Here are 100 books that The Rise of Superman fans have personally recommended if you like The Rise of Superman. 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 Good to Great

John Mullins Author Of Break the Rules!: The Six Counter-Conventional Mindsets of Entrepreneurs That Can Help Anyone Change the World

From my list on enhanced success of your entrepreneurial journey.

Why am I passionate about this?

The world of entrepreneurship has been my driving passion for decades. Why? It is entrepreneurs, despite their many quirks, who make the world a better place. It’s entrepreneurs who create jobs in a world where jobs in many places are in short supply. It’s entrepreneurs who wake up every day with a passion to forge their own path with the freedom to do so. And it’s why I embarked at mid-life on a second career as a business-school professor. It’s why I teach and why I write. The books I suggest here will give you a fighting chance to deal effectively with the challenges you’ll surely find along your entrepreneurial journey.

John's book list on enhanced success of your entrepreneurial journey

John Mullins Why John loves this book

Jim Collins’ best book is the most pragmatic and most useful business book I’ve ever read. Period. From “getting the right people on the bus” to “the hedgehog concept” and more, the fundamentals entailed in creating a truly great business are all here. What more need I say? 

By Jim Collins ,

Why should I read it?

17 authors picked Good to Great as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

________________________________
Can a good company become a great one? If so, how?

After a five-year research project, Jim Collins concludes that good to great can and does happen. In this book, he uncovers the underlying variables that enable any type of organisation to make the leap from good to great while other organisations remain only good. Rigorously supported by evidence, his findings are surprising - at times even shocking - to the modern mind.

Good to Great achieves a rare distinction: a management book full of vital ideas that reads as well as a fast-paced novel. It is widely regarded…


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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 Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

Alan Gregerman Author Of The Wisdom of Ignorance

From my list on unlocking your curiosity and awesomeness.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am, first and foremost, someone who cares deeply about the world, people, and learning. I have been passionate about ideas, curiosity, and innovation since I was a child and since starting our company and writing four books, have had the privilege of helping over 400 organizations and 700,000 people to unlock their genius by not being experts but by being curious about the world around them and other people. I am also a teacher, speaker, and community volunteer who is keen to help people find their own unique brilliance.

Alan's book list on unlocking your curiosity and awesomeness

Alan Gregerman Why Alan loves this book

I love this book because it is all about how we show up each day and how we engage the world.

I am particularly keen on the idea that we can choose to be open to learning new things, meeting new people, and making a difference…in other words, we can choose to “grow” …or we can choose to stand still.

And I hope that I will never stop wanting to know more, read more, learn, and try to make a difference.

By Carol S. Dweck ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

From the renowned psychologist who introduced the world to “growth mindset” comes this updated edition of the million-copy bestseller—featuring transformative insights into redefining success, building lifelong resilience, and supercharging self-improvement.

“Through clever research studies and engaging writing, Dweck illuminates how our beliefs about our capabilities exert tremendous influence on how we learn and which paths we take in life.”—Bill Gates, GatesNotes

“It’s not always the people who start out the smartest who end up the smartest.”

After decades of research, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. In this…


Book cover of Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning

Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott Author Of Every Shot Must Have a Purpose: How GOLF54 Can Make You a Better Player

From my list on improving performance and growth.

Why we are passionate about this?

We have been coaching and learning about peak performance for four decades. To learn from playing golf ourselves, coaching others to play better, and continuously staying curious and learning from others is a mix that we want to keep alive. It’s not only to perform well that matters to us, but that we also grow as a human being. It’s about excellence and wellbeing. What skills, what culture, and what foundation can make that a possibility? Our deepest wish is for all of us to access our own unique possibilities to be good and happy. 

Pia and Lynn's book list on improving performance and growth

Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott Why Pia and Lynn loves this book

This is the best book we have read about how to practice in the best way possible. So many people practice hard but don’t improve. We always say, “What you practice, you get good at,” … so make sure you practice and train in the smartest way possible.

Spaced-out practice means you need a break and time to recharge, and that is important for retention. Interleaving means that you don’t stay with one segment of a skill until you master it. You interleave several segments, and it makes it a lot harder to do, but retention and mastery improve.

By Peter Brown , Henry L. Roediger III , Mark A. McDaniel

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Make It Stick as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

To most of us, learning something "the hard way" implies wasted time and effort. Good teaching, we believe, should be creatively tailored to the different learning styles of students and should use strategies that make learning easier. Make It Stick turns fashionable ideas like these on their head. Drawing on recent discoveries in cognitive psychology and other disciplines, the authors offer concrete techniques for becoming more productive learners.

Memory plays a central role in our ability to carry out complex cognitive tasks, such as applying knowledge to problems never before encountered and drawing inferences from facts already known. New insights…


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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 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Chuck Wisner Author Of The Art of Conscious Conversations

From my list on a more alive, self-aware, and fulfilling life.

Why am I passionate about this?

From an early age, I had an insatiable curiosity. I questioned organized religion. I wondered why people can’t get along and why wars were fought over personal ideas and beliefs. Additionally, early in life, I had multiple physical and psychological spiritual experiences that kept my wonder and searching alive. My curiosity took me on a journey of self-discovery. I studied the ontology of language and became certified as a structural integration body/mind therapist and mediator. Each of the suggested books played a role in awakening me and providing tools to become a better human being. I hope the books inspire you. 

Chuck's book list on a more alive, self-aware, and fulfilling life

Chuck Wisner Why Chuck loves this book

This was the first book that piqued my interest in human dynamics and relationships. Steven’s seven habits ask us to examine our patterns of interaction with others and consider how we can think and act differently in our work. Steven’s approach opened my eyes to some bad habits I had, while also inspiring me to learn more.

Along with a few business dilemmas and dramas, this book set me on a path of inquiry about humans, relationships, work ethics, and the power of words and conversations. 

By Stephen R. Covey ,

Why should I read it?

19 authors picked The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

New York Times bestseller - over 25 million copies sold
The No. 1 Most Influential Business Book of the Twentieth Century

"[Thirty] years after it first appeared, the wisdom of The 7 Habits is more relevant than ever. On an individual level people are burning out, and on a collective level we are burning up the planet. So Dr. Covey's emphasis on self-renewal and his understanding that leadership and creativity require us to tap into our own physical, mental, and spiritual resources are exactly what we need now." Arianna Huffington

One of the most inspiring and impactful books ever written,…


Book cover of Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Nils Salzgeber Author Of Mastering Flow

From my list on the flow state and how to achieve it.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m passionate about flow for two reasons. First, I find the concept utterly fascinating. Second, I’m convinced that flow is an absolute key to happiness, success, and well-being. If I can learn to experience more flow, that can make a big positive difference in my life. If I could learn to enter and exit flow at will, that would be powerful beyond belief. I need flow, and lots of it, for my growth and fulfillment (I think we all do).

Nils' book list on the flow state and how to achieve it

Nils Salzgeber Why Nils loves this book

This is, in many ways, the book that introduced the concept of flow to the world. I’m in awe with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. While I never got to meet him, I imagine he was a most wonderful person–wise, curious, thoughtful, kind, warm, approachable, creative, quiet, yet profound.

I agree with almost everything he wrote, and I think his ideas about happiness, flow, and the meaning of life were spot on.

By Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

“Csikszentmihalyi arrives at an insight that many of us can intuitively grasp, despite our insistent (and culturally supported) denial of this truth. That is, it is not what happens to us that determines our happiness, but the manner in which we make sense of that reality. . . . The manner in which Csikszentmihalyi integrates research on consciousness, personal psychology and spirituality is illuminating.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review

The bestselling classic that holds the key to unlocking meaning, creativity, peak performance, and true happiness.

Legendary psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's famous investigations of "optimal experience" have revealed that what makes an…


Book cover of Advances in Flow Research

Nils Salzgeber Author Of Mastering Flow

From my list on the flow state and how to achieve it.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m passionate about flow for two reasons. First, I find the concept utterly fascinating. Second, I’m convinced that flow is an absolute key to happiness, success, and well-being. If I can learn to experience more flow, that can make a big positive difference in my life. If I could learn to enter and exit flow at will, that would be powerful beyond belief. I need flow, and lots of it, for my growth and fulfillment (I think we all do).

Nils' book list on the flow state and how to achieve it

Nils Salzgeber Why Nils loves this book

I love reading scholarly articles and books. In my opinion, this book is the #1 academic book on the subject of flow. It’s absolutely packed with information on the subject.

Some of my favorite chapters were those on the autotelic personality (which character traits facilitate or hinder flow?), the psychophysiology of flow (what’s happening in the brain and body during flow?), and flow in the context of work (what are the benefits and what are the factors that make flow at work more or less likely?).

By Corinna Peifer (editor) , Stefan Engeser (editor) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Advances in Flow Research as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This second edition provides a review of the current flow research. The first, thoroughly revised and extended, part of the book, addresses basic concepts, correlates, conditions and consequences of flow experience. This includes the developments of the flow model, methods to measure flow, its physiological correlates, personality factors involved in the emergence of flow, social flow, the relationship of flow with performance and wellbeing, but also possible negative consequences of flow. The second, completely new, part of the book addresses flow in diverse contexts, in particular, work, development, sports, music and arts, and human computer interaction. As such, the book…


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Book cover of The Duke's Christmas Redemption

The Duke's Christmas Redemption by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.

Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…

Book cover of Talented Teenagers

Nils Salzgeber Author Of Mastering Flow

From my list on the flow state and how to achieve it.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m passionate about flow for two reasons. First, I find the concept utterly fascinating. Second, I’m convinced that flow is an absolute key to happiness, success, and well-being. If I can learn to experience more flow, that can make a big positive difference in my life. If I could learn to enter and exit flow at will, that would be powerful beyond belief. I need flow, and lots of it, for my growth and fulfillment (I think we all do).

Nils' book list on the flow state and how to achieve it

Nils Salzgeber Why Nils loves this book

I picked this book because it highlighted to me an important job as a coach and (hopefully future) father: My job, among other things, is to help kids enjoy what they do. If I demand too much or too little of them, I put them in a challenge-skills imbalance; as a result, instead of experiencing flow, they’ll experience boredom, frustration, or anxiety. 

If I want to help them develop intrinsic motivation and fulfill their potential, I must put them in a challenge-skills balance so that they can be in flow and experience the activity as enjoyable and rewarding.

The book points that out very well. (It also shares other reasons why some kids go on to cultivate their talents and develop their abilities while others don’t.)

By Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi , Kevin Rathunde , Samuel Whalen

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Talented Teenagers is a fascinating and absorbing examination of what makes adolescents tick: what roles personality traits, family interactions, education, and the social environment play in a young person's motivation to develop his or her talent. Vivid descriptions in the students' own words bring the material to life. Parents, teachers, psychologists, and counselors will find in these pages concrete information abou the conditions that foster the cultivation of mental abilities in adolescence, for both the gifted and the average student.


Book cover of Experiencing Flow

Nils Salzgeber Author Of Mastering Flow

From my list on the flow state and how to achieve it.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m passionate about flow for two reasons. First, I find the concept utterly fascinating. Second, I’m convinced that flow is an absolute key to happiness, success, and well-being. If I can learn to experience more flow, that can make a big positive difference in my life. If I could learn to enter and exit flow at will, that would be powerful beyond belief. I need flow, and lots of it, for my growth and fulfillment (I think we all do).

Nils' book list on the flow state and how to achieve it

Nils Salzgeber Why Nils loves this book

I enjoyed reading this relatively short book and often found myself in a mild flow state while reading it. I especially enjoyed reading about Jackson’s story (she’s one of the world’s leading experts on flow). She has a chapter in which she shares a recent experience of adversity she had to go through. She details her struggles, her coping strategies, and what she learned about flow in the process–fascinating!

I also like how she introduces the reader to other people in the world of flow (e.g., Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi). My favorite chapter was the one in which she explains how anxiety can get in the way of flow and how acceptance can be helpful in dealing with anxiety. I especially enjoyed the stories she shares about Steve Hayes, Kelly Wilson, and Akshay Nananvati–each of them found their own way to embrace and accept anxiety in order to live a happier, more…

By Susan A. Jackson ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Experiencing Flow: Life Beyond Boredom and Anxiety is a transformative guide that unlocks the secrets to achieving optimal experiences and living a life filled with purpose and joy. Dr. Susan A. Jackson, a renowned psychologist and author, takes you on a captivating journey through the life-changing concept of flow – a state of complete absorption where challenges are met with skill, time seems to stand still, and enjoyment reaches its peak.

Drawing upon her extensive research, interviews, personal experiences, and close collaboration with the founder of flow, the legendary Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Dr. Jackson provides a comprehensive understanding of this optimal…


Book cover of Walking on Water

Mark Chisnell Author Of Powder Burn

From my list on the thrills and dangers of extreme sports.

Why am I passionate about this?

I started climbing and running around the hills in my teens, got into boats, became a professional sailor for twenty years, then took up surfing at thirty and snowboarding at forty. There’s something special about playing with gravity, whether it’s sliding down hills or waves, or defying it on a mountain face. All these books capture the thrill and the dangers.

Mark's book list on the thrills and dangers of extreme sports

Mark Chisnell Why Mark loves this book

I loved the book because the author’s love for the sport comes across so plainly. The stories from the spiritual home of surfing, Oahu’s North Shore, are wonderful. It’s an essential text for anyone getting into the sport, capturing its soul better than anything else I have read.

By Andy Martin ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The story of an obsession, this book is about surfing in Hawaii. It is also the tale of the author's clumsy initiation into the surfing cult and culture.


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Book cover of Old Man Country

Old Man Country by Thomas R. Cole,

This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the world’s most famous heart surgeon.

In these and other intimate conversations, the book…

Book cover of Extreme Danger

Ron Base Author Of Scandal at the Savoy: A Priscilla Tempest Mystery, Book 2

From my list on combining mystery and suspense into something magical.

Why am I passionate about this?

As readers may have gathered from the five books I’ve chosen, my childhood obsessions and passions have had an immense influence on my later writing life. Somewhat to my surprise, I must say. I’ve been a newspaper reporter, magazine writer, movie critic, and have written screenplays. But returning to novels, first with the Sanibel Sunset Detective series and lately with Death at the Savoy and Scandal at the Savoy, I am, in effect, reliving my childhood, using it to write these books. What a joy to be looking back as I move forward—and you always keep the plot moving forward!

Ron's book list on combining mystery and suspense into something magical

Ron Base Why Ron loves this book

Torn between the Hardy Boys novels and Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer mysteries, I’ve reluctantly gone with the Hardy Boys.

Both authors (although there were many pseudonymous writers of the Hardy Boys series) taught a fledging writer invaluable lessons about keeping the story moving forward while leaving the reader hanging from the edge of a cliff at the end of each chapter.

What I adored about Joe and Frank Hardy was the freedom they had as teenagers. They never seemed to have to go to high school, they drove their own car, they were never short of money, and they solved mysteries that their detective father never could.

My kind of guys!

By Franklin W. Dixon ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Extreme Danger as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

ATAC BRIEFING FOR AGENTS FRANK AND JOE HARDY

MISSION: To find the mastermind behind a possible attack at the Big Air Games.
LOCATION: Philadelphia, PA.
POTENTIAL VICTIMS: Top extreme athletes in the country. Thousands of spectators.
SUSPECTS: There may be a group of extremists working together. There may be just one.


Book cover of Good to Great
Book cover of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
Book cover of Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning

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