Here are 100 books that How To Be A Speedy Reader fans have personally recommended if you like How To Be A Speedy Reader. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day

Stephen P. Ramocki Author Of Teaching Creativity in Marketing and Business Education: A Concise Compilation of Concepts and Methodologies that Will Increase Students' Creativity

From my list on creativity in marketing and business education.

Why am I passionate about this?

 I have studied creativity for 40 years and, along with the textbook I wrote, I am continually teaching my marketing students how to become more creative.  I have unequivocally demonstrated that everyone who wants to become more creative can do so with the appropriate tutelage.  This is why I get so much satisfaction from teaching creativity and it is why I wrote my book that I am highlighting here.

Stephen's book list on creativity in marketing and business education

Stephen P. Ramocki Why Stephen loves this book

Leonardo da Vinci was arguably the most creative person who ever walked the earth. He is known by many as an artist but his most impressive contributions came in the form of inventions. Imagine in the fifteen hundreds conceptualizing tanks, automatic weaponry, and parachutes. He was so far ahead of his time that people thought he was crazy.

By Michael J. Gelb ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This inspiring and inventive guide teaches readers how to develop their full potential by following the example of the greatest genius of all time, Leonardo da Vinci.

Acclaimed author Michael J. Gelb, who has helped thousands of people expand their minds to accomplish more than they ever thought possible, shows you how. Drawing on Da Vinci's notebooks, inventions, and legendary works of art, Gelb introduces Seven Da Vincian Principles—the essential elements of genius—fromĀ curiositĆ ,Ā the insatiably curious approach to life toĀ connessione,Ā the appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things. With Da Vinci as your inspiration, you will discover an…


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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 Mind Map Book: Unlock Your Creativity, Boost Your Memory, Change Your Life

Raymond Keene Author Of Fifty Shades of Ray

From my list on to increase your creativity and sharpen your mind.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a chess Grandmaster and former British and European gold medal winner. I have won tournaments in the UK, Australia, South Africa, Spain, Holland, Germany, and Cuba, where I met Fidel Castro. I have always been fascinated by the potential power of the human mind and how to activate it. Memory, Speed Reading, Mind Mapping, and Critical Thinking, all form a part of this intriguing matrix.Ā 

Raymond's book list on to increase your creativity and sharpen your mind

Raymond Keene Why Raymond loves this book

A revolutionary book by my friend Tony Buzan, who sadly passed in 2019. Tony left a huge educational legacy based on his invention of the Mind Map, an amazing tool to expand your memory, creativity, and critical thinking. Anyone who wants to pass exams or protect against Alzheimer’s must read this book!Ā 

By Tony Buzan , Barry Buzan ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Tony Buzan is the inventor of Mind Maps and The Mind Map Book is the original and best book on how to use them effectively in your own life.



Often referred to as 'the Swiss army knife for the brain', Mind Maps are a ground-breaking, note-taking technique that have already revolutionised the lives of many millions of people around the world and taken the educational and business world by storm.



This practical full-colour book will transform the way you plan and organise your life. At school they're perfect for taking notes, revising for exams and planning essays; at work they're…


Book cover of How to Develop a Brilliant Memory Week by Week: 50 Proven Ways to Enhance Your Memory Skills

Raymond Keene Author Of Fifty Shades of Ray

From my list on to increase your creativity and sharpen your mind.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a chess Grandmaster and former British and European gold medal winner. I have won tournaments in the UK, Australia, South Africa, Spain, Holland, Germany, and Cuba, where I met Fidel Castro. I have always been fascinated by the potential power of the human mind and how to activate it. Memory, Speed Reading, Mind Mapping, and Critical Thinking, all form a part of this intriguing matrix.Ā 

Raymond's book list on to increase your creativity and sharpen your mind

Raymond Keene Why Raymond loves this book

Dominic O'Brien won the inaugural World Memory Championship in 1991, which I organised jointly with Tony Buzan. Everyone needs memory power, from the youngest school kid to the most ancient of veterans. Without memory, you cannot come up with anything creative. Dominic has the ability to remember thousands of binary digits in half an hour or remember an entire park of cards in mere seconds. There is no one better than eight-times World Memory Champion Dominic O'Brien to guide you on the right path.Ā 

By Dominic O'Brien ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How to Develop a Brilliant Memory Week by Week as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Written by eight times World Memory Champion, Dominic O'Brien this book is a complete course in memory enhancement. Dominic takes you step-by-step through an ingenious programme of skills, introducing all his tried and tested techniques on which he has built his triumphant championship performances. Pacing the course in line with his expert understanding of how the brain responds to basic memory training, Dominic offers strategies and tips that will expand your mental capacities at a realistic but impressive rate.


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Book cover of The Year Mrs. Cooper Got Out More: A Great Wharf Novel

The Year Mrs. Cooper Got Out More by Meredith Marple,

The coastal tourist town of Great Wharf, Maine, boasts a crime rate so low you might suspect someone’s lying.

Nevertheless, jobless empty nester Mallory Cooper has become increasingly reclusive and fearful. Careful to keep the red wine handy and loath to leave the house, Mallory misses her happier self—and so…

Book cover of Use Your Head: How to Unleash the Power of Your Mind

Raymond Keene Author Of Fifty Shades of Ray

From my list on to increase your creativity and sharpen your mind.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a chess Grandmaster and former British and European gold medal winner. I have won tournaments in the UK, Australia, South Africa, Spain, Holland, Germany, and Cuba, where I met Fidel Castro. I have always been fascinated by the potential power of the human mind and how to activate it. Memory, Speed Reading, Mind Mapping, and Critical Thinking, all form a part of this intriguing matrix.Ā 

Raymond's book list on to increase your creativity and sharpen your mind

Raymond Keene Why Raymond loves this book

Tony Buzan was a genius who discovered the secret of bringing out the innate genius in others. This all-round manual illustrates all aspects of Tony’s teachings which can transform your mental power in every aspect of your life. At university Tony realised that there was no handbook or operations manual for the human brain, so he decided to write it himself. This is it.Ā 

By Tony Buzan ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The chances are that we are only using about 1% of the power of our brain. Just imagine the amazing results if we could unlock just a fraction of the power of the remaining 99%. With this definitive, classic operations manual for the brain, you can discover how to revolutionise the way you think and learn, wake up your senses and unleash the hidden power of your mind.

With this book, you will learn how to:



Improve your problem-solving capabilities.
Become more creative in your approach to work and life.
Understand, retain and more readily recall information.
Improve your memory…


Book cover of Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life

Jennice Vilhauer Author Of Think Forward to Thrive: How to Use the Mind's Power of Anticipation to Transcend Your Past and Transform Your Life

From my list on improving your life.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a psychologist in Los Angeles specializing in helping people identify their blind spots and break the cycles of their past by retraining their mindset about the future. I developed a new treatment called Future Directed Therapy and I’ve been helping people build better lives for over 15 years. I’m very passionate about empowering my clients to find practical skills and tools for taking charge of their emotional health and achieving the things they want in life. I recommend these books to my clients on a regular basis and find inspiration in them for my own blog Living Forward which I write as a featured expert for Psychology Today

Jennice's book list on improving your life

Jennice Vilhauer Why Jennice loves this book

I’m always saying to my clients, ā€œEverything in life comes with a user manual these days except your brain.ā€ That is, until Jim Kwik wrote his book Limitless. People often feel distressed when they aren’t able to make their brain do what they want it to do, such as focusing, remembering old things, or learning new things. This book translates into a useable form, what neuroscience has shown us is how our brains work. With this book it is now possible to make your brain work for you. If you have a brain, you should not be without this book.

By Jim Kwik ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

For the last 25 years, Jim Kwik has helped everyone from celebrities to CEOs to students improve their memory, increase their decision-making skills, learn to speed-read and unleash their superbrains.

In Limitless, readers will learn Jim's revolutionary strategies and shortcuts to break free from their perceived limitations. They'll learn how to supercharge their brains with simple, actionable tools to sharpen the mind, enhance focus and fast-track their fullest potential.

The book is organized into four sections: Mindset, Motivation, Meta-Learning and Mission. Readers will discover the myths they've been told about their IQ, abilities and skillset; understand why learning matters; learn…


Book cover of The Book of Phoenix

Greg Siofer Author Of The Question: Do Some Things Just Happen?

From my list on getting mysterious powers.

Why am I passionate about this?

Each book has its own story to tell, so there is not one particular book I love. Reading books that aren't my usual reads is something I enjoy doing. You may enjoy the following books, which I have listed. It made me think differently than I usually do, and as with most books I read, it will enhance your writing. Throughout my childhood, I always enjoyed reading to escape reality and get lost in a world of fantasy. As a result, I began writing science fiction that resembles me that is getting away.

Greg's book list on getting mysterious powers

Greg Siofer Why Greg loves this book

We meet Phoenix, a woman grown in New York's Tower 7.

Even though she's only two years old, she has the mind and body of an adult, along with superhuman abilities. The death of her lover under dubious circumstances proves that Tower 7 is less of a home and more of a prison for Phoenix. She escapes to Ghana, where she learns brutal truths about colonialism and vows to fight back. Phoenix's fight for justice is electrifying.

By Nnedi Okorafor ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A fiery spirit dances from the pages of the Great Book. She brings the aroma of scorched sand and ozone. She has a story to tell....

The Book of Phoenix is a unique work of magical futurism. A prequel to the highly acclaimed, World Fantasy Award-winning novel, Who Fears Death, it features the rise of another of Nnedi Okorafor's powerful, memorable, superhuman women.

Phoenix was grown and raised among other genetic experiments in New York's Tower 7. She is an "accelerated woman"-only two years old but with the body and mind of an adult, Phoenix's abilities far exceed those of…


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Book cover of That First Heady Burn

That First Heady Burn by George Bixley,

Don’t mess with the hothead—or he might just mess with you. Slater IbƔƱez is only interested in two kinds of guys: the ones he wants to punch, and the ones he sleeps with. Things get interesting when they start to overlap. A freelance investigator, Slater trolls the dark side of…

Book cover of Alone with the Alone

Diane Weiner M.S. Author Of Awakening as a Human*Divine Being

From my list on awakening yourself to transform the world.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've always been fascinated with the idea that humans have so many layers of consciousness, and reality is multi-faceted. I've studied Zen Buddhism, yoga, and for the past 43 years, Sufism. My experience of life has developed into a journey of changing difficult situations into exhilarating discoveries, finding hidden patterns in nature that delight me and tell me I’m not alone in the universe, and helping many people transform into beings of joy and gratitude. I’m beginning to see that our transformation delights and changes the Divine; we are not a passing phenomenon but contributors to new creation on a major scale.

Diane's book list on awakening yourself to transform the world

Diane Weiner M.S. Why Diane loves this book

This book, for serious students of mysticism, dances between the worlds of Persia a thousand years ago and the present. For me, it took the topic of creative imagination out of the realm of fantasy and established it as a cornerstone of the way we perceive and give meaning to reality, and the way we connect to God and inner worlds.

By Henry Corbin , Ralph Manheim (translator) ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

"Henry Corbin's works are the best guide to the visionary tradition...Corbin, like Scholem and Jonas, is remembered as a scholar of genius. He was uniquely equipped not only to recover Iranian Sufism for the West, but also to defend the principal Western traditions of esoteric spirituality."--From the introduction by Harold Bloom Ibn 'Arabi (1165-1240) was one of the great mystics of all time. Through the richness of his personal experience and the constructive power of his intellect, he made a unique contribution to Shi'ite Sufism. In this book, which features a powerful new preface by Harold Bloom, Henry Corbin brings…


Book cover of The Nature of Creativity: Contemporary Psychological Perspectives

Stephen P. Ramocki Author Of Teaching Creativity in Marketing and Business Education: A Concise Compilation of Concepts and Methodologies that Will Increase Students' Creativity

From my list on creativity in marketing and business education.

Why am I passionate about this?

 I have studied creativity for 40 years and, along with the textbook I wrote, I am continually teaching my marketing students how to become more creative.  I have unequivocally demonstrated that everyone who wants to become more creative can do so with the appropriate tutelage.  This is why I get so much satisfaction from teaching creativity and it is why I wrote my book that I am highlighting here.

Stephen's book list on creativity in marketing and business education

Stephen P. Ramocki Why Stephen loves this book

This book contains 17 chapters written by educational psychologists who have worked with creativity.Ā  These chapters range from establishing the best conditions in organizations for creativity to occur, how to test for creativity, problem-solving and creativity, freedom, and constraint in creativity, time’s impact on creativity, how dreams and other insights influence creativity, how society influences creativity, the relevance of talent in creativity, to leadership involving creativity. The spectrum of perspectives is broad indeed and I have personally gleaned much about all the relevant domains relating to creativity from reading this book.

By Robert J. Sternberg (editor) ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Originally published in 1988, this book provides sixteen chapters by acknowledged experts on the richness and diversity of psychological approaches to the study of creativity. Addressing various aspects and levels of analysis, together they constitute a broad survey of the understanding of what it is to be 'creative'. In the first part of The Nature of Creativity, the role of the environment is discussed. In the second part, the role of the individual is viewed - first from a psychometric perspective; and then from a cognitive or information-processing perspective. In the third part, the role of interaction between individual and…


Book cover of How to Avoid Making Art (or Anything Else You Enjoy)

Olivia H. Miller Author Of Essential Yoga: An Illustrated Guide to Over 100 Yoga Poses and Meditations

From my list on inspiration just when you need it most.

Why am I passionate about this?

I strive to inspire others through my writing, yoga card decks, and workshops; therefore, I’m passionate about finding inspiration and passing it on to others. For me discovering a dose of wise counsel or learning how someone else endured and overcame challenging times is a lifeline…especially when I feel hopelessly stuck. These 5 books are a balm for the soul, quieting the negative self-talk long enough to clear a path to joy, optimism, and creativity. I hope these recommendations bring the same sense of inspiration for you…just when you need it most! 

Olivia's book list on inspiration just when you need it most

Olivia H. Miller Why Olivia loves this book

This wise and wonderful little book humorously holds up a mirror to the self-sabotaging techniques that can snap a fledgling idea right off the vine. (Procrastination, anyone?) Each page features ā€œadvice,ā€ along with hilarious illustrations, on how not to be creative, and has me ROTFLMAO with recognition. Here are some faves: ā€œSmoke a lot of dope for inspiration. Forget why it’s called dope. Forget your inspirations.ā€ ā€œCompare your work to the masterworks of the great masters.ā€ ā€œThe minute you have an idea, ask yourself: How much cold, hard cash is it worth?ā€ ā€œTake seriously every negative thing anyone says.ā€ (To wit, ā€œThat ain’t art, sister.ā€) With a wink and the perfect amount of reverse psychology, this whimsical book skillfully catapults me out of a creative funk!Ā Ā 

By Julia Cameron ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How to Avoid Making Art (or Anything Else You Enjoy) as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In How to Avoid Making Art, the bestselling author of The Artist's Way delivers a (tongue-in-cheek!) guide to doing anything and everything you possibly can to avoid making art. Anyone who is engaged in a creative pursuit will no doubt identify with these wonderful cartoons by award-winning artist Elizabeth Cameron of creative wannabes doing everything except actually getting down to work.Ā Ā 

"For most people creativity is a serious business," says Julia Cameron. "They forget the telling phrase 'the play of ideas' and think that they need to knuckle down and work more. Often, the reverse is true. They need to…


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Book cover of My Book Boyfriend

My Book Boyfriend by Kathy Strobos,

Lily loves her community garden. Rupert wants to bulldoze it. When feelings grow, will they blossom or turn to rubble?

"It literally had everything! - Bookworm Characters - Humor - Banter - Swoon-worthy lines."  - Book Reviewer.

Book cover of What If...

Josh Funk Author Of Dear Unicorn

From my list on pictures to inspire the creative artistic spirit.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an author, one of my goals is to encourage kids to fall in love with reading–but I’m not an illustrator. I wish I practiced art more as a kid. If I had, maybe I’d be illustrating my own books. If only these five books existed forty years ago, perhaps I wouldn’t have given up on art. So, in addition to falling in love with reading, I’d love to inspire those same kids to keep exploring their artistic sides. I’ve seen how these books invigorate the artistic spirit of creatives and I hope they do the same for you.

Josh's book list on pictures to inspire the creative artistic spirit

Josh Funk Why Josh loves this book

For some creatives, nothing can get in their way. No pencil? Fold the paper! No paper? Chisel this, sculpt that, and shape even more.

There’s always something somewhere with which to make art if you keep your imagination open to it. Berger’s lyrical text paired with Curato’s illustrations across many different mediums is *mwah* (chef’s kiss).

By Samantha Berger , Mike Curato (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked What If... as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

Creativity, the power of imagination, and the importance of self-expression are celebrated in this inspiring picture book written and illustrated by real-life best friends.

This girl is determined to express herself! If she can't draw her dreams, she'll sculpt or build, carve or collage. If she can't do that, she'll turn her world into a canvas. And if everything around her is taken away, she'll sing, dance, and dream...

Stunning mixed media illustrations, lyrical text, and a breathtaking gatefold conjure powerful magic in this heartfelt affirmation of art, imagination, and the resilience of the human spirit.


Book cover of How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day
Book cover of The Mind Map Book: Unlock Your Creativity, Boost Your Memory, Change Your Life
Book cover of How to Develop a Brilliant Memory Week by Week: 50 Proven Ways to Enhance Your Memory Skills

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5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in creativity, the mind, and the creative process?

Creativity 155 books
The Mind 38 books