Here are 100 books that A Simple Act of Gratitude fans have personally recommended if you like A Simple Act of Gratitude. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Secret

Abiola Abrams Author Of From Imagination to Reality: Secret Manifestation Lessons and the Law of Assumption from Abdullah, Master Alchemist

From my list on manifesting (from a spiritual teacher).

Why am I passionate about this?

As a mom to a toddler, I’m passionate about teaching the power of manifesting and self-agency so she grows up knowing she can shape her own world. Growing up in New York City with roots in Guyana, South America, I’ve always been drawn to the magic of manifesting and ancestral rituals. I’ve seen firsthand how these practices can change lives, both through my own journey and by working with incredible people worldwide as a retreat leader. I’m deeply connected to the teachings of manifesting masters like Abdullah, and I love sharing this wisdom with others to help them step into their power and create their own realities.

Abiola's book list on manifesting (from a spiritual teacher)

Abiola Abrams Why Abiola loves this book

This book shifted my entire paradigm. Watching the movie felt like unlocking a hidden key to life, and I knew I needed more. When I discovered there was a book, I dove in right away. It quickly became my daily manual for shifting beliefs and reinforcing the teachings from the film. My favorite part is how Rhonda Byrne makes the Law of Attraction feel clear and actionable.

The idea that our thoughts shape our reality really resonated with me and became a core part of my being. This book is a powerful tool I return to whenever I need a reminder of my own manifesting power.

By Rhonda Byrne ,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked The Secret as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The tenth anniversary edition of the book that changed lives in profound ways.

In 2005, a groundbreaking feature-length movie revealed the great mystery of the universe -- The Secret. In 2006, Rhonda Byrne followed with a book that became a worldwide bestseller.

Everything you have ever wanted - unlimited joy, health, money, relationships, love, youth - is now at your very fingertips.

The Secret is an enigma that has existed throughout the history of mankind. It has been discovered, coveted, suppressed, hidden, lost, and recovered. It has been hunted down, stolen, and bought for vast sums of money. A number…


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Book cover of The High House

The High House by James Stoddard,

The Victorian mansion, Evenmere, is the mechanism that runs the universe.

The lamps must be lit, or the stars die. The clocks must be wound, or Time ceases. The Balance between Order and Chaos must be preserved, or Existence crumbles.

Appointed the Steward of Evenmere, Carter Anderson must learn the…

Book cover of Zero Limits: The Secret Hawaiian System for Wealth, Health, Peace, and More

Ivan Nossa Author Of The Power and Magic of Gratitude: Expand the vibration of your life and put wings to your journey

From my list on the power of gratitude.

Why am I passionate about this?

My journey of being an author has been a magical ride. I wrote my first book at 47 when nobody gave me credit about becoming a real author and later I left my good job to fulfill this dream and changed my life completely with a bit of thoughtlessness behavior, I must admit now if I look back. But it has been worthwhile. I wrote books on gratitude, forgiveness and love but my most famous book is The Power and Magic of Gratitude that became a bestseller in Italy. Since then I have been known for spreading the powerful message of Gratitude with countless meeting, conferences and events.

Ivan's book list on the power of gratitude

Ivan Nossa Why Ivan loves this book

This book has opened many doors for me. It talks about ho’oponopono, an ancient Hawaian prayer/mantra. The story is about the author meeting this old doctor who healed an entire ward of a mental hospital by using this practice. He teaches the author about ho’oponopono and later this book has had the power to spread this wonderful tool around the world to millions of people.

The author's writing is so fluid and fascinating that is like reading a romance. Ho’oponopono is based on gratitude, forgiveness, and love. Since then I use ho’oponopono every day to find peace and healing.

By Joe Vitale , Ihaleakala Hew Len ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Zero Limits as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Praise For Zero Limits "This riveting book can awaken humanity. It reveals the simple power of four phrases to transform your life. It's all based in love by an author spreading love. You should get ten copies of it----one for you and nine to give away. It's that good." ---- Debbie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of The Dark Side of the Light Chasers "I love this book! I feel it will be the definitive personal-change/self-help book for at least a generation and viewed as a watershed event by historians. There is real potential for this book to start…


Book cover of Gratitude

Denise Kiernan Author Of We Gather Together: Stories of Thanksgiving from Then to Now

From my list on gratitude making every day feel like Thanksgiving.

Why am I passionate about this?

Denise Kiernan is a multiple New York Times bestselling author of narrative nonfiction books including The Girls of Atomic City, The Last Castle, and We Gather Together. Throughout her career as a journalist and an author, she has explored underrepresented stories and characters and the impact they have had on history. These stories of the unsung offer fresh perspectives on historical tales we think we already know. At the heart of many of Kiernan’s nonfiction explorations are women from a variety of different backgrounds and time periods. She has devoted her last three books to the history of Thanksgiving and gratitude, writing separate books for all ages.

Denise's book list on gratitude making every day feel like Thanksgiving

Denise Kiernan Why Denise loves this book

The late Oliver Sacks was a neurologist who wrote eloquently about medical topics until he was taken from us by cancer in 2015.

Before he died, he wrote four lovely essays talking about his illness, and the great privilege of being human. Sacks was one of our greatest writers, thoughtful and incisive. Because he was dying as he wrote this, you may wish to wait to digest this book if you have recently experienced the loss of a loved one, and come back to it when you’re in a better place.

By Oliver Sacks ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Gratitude as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Oliver Sacks died in August 2015 at his home in Greenwich Village, surrounded by his close friends and family. He was 82. He spent his final days doing what he loved: playing the piano, swimming, enjoying smoked salmon - and writing . . .

As Dr Sacks looked back over his long, adventurous life his final thoughts were of gratitude. In a series of remarkable, beautifully written and uplifting meditations, in Gratitude Dr Sacks reflects on and gives thanks for a life well lived, and expresses his thoughts on growing old, facing terminal cancer and reaching the end.

I cannot…


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Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Book cover of On Gratitude

Ivan Nossa Author Of The Power and Magic of Gratitude: Expand the vibration of your life and put wings to your journey

From my list on the power of gratitude.

Why am I passionate about this?

My journey of being an author has been a magical ride. I wrote my first book at 47 when nobody gave me credit about becoming a real author and later I left my good job to fulfill this dream and changed my life completely with a bit of thoughtlessness behavior, I must admit now if I look back. But it has been worthwhile. I wrote books on gratitude, forgiveness and love but my most famous book is The Power and Magic of Gratitude that became a bestseller in Italy. Since then I have been known for spreading the powerful message of Gratitude with countless meeting, conferences and events.

Ivan's book list on the power of gratitude

Ivan Nossa Why Ivan loves this book

This is a star-filled book where each celebrity shares what they are most thankful for. Among others, you can find stories by Alicia Keys, Jeff Bridges, Sheryl Crow, B.B. King, Francis Ford Coppola, Dave Grohl, Stan Lee, Forest Whitaker, Ringo Star, and many many more. I have found this reading very profound as you can see the humble side of these celebrities and how they are thankful for all the gifts they received along the way. Every story is different and some are really intriguing but the common point is they do not forget to be grateful and that is the main message they leave in the heart of readers.

By Todd Aaron Jensen ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked On Gratitude as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

What Are You Most Grateful For?

Ricky Gervais says...Pajamas.I've started wearing pajamas out, because they're more comfortable than trousers. (Laughs) I started out with jeans, then went to sweatpants about ten years ago. Now it's just pajamas. I wore them to the White House. I've gone whole hog.

Dolly Parton says...Humble Roots.I think being brought up dirt poor left with me with a feeling of what it was like to go without, so I can relate when people are having a hard time. In my case, being a songwriter, I'm able to write not only for and about myself, but…


Book cover of 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life

Robert Chesnut Author Of Intentional Integrity: How Smart Companies Can Lead an Ethical Revolution

From my list on growing an employee into a business leader.

Why am I passionate about this?

Early in my career, I was a federal prosecutor and moved to California to get involved in tech as a midlife career change. I became passionate about leadership and personal development because I worked alongside some outstanding leaders at companies like eBay and Airbnb for over 20 years. If I could take away one lesson, it would be this: you become what you surround yourself with. Want to be happy? Read books about happiness, spend time around people who are happy, focus on the positive each day. Want to be a great leader? Talk to other great leaders, read books about leadership. These books have each, in their way, helped me on the journey.  

Robert's book list on growing an employee into a business leader

Robert Chesnut Why Robert loves this book

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year, because it’s focusing on what really matters in life. Living a life filled with gratitude can change your entire perspective on the world…what would happen if you spent a few minutes each day writing a short thank you note to someone in your life, expressing gratitude for who they are or what they’ve done. Kralik was mired in a world of personal troubles when he decided to give it try, and the results will make you want to rethink how you look at the world. Every day, there are a dozen reasons to say it’s a good day, and a dozen reasons why it’s a bad day. You choose how to define it.  

By John Kralik ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked 365 Thank Yous as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

One recent December, at age 53, John Kralik found his life at a terrible, frightening low: his small law firm was failing; he was struggling through a painful second divorce; he had grown distant from his two older children and was afraid he might lose contact with his young daughter; he was living in a tiny apartment where he froze in the winter and baked in the summer; he was 40 pounds overweight; his girlfriend had just broken up with him; and overall, his dearest life dreams--including hopes of upholding idealistic legal principles and of becoming a judge--seemed to have…


Book cover of Thankful

Wendi Silvano Author Of Turkey Trouble

From my list on Thanksgiving for children.

Why am I passionate about this?

I never knew Turkeys had so much personality—that is until I lived with a family high in the Andes Mountains of Peru, and met their turkey Pavito. When they scraped leftovers into a trough for their dogs, Pavito would come running too (certain that he was just “one of the dogs”). He would chase me around the courtyard or sit nearby making strange gurgling noises. He became the star character in my books. As a teacher and mother of 5, I have seen which picture books young readers respond to best—those they connect to, laugh at, remember, and which hold their attention. 

Wendi's book list on Thanksgiving for children

Wendi Silvano Why Wendi loves this book

Thankful, is a beautiful list of simple, everyday things that people are thankful for, from a poet being thankful for words that rhyme to children being thankful for morning storytime. It is a great reminder that we can be thankful for the simple things in life (things that we might not usually think of when asked to name something we are grateful for). It has engaging, rhyming text that is meant to be read aloud, while young readers delight in the details of the charming illustrations.

By Eileen Spinelli , Archie Preston (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Thankful as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Celebrate everyday blessings, practice thankfulness, and observe the wonderful acts of service that keep us going each and every day. Eileen Spinelli, bestselling and award-winning children's author, charms with rhymes and whimsy in Thankful, perfect for any young reader and their family.

Thankful is a heartwarming board book that teaches children ages 0-4 to:

Focus on the blessings that we often take for granted Appreciate essential workers and what people in our everyday lives provide: "Like the gardener thankful for every green sprout, and the fireman, for putting the fire out."

Meant to be read aloud, Thankful features:

Endearing storytelling…


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Book cover of Trusting Her Duke

Trusting Her Duke by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.

Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…

Book cover of The Psychology of Gratitude

Patrick M. Garry Author Of The Power of Gratitude: Charting a Path Toward a Joyous and Faith-Filled Life

From my list on gratitude and how it can uplift your life.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have published more than twenty books and hundreds of articles. But not one of those books and articles inspired the kind of devotion I felt toward The Power of Gratitude. In a way, this book encapsulates a lifetime of writing. It is the book I believe I was called to write.

Patrick's book list on gratitude and how it can uplift your life

Patrick M. Garry Why Patrick loves this book

While we sometimes might think of gratitude as just a simple emotion or reaction, Emmons and McCullough show a much more complex side to gratitude. 

In this book, Emmons and McCullough explore the scientific and medical aspects of gratitude. The book helps the reader understand all the psychological and medical benefits produced by a life lived with gratitude.

By Robert A. Emmons (editor) , Michael E. McCullough (editor) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Psychology of Gratitude as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Gratitude, like other positive emotions, has inspired many theological and philosophical writings, but it has inspired very little vigorous, empirical research. In an effort to remedy this oversight, this volume brings together prominent scientists from various disciplines to examine what has become known as the most-neglected emotion. The volume begins with the historical, philosophical, and theoretical foundations of gratitude, then presents the current research
perspectives from social, personality, and developmental psychology, as well as from primatology, anthropology, and biology. The volume also includes a comprehensive, annotated bibliography of research on gratitude. This work contributes a great deal to the growing…


Book cover of Thanks a Thousand: A Gratitude Journey

Dave Kerpen Author Of The Art of People: 11 Simple People Skills That Will Get You Everything You Want

From my list on entrepreneurs who want to go further faster.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love building businesses. I’ve built several businesses, ranging from a one person consultancy to a venture-backed tech company to an 8-figure marketing agency to a managed HR marketplace to a virtual memorial services company. The only thing I love more than building businesses is building and helping create new entrepreneurs. These books have helped me tremendously in my journey and I hope they help you as well!

Dave's book list on entrepreneurs who want to go further faster

Dave Kerpen Why Dave loves this book

Gratitude is a fundamental part of my life as an entrepreneur and leader. Of the many books I love on gratitude, this is my favorite. It’s funny and poignant and successfully makes the case that gratitude is a game-changer when it comes to building the business and life of one’s dreams. I am grateful I found this book and this fantastic author!

By A.J. Jacobs ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Thanks a Thousand as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Bestselling author A.J. Jacobs has undergone a life-changing and entertaining journey. The idea is deceptively simple: he takes one of our greatest pleasures- our morning cup of coffee - and tries to thank every single person involved in making it, from the barista to the coffee farmer and all those in between. This turns out to be a stunningly large number, including artists, chemists, presidents, mechanics, biologists, miners, smugglers and goatherds. Hundreds of people. Thousands. Maybe more.

Through this seemingly straightforward quest, Jacobs reveals inspiring truths. The book is a reminder of the amazing interconnectedness of our world. It shows…


Book cover of Thanks!

Diane Dreher Author Of Pathways to Inner Peace

From my list on finding inner peace.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a writer, researcher, and lifelong learner. As the daughter of an Air Force pilot, I followed my father on his assignments around the world and went to 10 schools before graduating from high school. But my greatest education was learning how people from different cultures find joy, meaning, and peace of mind. I have a Ph.D. in English literature and a master’s degree in counseling. I’m now Professor Emeritus and Associate Director of the Applied Spirituality Institute at Santa Clara University, a professional certified coach, and lecturer in the Positive Psychology Guild in the UK. I love books that bring us greater peace of mind, inspiration, and hope.

Diane's book list on finding inner peace

Diane Dreher Why Diane loves this book

I love this book because the gratitude practice has made me happier and brought me greater peace of mind.

Lately, I’ve been feeling stressed, dealing with an undercurrent of insecurity and anxiety, worrying about things that haven’t happened yet, wondering what to do about them. In his years of research, Robert Emmons has found that a simple gratitude practice can bring us happiness and make a major difference in our worldview. And I’ve experienced this for myself.

Pausing to think of three things I’m grateful for each day and pausing throughout the day to acknowledge what I’m grateful for is helping me shift from a stressed-out state to become more calm, more confident, more hopeful. I smile more often, realizing how gratitude helps me recognize life’s small miracles, shifting my attention from the shadows to the light.

I’m grateful for this book that showed me how. 

By Robert A. Emmons ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Thanks! as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A scientifically groundbreaking, eloquent look at how we benefit—psychologically, physically, and interpersonally—when we practice gratitude.

Did you know that there is a crucial component of happiness that is often overlooked?

Robert Emmons—editor-in-chief of the Journal of Positive Psychology—examines what it means to think and feel gratefully in Thanks! and invites readers to learn how to put this powerful emotion into practice.

Scientifically speaking, regular grateful thinking can increase happiness by as much as 25 percent, while keeping a gratitude journal for as little as three weeks results in better sleep and more energy. But there's more than science to embrace…


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of The Way of Gratitude: Readings for a Joyful Life

Patrick M. Garry Author Of The Power of Gratitude: Charting a Path Toward a Joyous and Faith-Filled Life

From my list on gratitude and how it can uplift your life.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have published more than twenty books and hundreds of articles. But not one of those books and articles inspired the kind of devotion I felt toward The Power of Gratitude. In a way, this book encapsulates a lifetime of writing. It is the book I believe I was called to write.

Patrick's book list on gratitude and how it can uplift your life

Patrick M. Garry Why Patrick loves this book

This edited book contains readings that address a wide range of topics related to the power of gratitude. 

The readings are authored by some of our most recognized and accomplished writers, such as Wendell Berry, David Brooks, Anne Lamott, Thomas Merton, J.K. Rawlings, Jim Wallis, Henri Nouwen, and Mary Oliver. These writers, in captivating and insightful essays, share their experiences and thoughts on the joys of being grateful.

By Michael Leach (editor) , James Keane (editor) , Doris Goodnough (editor)

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Way of Gratitude as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A hundred famous writers share their experiences, essays, fiction, poems, meditations, and inspired ideas on the joy of being thankful. These honest and heartfelt writings will add gladness to your days. Contributors include Wendell Berry, David Brooks, Joan Chittister, James Martin, Thich Nhat Hanh, Henri Nouwen, Mary Oliver, Richard Rohr, Joyce Rupp, David Steindl-Rast, Rowan Williams, and many others whose spiritual perceptions already bring joy and faith to millions.


Book cover of The Secret
Book cover of Zero Limits: The Secret Hawaiian System for Wealth, Health, Peace, and More
Book cover of Gratitude

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Interested in gratitude, rock music, and lawyers?

Gratitude 25 books
Rock Music 263 books
Lawyers 93 books