The Bestselling Self-Improvement Books To Read Right Now

With all the time we had at home last year, it turns out the majority of us having been spending a substantial amount of time revisiting books. So much so that according to a new study done by Global digital bookseller, Rakuten Kobo, Aussies spent more than 81 years reading in 2020.

The study also found that the most popular time for reading was Friday evening (well it's not like we had much else to do), up 40% from 2019, and that Aussies across the Eastern seaboard (Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast) became night owls in 2020 with the most popular reading time in 2020 recorded at 3am.

In the mix, the most read books included those about professional development and leadership, but also thought-provoking and honest accounts of love, sex and relationships written by women. And the one that took the cake? Self-Improvement. Kobo insights showcased that books to do with mind, body and spirit were up 80% globally and health and fitness were up 35% globally.

So to keep the momentum going into 2021, we have the list of the best sellers (or most-downloaded in most cases) and where you can cop a copy yourself.

10. William Whitecloud's Secrets of Natural Success by William Whitecloud

William Whitecloud’s ‘Secrets Of Natural Success; Five Steps to Unlocking Your Genius’ is unlike any self-transformation book you have ever read.

Best selling author and Creative Development trainer William Whitecloud dispenses with the usual approaches of fixing, self-manipulation or relying on mystical forces to get ahead in life. Instead, he offers a highly original insight into how your level of creativity determines your level of natural success in life, and a step-by-step guide to unlocking and applying the dormant genius within each of us.

9. The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod

What if you could wake up tomorrow and any - or every - area of your life was beginning to transform? What would you change?

The Miracle Morning shows readers how to wake up each day with more energy, motivation, and focus to take life to the next level. 

8. Attached by Amir Levine

An insightful look at the science behind love, Attached offers listeners a road map for building stronger, more fulfilling connections.

7. Lost Connections by Johann Hari

Depression and anxiety are now at epidemic levels. Why? Across the world, scientists have uncovered evidence for nine different causes. Some are in our biology, but most are in the way we are living today.

Lost Connections offers a radical new way of thinking about this crisis. It shows that once we understand the real causes, we can begin to turn to pioneering new solutions - ones that offer real hope.

6. Self-Help for Your Nerves: Learn to relax and enjoy life again by overcoming stress and fear by Claire Weeks

This guide offers the most comprehensive insight and advice into coping with nervous stress.

Sufferers of nervous illness regard Self Help for Your Nerves as their bible – many believe that if they had found it earlier they would have been saved years of unnecessary suffering.

5. Everything Is F*cked by Mark Manson

In Everthing Is F*cked, Manson turns his gaze from the inevitable flaws within each individual self to the endless calamities taking place in the world around us. Drawing from the pool of psychological research on these topics, as well as the timeless wisdom of philosophers such as Plato, Nietzsche, and Tom Waits, he dissects religion and politics and the uncomfortable ways they have come to resemble one another.

4. The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga

Already an enormous bestseller in Asia, with more than 3 million copies sold, The Courage to be Disliked demonstrates how to unlock the power within yourself to be the person you truly want to be.

3. Change Your Thinking [Third Edition] by Dr. Sarah Edelman

The bestselling practical and reassuring guide to overcoming self-defeating thoughts and behaviours, using cognitive behavioural therapy.

2. The Happiness Trap: Stop Struggling, Start Living by Dr. Russ Harris

The Happiness Trap shows readers how to apply Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in their own lives to increase self-awareness, develop emotional intelligence, enhance relationships, create a sense of meaning and purpose, access a transcendent sense of self, and fundamentally transform painful thoughts and feelings so they have much less impact and influence over life.

1. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

Not surprisingly number one, if you haven't read it already, Mark Manson tells it like it is—a dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is his antidote to the coddling, let’s-all-feel-good mindset that has infected modern society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up.