Books like Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

01

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Angela Duckworth · Psychology

Duckworth's central claim is that talent is overrated.

Both dig into motivation.

02

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Daniel Kahneman · Psychology

Thinking, Fast and Slow is Daniel Kahneman's account of the two cognitive systems that govern human thought.

A kindred psychology read.

03

Outliers: The Story of Success

Malcolm Gladwell · Psychology

Outliers is Malcolm Gladwell's argument that exceptional success is less a product of individual genius or drive than it is of hidden advantages, timing, and accumulated opportunity.

A kindred psychology read.

04

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

Daniel H. Pink · Psychology

Drive is Daniel Pink's argument that the motivational model most organizations still run on — reward the behavior you want, punish the behavior you don't — is badly mismatched to the kind of work that matters most in a modern economy.

Both dig into motivation.

05

The Power of Habit

Charles Duhigg · Psychology

The Power of Habit is Charles Duhigg's investigation into why habits exist and how they can be changed.

A kindred psychology read.

06

The Growth Mindset Coach

Annie Brock and Heather Hundley · Self-help

The Growth Mindset Coach is a practical guide for teachers and educators who want to bring Carol Dweck's mindset research into actual classroom practice.

Shares growth mindset and learning with Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.

07

The Art of Learning

Josh Waitzkin · Self-help

The Art of Learning is Josh Waitzkin's account of how he became a national chess champion as a child and later a world-champion martial artist, and what those two very different disciplines taught him about the structure of high performance.

Shares learning and resilience with Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.

08

Black Box Thinking

Matthew Syed · Psychology

Black Box Thinking is Matthew Syed's argument that the difference between industries and organizations that improve over time and those that stagnate comes down to how they handle failure.

Both dig into growth mindset.

09

Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence

Rick Hanson · Psychology

Rick Hanson is a neuropsychologist and meditation teacher, and this book is his attempt to explain why wellbeing is so hard to sustain and what the brain science suggests you can do about it.

Both dig into resilience.

10

I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't)

Brené Brown · Psychology

I Thought It Was Just Me is Brené Brown's first major book, written from her research on shame as a social scientist.

Both dig into resilience.

11

Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life

Martin E. P. Seligman · Psychology

Martin Seligman's research career began with learned helplessness — the discovery that animals and humans who experience uncontrollable events generalize the uncontrollability to subsequent situations where control is actually possible, becoming passive even when action would help.

Both dig into resilience.

12

Man's Search for Meaning

Viktor E. Frankl · Psychology

Man's Search for Meaning is Viktor Frankl's account of his years as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz, and the psychological theory he developed from that experience.

Both dig into resilience.