Someone has rightly said, “Books are our best friends”. They impart valuable lessons to individuals apart from knowledge. A good book over a cup of coffee is an excellent way to spend your time in the most productive manner. Books are of many kinds. Self-help or motivating books have an appeal and charm of their own. There are certain self-help or lesson-imparting books that are must-read for individuals, particularly students. Surely, one book can motivate students to pick up the other one. Inspirational books by renowned authors will power up students to commit to hard work and thoroughly study and revise their textbooks of school, colleges or other institutions. In this article, we have compiled 10 must read books for students that will help them in understanding about life and goals.
So, why wait? Let us start our reading adventure.
Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success by John C. Maxwell
We all are taught from an early age to succeed in every field of our lives. Our focus are all centred towards acing exams, handling finance or having harmonious relationships. Very few talk about failures since it is a negative connotation. Maxwell expresses through his book that failures are the stepping stones to success. He writes, “When achievers fail, they see it as a momentary event, not a lifelong epidemic.”
When you repeatedly fail in a thing, you gain a lot of experience that becomes sufficient to grant you success in the future. If failure bogs you down, “Failing Forward” is a must-read book for you. It highlights the importance of failure to succeed in different aspects of your life. Maxwell also points out how to gain mastery over fear and that positive benefits mostly accompany negative experiences.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Alchemist is a book with the message “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” It tells you to go on until your dreams are fulfilled. When you feel like giving up, you must understand that the next step might be your one last step to your goal. It is the story of a shepherd named Santiago who makes his physical and spiritual journey from Spain to Africa in search of a treasure that kept recurring in his prophetic dreams. When you truly have a burning desire for something, you are destined to greet it at some point of time. It is a wonderful book for students because it motivates us to not leave our journey midway and continue our hunt for the things we desire the most. If you are willing, the Universe is equally willing to let you have your due.
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Apart from building one’s career, a student must also build meaningful relationships. Learning to connect with others remains a priority in everyone’s lives. This book by Dale Carnegie explores on relationships and how to interact with people and have amazing conversations. It also states about how one can talk to someone who thinks differently. Since communication is a very important tool for having beautiful relationships, an individual must give this book a read. Since student life is more about forming friendships through vis-a-vis or social media, this book will turn out to be amazingly useful for such readers.
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Although written in 1937, Think and Grow Rich continues to be widely read today. This book was inspired by a business magnate named and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. It is not only written for earning a livelihood, but also about how one can succeed in their chosen career. It was a piece of work formed by careful study of the habits of successful people. The book describes 16 laws essential to achieve success. As the name indicates, Think and Grow Rich implies if you can imagine yourself rich, you can become one. It is a mere thought that will be turned into reality when you fix your mind on that particular idea consistently. This book can really be helpful for students who are getting to understanding their true desire and are planning to achieve something in life. Despite failure, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill is a must read book for high school or college students.
You can Win by Shiv Khera
You Can Win by Shiv Khera is an amazing book that is a must read for students. In the first chapter the author informs us that the right attitude is very important to gain success. A study conducted in the Harvard University also confirms the fact the majority (85%) get hired owing to their right attitude whereas the rest (15%) are employed because of their smartness or intelligence. He imparts valuable lessons through his book like,
“the grass on the other side always looks greener”, “the same opportunity never knocks twice, the next opportunity can be better or worse but it can never be the same” and so on. It is a good book to know about the factors that develop a positive attitude.
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-free Productivity by David Allen
Getting Things Done is a book on productivity.
He tells that “your head’s a crappy office”. It is full of clutter that needs to be dumped in order to focus on the right things.
The book normally has two principles: The first rule or principal is to do the tasks immediately that takes two minutes to complete. For the second principle, he provides a solution for tasks that takes longer than 2 minutes. According to Allen, you must follow a five step workflow to get things done or to have a productive life. These five steps are: capture, clarify, organise, reflect and engage.
Capture: The first step to capture any thought that crosses your mind, irrespective of its importance.
Clarify: Process the thought into a clear steps of action.
Organize: Categorise everything to their right places.
Review: Review and revise your list of tasks.
Engage: Engage into your work and know what to improve on them.
Following these steps will help you get rid off the brain’s clutter.
It is certainly a must-read book for young adults.
The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr Norman Vincent Peale
The Power of Positive Thinking is a book on positive psychology.
The book talks about people who are crushed down by the negativity in their lives and provides important lessons for positive thinking. Dr Norman also asks you to have a positive attitude and proceed with confidence in your lives. He also teaches you how to believe in yourself and shows you that by controlling your thoughts you can change your life. Moreover, the book also focuses on how you can dump thoughts of worry and lead a better life. He recognises that happy thoughts are one way to success and peace. It is a must read book for young adults since it will help them understand the core behind true fulfilment. Once they develop a positive attitude, nothing can prevent them from excelling in exams or in life.
Eat That Frog: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy
Eat That Frog doesn’t mean to eat live frogs. It is about completing your biggest task first and foremost. The book explains developing a positive attitude is a sure way to crave for more feelings and experiences of positivity. Without consistent practice, your wishes won’t materialise. Brian Tracy in his books shares important points on the secret to stop procrastinating. Since students are often found procrastinating and leaving their work for tomorrow, this book will inspire you to listen to your dreams instead of “not now’s”. It acknowledges the reasons behind procrastinating and provides effective solutions that will particularly be beneficial for students. Reading the book is one way to identify your frog and eat it too.
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
As the name suggests “The Power of Now” is a book that emphasizes the power of remaining present at the moment. When we are truly focused at the moment, we are experiencing complete living. Worrying about past and the future is what clutters our mind and prevents us from experiencing happiness. Eckhart Tolle helps us realise that we must all stop identifying ourselves with our minds and instead identify ourselves with our spirit.
The book contains powerful exercises, meditation, and relaxation methods which if practiced can help you stay present at the moment. Spirituality is something which students must know about. They must be aware of how by imbibing spiritual values, they can perform better and be the best person they can ever be. It is one of the must-read books for students in high school or college.
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
The Last Lecture is a book by Randy Pausch based on his iconic lecture “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” which he gave after losing his fight with pancreatic cancer. The author asks each one of us to not listen to the society that tells us what we are “supposed to do”. Instead, we must think of our childhood dreams and realise all our biggest hopes that we harboured back then. Randy Pausch was a true example of a man who fulfilled his cherished dreams of childhood.
Randy stresses that we must choose to be that thing which we truly desire in our hearts. He also included life events or childhood stories in the book that he meant to pass on to his children. The author also mentions the various life lessons he learnt throughout life. Instead talking about death, Randy emphasized about “living”.
Randy Pausch tells us, to “Always find a way for your dream, never quit so easily.”
Final Thought!
There are so many experiences that authors have shared through these books. We too can build on our experiences when we practice what has been taught. Books must not only be read, if valuable they must be shared with others. These books are a must-read not only because the majority prefers them but because they are waiting for you to delve deeper and turn them as valuable as they can be.
Which book out of this list piques your interest? Can you name any other book that you consider a must-read for students? Did any book help you make your goals nearer and life better? Share with us in the comment section below.
