13 Non-Fiction Books That Will Change Your Life (And Make You More Successful)

Customer Success comes with your own success, first.

And as Jim Rohn once said, you need to:

“work harder on yourself more than you do on your job.”

And one way to do so is to read non-fiction books.

They give you real-life examples and guidance so you can develop your skills faster.

But it comes with a big warning.

It only works if you apply the lessons in practice.

So here are the 13 greatest books that will make you become more successful and change your life for the better.

Experiment with what works best for you and double down on what you love doing the most.

Are you ready?

Let’s go! 🤓

1/ Mindset, Carol Dweck

“Talent is not passed down in the genes. It’s in the mindset”

Key Take Away:
We are all born with a growth mindset that anyone can develop at any age.

And the only difference between success and failure is how you turn a situation to your benefit.

An absolute must-read to develop a growth mindset!
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2/ Influence, Robert Cialdini

In this book, you’ll learn why people say yes and how to apply these insights to Customer Success and more.

Key Take Aways: the 7 Principles of Persuasion
Reciprocation
Commitment and Consistency
Social Proof
Liking
Authority
Scarcity
and Unity

After reading this book, you’ll never talk to your customers the same way again.
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3/ Atomic Habits, James Clear

“Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement”

Key Take Aways

All habits have the same 4-step pattern:
Cue
Craving
Response
and Reward.
To form habits, you must make them:
Obvious
Attractive
Easy
and Satisfying.

Whether you want to form a new habit or get rid of a bad one, read this book for a life-changing experience.
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4/ Start with Why, Simon Sinek

“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it”

Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers had little in common, but they all started with why.

They realized that people won’t buy into a product, service, or idea until they understand the why.

Key Take Away
To inspire others, always communicate your Why, first.
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5/ As a Man Thinketh, James Allen

“As we think, so we are”

James Allen reveals how our thoughts shape our character. They manifest themselves in our finances, health, appearance, and environment.

The choice is yours.

Master your thoughts and create the life you want. Or remain stuck in negativity, frustration, and failure.

Key Take Away:
Your actions follow your thoughts.
Thoughts can keep you young or make you age faster.
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6/ The Almanack of Naval Ravikant

Naval Ravikant is an entrepreneur, philosopher, and investor.
In this book, you’ll learn how to walk your own path to a happy and wealthy life.

Key Take Aways:
Compounding interest also applies to your finances and your relationships.

Money is the ultimate tool for freedom.
To become happy, learn how to be neutral and stay quiet.
A must-read!
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7/ The 4-Hour Workweek, Tim Ferriss

“Doing something unimportant well does not make it important”
This book is the ultimate guide to living the lifestyle of your dreams.

Key Take Aways:
• How Tim went from $40,000 per year to $40,000 per month and 4 hours per week.
• How to cut 50% of your work.
• How to trade a long-term career for short work bursts and frequent “mini-retirements”.

Read it and you’ll never consider “work” the same way again!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

8/ Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill

Number 1 motivational personal development and self-help book of all times.

Napoleon Hill studied more than 500 wealthy businessmen over 20 years. In this masterpiece, he describes the 13 common habits of the most successful people.

The philosophy taught in this book will help you succeed in everything you do.

Here are the 13 Laws of Success:
Desire
Faith
Auto Suggestion
Specialized Knowledge
Imagination
Organized Planning
Decision
Persistence
Power of the Master Mind
Transmutation
The Subconscious Mind
The Brain
The Sixth Sense

Key Take Aways
Use the power of auto-suggestion to build a strong belief in yourself.
Always stand by your decisions.

Join a mastermind group to speed up the learning curve.
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9/ Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki

A bestseller in the categories of Personal Finance, Parenting, and Investing.

It’s the story of Robert growing up with his two dads: his own father and the father of his best friend.

The way in which both men shaped his thoughts about money and investing has changed his life forever.

Key Take Aways:
• You don’t need to earn a high income to become rich
• Defines what an asset is (puts money in your pocket)
and a liability (takes money from your pocket).
• You can’t rely on the school system to teach your kids about money

A must-read!
And you’ll never look at your finances the same way again!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

10/ Never Split the Difference, Chris Voss

Chris Voss is a former FBI hostage negotiator.
In this awesome book, he explains how to negotiate in any type of situation.

Key Take Away:
Build trust by using the mirroring technique.
Label your counterpart’s emotions to build empathy.
Use the right tone of voice.
A must-read for any Customer Success professional!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

11/ The Psychology Of Money, Morgan Housel

Doing well with money isn’t about what you know.
It’s about how you behave. And behavior is hard to teach, even to smart people.

The book tells you 19 short stories exploring the strange ways people think about money.

Key Take Aways:
Leave greed out when managing your money.
Don’t envy how others are doing with their money as it can lead you to make the wrong decisions for yourself.

Your childhood experiences influence the financial decisions you make later in life.
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12/ How To Win Friends & Influence People, Dale Carnegie

Self-development book written by Dale Carnegie, and published in 1936.

One of the most groundbreaking and timeless bestsellers of all time!
The one book you should have close to you and read at least once every year!

Key Take Aways:
Six ways to make people appreciate you
Twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking
Nine ways to change people without appearing rude
And much more!
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How To Win Friends And Influence People (6 hours)

Listen to the full Audiobook on the Customer Success Café Podcast

13/ Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey

A New York Times bestseller with over 40 million copies sold. One of the most inspiring and impactful books ever written!

Key Take Aways:
Be Proactive
Begin with the End in Mind
Put First Things First
Think Win/Win
Seek First to Understand, Then Heard
Synergize
Sharpen the Saw

A must-read!
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And that’s it!
These are the books that helped me grow for the better.
And I know they’ll help you too.
I guarantee it.🎯

BONUS:
Here are a few other must-reads I’d recommend as well:

• Man’s Search For Meaning, Viktor Frankl
• Braving the Wilderness, Brene Brown
• Shoe Dog, Phil Knight
• Company of One, Paul Jarvis
• Zero to Sold, Arvid Kahl
• The Richest Man in Babylon, George Clason
• 10% Happier, Dan Harris
• Extreme Ownership, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
• Getting Out of the Box, The Arbinger Institute
• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Mark Manson
• Negotiate Your Way To Riches, Peter Wink
• When, Daniel Pink
• Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Richard Bach
• Factfulness, Hans Rosling
• Trust and Inspire, Stephen Covey

Thank you!
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I’ll speak to you again next Sunday!

Until then, have a great week ahead, and take care friends!
Hakan.