was a leading psychologist in Vienna when he was arrested for being a Jew during the Nazi regime. He survived holocaust and used his experiences to write this book. He propounded the theory that it is Man's constant search for meaning that allows him to survive even the most brutal, the most degrading situations in his life.

He said there are only two races in the world, the decent and indecent. They will maintain their innate beliefs, no matter which side they are on. The decent ones will try to help the fellow human beings and the indecent ones will be selfish and serve themselves at the cost to the others.

Frankl's views were different from those of the leading psychologist of his times, Freud and Adler. His research was intensely personal and unique. His findings of human behaviour were based on the most extenuating circumstances that humans face. He suffered holocaust along with several other inmates and he observed their behaviour closely. He found that those with a capability to focus on love were the ones that survived. He based this observation on a long walk he was forced into by his captors. His companion spoke about his wife. This made Frankl think about his wife and the thought of her took his mind away from his current agony of being hit with rifle butts by his captors for dawdling.

The book has been listed as one of the 10 most influential books. It has a message of hope that has continued to inspire readers down the years.

42. The Story Of My Experiments With Truth: An Autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi

This is Gandhi's autobiography covering his life from early childhood to approximately 1921. In Gandhi's own words: "I simply want to tell the story of my numerous experiments with truth, and as my life consists of nothing but those experiments, it is true that the story will take the shape of an autobiography. But I shall not mind, if every page of it speaks only of my experiments . . . I should certainly like to narrate my experiments in the spiritual field which are known only to myself, and from which I have derived such power as I posses for working in the political field . . . If I had only to discuss academic principles. I should clearly not attempt an autobiography. But my purpose being to give an account of various practical applications of these principles, I have given the chapters I propose to write the title of The Story of My Experiments with Truth. These will of course include experiments with non-violence, celibacy and other principles of conduct believed to be distinct from truth."

43. ikaigai

'Ikigai gently unlocks simple secrets we can all use to live long, meaningful, happy lives. Science-based studies weave beautifully into honest, straight-talking conversation you won’t be able to put down. Warm, patient, and kind, this book pulls you gently along your own journey rather than pushing you from behind.' Neil Pasricha, bestselling author of The Happiness Equation

44. How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

Through Dale Carnegie’s six-million-copy bestseller recently revised, millions of people have been helped to overcome the worry habit. Dale Carnegie offers a set of practical formulas you can put to work today. In our fast-paced world—formulas that will last a lifetime!

Discover how to:

Eliminate fifty percent of business worries immediately

Reduce financial worries

Avoid fatigue—and keep looking you

Add one hour a day to your waking life

Find yourself and be yourself—remember there is no one else on earth like you!

How to Stop Worrying and Start Living deals with fundamental emotions and ideas. It is fascinating to read and easy to apply. Let it change and improve you. There’s no need to live with worry and anxiety that keep you from enjoying a full, active and happy life!

45. GRIT

Among Grit’s most valuable insights:

*Why any effort you make ultimately counts twice toward your goal *How grit can be learned, regardless of I.Q. or circumstances *How lifelong interest is triggered *How much of optimal practice is suffering and how much ecstasy *Which is better for your child—a warm embrace or high standards *The magic of the Hard Thing Rule

Winningly personal, insightful, and even life-changing, Grit is a book about what goes through your head when you fall down, and how that—not talent or luck—makes all the difference.

46. Awaken the giants within

Wake up and take control of your life! From the bestselling author of Inner Strength, Unlimited Power, and MONEY Master the Game, Anthony Robbins, the nation's leader in the science of peak performance, shows you his most effective strategies and techniques for mastering your emotions, your body, your relationships, your finances, and your life.

The acknowledged expert in the psychology of change, Anthony Robbins provides a step-by-step program teaching the fundamental lessons of self-mastery that will enable you to discover your true purpose, take control of your life, and harness the forces that shape your destiny.

47. 1984 48. GOALS 49. You Can Win 50. The Secret 51. The Magic 52. The Fault in Our Stars 53. The Confidence Code 54. The Compound Effect 55. Sita 56. Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus 57. The Greatest Sales man in the World 58. Eat that Frog! 59. Chicken soup for the soul 60. Before you Start up 61. 7 habits of highly effective people 62.Who Will Cry When u Die 63. Bhavath Gita 64. The Power of Positive Thinking 65. Body Language 66. Life of Pi 67. The Richest Man in Babylon 68. Atomic Habit 69. Elon Musk 70. Rich Dad Poor Dad 71. The Six Pillars are Self Estrime 72. Tuesday With Morrie 73. Inner Engineer 74. The subtle of not giving a fuck 75. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying 76. The 5 AM Club 77. Attitude Is Everything 78. Life's Amazing Secrets 79. Slight Edge 80. How to win friends and influence people 81. Think Straight 82. Who Says You Can’t? 83. Everything Is F*cked 84. Black box thinking 85. The leader who had no title 86. Steve Jobs 87. The Snowball 88. Shoe Dog 89. The Girlfriend 90. Harry potter series books 91. The Four Agreements 92. Believe and Achieve 93. The 5 second rule 94. The Tipping Point 95. Zero to One 96. 33 Strategies of War 97. Mastery 98. Beginning of Infinity 99. The Long Walk 100. The Magic of Thinking Big

#best 100 books #best books #top 100 books

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how2to18 · 7 years ago

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THE COLLECTOR Hans Sloane was born in Ulster in 1660, part of a family that served as stewards and gamekeepers for their aristocratic cousins. Unable to access a university education, the ambitious Sloane moved to London in 1679, taking instruction in materia medica from the “library of nature,” particularly in the form of the Chelsea Physic Garden. According to the historian James Delbourgo’s new biography Collecting the World: Hans Sloane and the Origins of the British Museum, Sloane learned chemical medicine from books, lectures, and friends of friends, including a trip to Paris and Montpellier, where he received a medical degree at Orange in 1683.

The story of Sloane, as Delbourgo tells it, is as much about social climbing as it is about science. In London, his career greatly benefited from the friendship of another Anglo-Irishman, the eminent natural philosopher Robert Boyle, who helped Sloane make the acquaintance of other famous physicians and natural philosophers associated with the Royal Society. These connections, in turn, led to a post as personal physician to the Duke of Albemarle when he took up the governorship of Jamaica in 1687.

Sloane’s social ambitions spurred his collecting, too. In his limited European voyages, he had already seen the value of rare and unusual objects for brokering introductions, learning, in Delbourgo’s words, “how to use rare objects to distinguish himself as a rare person.” For Sloane, objects were never only about themselves. The collections were a small piece in a larger story, a node in a larger network. In Jamaica, Delbourgo points out, Sloane’s concerns with natural history neatly aligned with larger commercial concerns, noting that a commentator of the time “went so far as to characterize the Royal Society and the Royal African Company, which enjoyed a legal monopoly on the transportation of African slaves in these years, as ‘twin sisters.’” Sloane, a future president of the Royal Society and physician to a colonial governor whose goal was getting rich, saw no contradictions between the advancement of natural philosophy and the advancement of England’s economy on the backs of enslaved people.

Delbourgo reconstructs Sloane’s Jamaican years in large part through a close reading of his Natural History of Jamaica (1707), which he had printed at great expense, with lavish plates, much later in his career. The book uses a pre-Linnaean system of exhaustive botanical description and includes many case histories of his patients, both white and black. Sloane describes the infinite patience he extended to his white patients who consistently gave themselves alcohol poisoning (including Albemarle himself, who died in 1688), and the extreme skepticism with which he treated any ailments suffered by enslaved Africans on the island.

Sloane’s relationships with enslaved people in Jamaica were not limited to his medical practice. He also traveled around the island asking about medicinal plants, health and ailments, religious beliefs, and other ethnographic questions. “The ethnographic curiosity Sloane evinced,” Delbourgo cautions, “is ultimately indissociable from the kinds of practical questions his planter allies wanted answered so they could fortify the institution of slavery.” It is unclear how Sloane obtained many of the objects he brought back from Jamaica, including a pair of banjos made by enslaved people: Were they obtained by force? By barter? Delbourgo concludes that it was probably both: “Exchange coexisted with violence.”

The 15 months Sloane spent in Jamaica set the course for the rest of his life. He returned to England in 1689 with hundreds of specimens (including a live alligator, which died only two weeks before landfall). In 1695 he married Elizabeth Langley Rose, the widow of a plantation owner he had known in Jamaica. Delbourgo calculates that Sloane received three million pounds a year in income from his wife’s Jamaican plantations. “At one end of the spectrum, Lady Sloane’s Jamaican income played a major role in Sloane’s fortunes while, at the other, unnamed slave women gathered specimens for colonial collectors who sent them back to patrons like James Petiver and Sloane.” His career as collector was subsidized, in other words, by income from slave labor on sugar plantations in Jamaica.

“For Sloane, collecting a world of things meant collecting a world of people,” Delbourgo writes. His role as personal physician to Albemarle helped make him a sought-after society doctor. He was so renowned as to be anonymously satirized in the press as “the ingenious Dr Slyeman,” suspected of quackery due to his great fame and fortune. Some natural philosophers were also detractors. In 1693 Sloane became secretary of the Royal Society, adding the Society’s vast correspondence network to his own and becoming editor of the Philosophical Transactions. But his insistence on specificity, on specimens, clashed with the new emphasis on types and the discovery of natural laws. His religious beliefs, too, were a stumbling block: Sloane thought of collecting as a way to understand more deeply the variety of God’s creation, and his deep commitment to a Protestant ethic of a useful and wonderful nature put him at odds with his more deist-minded Royal Society colleagues, who saw his version of natural theology as irrational and Sloane as an embarrassment.

Sloane, for his part, wanted to use his rarities to expose and debunk magical thinking. He sought, according to Delbourgo, “to use collections in almost therapeutic fashion, to expose and correct what he considered the follies of credulity, in particular magical explanations of the natural world.” But “his commitment to examining bizarre matters of fact left him open to charges of credulity. It wasn’t that he believed such stories — it was the sheer fact that he considered them worthy of attention.” To Sloane’s contemporaries, writing articles about such things as bezoars (strange semigeological objects which were used as miraculous medicines, but are actually balls of hair that formed in the stomachs of people and animals) even to comment on the natural processes that produced them was beyond the pale. Better to comment on the usual than the curious.

Books on collections and collectors often slip into a bewitching miscellany, lists of strange things in juxtaposition, corals and medals and manuscripts and alligators. Delbourgo resists this abyss of wonderment. Another temptation is to devote too much space to psychological analyses of the obsessions of the collector. But, to Delbourgo, “what is striking is not how much Sloane revealed himself through his collections but, rather, how little.” He describes Sloane’s acquisitions as in many cases a function of his social connections: his fame brought with it more and more objects, many unsolicited. “Very often,” notes Debourgo, “these acquisitions resulted from the judgment others made about Sloane’s curiosity, showing how decisions made by many other people helped constitute the content of his collections.” Sloane also absorbed the entire collections of many other collectors; he collected their legacies as well as his own. By the 1720s the work was untenable for any one man, and Sloane had hired many people to help him manage the collections and the endless correspondence that went with it. “These networks were not the context for Sloane’s work, they were his work, and required constant management and negotiation.”

The work of collecting was not just the work of network-building, correspondence, and giving tours to notables, however. As a museum professional myself, I often wonder just how early modern collectors cataloged their artifacts, and Delbourgo goes some way toward providing an answer. “Collecting involved literally attaching meanings to things by pasting onto each object labels bearing numbers linking each item to a description in one of 54 handwritten catalogues,” he writes. In the catalogs, though, Sloane provided only brief descriptions of the objects. Although Sloane wrote that “the collection and accurate arrangement of these curiosities constituted my major contribution to the advancement of science,” his labels are often leave out much more than they explain.

For example: In 1733 Sloane met Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, a Fula man from West Africa also known as Job ben Solomon, who had been enslaved in Maryland but was staying in London while supporters and patrons helped him raise money to buy his freedom. Diallo worked with Sloane to translate Arabic inscriptions on some amulets in Sloane’s collections into English. Ironically, both Diallo, a devout Muslim, and Sloane, the crusader against credulity, found the amulets uninteresting, but the task of translating them brought them together. Sloane later worked with Georgia governor James Oglethorpe to buy Diallo’s freedom, and Diallo returned to Africa as an agent of the slave-trading Royal African Company. This complex global story is briefly marked in Sloane’s catalogs by entries noting that the amulet inscriptions were “Interpr. Job.”

It was Sloane’s will and the will of Parliament that transformed these vast, partially cataloged (for no collection is ever fully cataloged) collections into the world’s first national museum. Before Sloane died in 1753, he carefully set out conditions under which his collections, funded by the proceeds of Lady Sloane’s Jamaican plantations and relying on free and unfree labor all over the world, would pass to the nation. Sloane’s personal hoard would form the basis of a national resource accessible to the British public. Sloane’s collection was so large, and so self-evidently important, that his bequest was hard to turn down, though his will had instructions to offer the collection to scientific institutions in other countries if the collections were not accepted as a whole and as a public institution. (Imagine Sloane’s alligators, medals, manuscripts, and bezoars in the Hermitage!)

Some objected to Sloane’s plan, on the grounds that a British Museum should hold British things, not a global miscellany. But as Delbourgo notes, treating Sloane’s collection as the basis for a British Museum was completely consistent with the logic of empire: “these were British things not by origin but by ownership.” Never before, noted one visitor, had such a collection been assembled by a private citizen, rather than a ruler, and not to demonstrate his own power but the power of trade. The British Museum was a quintessential institution of the emerging imperial Britain: pragmatic, based on private enterprise, a bit messy, and founded on the labor of enslaved Africans.

Indeed, this is the great accomplishment of Collecting the World: its detailed excavation of the ways Sloane’s collections required the knowledge, labor, and suffering of enslaved people. Today museums are increasingly researching and making visible the human consequences and exploitative history of some collecting, including the looting of Native American graves, the illicit trade in Middle Eastern antiquities, and the ways museums like Sloane’s materially benefited from slavery. The artist Fred Wilson’s intervention Mining the Museum at the Maryland Historical Society in 1992 was one flashpoint in this ongoing work: the exhibit highlighted the absence of enslaved people from the museum’s historical narrative, juxtaposing, for example, a silver tea set with a pair of shackles. Delbourgo’s deft and capable history of Sloane’s legacy is deeply necessary as museums face our complicated histories and consider how to move forward.

Suzanne Fischer is the museum director at the Michigan History Center in Lansing.

The post Acquisition and Empire: On James Delbourgo’s “Collecting the World” appeared first on Los Angeles Review of Books.

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topmixtrends · 7 years ago

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Suzanne Fischer is the museum director at the Michigan History Center in Lansing.

The post Acquisition and Empire: On James Delbourgo’s “Collecting the World” appeared first on Los Angeles Review of Books.

from Los Angeles Review of Books http://ift.tt/2jEBxAP

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alltimebestbooks · 5 years ago

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Best 100 Books

1. The intelligent investor

2. The girl in room no 105

Zara and I broke up four years ago. She moved on in life. I didn’t. I drank every night to forget her. I called, messaged, and stalked her on social media. She just ignored me.

However, that night, on the eve of her birthday, Zara messaged me. She called me over, like old times, to her hostel room 105. I shouldn’t have gone, but I did… and my life changed forever.

This is not a love story. It is an unlove story.

From the author of Five Point Someone and 2 States, comes a fast-paced, funny and unputdownable thriller about obsessive love and finding purpose in life against the backdrop of contemporary India.

3. The Big Leap

4. Becoming

The intimate, powerful, and beautifully written memoir by the United States' former First Lady that inspired the major Netflix documentary

Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations - and whose story inspires us to do the same

5. You are a Badass

YOU ARE A BADASS IS THE SELF-HELP BOOK FOR PEOPLE WHO DESPERATELY WANT TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVES BUT DON'T WANT TO GET BUSTED DOING IT.

By the end of You Are a Badass, you'll understand why you are how you are, how to love what you can't change, how to change what you don't love, and how to use The Force to kick some serious ass.

6. The power of your subconscious mind

Did you know that your mind has a 'mind' of its own? Yes! Without even realizing, our mind is often governed by another entity which is called the sub-conscious mind.

7. The power of self confidence

8. The art of public speaking

9. How to talk to anyone

Work a party like a politician works a room

Be an insider in any crowd

Use key words and phrases to guide the conversation

Use body language to connect

This is the key to having successful conversations with anyone, any time.

10. Emotion and relationships

2 Books in 1

Book 1: Emotion: The Juice of Life

“One can make any emotion into a creative force in one’s life.” – Sadhguru

Book 2: Relationships: Bond or Bondage

“If you enhance yourself into a very beautiful state, everyone will want to hold a relationship with you.” – Sadhguru

11. dont sweat the small stuff

12. Deep Work

13. Built to last

14. The millionaire next door

15. Common stocks and uncommon profits

16. You can heal your life

17. Yoga and stress management

18. Thinking Fast and Slow

19. Think and Grow Rich

20. The Success Principles

Jack Canfield, cocreator of the phenomenal bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul

The Success Principles

Filled with memorable and inspiring stories of CEOs, world-class athletes, celebrities, and everyday people, The Success Principles

will give you the proven blueprint you need to achieve any goal you desire.

21. The Power of Habit

Habits aren't destiny. They’re science, one which can transform our businesses, our communities, and our lives.

22. The monk who sold his ferrari

23. The Alchemist

24. The 48 Laws of Power

25. The 4 Hours Work Week

The New York Times bestselling author of The 4-Hour Body shows readers how to live more and work less, now with more than 100 pages of new, cutting-edge content.

26. Start With Why

27. Secrets of the millionaire mind

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind reveals the missing link between wanting success and achieving it!

The shocking answer is: None of the above!

28. Screw it lets do it

29. Sapiens

What makes us brilliant? What makes us deadly? What makes us Sapiens? Yuval Noah Harari challenges everything we know about being human in the perfect read for these unprecedented times.

Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it: us.

In this bold and provocative book, Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here and where we’re going.

‘I would recommend Sapiens to anyone who’s interested in the history and future of our species’ Bill Gates

‘Interesting and provocative… It gives you a sense of how briefly we’ve been on this Earth’ Barack Obama

ONE OF THE GUARDIAN'S 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE 21st CENTURY

30. Psycho cybernetics

A magnificent, deluxe edition of one of the greatest and top-selling self-help books ever written, suited to a lifetime of reading, rereading, notetaking, and display.

31. Loosing My Virginity

32. The Last Lecturer

In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humour, inspiration, and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given

33. I Do What i Do

34. How to enjoy your life and your job

UNCOVER YOUR HIDDEN ASSETS -- YOU CAN FILL EACH DAY WITH EXCITEMENT AND A SENSE OF SATISFACTION!

Make other people feel important -- and do it sincerely

Avoid unnecessary tension -- save your energy for important duties

Get people to say yes -- immediately

Turn routine tasks into stimulating opportunities

Spot a sure-fire way of making enemies -- and avoid it

Smile in the face of criticism -- you've done your very best!

35. Habit Stacking

Build Powerful Routines Into Your Day by Buy this book

36. Good to Great

But what about the company that is not born with great DNA? How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness?

37. Freedom from the known

38. Autobiography of a yogi

39. Miracle Morning

What's being widely regarded as "one of the most life changing books ever written" may be the simplest approach to achieving everything you've ever wanted, and faster than you ever thought possible.

Are you ready? The next chapter of YOUR life-the most extraordinary life you've ever imagined-is about to begin. Buy the book and WAKE UP to your full potential!

40. Mindset

World-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck, in decades of research on achievement and success, has discovered a truly groundbreaking idea-the power of our mindset.

41. Mans Search for Meaning

The book has been listed as one of the 10 most influential books. It has a message of hope that has continued to inspire readers down the years.

42. The Story Of My Experiments With Truth: An Autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi

43. ikaigai

44. How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

Discover how to:

Eliminate fifty percent of business worries immediately

Reduce financial worries

Avoid fatigue—and keep looking you

Add one hour a day to your waking life

Find yourself and be yourself—remember there is no one else on earth like you!

45. GRIT

Among Grit’s most valuable insights:

Winningly personal, insightful, and even life-changing, Grit is a book about what goes through your head when you fall down, and how that—not talent or luck—makes all the difference.

46. Awaken the giants within

62.Who Will Cry When u Die 63. Bhavath Gita 64. The Power of Positive Thinking 65. Body Language 66. Life of Pi 67. The Richest Man in Babylon 68. Atomic Habit 69. Elon Musk 70. Rich Dad Poor Dad 71. The Six Pillars are Self Estrime 72. Tuesday With Morrie 73. Inner Engineer 74. The subtle of not giving a fuck 75. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying 76. The 5 AM Club 77. Attitude Is Everything 78. Life's Amazing Secrets 79. Slight Edge 80. How to win friends and influence people 81. Think Straight 82. Who Says You Can’t? 83. Everything Is F*cked 84. Black box thinking 85. The leader who had no title 86. Steve Jobs 87. The Snowball 88. Shoe Dog 89. The Girlfriend 90. Harry potter series books 91. The Four Agreements 92. Believe and Achieve 93. The 5 second rule 94. The Tipping Point 95. Zero to One 96. 33 Strategies of War 97. Mastery 98. Beginning of Infinity 99. The Long Walk 100. The Magic of Thinking Big

#best 100 books

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