Best Self Help Books
A Short List of the Most Recommended
Self Help Books by David Yarian, Ph.D.
I'm often asked to recommend self-help books; so much so that I have created this website with over 700 recommended books in 46 different categories.
Below are the books I find myself recommending most for specific issues. This is not an exhaustive list. Please consult The Directory of Self Help Books for more options.
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Abusive Relationships
This self help book offers a focused way to deal with the agonizing decision about staying in, or getting out of a troubled relationship -- one critical issue at a time. The book is sympathetic and filled with anecdotes that show how other people have responded to similar problems. 1997, Plume Books
If you're always walking on eggshells around your partner, Stosny is writing for you. The CompassionPower founder and relationship expert draws examples and exercises from his experience working with couples as he discusses core values, anger management, resentment, power struggles, and reconstruction. 2005, Free Press
More Recommended Abusive Relationships Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Addictions
A Gentle Path Through the Twelve Steps: The Classic Guide for All People in the Process of Recovery
An excellent and practical self help book for people in the process of healing from addiction. It is in workbook form and provides structured exercises to help recovering people integrate the twelve steps into their lives. 1994, Hazelden
Over the Influence: The Harm Reduction Guide for Managing Drugs and Alcohol
This guide, an alternative to abstinence-only programs, offers solace, support, information, and the skills you need to understand harm reduction and use it to make positive changes in your life. 2003, The Guilford Press
More Recommended Addictions Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Anger Management
The ever-escalating costs of anger are well documented: sabotaging careers, alienating friends and family, triggering illness, causing bodily harm. Written bytwo well-regarded experts in the field, The Anger Control Workbook introduces a new and radically simplified approachto anger control. Step- by-step exercises will aid the reader in identifying, understanding, responding 
to and ultimately coping with their hostile feelings. 2000, New Harbinger
Angry All The Time: An Emergency Guide To Anger Control
This major update of the best-selling self help classic on anger management teaches readers to understand and manage episodes of uncontrolled anger. The book gives clear and concrete direction for things a person can do to begin to bring anger under control. 2005, New Harbinger Publications; 2nd edition
More Recommended Anger Management Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Anxiety and Panic Disorder
The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook
Bourne teaches specific self help skills for overcoming problems with panic, anxiety and phobias. There is information on the appropriateuse of medications and herbal supplements. This is a practical and highly regarded self helpresource on thetreatment of anxiety. 2011, NewHarbinger
This book was a Pick of the Month Self Help Book! Read David's full Book Review.
Calming Your Anxious Mind: How Mindfulness and Compassion Can Free You From Anxiety, Fear and Panic
This compassionate self help book teaches the principle of mindfulness to relieve a wide range of stress-related conditions. Mindfulness is receptive, non-judgmental, present- moment awareness, a state of focusing attention only on the here and now. The book teaches skills for calming and relaxing the mind and body. 2007, New Harbinger
More Recommended Anxiety and Panic Disorder Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Bipolar Disorder
The Depression Workbook: A Guide for Living with Depression and Manic Depression
This best-selling self help workbook provides interactive exercises that help readers take responsibility for their own wellness. It teaches essential coping skills, such as tracking and controlling moods, building a support system, increasing self-confidence and self esteem, avoiding conditions that can exacerbate mood swings, and using relaxation, diet and exercise to stabilize moods. Included is a step-by-step process to help readers develop their own plan for managing symptoms and staying well. 2002, New Harbinger
Loving Someone With Bipolar Disorder: Understanding and Helping Your Partner
This is a ground-breaking self help book for couples who want to prevent manic-depressive disorder from hijacking their relationship. Once medication has been prescribed, the key is studying the specific ways your partner is affected. This allows couples to develop proactive strategies for treating and stabilizing mood swings and symptoms, before they develop into full-blown crises. This book is an oasis of relief and hope. 2004, New Harbinger
More Recommended Bipolar Disorder Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Blended Family
Stepcoupling: Creating and Sustaining a Strong Marriage in Today's Blended Family
Blending two existing families into one cohesive whole is the challenge facing millions of remarried Americans today. Different parenting styles, finances, relationships with ex-spouses, legal matters -- all can chisel away at your union if you don't always make your marriage a priority. This invaluable remarriage self help manual can help you make your stepcouple the foundation of a strong, happy, and successful stepfamily. 2002, Three Rivers Press
Stepwives: Ten Steps to Help Ex-Wives and Step-Mothers End the Struggle and Put the Kids First
Once bitter enemies (Louise married Lynne's ex-husband), the authors, with the assistance of psychologist Krausz, created a ten-step program called Co-Mamas to help ex-wives and step-mothers build a healthy relationship that puts children first. This self help book offers practical suggestions for developing empathy and learning to lessen tension and support the children caught in a divorce. 2002, Fireside
More Recommended Blended Family Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Career Development
Awake at Work: 35 Practical Buddhist Principles for Discovering Clarity and Balance in the Midst of Work's ChaosThis collection of teachings is designed to illuminate the power that mindfulness can have at work. By surrendering to the moment one becomes alert, open, and unusually skillful. In brief chapters, Carroll expounds some thirty-five slogans designed to be both fodder for meditation and mnemonic devices for when that particular message can help the most, during an opportune moment at work. "Welcome the tyrant" helps one to disarm a cranky boss; "avoid idiot compassion" reminds one to eschew giving merely superficial help. 2004, Shambhala
What Color Is Your Parachute? 2011: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers
Still the best-selling job-hunting book in the world thirty years after its debut, this self help book guides the reader through a process of self-discovery by offering detailed exercises for the reader to complete. Parachute helps you focus on what’s important to you in a career . . . not only money, but the things that make work satisfying. An Amazon reader/reviewer says, “I recommend this book to everyone who is trying to work through the puzzle to pay the rent without losing your mind or soul.” 2010, Ten Speed Press
More Recommended Career Development Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Communication Skills
The Dance of Connection: How to Talk to Someone When You’re Mad, Hurt, Scared, Frustrated, Insulted, Betrayed or Desperate
Best-selling author and therapist Lerner offers clear and practical advice on how to speak out in a wide variety of difficult situations. Recognizing the difficulty of communication while in an emotional state, she supplies guidance on sharing vulnerability, voicing concerns, apologizing and setting limits. Filled with compelling stories and case examples. 2002, Quill
You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation
This thought-provoking self help book describes in clear detail how women and men miscommunicate with each other. For most women conversation is a way of connecting and negotiating. Men use conversation to achieve or maintain social status or to impart knowledge. This self help book was on the New York Times Best Seller List for 4 years. Filled with lively and entertaining examples of real conversations, this book gives you the tools to understand what went wrong and to find a common language to strengthen relationships. 2001, Perennial Currents
More Recommended Communication Skills Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Creative Writing
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
If you intend to read only one book on writing, then this is it. Bird by Bird is famous for Lamott’s encouraging description of the writer’s job: all one has to do is to write a “shitty first draft.” She deepens the encouragement by revealing that all the successful published writers she knows, including herself, also write shitty first drafts. This is a very funny and profound self help book, useful for writers, partners of writers and anyone interested in being introspective about life. 1995, Anchor Books
This book was a Pick of the Month Self Help Book! Read David's full Book Review.
The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile
The difference between The First Five Pages and most self help books on writing is that the others are written by teachers and writers. This one comes from a literary agent whose clients include Pulitzer Prize nominees, best-selling authors and American Book Award winners. Lukeman reveals a surprising fact: agents and editors don’t read manuscripts for fun; they are looking for reasons to reject them. He has arranged this book “in the order of what I look for when trying to dismiss a manuscript,” starting with presentation and concluding with pacing and progression. Each chapter addresses a pitfall of poor writing – overabundance of adjectives and adverbs for example, identifying the problem, presenting solutions and offering writing exercises. A very useful self help book for writers seeking publication. 2000, Fireside
More Recommended Creative Writing Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Creativity
Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention
Drawing on 100 interviews with exceptional people, Dr. Csikszentmihalyi explores the creative process, seeking to understand what leads to moments of discovery, whether it is the excitement of the artist at the easel or the scientist in the lab. The author suggests that most creative people have dialectic personalities: smart, yet naïve, both extroverted and introverted, etc. He discusses such ideas as why creative individuals are often seen as selfish or arrogant and why the tortured genius is largely a myth. He emphasizes that creativity needs to be cultivated and is necessary for the future of our country, if not the world. 1996, Harper Collins
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
Best selling author Steven Pressfield shows readers how to identify, defeat, and unlock the inner barriers to creativity. The War of Art is an inspirational, funny, well-aimed kick in the pants, guaranteed to galvanize every would-be artist, visionary, or entrepreneur. 2003, Warner Books
More Recommended Creativity Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Depression
Peaceful Mind: Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Psychology to Overcome Depression
The authors write, “a life shaken by depression is also a life open to the possibility of deep transformation.” This self help book recommends a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and meditation. CBT teaches you to track your thoughts, observe behaviors, and notice how these affect depression. By changing thoughts and behaviors you learn how to change your emotions and mood. Meditation trains you to observe your life and thoughts. Both approaches help you identify and then change core beliefs that influence depression, thereby resulting in new core beliefs based on your values. 2004, New Harbinger
Undoing Depression: What Therapy Doesn't Teach You and Medication Can't Give You
In this self help book psychotherapist Richard O’Connor shows us how to “undo” depression, by replacing depressive patterns of thinking, relating, and behaving with a new and more effective set of skills. His approach is truly holistic, synthesizing the best of the many schools of thought about this painful disease. 2010, Little, Brown and Company
More Recommended Depression Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Divorce
The Good Divorce: Keeping Your Family Together When Your Marriage Comes Apart
Based on two decades of research, this self help book presents the surprising finding that in more than 50% of divorces couples end their marriages yet preserve their families. Dr. Ahrons shows couples how they can move beyond the confusing, even terrifying, early stages of breakup and learn to deal with the transition from a nuclear to a “binuclear” family – one that spans two households and continues to meet the needs of children. The Good Divorce dispels the myth that divorce inevitably leaves emotionally troubled children in its wake. 1995, Harper
Mom's House, Dad's House: Making Two Homes for Your Child
Author Ricci advises separated, divorced and remarried parents about setting up a good working relationship with the ex-spouse in order to make two loving homes for their children. Practical advice on the legal, financial and emotional realities on creating two happy and stable homes for children in the aftermath of a divorce. 1997, Fireside
More Recommended Divorce Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Dogs and Dog Training
Cesar's Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems
This accessible self help guide helps new and current dog owners better understand the needs of their beloved pets. Cesar Millan explains that dogs are not complicated, just different from humans. They rely on three key elements in their lives: exercise, discipline, and affection (in that order). The book teaches owners how to change their pet's unwanted behavior by better understanding their "best friends." 2006, Harmony
This book was a Pick of the Month Self Help Book! Read David's full Book Review.
The Hidden Life of DogsIn this beautiful account based on thirty years of living with and observing dogs, wolves and dingoes, anthropologist Elizabeth Marshall Thomas brings us a completely new understanding of dogs. She allows her dogs to roam free while she follows them on her bicycle, observing their behavior. Thomas neither patronized nor diminished her dogs through behavioral techniques. This book is not a primer on dog obedience; rather it is an affecting account of observing dogs as dogs with the over-riding question in Thomas’s mind: what do dogs want most? The surprising answer, to this reader at least, was not food, not sex -- but other dogs. A lovely book filled with insight and compelling stories. 1996, Pocket Books
More Recommended Dogs and Dog Training Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Family Issues
Going Home without Going Crazy: How to Get Along with Your Parents & Family (Even When They Push Your Buttons)In this self help book you'll learn how to use the four-level conflict continuum to understand conflict within your family and work toward resolution. From petty bickering to hurtful remarks to naked aggression, each level of conflict requires a unique approach. Learn to deal with anger and resentment, communicate more effectively, and strengthen relationships with family members. 2006, New Harbinger
You Can Go Home Again: Reconnecting with Your Family
Those who learn from the past are not condemned to repeat it. In this useful self help book family therapist McGoldrick explains how the use of genograms (family trees) can bring to light a family’s history of estrangement, alliance, divorce, or suicide revealing intergenerational patterns that prove more than coincidental. Genograms of famous families, such as the Kennedys, Hepburns, Beethovens, and Brontes complement discussions of the influence of birth order and sibling rivalry, family myths and secrets, cultural differences, couple relationships, and the pivotal importance of loss. 1997, Norton
This book was a Pick of the Month Self Help Book! Read David's full Book Review.
More Recommended Family Issues Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Gay and Lesbian Issues
Lesbian Couples: A Guide to Creating Healthy Relationships
For lesbians (as for all couples) achieving and sustaining intimacy remains a challenge. From mind-reading and making assumptions to conflict and disillusionment, the book examines the strengths and weakness, flagging potential problem areas and offering real-life examples and solutions to the challenges lesbian couples experience. 2005, Seal Press
Ten Smart Things Gay Men Can Do to Improve Their Lives
Openly gay therapist, Joe Kort, provides ten powerful and positive steps gay men can take to overcome self-defeating behavior patterns. Some of the steps include Take Charge of Your Life; Affirm Yourself by Coming Out; Graduate from Delayed Adolescence; and Maintain Rewarding Relationships. This self help book offers time-tested practical decisions gay men can make in their search for emotional, sexual and personal fulfillment. 2003, Alyson Publications
More Recommended Gay and Lesbian Issues Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Grief and Bereavement
The Bereaved ParentThis classic self help book has helped thousands of parents navigate through the difficult years following the death of a child. Schiff offers her own experiences and the experiences of other parents with funerals, protracted grief, the need for support from other bereaved parents, the complicated feelings of guilt and powerlessness at being unable to protect or save one’s child, and the effects on marriage and surviving siblings. 1977, Crown
A Grief ObservedThis powerful memoir recounts the crushing grief and spiritual questioning of C. S. Lewis after his wife’s tragic death. It is a moving account of the inner turmoil and overwhelming vulnerability of grief. The book is a beautiful and unflinchingly honest memoir of how even a stalwart believer can lose all sense of meaning in the universe, and how he can gradually regain his bearings. 2001, HarperSanFrancisco
More Recommended Grief and Bereavement Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Health and Wellness
Breakthrough: Eight Steps to Wellness
In interviews with the most progressive doctors in the field of antiaging medicine, health pioneer Suzanne Somers uncovers enlightening, lifesaving information for a natural, drug-free approach to living. In Breakthrough she shares the 8 STEPS TO WELLNESS that form the cornerstone of breakthrough medicine. Readers will discover how to balance hormones through bioidentical (not synthetic, cancer-causing) hormone replacement; fix thyroid problems; sleep 8 to 9 hours each night without drugs; improve memory; detect diabetes early; restore hearing; preserve eyesight; and much more! 2009, Three Rivers Press
The Pain Chronicles: Cures, Myths, Mysteries, Prayers, Diaries, Brain Scans, Healing, and the Science of SufferingThe Pain Chronicles is an exquisite, meticulous history of medicine’s quest to alleviate pain--from the first use of ether for surgery in 1842 to the modern management of chronic pain: drugs like Neurontin and controversial opioids; MRIs; and neuroimaging, which trains patients to literally change their own brains. The personal stories from pain sufferers that Thernstrom includes lift this accomplished medical history to an astonishing record of courage and endurance. In these stories, there is a wealth of knowledge, wisdom, and hope for the rest of us. 2011, Picador
More Recommended Health and Wellness Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Intimate Relationships: Relationship Advice
Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples
This popular self help book is divided into three sections: the first, “the unconscious marriage” describes how left-over desires and behavior from childhood interfere with the current relationship. The second section “the conscious marriage” describes how a marriage could fulfill childhood needs in a positive manner. The third section is a course in relationship therapy which gives detailed exercises for both partners to follow in order to learn how to replace confrontational criticism with a healing process of mutual growth and support. 2007, St. Martin's Griffin
Passionate Marriage: Love, Sex and Intimacy in Emotionally Committed Relationships
Schnarch says that a man is more likely to let a relationship suffer in order to hold on to his sense of self, while a woman is more apt to let her identity suffer to help strengthen a relationship. Schnarch explains how to alter this pattern, encouraging each partner to move towards “differentiation” -- which means holding on to the self while simultaneously remaining in contact with one’s partner. Schnarch teaches how to find inner strength and resilience that can be used to reaffirm a relationship and reignite sex. A self help classic, highly recommended. 1998, Owl Books
Rekindling Desire: a Step-by-Step Program to Help Low-Sex and No-Sex Marriages
Sex and marital experts Barry and Emily McCarthy offer a ground-breaking ten-step program to help couples break down the barriers that have developed between them and rebuild closeness and longing. First they show couples how to root out the “poisons” that inhibit sexual desire: shame, guilt, anger, and passivity as well as medical side effects and physical dysfunctions. They then offer techniques and strategies to help couples revitalize desire and integrate intimacy and eroticism. 2003, Brunner-Routledge
More Recommended Intimate Relationships: Relationship Advice Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Journaling
At a Journal Workshop: Writing to Access the Power of the Unconscious and Evoke Creative Ability
The Intensive Journal Process is a complex and systematic method for gaining self-insight by recording thoughts, dreams and significant events which are then used as focal points for meditation and written reflection in separate sections. This is a fascinating self help guidebook for those seriously committed to exploring journal writing as a means of self-discovery. 1992, Jeremy P. Tarcher
Writing to Heal: A Guided Journal for Recovering from Trauma and Emotional Upheaval
This self help book takes readers through a series of guided writing exercises that help them explore their feelings about difficult experiences. The approach is based upon the field of expressive emotions therapy (EET), developed by the author. The book stresses thoughout the healing power that lies in story-telling, whether through fiction, dance, or art. The reader is left with a strong sense of their value in the world. 2004, New Harbinger
More Recommended Journaling Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Meditation
The Long Road Turns to Joy: A Guide to Walking Meditation
For those who struggle with sitting still for meditation, this simple self help book offers a wonderful alternative: walking meditation. Practical techniques guide the reader to using this most ordinary of daily activities to deepen one’s mindful awareness of the present moment, increase relaxation and concentration, and reduce stress. 1996, Parallax Press
Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness
Salzberg focuses on the Buddhist meditation practice that emphasizes feelings of love, happiness and compassion and offers practical guidance in performing this type of meditation. 2002, Shambhala
More Recommended Meditation Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Men's Issues
Awakening From the Deep Sleep: A Powerful Guide for Courageous Men
Psychologist Rob Pasick challenges men to wake up from the condition of distance and isolation that results as they are confined to the stereotyped male attitudes and behaviors American society expects of them. He offers pragmatic and helpful ideas to help men identify and trust emotion, to connect comfortably with other men, and to approach sexuality in relationships with women with clearer eyes. 1993, HarperCollins
Finding Our Fathers: How a Man's Life Is Shaped by His Relationship with His Father
This self help book examines the hidden struggle faced by millions of men: how to reconcile their childhood images of their fathers – and of all men – as silent, stoic breadwinners with the life they want to live now: embracing two-career marriages, closer ties with their children, and greater emotional awareness. Harvard psychologist Osherson shows you how your “unfinished business” with your father affects your relationships, your children, friends, and bosses – and how it can lead to a profound sense of loneliness, vulnerability, and rage. Osherson shows how you can resolve the inner conflict of the father-son relationship and develop a new sense of strength and purpose in your family life and career. 2001, McGraw Hill
I Don't Want to Talk About It: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression
Terrence Real
Many men may hide the reality of their depression from themselves as well as from family and friends. This unacknowledged depression may lead men to hurt the people they love most. Real tells his own story of depression as the son of a depressed father and as a father of young sons. This self help book teaches men how to acknowledge their pain and restore healthy relationships. 1997, Scribner
More Recommended Men's Issues Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Men's Sexual Health
Coping with Erectile Dysfunction: How to Regain Confidence and Enjoy Great Sex
With a therapeuticaly integrated technique and a unique couple centered approach, two of America's most prominent sex therapists offer men and their partners the most effective solutions available to overcome erectile dysfunction. According to the National Institutes of Health, between 15 and 30 million men experience chronic erectile dysfunction. 2004, New Harbinger
Coping With Premature Ejaculation: How to Overcome PE, Please Your Partner and Have Great Sex
Metz and McCarthy are leading experts in premature ejaculation. This self help book explores a multi-dimensional, bio-psychological approach to dealing with this problem and strengthening your sexual relationship. Many myths of male sexual performance and male sexual desire are explained. The authors teach about the different types of premature ejaculation and provide assessment exercises for the reader to determine which type of PE he suffers with. The authors suggest structured symptom-specific treatment strategies based on psychological, relational, and physiological techniques. Designed as a resource for couples, this self help book is a powerful tool for creating support and positive change in your relationship. 2004, New Harbinger
Great Sex: A Man’s Guide to the Secret Principles of Total Body Sex
Castleman’s message to men is surprisingly simple: stop imitating the rushed, all- genital sex seen in pornography. Instead, he suggests, cultivate the opposite: leisurely, playful, total body, massage-based love-making that includes the genitals but is not focused on them. This is a well-written self help book filled with wit and wisdom and state of the art information. It’s the “sex manual” you wish your dad had handed you. 2008, Rodale Books
More Recommended Men's Sexual Health Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Children of the Self-Absorbed: A Grown-Up's Guide to Getting over Narcissistic Parents
Millions of adults grew up with immature, self-absorbed parents who made their children responsible for their physical and emotional well-being, expected admiration and constant attention, and reacted with criticism and blame when their slightest need went unmet. In this accessible self help book, Brown helps grown children come to terms with the results of such an upbringing, including tendencies to overcomply to others needs,withdraw when someone needs nurturing and lack self esteem. 2008, New Harbinger
Why Is It Always About You?: The 7 Deadly Sins of Narcissism
Hotchkiss explains how to cope with controlling and egotistical people who are incapable of the fundamental give and take that sustains healthy relationships. She shows how to recognize the hallmarks of unhealthy narcissism: shamelessness, magical thinking, arrogance, envy, entitlement, exploitation and bad boundaries. 2003, The Free Press
More Recommended Narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on OCD - Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Brain Lock: Free Yourself From Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior
This self help book presents a simple and effective four-step method for overcoming OCD. This method does not rely on medication but has been proven by brain imaging tests to actually alter the brain’s chemistry. Cognitive self-therapy and behavior modification are used to develop new patterns of response to obsessions. 1997, Regan Books
Overcoming Obsessive Thoughts: How to Gain Control of Your OCD
More than fifty percent of OCD sufferers experience agressive, religious, or sexual obsessive thoughts. This self help book offers safe and effective exposure exercises readers can use to limit the effect that obsessive thoughts have on their lives. 2005, New Harbinger
More Recommended OCD - Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Parenting: Birth to Twelve Months
The First Twelve Months of Life: Your Baby's Growth Month by Month
Covering an infant’s mental, physical, language, and social development from the first week of life to the twelfth month, this self help guide describes a sequence of events, not a timetable. It also includes growth charts summarizing developmental milestones. 1995, Bantam
What to Expect the First YearThe authors have made the first year easier for parents by advocating a common sense you-can-do-it approach to parenthood. This self help book is encyclopedic in its coverage leading parents from month-to-month, check up to check up, even feeding to feeding. Sections cover sleeping habits, infant illnesses, safety, traveling with baby, first food recipes, common home remedies, and a chart of common childhood illnesses. 2003, Workman Publishing
This book was a Pick of the Month Self Help Book! Read David's full Book Review.
More Recommended Parenting: Birth to Twelve Months Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Parenting: Toddlers to Pre-Teens
The Optimistic Child: A Proven Program to Safeguard Children From Depression and Build Lifelong ResilienceAccording to noted psychologist Seligman, thirty percent of American children suffer from depression. His studies demonstrate that pessimistic children are at much higher risk for becoming depressed than optimistic children. His purpose in this book is to teach parents how to instill in their children a sense of optimism and personal mastery. He proposes that self esteem comes from mastering challenges, overcoming frustration, and experiencing individual achievement. This self help book offers a concrete plan of action based on techniques of self-evaluation and social interaction. 1996, Perennial
This book was a Pick of the Month Self Help Book! Read David's full Book Review.
What Every 21st-Century Parent Needs to Know: Facing Today's Challenges with Wisdom and Heart
Instead of a media-hyped view of the challenges parents face in the 21st century, Rev. Haffner concludes that most kids are on the right track; in fact, she claims that they are smart, committed, and engaged in their families and communities, and that they are making better choices about health and related issues than many of their parents did at the same age. The author stresses that parenting style can have a significant impact on whether kids go down undesirable roads. Utilizing what she calls the Affirming Parent style, she offers a number of viable solutions to common problems, ranging from Internet use to overscheduling. 2008, Newmarket
More Recommended Parenting: Toddlers to Pre-Teens Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Parenting: Teenagers
The Balanced Mom: Raising Your Kids Without Losing Your Self
You can be a great mom and still have a life of your own. Your kids will only benefit from seeing you as a whole person and will develop greater independence and a stronger sense of who they are as people. This self help book offers dozens of simple tips to help you maintain strong relationships with your kids and live your life in ways that reflect your true values. 2006, New Harbinger
Help Your Teenager Beat an Eating Disorder
The authors emphasize the need for parents to take immediate action in obtaining help for their teens and not to dwell on the "why." This comprehensive self help book summarizes recent research and moves on to help parents understand eating disorders, looking at the distorted thinking behind a teenagers behavior and what the research says about the best ways to treat anorexia and bulimia. 2005, The Guilford Press
More Recommended Parenting: Teenagers Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Positive Psychology
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
Dr. Csikszentmihalyi has researched the connection between satisfaction and daily activities for many years. A state of “flow” occurs when one is engaged in self-controlled, goal-related and meaningful actions. This self help book is an intriguing look at the age-old problem of the pursuit of happiness and how, through conscious effort, we may more easily attain it. 2008, Harper Perennial Modern Classics
Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life
Seligman says that pessimists believe that bad events are their fault, will last a long time and undermine everything. Optimists, on the other hand, believe that defeat is a temporary setback or a challenge. In this self help book, he teaches the skills of changing from pessimism to optimism which will enable you to take charge, resist depression, feel better and accomplish more. 2006, Vintage
More Recommended Positive Psychology Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
The PTSD Workbook: Simple, Effective Techniques for Overcoming Traumatic Stress Symptoms
This self help workbook offers the most effective tools and strategies to help readers conquer trauma-related symptoms such as flashbacks, recurring memories, nightmares, frightening thoughts, emotional numbness, sleep disturbances, poor concentration, depression, anxiety, and irritability or outbursts of anger. Assessment tools help readers determine the type of trauma they experienced, identify their symptoms, and learn the most effective techniques and interventions they can use to overcome them. 2002, New Harbinger
Writing to Heal: A Guided Journal for Recovering from Trauma and Emotional Upheaval
This self help book takes readers through a series of guided writing exercises that help them explore their feelings about difficult experiences. The approach is based upon the field of expressive emotions therapy (EET), developed by the author. The book stresses thoughout the healing power that lies in story-telling, whether through fiction, dance, or art. The reader is left with a strong sense of their value in the world. 2004, New Harbinger
More Recommended PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Recovery from Childhood Abuse
The Courage to Heal
This self help book is a classic resource for women who were sexually abused as children. Clearly written and filled with writing exercises and self-assessments, it is a reliable guide to the healing process from childhood sexual abuse. Many survivors’ stories are woven into the text. 2008, Harper Paperbacks, 20th Anniversary Edition
The Courage to Heal Workbook: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
This is an inspiring self help book for all women healing from the effects of child sexual abuse. It is in a workbook format, and includes checklists, writing and art projects, open-ended questions and activities which serve to guide the survivor through the healing process. 1990, Perennial Currents
The Drama of the Gifted Child: the Search for the True Self
This well-known and classic self help book demonstrates how narcissistic parents unwittingly use their children to meet their own needs, thus negatively affecting the children’s development. By gifted, Miller means sensitive and alert to the needs of others; she believes that the sensitivity and empathy of gifted children predispose them to be used by people with narcissistic needs. This timely book has helped many people reclaim their lost childhoods. 1981, Basic Books
This book was a Pick of the Month Self Help Book! Read David's full Book Review.
More Recommended Recovery from Childhood Abuse Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Resilience
Legacy of the Heart: The Spiritual Advantages of a Painful Childhood
In this remarkable self help book, Dr. Muller suggests that our woundedness contains powerful resources for healing and spiritual growth. Written with compassion and insight, the book offers exercises and meditations to aid the healing process. 1993, Fireside
According to noted psychologist Seligman, thirty percent of American children suffer from depression. His studies demonstrate that pessimistic children are at much higher risk for becoming depressed than optimistic children. His purpose in this self help book is to teach parents how to instill in their children a sense of optimism and personal mastery. He proposes that self esteem comes from mastering challenges, overcoming frustration, and experiencing individual achievement. This self help book offers a concrete plan of action based on techniques of self-evaluation and social interaction. 1996, Perennial
This book was a Pick of the Month Self Help Book! Read David's full Book Review.
More Recommended Resilience Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Self Esteem and Self Confidence
Self-Esteem: A Proven Program of Cognitive Techniques for Assessing, Improving, and Maintaining Your Self-EsteemSince its first publication in 1987, this self help book has been the first choice of therapists and savvy readers looking for a comprehensive self-care approach to improving self-image, increasing personal power, and defining core values. This book has helped millions of readers feel better about themselves, achieve greater success, and enjoy their lives to the fullest. 2000, New Harbinger, 3rd edition
Ten Days to Self-EsteemDr. Burns presents innovative, clear and compassionate methods to help the reader identify the causes of mood slumps and develop a more positive outlook on life. This self help book emphasizes that negative feelings do not result from the bad things that happen to you but from the way you think about these events. Burns provides a ten-step program to self-esteem; the book is filled with logs, charts and step-by-step guides. 1999, HarperCollins
More Recommended Self Esteem and Self Confidence Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Sexuality and Sex Education
The Guide to Getting It OnThis comprehensive “how to” book on sex is entertaining, honest and enlightening. It is written in a casual style and filled with enjoyable quotes from real couples and sex therapists. Beautiful line drawings illustrate the chapters which also include a great deal of information on sexuality as a cultural phenomenon. Particularly useful for heterosexual couples. 2009, Goofy Foot Press, 6th edition
The Heart and Soul of Sex: Making the ISIS Connection
Based on a landmark sex survey, researcher and sex therapist Ogden found "the language of spiritual experience comes closest to expressing the fullness of our sexual response, for it is the language of connection and ecstasy." This self help book guides the reader on a path to her sexual "center" where healing, ecstasy and transformation occur. 2006, Trumpter
This book was a Pick of the Month Self Help Book! Read David's full Book Review.
More Recommended Sexuality and Sex Education Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Social Anxiety Disorder
The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You
Author Elaine Aron says that highly sensitive persons make up 15-20% of the population. Because society rewards the out-going personality and treats shyness and sensitivity as problems to be overcome, sensitive people often struggle with self-esteem and self-confidence. This self help book helps the sensitive person to recognize his or her strengths and to learn strategies for coping with social discomfort. 1999, Replica Books
The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook: Proven Techniques for Overcoming Your Fears
Social anxiety disorder is the fear of situations that involve interaction with other people, ranging from anxiety before a scheduled public appearance to shyness that leads to withdrawal from contact at a casual social event. This self help workbook is designed to help the reader overcome these paralyzing social phobias and provides skill-building exercises for improvement of communication, public speaking, and general anxiety. 2008, New Harbinger
More Recommended Social Anxiety Disorder Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Spirituality
Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life: How to Finally, Really Grow Up
James Hollis states in this compelling self help book that the feeling that you've been living the wrong life, that you're lost and confused, is "an insurgency of the soul," which "overthrows the conscious conduct of our lives." This mental suffering presents an opportunity to embark on a journey transcending expectations foisted on us by others, such as parents, and to find true self knowledge. This book is a helpful guide to this journey. 2006, Gotham
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
Tolle’s message is simple: living in the now is the truest path to happiness and enlightenment. He shares ideas about personal integration with uncommon eloquence and a deep understanding of the human condition. A spiritual self help guidebook that has the potential to inspire the reader to live more fully in the present. 1999, New World Library
More Recommended Spirituality Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Stress Management and Relaxation Techniques
The Alchemy of Peace & Love: Magical Meditations to Calm Your Mind and Lift Your Spirit (Audio 2-CD Set)This 2-CD guided meditation set is a delicious combination of evocative words, original music and the soothing voice of Sandi Anders. Learn to deeply and fully relax using the Deep Rest Meditaion, a guided body scan relaxation. This meditation will help you to create the Relaxation Response which combats the ravages of chronic stress.
Full-Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness
The program of the stress reduction clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center invites the reader to embark upon a journey of self-development, self-discovery, learning and healing. Originally developed to help persons with life-threatening illness, the program has been thoroughly researched and found to be useful in reducing stress and increasing health and wellbeing. 1990, Delta
The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook
This sixth edition self-help classic offers many self-assessment tools and calming techniques to help overcome anxiety and promote physical and emotional wellbeing. It presents a comprehensive look at stress, its physical manifestations and the multiple ways it can be managed. Chapters on breathing, relaxation, meditation, thought stopping, stress management, time management, assertiveness training, and body awareness offer the reader focused approaches to dealing with the many varieties of stress. 2008, New Harbinger
More Recommended Stress Management and Relaxation Techniques Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Success and Personal Effectiveness
Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life
Seligman says that pessimists believe that bad events are their fault, will last a long time and undermine everything. Optimists, on the other hand, believe that defeat is a temporary setback or a challenge. In this book, he teaches the skills of changing from pessimism to optimism which will enable you to take charge, resist depression, feel better and accomplish more. 2006, Vintage
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Covey, an internationally respected leadership authority, emphasizes that true success encompasses a balance of personal and professional effectiveness. This self help book is a manual for performing better in both arenas. Covey lists seven basic habits that are necessary for quality-oriented success: be proactive, be clear about the end goal, put first things first, think win-win, seek first to understand, synergize, and focus on renewal. Personal, family, educational and professional examples are used to illustrate the habits of highly effective people. 2004, Free Press
More Recommended Success and Personal Effectiveness Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Tantra
The Art of Sexual EcstasyThis landmark book on human sexuality makes the sacred lovemaking techniques of the East fully comprehensible to western readers. Elegantly illustrated and filled with detailed exercises, it helps the reader acquire new attitudes and broaden his or her range of experience. This self help book is especially strong on methods for couples to revitalize and strengthen their relationship. 1991, Jeremy P. Tarcher
Tantric Quest: An Encounter with Absolute Love
Daniel Odier writes about his search to find a Tantric master. On the verge of giving up, he retreats to a small village in India where he finds a great Tantric master, Devi, in the forest. She agrees to take him on as her student and warns him that his journey will be difficult. As the master-student bond is strengthened, Devi's teachings become more deep and subtle. The final part of the time spent with Devi involves his initiation into Tantric ritual sexuality, the joining of Shiva and Shakti, which causes the rising of the Kundalini, the sacred spiritual force that purifies the body. Odier also relates the challenges of coming back to the "real world" to use what he learned. 1997, Inner Traditions
More Recommended Tantra Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Women's Issues
Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss
This self help book explores the profound pain of mother loss among women. As Edelman shares her own painful story and the stories of other women who lost their mothers, she describes the secondary effects that may occur, including the girl filling the lost mother’s role at home for father and younger siblings. 2006, Da Capo Press
Our Bodies Ourselves: A New Edition for a New Era
This major update of the self help book that helped launch the women’s health movement adds new chapters on online health resources, AIDS and managed care. This empowering book remains true to the spirit of the original edition which was to give women tools to enable them to take charge of their health and their lives. 2005, Touchstone
Women Who Run With the WolvesEstes, a Jungian analyst, draws on folklore, fairy tales and dream symbols to help restore women’s neglected, intuitive and instinctive abilities. She describes the Wild Woman archetype, a female in touch with her primitive side and able to rely on gut feelings to make choices. An inspiring, compelling, moving and unusual self help book. 1996, Ballentine Books
More Recommended Women's Issues Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Women's Sexual Health
Becoming Orgasmic: A Sexual Growth Program for Women
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This revised and expanded edition of Becoming Orgasmic provides a program designed to help anyone overcome the myriad of obstacles to complete sexual satisfaction. This is a personal and sensitively written self help book designed to make you feel good about your sexuality and yourself. 1987, Fireside
The Heart and Soul of Sex: Making the ISIS Connection
Based on a landmark sex survey, researcher and sex therapist Ogden found "the language of spiritual experience comes closest to expressing the fullness of our sexual response, for it is the language of connection and ecstasy." This self help book guides the reader on a path to her sexual "center" where healing, ecstasy and transformation occur. 2006, Trumpter
This book was a Pick of the Month Self Help Book! Read David's full Book Review.
The Vulvodynia Survival Guide: How to Overcome Painful Vaginal Symptoms and Enjoy an Active LifestyleThis self help book is a very good source of general information about vulvodynia and the accompanying emotional distress. The book helps readers identify triggers, modify their diets to reduce symptoms, find knowledgeable medical help, learn how to reduce debilitating pain and renew their enjoyment of healthy sexual relations and normal daily activities. 2002, New Harbinger
More Recommended Women's Sexual Health Self Help Books
Short List of Most Recommended Self Help Books on Yoga and Pilates
Back Care Basics: A Doctor's Gentle Yoga Program for Back and Neck Pain Relief
This classic self help book has helped many people become free of chronic back and neck pain. Dr. Schatz offers simple, practical techniques to correct alignment problems, cope with stress, and help you become more aware of the early warning signs of painful flare-ups. 1992, Rodmell Press
Moving Toward Balance: Eight Weeks of Yoga with Rodney Yee
Internationally renowned yoga instructor Rodney Yee offers yoga practitioners a two-month regimen that they can adopt as a home practice. Anatomy lessons, advice on breathing, photographs and detailed directions enhance this friendly guide. 2004, Rodale Books
This book was a Pick of the Month Self Help Book! Read David's full Book Review.
