If you are looking for some books that will inspire you to learn something new, challenge your assumptions, and expand your horizons, you have come to the right place. I personally have been inspired to share more of what I’ve been reading and learning, thanks to Austin Kleon’s book, Show Your Work! As Kleon writes, “The act of sharing is one of generosity—you’re putting something out there because you think it might be helpful or entertaining or worthwhile to someone on the other side of the screen.”
In the past four years I have enjoyed reading over 200 books on various topics such as education, psychology, science, astrophysics, neurology, language learning, linguistics, ASL, philosophy, and autobiographies. Out of all these books, I have selected five that I think are the most impactful, insightful, and enjoyable for anyone who wants to grow as a learner and as a person.
These are the books that have changed my perspective, taught me valuable lessons, and sparked my curiosity. Whether you are a student, a teacher, a parent, or someone who just wants to get better at a skill, these books will help you achieve your goals and enrich your life.





#1 Atomic Habits
Atomic Habits is a book that teaches you how to create good habits and break bad ones by applying the principles of behavior change. The author, James Clear, explains that habits are the compound interest of self-improvement: small changes that seem insignificant at first can lead to remarkable results over time. He also shows that you don’t need to rely on motivation or willpower to change your habits, but rather on a simple four-step system that makes them obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying.
One quote from the book that I love is:
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
– James Clear
This quote reminds me that setting goals is not enough to achieve success. I need to focus on the processes and habits that will lead me to my desired outcomes.
One reason why you should read this book is that it offers practical and actionable advice on how to improve any aspect of your life, whether it’s your health, productivity, relationships, or happiness. The book is based on plenty of scientific research and makes it presentable in a way that is engaging and interesting.
I enjoyed this book so much that I’ve read it twice and has been a huge help in establishing good habits that have benefited my health. For example, I’ve found the four laws of behavioral change especially effective in establishing good habits like getting more exercise and eating better by making it easy, obvious, attractive, and satisfying.
If you’re looking for a book that will help you change your habits for the better, I highly recommend Atomic Habits by James Clear. It’s one of the best books I’ve read so far on personal development and behavior change.
Amazon link: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
#2 Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
The author, Angela Duckworth, is a psychologist who has studied grit for over a decade and has found that it predicts success in various domains, such as education, sports, business, and the military. Gritty people have a clear vision of their long-term goals and are willing to work hard and overcome challenges to achieve them. They also have four psychological assets that help them cultivate grit: interest, practice, purpose, and hope.
“Our potential is one thing. What we do with it is quite another.”
– Angela Duckworth PhD
One reason why I really enjoyed this book is because it offers practical advice on how to discover and develop one’s own grit, as well as how to foster it in others, especially children. The book also challenges the common belief that talent is the most important factor for success and shows how effort and perseverance can make a difference. The book is based on scientific research, personal stories, and interviews with high achievers from various fields, making it both informative and inspiring.
Amazon link: Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
#3 Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
In this book, Dweck explains the difference between the fixed mindset, the belief that your qualities are fixed and unchangeable, and the growth mindset, the belief that you can develop your talents through hard work and learning. She shows how having a growth mindset can help you overcome challenges, learn from feedback, cope with failure, and reach your full potential. If you are currently trying to learn a new language, skill, or hobby… learning how to have a more growth mindset is vital.
One of my favorite quotes from the book is:
“The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset. This is the mindset that allows people to thrive during some of the most challenging times in their lives.”
– Carol Dweck PhD
I enjoyed this book because it helped me both as an educator and as a parent to foster a growth mindset in others. I learned how to create a culture of learning and growth. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about how their mindset can have a positive effect on themselves and others.
Amazon link: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
#4 The Motivated Brain
If you’re an educator or anyone interested in understanding how to motivate learners, then you definitely need to check out “The Motivated Brain” by Gayle Gregory. This book is a great resource for anyone looking to create an environment that encourages students to engage more deeply in their learning.
One quote from the book that really resonated with me is:
“Motivation is not something that can be given or taken away from a student; it is something that can be nurtured, developed, and strengthened over time”
– Gayle Gregory
This quote is so encouraging because it highlights the idea that motivation is not fixed and can be cultivated through intentional efforts.
As a teacher or a parent you can use the practical strategies outlined in this book to create a more motivating learning environment for your students (or your own kids). These strategies include things like providing meaningful and challenging tasks, using feedback effectively, and fostering a growth mindset. By doing so, you can help your students develop a deeper sense of engagement and enjoyment in their learning, leading to improved academic outcomes.
Overall, “The Motivated Brain” is a friendly and helpful book that offers insights and practical strategies for anyone looking to motivate learners. It provides a solid foundation for creating a positive and motivating learning environment that supports student success.
Amazon link: The Motivated Brain: Improving Student Attention, Engagement, and Perseverance
#5 Visible Learning for Literacy
Written by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie, this book draws on extensive research to identify the most effective instructional practices for improving literacy skills.
One thing I really appreciated about this book is how it ranks a wide variety of teaching methodologies according to effect size. As the authors explain, “Effect size measures the impact that an intervention has on student learning.” This ranking system provides a helpful tool for educators to evaluate the effectiveness of different teaching strategies and make informed decisions about what will work best for their students.
The book is organized around six key areas of literacy instruction, and for each of these areas, the authors provide an overview of the research on effective instruction, along with practical advice for implementing these strategies in the classroom. One direct quote from the book that stood out to me is…
“Explicit instruction in comprehension strategies has a powerful effect on reading comprehension.”
Visible Learning for Literacy
Overall, I found Visible Learning for Literacy to be a valuable resource for any teacher or educator looking to improve their instruction. Whether you’re new to teaching or a seasoned pro, this book provides evidence-based strategies that you can implement right away in your classroom. The ranking system based on effect size is particularly helpful, allowing you to make informed decisions about what will work best for your students.
Amazon link: Visible Learning for Literacy: Grades K-12: Implementing the Practices That Work Best to Accelerate Student Learning
Wrap Up
I hope you found some titles that interest you and inspire you to read more. If you are looking for more books to read, I invite you to check out my Goodreads page where you can see what I am currently reading. I also welcome your book suggestions, so feel free to share them with me in the comment section at the bottom of this page. I love getting recommendations from other readers and I have discovered many amazing books that way.
For your convenience, here is a quick list of all five book recommendations with links.
- Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
- Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
- The Motivated Brain: Improving Student Attention, Engagement, and Perseverance
- Visible Learning for Literacy: Grades K-12: Implementing the Practices That Work Best to Accelerate Student Learning
If you ready for more, I went ahead and included a longer list of books that I’ve enjoyed in the fields of education, personal development, sign language, language learning, and entrepreneurship. Feel free to check them out below!
Education
- The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
- Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
- The Motivated Brain: Improving Student Attention, Engagement, and Perseverance
- Visible Learning for Literacy: Grades K-12: Implementing the Practices That Work Best to Accelerate Student Learning
- How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character
- Reading Unbound: Why Kids Need to Read What They Want and Why We Should Let Them
- No: Why Kids–of All Ages–Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It
- UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World
- How Full Is Your Bucket?
- The One World Schoolhouse: Education Reimagined
- The Excellent 11: Qualities Teachers and Parents Use to Motivate, Inspire, and Educate Children
- The Orchid and the Dandelion: Why Some Children Struggle and How All Can Thrive
- Thinking, Fast and Slow
- The Innovator’s Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity
- What’s Math Got to Do with It?: How Teachers and Parents Can Transform Mathematics Learning and Inspire Success
- Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
- The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever
- Falling in Love with Close Reading: Lessons for Analyzing Texts–and Life
- The Core Six: Essential Strategies for Achieving Excellence with the Common Core (Professional Development)
- The Power of Extreme Writing: How do I help my students become eager and fluent writers?
- Researching in a Digital World: How do I teach my students to conduct quality online research?
- Close the Achievement Gap: Simple Strategies That Work (In a Nutshell)
- Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think
- Of Beetles and Angels: A Boy’s Remarkable Journey from a Refugee Camp to Harvard
- High IQ Kids: Collected Insights, Information, and Personal Stories from the Experts
Personal Development
- Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
- The Dip: A little book that teaches you when to quit (and when to stick)
- The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life – Before 8AM
- Autodidactic: Self-Taught
- Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
- Unlimited Memory: How to Use Advanced Learning Strategies to Learn Faster, Remember More and Be More Productive
- The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
- Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked
- Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
- Life Is in the Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Age
- Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…and Maybe the World
- Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less
- Study is Hard Work
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
- Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
- Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
- Eat Move Sleep: How Small Choices Lead to Big Changes
- Speed Reading: How to Double (or Triple) Your Reading Speed in Just 1 Hour!
- Die with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life
- The 3 Alarms: A Simple System to Transform Your Health, Wealth, and Relationships Forever
- Life Is in the Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Age
- Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business
- Every Tool’s a Hammer: Life Is What You Make It
Sign Language
- Encounters with Reality: 1,001 Interpreter Scenarios
- The Everything Sign Language Book: American Sign Language Made Easy
- Master ASL: Fingerspelling, Numbers, And Glossing
- Sign Language Interpreting: A Basic Resource Book
- Fingerspelling in American Sign Language
- Transliterating: Show Me The English
- Interpretation Skills: English To American Sign Language
- Linguistics of American Sign Language: An Introduction
- American Sign Language Workbook: Exercises to Build Your Signing Vocabulary
- American Sign Language for Beginners: Learn Signing Essentials in 30 Days
- American Sign Language Green Books, A Student Text Units 1-9
- A Concise Introduction to Linguistics
- Learn Sign Language in a Hurry: Grasp the Basics of American Sign Language Quickly and Easily
- Easy American Sign Language: A Step By Step Guide
Language Learning
- Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It
- The Immersion Method: How to Learn Any Language to Fluency the Fun and Easy Way
- The Secrets of Polyglots
- A Concise Introduction to Linguistics 5th Edition
Parenting
- Parenting Without Borders: Surprising Lessons Parents Around the World Can Teach Us
- Parenting Gifted Kids: Tips for Raising Happy and Successful Children
- High IQ Kids: Collected Insights, Information, and Personal Stories from the Experts
- The Gifted Kids’ Survival Guide, for Ages 10 and under
- Gifted Children Growing Up
- Difficult Riddles For Smart Kids: 300 Difficult Riddles And Brain Teasers Families Will Love (Thinking Books for Kids Book 1)
- The Whole-Brain Child: Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind
Entrepreneurship, Business, and Money
- The Miracle Morning for Entrepreneurs: Elevate Yourself to Elevate Your Business
- Scorecard Marketing: The four-step playbook for getting better leads and bigger profits
- The Infinite Game
- Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered
- The Money Class: Learn to Create Your New American Dream
- How To Market A Book
- Let Go
- How to Start and Build a SIX FIGURE Voice Over Business
- Superfans: The Easy Way to Stand Out, Grow Your Tribe, And Build a Successful Business
- YouTube Secrets: The Ultimate Guide to Growing Your Following and Making Money as a Video Influencer
- A Writer’s Reference
- Dare to Lead
- The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
- The No-Spend Challenge Guide: How to Stop Spending Money Impulsively, Pay off Debt Fast, & Make Your Finances Fit Your Dreams
Philosophy
Psychology and Neuroscience
- Thinking, Fast and Slow
- Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
- The Gifts of Imperfection
- Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
- Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
- The Whole-Brain Child: Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
- Rising Strong: The Reckoning. The Rumble. The Revolution.
- Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
- Dare to Lead
- The Orchid and the Dandelion
- How Full Is Your Bucket?
- The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
Health and Wellness
- Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain
- Best Bike Rides in Northern California
- Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
- Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked
- Greenhouse Gardening for Beginners: A Complete Guide to Growing Fruit and Vegetables All Year Round
- A Practical Guide to Kinesiology Taping for Injury Prevention and Common Medical Conditions
- Eat Move Sleep: How Small Choices Lead to Big Changes
- Ten Secrets to Losing Weight After 50
- I’m Your Daughter, Julie: Caring for a Parent with Dementia
Minimalism
- Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up
- The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
- Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century
- The Minimalist Home: A Room-by-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life