100 Books Like The Happiness Advantage

A timeless meditation on purpose, suffering, and the human spirit. While not about entrepreneurship, this book is essential for anyone seeking to understand the deeper meaning behind their work. Frankl’s insight—that we can find meaning even in suffering—is profoundly relevant for founders navigating hardship and uncertainty. 

What struck me most about it was how Frankl captured the Holocaust not just as a historical event, but as a raw, existential landscape. I’ve seen many films and documentaries about that era, but Frankl’s account stands apart. His lens is philosophical, not just historical. His insight that meaning, not pleasure or power, is the primary driver of human life resonated deeply.

I've focused on the idea myself that many entrepreneurs pursue ventures not for wealth or control, but as a way to fill a deeper existential hole. Frankl’s writing felt honest, profound, and necessary. This is a serious and enduring book I’ll return… show more.

This book highlights not only theory, but how Google implemented mindfulness via a program with the same name “Search Inside Yourself,” which the author instituted and ran. I was impressed with the depth of the presentation, its simplicity, and the overall theme of mindful business to act as a catalyst to save the world.

The book starts out by emphasizing a focus on breath as access to mindfulness, and that mindfulness is a practice on – and off – the cushion. Tan shows that mindfulness is in sync with running a business and making a profit and can go beyond to make a greater impact on the world. He showcases how emotions can be mastered, empathy is not a weakness, and compassion is possible for the most stoic members of our teams. 

The author starts with the question: “Are you smarter than my chimpanzee?” When you finished the book, you’ll be so humble to say: I am not!

While reading the book, I was several times surprised by how adults (including myself) have a distorted perception of reality. For example, eighty percent of children worldwide are vaccinated. This means that almost all human beings alive today have some access to basic modern health care. However, on average, just 13 percent of people get the right answer.

Don’t forget that you can only make correct decisions based on accurate data. For this, you can rely on (the many) reliable databases that are available via the internet.

It was for me the first book that convinced me to think and work more with facts and data, i.e., evidence-based management

This book reveals how the body stores emotional and traumatic memories long after the mind tries to forget them.

Van der Kolk explains why symptoms like anxiety, emotional numbness, anger, or disconnection can surface years later.

Many men who “push through” or never talk about their trauma find clarity in this book’s explanation of how stress affects the brain and nervous system. It helps readers understand themselves physically and emotionally, while giving hope that healing is possible through therapy, mindfulness, and self-awareness.

Read it, bought it for all my friends, and read it again.

Glennon’s writing style is so disarmingly honest, raw, and powerful that it brought me to tears with its authenticity and relatability.

Full of personal stories about being a mother, being gay, leaving a marriage, recovering from addiction, unpacking religion, and being a sensitive human in a hard, messy world, Glennon weaves healing with radical permission in the most beautiful ways.

Poignant and timeless, this book was a sensation when it came out and still hits home with every turn of the page.

A favorite quote: “My emotions. My intuition. My imagination. My courage. Those are the keys to freedom. Those are who we are. Will we be brave enough to unlock ourselves? Will we be brave enough to set ourselves free? Will we finally step out of our cages and say to ourselves, to our people, and to… show more.

This book is part science, part memoir. The author shares how she applied the research she has done around resilience as she grappled with grief when her child died.

When we are grieving without the false promises of an afterlife, learning how to support ourselves as we put one foot in front of another and continue to move forward can take everything we have. By exploring concepts of resilience and well-being, Dr. Hone provides practical tools to help us cope a bit better. 

Brené Brown reframes vulnerability as a source of strength rather than weakness.

Daring Greatly teaches that courage lives in the willingness to show up when the outcome is uncertain and when fear is present. The book encourages leaders to choose authenticity over perfection and presence over performance.

Brown’s work has been foundational in my understanding of how to create deeper connections and stronger leadership. When we bring honesty, empathy, and humanity into our work, we inspire others to do the same.

This book is a reminder that real confidence is built through vulnerability and that success expands when you are willing to be seen fully.

The foundation of my Vision Training for Life leadership workshops is maintaining a wide, open lens on life so that you can take in as many experiences as possible. But one question I used to struggle with was, why do some experiences, even those that seem inconsequential at the time, have such an outsized impact?

The Heath brothers answered the question for me, and then some, through their combination of data-driven research and rich storytelling. This book imparts so many lessons, including how crucial first impressions are for predicting successful outcomes. That insight alone has helped spark so much human connection for me. The book is filled with many more nuggets that promise to improve your life.

Dipping into this uplifting book before bed each night gave me gentle reminders of the deeper meaning that can be found even in the most mundane of incidents. The folksy title doesn’t do justice to the quality of these 70-odd short stories, which are based on the author’s experience in medical practice and personal life.

Rachel Remen developed Crohn’s disease in her teens, and despite continuing ill health requiring multiple surgeries and an ileostomy, she went on to have a long career as a doctor. I don’t know if she kept a reflective journal about daily events, but this book made me wish I had done so myself.

I’m a big proponent of the power of synchronicity, which I describe as the belief that higher powers are all around us if only we’re willing to let them in. Beitman’s groundbreaking book illuminates the science behind that serendipity. Along the way, he teaches readers how to attract opportunities that will enrich their lives by keeping their eyes and minds open and constantly curious.

 It might sound like magic, but it really is possible to manifest good fortune throughout our lives. It’s no coincidence that so many people who I give this book to are quick to benefit from some lucky break. And what do I tell them? Luck had nothing to do with it, my friend.