Here are 100 books that Eyes Wide Open fans have personally recommended if you like
Eyes Wide Open.
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I've been fascinated by a simple question for most of my life: Why do so many of us feel something is missing, even when our lives appear successful from the outside?
That question led me through recovery, broadcasting, entrepreneurship, spiritual study, financial collapse, heartbreak, and ultimately the writing of Unlearning Myself. The books on this list each helped me see, from a different angle, that what I was searching for wasn't somewhere else waiting for me. It was hidden beneath layers of fear, striving, performance, and identity. I return to these books because they continue helping me remember what was never actually missing.
Few books have reminded me more powerfully that our circumstances and our inner life are not the same thing.
I first read Man's Search for Meaning years ago, and its impact has only deepened over time. Frankl's willingness to look directly at suffering without becoming defined by it challenged many of the assumptions I carried about happiness, success, and what it takes to live a meaningful life.
I return to this book because it continually reminds me that meaning is not something life hands us once everything finally goes our way. It is something we discover in how we meet what life places before us.
During difficult seasons of my own life, Frankl's perspective helped me remember that even when we cannot control our circumstances, we still have a relationship with how we respond to them. Few books have given me more courage, perspective, and hope.
One of the outstanding classics to emerge from the Holocaust, Man's Search for Meaning is Viktor Frankl's story of his struggle for survival in Auschwitz and other Nazi concentration camps. Today, this remarkable tribute to hope offers us an avenue to finding greater meaning and purpose in our own lives.
A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.
German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…
I care about stories of redemption after service because I have lived through the collapse that can follow it. After my time in the U.S. Army, I struggled with addiction, shame, and spiritual distance that almost defined my life. I have seen how uniforms can hide internal battles. I am drawn to books that help remind me that failure is not final and that grace reaches deeper than shame. Today, I serve fellow veterans through benefits advocacy. I am moved by stories that show no one is too far gone for God’s redeeming work.
What stays with me is not the survival story, but the change that followed.
Louie’s struggle with anger and pain after the war felt familiar. This story shows that endurance by itself is not enough. Freedom comes through forgiveness and faith.
The movement from anger to grace stood out to me. It made me consider that even when hard experiences influence us, they do not have to decide our future.
From the author of the bestselling and much-loved Seabiscuit, an unforgettable story of one man's journey into extremity. On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane's bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War. The lieutenant's name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood,…
My version of a gutsy life journey was to find work abroad, buy a one-way ticket, and not look back - one place after the next. Long ago, girls didn’t do this, but I did. A struggle and worth it. Great memoirs have a geographical and an inner journey. They make me laugh and cry, both. This is what I love to read, and it’s my aim as a writer. My books are love letters to these adventures, plus some joking around in order not to scream or weep at some of what’s out there. I’ve been a teacher, a film editor, a comedian, a librarian, and now a writer.
She went through a hard time by believing she had choices. I admire her for not being defeated.
Now a celebrated psychologist, trauma specialist, inspirational speaker, and all-around loveably cute grandma, her story was gripping and moving, especially her brave trip to return to the Auschwitz concentration camp, to face the trauma of her time there during World War 2.
I was awestruck and impressed by how she confirmed her choice and life’s mission to be happy and helpful, no matter what. I was inspired, to say the least. It convinced me that if she can do that, I can tackle a few challenges too.
THE AWARD-WINNING SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Even in hell, hope can flower
'I'll be forever changed by her story' - Oprah Winfrey
'Extraordinary ... will stick with you long after you read it' - Bill Gates
'One of those rare and eternal stories you don't want to end' - Desmond Tutu
'A masterpiece of holocaust literature. Her memoir, like her life, is extraordinary, harrowing and inspiring in equal measure' - The Times Literary Supplement
'I can't imagine a more important message for modern times. Eger's book is a triumph' - The New York Times
The Everlasting Life of Charlie Wall
by
Paul Wilborn,
It’s 1985, and Ronald Armstrong, known in the magic mushroom trade as “Trip,” takes a “sober” job as a driver for a retired Tampa mobster. His boss, Charlie Wall, has survived four attempts on his life, the last one in 1955. When Charlie falls into depression, Trip rebuilds his boss’…
I've always been drawn to books that ask difficult questions instead of offering easy answers.
Growing up, I became fascinated by how quietly society shapes who we become—and how difficult it can be to figure out which parts are truly ours. Books have taught me to sit with complexity in a world that often wants everything to be black and white. The books I return to are the ones that make me question, reflect, and better understand human nature, society, and what it truly means to be unapologetically yourself. That's the kind of conversation I hope my own writing can contribute to.
No memoir has changed the way I think about identity quite like Educated.
I went into it expecting a story about education. What stayed with me was something much deeper—the emotional cost of questioning the beliefs, people, and world that shaped your entire life.
What I admired most about Tara Westover's story was that she didn't make things simple. There were no easy heroes or villains. Just people, complicated relationships, and the uncomfortable reality that sometimes growth means questioning everything you once accepted as truth.
I kept thinking about how difficult it can be to become yourself when doing so means letting go of parts of the person you were taught to be.
Selected as a book of the year by AMAZON, THE TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES, GUARDIAN, NEW YORK TIMES, ECONOMIST, NEW STATESMAN, VOGUE, IRISH TIMES, IRISH EXAMINER and RED MAGAZINE
'One of the best books I have ever read . . . unbelievably moving' Elizabeth Day 'An extraordinary story, beautifully told' Louise O'Neill 'A memoir to stand alongside the classics . . . compelling and joyous' Sunday Times
Tara Westover grew up preparing for the end of the world. She was never put in school, never taken to the doctor. She did not even have a birth certificate…
At the very beginning of my studies, I asked myself a question that still accompanies me today: “Why are some people successful and others not?” I've always been interested in people who are successful through their own efforts instead of building on the success of previous generations through their heritage. In my search for what distinguishes successful from less successful people, I began to read a variety of relevant books and attend seminars. These books and seminars dealt with the topics of success, personality development, marketing and sales, rhetoric, psychology, and management as well as self-management and personal productivity. To date, I've read several hundred books on these topics and attended a number of seminars.
Anthony Robbins is the world's most famous success coach.
With Unlimited Power, he has made Neurolinguistic Programming known outside of therapy in management.
Anyone who wants to break through beliefs that prevent success and wants to get many valuable suggestions at all levels of success, can not get past Anthony Robbins. His books have inspired and motivated me.
Anyone who really wants to be successful should read his books. In Awaken the Giant Within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical & Financial Destiny! you get a very good summary of his thoughts.
The author offers advice on such matters as mastering emotions, overcoming debilitating habits such as over-eating, drinking and drug abuse, unleashing the hidden power of body and mind, improving personal and professional relationships, and taking control of personal finances.
By Ivanna Mikhailovna Rosendal and Anne Katrine Carlsson SejrAuthor
Why are we passionate about this?
We are two leaders of teams who work in the intersection between people and technology and are obsessed with the human factor in organizational transformation. We have developed the Maneuvering Monday universe to create a space where we discuss topics around leadership, organizational design, and transformation with other thought leaders and experts around the world, and love to nerd these topics to better understand different perspectives and, not least, share tactics to make work better. We spend so much time at work, so it has to be meaningful. All the books on this list have inspired us to improve as leaders, colleagues, and employees. We hope they will inspire you too!
In this book, the author shows how aligning yourself with your needs and being able to express them leads to more effective communication. This is in the context of being a woman who has a very narrow acceptable definition of wants that we are allowed to have.
For me, Ivanna, reading this book opened up my eyes to the times when I have failed at negotiating. It helped me understand how to effectively communicate the needs that I have in a negotiation.
Stop being a servant of the life you're living and become a creator of the world you want. Electrifying lessons in power, influence and persuasion to equalise women in an unequal world.
Why do so many women feel they're too much yet not enough? How can you feel 'good and mad' yet reluctant to speak up in a meeting or difficult conversation? What causes women to freeze at critical moments?
Kasia Urbaniak spent 17 years studying to become a Taoist nun. To foot the bill for her studies, she worked as a high-paid (and extremely successful) dominatrix in dungeons around…
Delve into this internationally best-selling series, now complete! A fast paced laugh-out-loud mix of Urban Fantasy and Mystery.
I can tell when you’re lying. Every. Single. Time. I’m Jinx, a PI hired to find a missing university student, I hope to find her propped up at a bar–yet my gut…
I am the first in my family to go into business for myself. Now, it took me years of thinking about it before I made the jump. I was scared to take that step, but I did it. My expertise came from 25 years of managing hundreds of clients in numerous industries. I loved how successful people can be with the craziest of ideas. How can you find your passion so you are happy and loving what you are doing in life? How do you overcome the fear of failure, move forward with your desires, and become abundant in doing it?
Far too many people are stuck in life and don’t even know what they are passionate about. A few years ago, I read this book and took the test. I not only found my top five passions, but it also helped me hone into my top five passions simultaneously. I am now living them, loving them, and being quite abundant for them. It was the starting point that got me where I am today.
This starting point led me to a successful business in an industry I love. I found new ways to grow and become a leader, so much so that I was inspired to write my book a few years later.
The inspirational and life-changing New York Times bestseller that will help you discover the meaning behind your life.
Can a simple test change a person's life? Through their New York Times bestseller The Passion Test, Janet Bray Attwood and Chris Attwood have inspired thousands to shape their lives by discovering their passions and living according to what matters most to them. Readers can identify their top five passions by taking the Test, and then learn exactly how to align their lives with their priorities by following the Attwoods' easy-to-follow step-by-step program of action.
Combining powerful storytelling and profound wisdom from…
As a life coach and author of two dozen self-help books, I’ve spent the past twenty years helping people treat themselves better. Doing so is fundamental to personal growth and making real, purposeful change. When you fully appreciate yourself and treat yourself well, you will feel so much better! You will be in a much stronger position to overcome challenges, achieve your goals, and get more out of life.
First, I love how Martha Beck writes. She’s funny! Also wise and candid. I would happily recommend any of her books. This particular one is helpful in treating yourself better because it guides you through specific exercises to evaluate your essential self, to appreciate it, and to pursue your unique, authentic path.
New York Times bestselling author and Life Designs, Inc. creator Martha Beck shares her step-by-step program that will guide you to fulfill your own potential and create a joyful life.
In this book, you'll start by learning how to read the internal compasses already built into your brain and body--and why you may have spent your life ignoring their signals. As you become reacquainted with your own deepest desires, you'll identify and repair any unconscious beliefs or unhealed emotional wounds that may be blocking your progress.
This will change your life, but don't worry--although every life is unique, major transformations…
I am Han. During my NDE I was informed by Light Beings that I should write my soul adventures. My body was burnt to a crisp. It did not even have hands! But back we came and after publishing more than 2 million words of Past Life adventures, readers keep on reporting that the Chronicles of Han books change their lives. It is with gratitude that I realize that the information in the books I am sharing with you have helped me through the years, during the accident where I should have died, and the healing process that now assists thousands of individuals.
I consider this book The Original "The Secret" just much more practical without any secrets at all.
I truly adore this book, referring clients who want to change their lives to study it and implement the lessons. It teaches the fundamentals of self-mastery, self-discipline and focus. The knowledge contained is basically a form of meditation you can use anytime in any situation.
Joining the ranks of Tarcher's runaway editions of Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, Public Speaking for Success by Dale Carnegie, and The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles, here are three landmark guides to a life of prosperity-now restored to print in beautiful, signature volumes.
- Newly discovered by fans of The Secret, the metaphysical writer Wallace D. Wattles distills the rules of real power and personal achievement in his slender, immensely practical The Science of Being Great-the companion work to The Science of Getting Rich.
- Publisher Robert Collier taught millions of people how to…
The authoritative but accessible history of the birth of modern American intelligence in World War II that treats not just one but all of the various disciplines: spies, codebreakers, saboteurs.
Told in a relatable style that focuses on actual people, it was a New Yorker "Best of 2022" selection and…
I was driven to become a veterinarian for as long as I could remember. Then, in high school, I developed a love of performance. I felt stuck. Should I choose art or science? I chose science, and despite a great career, I felt like something was missing. When I reconnected with my creativity through stand-up comedy, entrepreneurship and other non-artistic creative outlets, I found out what I had been missing. Why do we drop creativity for science? It was a common story. I dove into the research on creativity, and was blown away by how a bit of creativity can make us happier, more resilient, and make workplaces more effective.
This book gave me the confidence to follow a dream that I thought was frivolous and silly: to be a professional speaker. As I read this book, I realized that following my heart was difficult for me, as I am a veterinarian and driven by science. As a result, I lost touch with my intuition and my confidence in doing what was true to myself, not what others expected of me.
When I read the part where she talks about thinking that your dream couldn’t be that because it seems too big and following that little voice that says, “What if?” It put me on the path of taking a chance on a dream, regardless of what it looked like to other people.
A groundbreaking women’s leadership expert and popular conference speaker gives women the practical skills to voice and implement the changes they want to see—in themselves and in the world
In her coaching and programs for women, Tara Mohr saw how women were "playing small" in their lives and careers, were frustrated by it, and wanted to "play bigger." She has devised a proven way for them to achieve their dreams by playing big from the inside out. Mohr’s work helping women play bigger has earned acclaim from the likes of Maria Shriver and Jillian Michaels, and has been featured…
