Books like Dopamine Nation

This isn’t a book about addiction, but it had a massive impact on the way I approached recovery.

James Clear believes changing your life doesn’t happen with one huge decision, but through the small choices you make every day. Getting sober was one big decision for me, but staying sober meant completely changing my routines and building habits that supported the person I wanted to become.

Working with my life coach, journalling, surfing, training, and taking time to sit with my thoughts might seem like small things on their own, but together they helped me rebuild my life. This book taught me to stop relying on motivation and start creating a routine that made it easier to keep moving forward even on days when I didn’t feel like it.

I’m a person who thrives on having a peace-filled life, and the notifications and noise from constant technology can overstimulate me and keep me from being productive and creative. As soon as I read this title, I knew I needed it.

He promotes embracing a philosophy of using digital tools only when they support your deeply held values, help you reach your goals, and allow you to do deep work undistracted. He talks about doing a 30-day “digital declutter” to break tech addictions and rediscover offline activities that bring satisfaction. He emphasizes solitude, high-quality leisure, and intentional tech use to reclaim control over our time and attention.

The book offers practical strategies to escape digital overwhelm and live a more focused, fulfilling life rooted in purpose and human connection. He explains how constant connectivity and digital noise erode focus, well-being, and meaningful relationships.

I'm a Cal Newport fan.

As a performance coach and speaker, I find his research relevant and doable. After Deep Work, I incorporated many of his findings into my business.

With Digital Minimalism, the content and strategies—along with the reasons why we need to minimize our digital world—were presented in a relatable and realistic way. Newport doesn’t say we should throw our phones away and never go online again. He’s practical, with examples of people seeking more solitude and less noise.

It’s the ultimate guide to focus in an era of distraction and a foundation for any sustainable productivity practice.

DeMello was a Jesuit priest and a psychologist.

His workshops were legendary and had a deep impact on thousands. His books have touched millions. He was eclectic and open-minded and readily acknowledged the power of spiritual practices from traditions outside the Church.

For this, his books were removed from Catholic bookstores and a warning issued that his writings could mislead young minds. He was passionate about truth and cavalier about dogma.

Something I learned in neuroscience is that we should be very humble when we try to explain something as complicated as the brain. The unknown is much greater than the known.

I came to Lipton ready to argue, and I kept that humility. I do not need his whole metaphysics to use the book. I recommend it because it made me slower to pretend we have a finished map of mind, belief, and behavior. That humility is part of how I want a new kind of leader to work.

I love frameworks. Especially ones that make simple and clarifying distinctions about our complex inner life. That’s exactly what Chamine has done with this book. When I read this book in 2012 and completed the accompanying free online assessment to identify my saboteurs, I was greatly humbled by the sobering accuracy of how I self-sabotage.

While reading the book, I was engrossed in the combination of logic, science, and stories helping to illuminate how and why we all have a unique mix of these universal saboteurs: Controller, Stickler, Hyper-Achiever, Restless, Hyper-Rational, Victim, Avoider, Pleaser, Hyper-Vigilant. I learned how to identify when I was coming from a place of self-sabotage and what to do to overcome unhelpful habits, (i.e., strengthen my PQ muscles).

It was fun, engaging, and motivating to read, and the practical tips made this book incredibly useful. I use his framework in conjunction with my own to make… show more.

This book talks about the science of the brain and a methodology for changing brain patterns, habits, and neural pathways. The uniqueness of this book lies in her connection with God’s Word. The author provides much evidence through biblical scripture for the rewiring of the brain. This resonated with me personally because I have also taken the science of the brain and matched it up with biblical wisdom.

Holiday explains how finding time for quiet or stillness, as he calls it, is the key to conquering your temper, avoiding distractions, and discovering great insights. Slowing down is the balancing mechanism everybody needs when living a busy life.

The book shows how historical people such as Churchill needed stillness through activities like bricklaying to balance his busy life. The book is very engaging and offers an inspirational and practical way for us to recharge and find self-mastery and discipline in our busy lives filled with distractions.

Investigative journalism has always been the dream. When I was 17, I thought I would change the world, cracking mysteries open one interview at a time like in the movies. Life didn’t quite work out that way, but narrative investigation is still a revered and epitomized medium. 

Stolen Focus embodies this investigative approach. It explores how constantly switching between technologies erodes creativity and offers a call to action to reclaim attention. Technology being so present in our daily lives is still relatively new. I was born in 1990 and grew up with a toe in both worlds, but television and computers of some form have been a part of my life since I can remember. 

The book speaks directly to my own concerns, which I eventually went on to write about, including “tab overload” and lost concentration. It blends human stories with scientific research, making it accessible to readers… show more.

This book is kind of like the bible of porn addiction. It clearly shows the negative effects you can experience by showing both science and anecdotes.

This book was eye-opening for me as I saw many reports of similar side effects as I had experienced myself grappling with this problem. This book is a must-read book about this topic.