Self-Help Books

Self-Help Books describes a diverse selection of titles that focus on self-discovery and self-improvement. The self-help genre is characterized by literature that shares research and advice to promote self-understanding and prompt changes in one's outlook or behavior, thus improving one's quality of life. The Self-Help Collection features texts that discuss topics ranging from business and personal finance to interpersonal relationships, mental health, and sexuality.

Birth Vibes

by Jen Hamilton

Publication year 2026

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Birth, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

Tags Health, Humor, Self-Improvement

In Birth Vibes: Stories and Strategies for an Empowered Birth (2026), labor and delivery nurse Jen Hamilton offers a practical guide to navigating pregnancy and childbirth within the hospital system. This book combines childbirth education, patient advocacy, and personal narrative with a focus on informed decision-making, communication, and emotional preparation for birth. Hamilton argues that a positive birth experience is defined not by adhering to a rigid plan but by feeling heard, respected, and in... Read Birth Vibes Summary

Boys & Sex

by Peggy Orenstein

Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Gender Identity

Tags Parenting, Gender & Feminism, Love & Sexuality, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Self-Improvement, Health

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Braving the Wilderness

by Brené Brown

Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Self-Improvement, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Religion & Spirituality

Published in 2017, Brené Brown’s Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone presents insights and strategies for finding what Brown refers to as true belonging in a time of increasing cultural polarization in America. Based on Brown’s grounded theory research, true belonging is a practice that involves believing in and belonging to oneself so fully that one can share one’s innermost, authentic self with the rest of the... Read Braving the Wilderness Summary

Breath

by James Nestor

Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Health, Self-Improvement, Science & Nature, Psychology, Psychology

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, by James Nestor, is a comprehensive treatise on breathing. It combines a journalistic approach with studies in anthropology, biochemistry, human physiology, psychology, and pulmonology to unpack the different techniques of inhaling and exhaling throughout human history and in different societies. With its first publication in 2020, Breath was a bestseller in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, and Sunday London Times and will... Read Breath Summary

Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work

by David Isay, Maya Millett

Publication year 2016

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Fate, Self Discovery, Community, Perseverance, Joy

Tags Inspirational, Philosophy, World History, Self-Improvement, Biography

Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work, written by Dave Isay with Maya Millett and published in 2016, is a collection of brief, first-person narratives about the value and meaning of work. These stories were collected through the oral history project of StoryCorps, a nonprofit organization that records, archives, and shares stories of life in America. StoryCorps and its founder and president, Dave Isay, have received many grants and awards for the organization’s work, including... Read Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work Summary

Codependent No More

by Melody Beattie

Publication year 1986

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Mental Health, Conflict, Forgiveness, Guilt, Hope, Shame & Pride, Family, Marriage, Self Discovery, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies

Tags Psychology, Mental Illness, Self-Improvement, Psychology, Relationships, Health, Religion & Spirituality

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Come As You Are

by Emily Nagoski

Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Femininity, Sexual Identity, Marriage, Shame & Pride, Guilt, Joy

Tags Gender & Feminism, Science & Nature, Health, Relationships, Self-Improvement, Love & Sexuality, Women`s Studies, Psychology, Psychology

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Communion

by bell hooks

Publication year 2002

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Loneliness, Love, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Midlife, Fathers, Marriage, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Justice

Tags Feminist Theory, Gender Studies, Self-Improvement, Gender & Feminism, Love & Sexuality, Philosophy, Relationships, Women`s Studies

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