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The written word provides one of the best ways to immerse yourself in inspiring messages and ideas. Since the beginning of time, humans have been sharing stories to help their fellow man cope with the daily trials and tribulations of life.

Now, more than ever, there’s a whole catalog of insightful and motivational books on the market. With books that target almost every facet of our modern lives, keeping positive, focused and on the right path to achieve your dreams is now easier than ever.

These five books each have valuable lessons to teach their readers, and anyone who picks them up is sure to benefit from delving into their contents.

1. “The Chimp Paradox” – Steve Peters

We’re instinctual animals trying to navigate life through logic and reason, and this, in essence, is probably the stem of the majority of our problems. This wonderfully observational book by acclaimed psychiatrist Steve Peters looks at the issues that result from this fact and how we can change the way we interact with our primal self, our inner chimp.

“The Chimp Paradox” is refreshing, presenting an otherwise heavy topic in a simple, humorous and easy-to-digest metaphor. Peters expertly targets every potential point of disaster in our day-to-day lives and creates comprehensive and easily understandable explanations to change our perspective and teach us how to gain control.

Whether for financial gain, peace of mind, improving motivation or just to further your understanding of self, there is no reader out there who wouldn’t benefit from the lessons documented on these pages.

2. “Sane New World” – Ruby Wax

In a similar vein, hilarious comedian Ruby Wax looks specifically at understanding the prehistoric brain in order to combat anxiety and depression. As someone who suffers from depression, Wax had a slightly alternative tactic to cure her illnesses: she enrolled at Oxford University to study neuroscience.

In “Sane New World” she combines the best of both worlds: her cool, off-the-cuff comedy with scientific explanations of the intricate complexities of the brain. She explains behavior that has plagued so many of us over the years and offers practical solutions to train our minds to work in a more productive and functional way.

This read is an essential for anyone suffering with mental illness. It explains the process of these problems in such a pragmatic way that it makes it easier for sufferers to disassociate from the problem and tackle their symptoms from a much more objective, rational viewpoint.

3. “Before Happiness” – Shawn Achor

Subtitled “The 5 Hidden Keys to Achieving Success, Spreading Happiness and Sustaining Positive Change,” this book does pretty much exactly what it says. Shawn Achor is an inspirational speaker who heavily promotes positivity and happiness in the workplace and has published many books, videos and articles on the topic.

This particular release aims to explore why some people can easily instigate positive change while others find it much more difficult. Set into five practical sections of advice, the book looks at how to establish a positive perspective in order to achieve the happiness that will eventually ensure you gain success.

Particularly useful for those looking to improve their career potential, work quality or even just enjoyment of their job, this fantastic piece of writing is not only a practical guide but also a fascinating reflection on the subject at hand.

4. “Vagabonding” – Rolf Potts

People worldwide love the concept of travel; how many times have you heard a friend or colleague threaten to pack it all in and take a gap year? Or maybe you’ve said it yourself.

Rolf Potts is globally renowned as an authority on travel, and this guide provides genuine tips on how to achieve the dream of long-term travel while beautifully addressing the psychology of living a more flexible, free lifestyle away from the shackles of an office job.

Potts details how you don’t need money, luxury and convenience to enjoy life on this earth; he shows you how to throw away your uncertainties and overcome fears of instability in order to see the world. In fact, his wisdom is so poignant that you don’t even have to be an aspiring traveler to benefit; anyone feeling trapped and unmotivated by the constraints of life would definitely find a flick through these pages to be advantageous.

5. “The Prophet” – Kahlil Gibran

Sometimes the most poignant messages are hidden within fictional stories. This world-famous and highly impactful epic poem from early 20th-century philosopher, Kahlil Gibran spouts some of the most incredible nuggets of wisdom that are around today.

The story is based around a lone nomad who has fallen into the good graces of the people of the city where he lives. When, one day, a boat appears on the horizon, the people sense the departure of their enigmatic friend and seek to find him at the dock. Here they plead with the prophet to answer all of their questions before he leaves.

The book is then split into 26 essays, each targeting crucial elements of human life, including marriage, death, work, pain and freedom. It’s also home to well-known quotes, such as the poignant “Your children are not your children; they are the sons and daughters of life’s longing for itself.” In short, for a brief, poetic and beautiful discussion of almost every problem that plagues our world, this is the book to choose.

Like most of the choices on this list, this release is available for purchase on Amazon, which is great for Kindle users. However, it’s important to make sure you’re staying safe while purchasing online. If you’re overseas or using public WiFi, it’s wise to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to protect your credit card details. Check out this review by Secure Thoughts for more information.

Do you have a favorite book that really changed your life? Or have you read some of the ones already mentioned? We’d love to hear your ideas and opinions, so be sure to leave a comment below.

About the Author: Caroline is a blogger for Culture Coverage. She finds solace in reading and has learned some of her most important life lessons from the pages of books. She hopes you can benefit from her choices as well.

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