25 Books to Empower You
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
In contract to Gilbert’s renowned Eat Pray Love which was auto-biographical in nature, Big Magic makes no bones about being purely a self-help book — but not in a cheesy, cliche way. Rather, Gilbert provides instructions on how to live a creative life. – Carrie
Brave Enough by Cheryl Strayed
From the author of Wild (mentioned below), this pint-sized book is simply a collection of powerful quotes shared with courage, wisdom, bravery, and a dose of humor. You’ll want to give this book as a gift and receive it as a present! – Carrie
Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown
Anything by Brené Brown is, of course, incredible. And this book is no exception. It’s all about owning who you are and not changing or conforming for anything or anyone. It’s a very powerful message that we can all be reminded of often. – Julie
Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
Full disclosure: I haven’t read this one yet, as it was just released. But basically, we love anything and everything from fellow Houstonian Brené Brown. In the author’s own words, “Dare to Lead is a special book to me because it’s putting all of the concepts [of previous books] into daily practices for everyone who wants to step up, be brave, and lead the way.” – Carrie
Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
When this book came out in 2015, it was very transformative for me in how I viewed vulnerability in every area of life. – Carrie
Drive by Daniel Pink
This book offers some surprising, fresh, unexpected insights into what really motivates us. – Carrie
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
What can be said here that we don’t all already know? Elizabeth Gilbert’s beautifully documented journey to become her best self has become one of the most beloved books of our time. – Carrie
Find Your Why by Simon Sinek
In MBA school, we read the author’s book called Start with Why. I loved the way that book taught how to inspire people by starting with why. But what if you don’t know your why? Well, this book helps you do just that – find your why. – Carrie
First, We Make the Beast Beautiful by Sarah Wilson
Anyone who has ever dealt with anxiety should pick up this book. It’s full of insights, humor, and practical tips and takeaways, and it makes you feel less alone in your anxiety. Highly recommend! – Julie
Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
I know. I know. This book is so trendy right now that I’m almost too prideful to admit that I loved the message of this book. I felt like she gave a gentle kick in the pants and reminders I needed to feel inspired and motivated to live life. She has a great delivery and relatable girl boss voice that I enjoy. – Ashley
Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
We all know how Lean In brought the subjects of women in the workplace, the wage gap, gender equality, and related subjects to the forefront of conversations. The book is an easy read which I’ve come back to several times. – Carrie
Option B by Sheryl Sandberg
Speaking of Sheryl Sandberg, I would be remiss not to mention her second book Option B. This intensely personal book draws upon her own personal tragedy and how she learned about resiliency and finding joy after hardships. My respect for her grew infinitely greater after reading this. – Carrie
Start with Why by Simon Sinek
Learn how to motivate and inspire your teams in truly effective ways. – Carrie
Strengths Based Leadership by Tom Rath
Sometimes in careers or in life in general, we get caught up on what weaknesses we need to improve upon. But this book (and its companion StrengthsFinder 2.0) strongly espouses the notion of figuring out what your best at and doing more of that! The idea of strengths based leadership has changed how I view myself and those who have worked with and for me. – Carrie
The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch
Do you have trouble delegating? Do you dislike giving up control? This simple book shares one of the most important lessons for business (and life) – a secret to achieving more with less. – Carrie
The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd
This book is autobiographical in nature; it centers around the authors spiritual awakening, her quest for authenticity, and her subsequent “feminine spiritual” journey. – Carrie
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
This is a simple book that may be viewed as too esoteric by some. However, I found great value in examining some of our self-limiting beliefs. – Carrie
The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
This book has basically become the Bible for turning the tables on a traditional career, retirement, and so on and so forth. The author embraces the ideal of living more and working less — i.e., working smarter, not harder. – Carrie
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
It’s Brené Brown. It’s insightful and self reflection at its core. The gifts of imperfection for sure was a heavier read, but definitely empowered me to move past my natural inclinations. – Ashley
The Law of Attraction by Esther and Jerry Hicks
Oh I could go on for days about this one. I firmly believe with every bone in my body that your thoughts become your reality and that you attract and manifest what you think. There are lots of different books out there on this topic, but this one is the OG, in my mind. – Julie
The Most Beautiful Thing I’ve Seen: Opening Your Eyes to Wonder by Lisa Gungor
A beautiful thought provoking read on seeing the beauty in the world. I really loved the spiritual aspect of this book that helped me sort through some faith questions and ideas. – Ashley
The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile
I loved reading this book on the enneagram and learning more about myself. I definitely take into account different aspects of what makes me tick to come to decisions and also reflect upon how my type plays out in life. – Ashley
The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer
There is nothing more empowering then working on yourself. This book goes into depth of how to work on your thoughts and emotions to help you become a happier person. – Alex
What I Know for Sure by Oprah Winfrey
Oprah. Need I say more? But really. This book is organized by theme and covers all the insights and nuggets of wisdom from Oprah that we all know (or maybe don’t know) and love. – Julie
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
The author takes us on her physical journey of hiking the grueling Pacific Crest Trail, which ultimately becomes a mental and spiritual journey as well. In this case, I actually saw the movie first and then read the book. Both are great. – Carrie
