Welcome to Andrew Holt’s Reading List for Personal Growth. Reading is one of the most valuable habits you can cultivate. Whether you’re seeking knowledge, building skills, or developing a deeper understanding of yourself and the world, time spent with a good book is always time well spent. I read every day as part of my morning routine.
“All time spent reading is time well-spent”
-W. H. Auden
For me, reading is an essential part of my daily routine. While fiction certainly has its place, I focus on books that expand my knowledge, particularly around human psychology and performance. I’ve developed techniques to absorb and apply what I read, from speed reading to detailed note-taking, ensuring every lesson finds a place in my life, my content, or my coaching.
One principle I live by is never to take a single book as absolute truth. I believe in reading widely and comparing perspectives to form my own philosophy on any subject. It’s important to challenge what you read and test your views against multiple sources to avoid falling into the trap of dogma.
Smart Reading Habits
Curious about how I approach reading? Check out my video on smart reading habits, where I share techniques for effective reading, note-taking, and idea retention.
Recommended Reading List for Personal Growth
Below is my reading list for personal growth some of my top book recommendations across key areas of personal development. These books will help you kick-start your journey to unlocking knowledge for personal growth, whether you’re looking to sharpen your mindset, improve your health, or grow your career. Feel free to reach out if you want more personalised suggestions!
Human Psychology
- Psycho-Cybernetics (Maxwell Maltz)
Your self-image shapes your reality—change how you see yourself, and you’ll change the results you get. This is a must read for anyone on their self improvement journey. - Thinking Fast and Slow (Daniel Kahneman)
We use two modes of thinking—an automatic, intuitive “fast” mode and a logical, deliberate “slow” mode—and recognizing their biases improves decision-making. One of my favourite books with so many lessons including how loss aversions works and how you can develop a “trader’s mindset.” - Office Politics (Oliver James)
Navigating workplace power dynamics with emotional intelligence is crucial for success and psychological well-being. Covers the dark triad personality traits: narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. Covered in my video on Machiavellian Strategies. - The 48 Laws of Power (Robert Greene)
Power can be cultivated (and misused) through strategic behavior, but remain aware of the moral and personal costs. Robert Greene is the “Modern day Machiavel.” Covered in my video on Machiavellian Strategies. - The Prince (Niccolò Machiavelli)
Pragmatism in leadership—sometimes being feared is more reliable than being loved if you can’t be both. Covered in my video on Machiavellian Strategies. - Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder (Nassim Nicholas Taleb)
Discover why some systems thrive amid chaos, and how to cultivate resilience so you gain from volatility instead of just enduring it.
Human Performance
- The Four Hour Work Week (Timothy Ferriss)
Outsource and automate your non-essentials, freeing up time for what matters most in life. The first book that changed how I think. - Limitless (Jim Kwik)
By optimizing how you learn and think—through focused techniques, diet, and mindset—you can dramatically expand your cognitive abilities. - Order Out Of Chaos (Scott Walker)
Create structure and processes amid life’s turbulence so you can transform disarray into productive momentum (My coach, whose insights were pivotal in my growth). - Atomic Habits (James Clear)
Small, consistent habit changes compound over time and ultimately reshape your identity and success. - Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment (George Leonard, et al.)
True mastery is the long game—embrace the plateaus and persistently practice to achieve deep expertise. - Oversubscribed: How to Get People Lining Up to Do Business with You (Daniel Priestley)
Engineer scarcity and create a buzz that attracts eager customers, positioning your business as a must-have rather than a mere option. - Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers (Timothy Ferriss)
Explore the success habits, tactics, and mindsets of top performers across various industries, distilled into actionable takeaways.
Diet and Fitness
- Peak40 (Dr Mark Bubbs)
Around age 40 and beyond, strategic nutrition, exercise, and recovery practices can optimize both energy and long-term health. A high level summary of all of the deeper topics from other books. - Outlive (Dr Peter Attia)
Proactively address root causes of chronic disease through exercise, nutrition, and monitoring to live healthier for longer. - The Mediterranean Diet Cook Book (Slajerova, DeLauer, Norwitz, Kashid)
A nutrient-dense diet focused on fresh produce, healthy fats, and balanced meals promotes heart health and longevity (my source for a lot of cooking ideas). - Super Human (Dave Asprey)
Biohacking and emerging technologies let you slow aging, improve energy, and enhance mental clarity. This is a very exciting book, good for both giggles and serious considerations. - Optimize Your Health With Therapeutic Peptides (Jay Campbell)
Specific peptides can unlock new methods for healing, performance, and anti-aging when used intelligently (Note: This is an advanced topic). - The Circadian Code (Dr Satchin Panda)
Aligning your eating and sleeping patterns with your body’s natural clock drastically boosts health and vitality. - Ultra-Processed People (Chris van Tulleken)
Ultra-processed foods are addictive and nutritionally poor—replacing them with whole foods is key for better health. Quite scary to find out how much of what we think of as food is ultr-processed. - How Not to Age (Michael Greger)
Evidence-based diet and lifestyle interventions—notably a plant-focused approach—can dramatically slow the aging process. - Dorian Yates: From the Shadow (Kaspa Hazlewood)
Extreme dedication, discipline, and a willingness to innovate can transform your body and break boundaries. - The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-loss, Incredible Sex and Becoming Superhuman (Timothy Ferriss)
Optimize your physique using minimal, high-leverage diet, exercise, and lifestyle hacks that deliver outsized results.
Also, refer to my diet and recipes page for some ideas on improving your diet such as my Keto Eggs and Salmon breakfast as shown in this image.
This page contains a summary of how to implement a whole foods diet and also a selection of recipes which you can integrate into your daily routine.
I also have a a Diet and Meals playlist on my YouTube Channel.
Relationships
- Models: Attract Women Through Honesty (Mark Manson)
Authenticity and vulnerability—rather than manipulation—are the foundations of genuine attraction (One of the best dating books, reviewed on my blog). - Attached (Amir Levine & Rachel Heller)
Knowing your (and your partner’s) attachment style empowers you to form healthier, more secure bonds. A must read. Key lesson: I found that I could apply this quickly to profile people and use it to predict how they will behave with surprising accuracy. This can also work beyond love relationships—even in business to some degree, although I prefer to use DISC profiling for business. - Getting The Love That You Want (Harville Hendrix & Helen Hunt)
Couples often unconsciously seek healing for old wounds; transform conflict into deeper connection by understanding this dynamic. Key lesson: Use your lover to practice the missing part of you—your shadow (Reviewed on my related blog). This book really does embody the purpose of this reading list for personal growth—read it! Quick tip: it is possible for both partners to read this book and to conduct the exercises. Make sure you don’t do this like a therapy session and instead make it fun and exciting. Don’t do this with someone you are only in the dating phase. - Mode One (Alan Roger Currie)
Direct, no-nonsense honesty about your intentions fosters clarity and respect in relationships. A more brutal and direct view of the concepts explored in Models. Key lesson: Mode One always! (Reviewed on my blog). - Nice Guys And Players (Rom Wills)
Merging sincerity with genuine confidence is more attractive—and more authentic—than either extreme on its own. Rom Wills is a legend (Reviewed on my blog). - Atomic Attraction (Christopher Canwell)
Attraction is rooted in primal psychological triggers; understanding these helps strengthen relationships. One of the most actionable books ever written. Key lesson: Always be slightly better dressed than everyone else. - No More MR Nice Guy (Dr Robert A. Glover)
Stop seeking external validation—assert your own needs to cultivate healthier, more balanced relationships. - The Human Magnet Syndrome (Ross Rosenberg)
Codependents and narcissists often gravitate toward each other; awareness and boundaries can break the cycle.
Mindset and State Preparation
- The Almanack of Naval Ravikant (Eric Jorgenson)
Wealth, wisdom, and happiness come from building specific skills, cultivating leverage, and practicing mindful awareness. Profound wisdom on every page. The man is a genius. Key lesson: Learn to love to read. - The Gap and The Gain (Dan Sullivan)
Measuring progress by how far you’ve come (the “Gain”), rather than how far you still have to go, fuels motivation and gratitude. Key lesson: Always measure backwards. - The Obstacle Is the Way (Ryan Holiday)
Barriers become pathways—reframing challenges as opportunities fosters resilience and success. - Burn The Bull Shit (Stephen Doran)
Discard limiting narratives and false excuses to free yourself for genuine transformation. Property mogul turned self improvement key note speaker, Stephen has a great mindset. Key lesson: Reaching financial success without underpinning it with emotional success is failure. - The Living City (Frank Lloyd Wright)
Urban planning should harmonize with nature, blending architecture and environment for healthier communities (An odd ball in here but this book is thought-provoking). - The Four Agreements (Don Miguel Ruiz)
By being impeccable with your word, not taking things personally, avoiding assumptions, and always doing your best, you find personal freedom. - The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfilment of Your Dreams (Deepak Chopra)
Elevate your pursuits by blending spiritual principles—like intention, detachment, and giving—into daily life to achieve true fulfilment.
Financial and Wealth Building
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad (Robert Kiyosaki)
Grow wealth by investing in income-producing assets, understanding cash flow, and constantly expanding your financial education. A life changing book. Key lesson: why the house you live in is actually a liability, not an asset as most people like to think it is. - Economics In One Lesson (Henry Hazlitt)
Always account for the unseen, long-term consequences of economic choices—beyond the immediate effects. - The Naked Trader (Robbie Burns)
Simple, rule-based investing—combined with emotional detachment—yields consistent gains in the stock market. Key lesson: Always trade in a stocks and shares ISA or spread betting (risk appetite depending) first. - Think and Grow Rich (Napoleon Hill)
Align mental focus, faith, and persistence around a clear aim to attract and create the success you envision. - Life Leverage: How to Get More Done in Less Time, Outsource Everything & Create Your Ideal Mobile Lifestyle (Rob Moore)
Learn to free your schedule by outsourcing low-impact tasks so you can focus on what truly drives results and fulfilment. - The Price of Money (Rob Dix)
Recognize how money is created and manipulated, then strategically protect and grow your wealth in a rigged financial system. Key lesson: good summary of how the economy works and what you should do. - Low Cost High Life (Mark Homer)
Live well for less by limiting expenses and leveraging smart investments to achieve financial freedom. Key lesson: Cash preservation! - How to Sell Anything to Anybody (Joe Girard)
Master the art of building trust, understanding human motivation, and effectively closing deals to drive unstoppable sales success. Key lessons: The Law of 250 and how smells can do the selling (new car smell).
Business and Career
- Buy Then Build (Walker Deibel)
Jumpstart entrepreneurship by acquiring an existing business rather than starting from scratch. - Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business (Gino Wickman)
Systemise your company with the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to drive clarity, accountability, and scalable growth. - Ogilvy on Advertising (David Ogilvy)
Craft irresistible headlines and research-backed campaigns that capture attention and convert prospects into loyal customers. Full of time tested basics to help you cut through the latest trends and stick to what works.
Mental Health
- The Body Keeps The Score (Bessel van der Kolk)
Trauma is embedded in both mind and body, and true healing involves addressing emotional and physiological scars. - Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving (Pete Walker)
Managing emotional flashbacks and practicing self-compassion are core steps toward recovering from complex trauma. Mammoth “encyclopaedia” of mental health tools. - Trauma, The Invisible Epidemic (Paul Conti, MD)
Trauma is more widespread than many realize—acknowledging and understanding it is the first step to meaningful recovery.
Lifestyle and Travel
- Vagabonding (Rolf Potts)
Long-term travel is a mindset shift toward freedom and simplicity—prioritize experiences over possessions (Uplifting and a lot of fun).
Natural World
- The Selfish Gene (Richard Dawkins)
Evolution can be understood at the gene level; organisms are essentially “vehicles” for passing on genetic material (a humbling perspective on life, worth a read to gain a perspective on how insignificant we are). Key lesson: The primordial soup. - The Origin of Species (Charles Darwin)
All life evolves through natural selection, as variations better suited to the environment survive and reproduce.
Practical Skills
- The Concise Guide To Self Sufficiency (John Seymour)
Hands-on skills and sustainable living techniques foster independence and resilience (mega book). - Reader’s Digest Repair Manual (UK Edition)
Basic DIY home maintenance and repair save money, build confidence, and reduce reliance on outside help.
I personally enjoyed all of the above books and got a great deal of value from them.
Books I Didn’t Like That Others Rave About
- How to Win Friends and Influence People (Dale Carnegie)
Your relationships blossom when you genuinely care about others, listen to them, and make them feel valued. - The Denial Of Death (Ernest Becker)
Much of human behaviour is driven by our unconscious fear of mortality, pushing us to create meaning or “hero projects.” (This is a well-written book that I really wanted to like this one but it got too long winded and I wasn’t finding much application for the learning. Still I would recommend this one as the quality was excellent and it was interesting). Note (25th April 2025): I have since changed my mind on this book and can now see the many useful lessons it offers. I guess it was just the writing style that initially put me off!
I’ll continue to update this list as I discover new books in my reading list for personal growth. For more book reviews, insights, and reading tips, follow me on YouTube. Happy reading!
– Andy Holt
Instagram: @andyholt_azl