I must admit I’ve always been a bookworm. I love snuggling on the couch and immersing myself in a book. I have found that the ability to do this whilst studying full time (and working and interning and having a social life…phew…is this not all of us?!) has been almost impossible. So instead of attempting to read a long novel, I have found pleasure in immersing myself in self development books.

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I find it interesting to gain knowledge and skills from professionals in a myriad of industries which I otherwise would not have known about. I appreciate the ability these books give me to learn and grow outside of uni and assignments. Therefore, I’ve put together a small summary of some of my favourite self development books (all which are easy reads I promise). 

Here are my three top recommendations*:

1. Pitch Perfect by Bill McGowan

This book is perfect for anyone in any industry. One of my favourite lines is “saying the right thing the right way, can make the difference between sealing the deal or losing the account”. Here are just a few pieces of advice given throughout the book: 

• Encouraging you to articulate your thoughts with clarity, conviction and confidence
• Advice for public speaking to overcome your nerves and deliver effective content
• How to effectively win over clients
• Skills for job seekers to highlight their competitive strengths

Buy it on Amazon, they say: “With Pitch Perfect you can harness the power of persuasion and have people not only listening closely to your every word but also remembering you long after you’ve left the room.”

2. Why Nice Girls Still Don’t Get The Corner Office: 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers by Lois P. Frankel PHD

This book is not just for women, it’s fantastic for anyone. It addresses the unconscious mistakes people make in the office that sabotage their careers. This book explores these behaviours in 7 different categories including:

• How you play the game
• How you act
• How you think
• How you brand and market yourself
• How you sound
• How you look
• How you respond 

These sections don’t need to be read in order either. You can complete a mini quiz at the start of the book to identify which area you need the most improvement in, and work your way back from there.

Buy it on Good Reads, they say: “In this groundbreaking guide, [Frankel] helps you eliminate these unconscious mistakes that could be holding you back–and offers invaluable coaching tips you can easily incorporate into your social and business skills.”

3. Work With Me by Simon Dowling

Do you want to know how to get people around you to buy into your ideas? Then this is the book for you. It walks through strategies you can implement when working in teams to convey your ideas using specific language, actions, and tone at the right time to create ‘genuine buy in’. It’s also great at fostering your ability to work in teams and aid cooperation which is relevant to all of us. Some areas it includes are:

• Building engagement and commitment 
• Overcoming challenges 
• Fostering enthusiastic collaboration 
• Boosting creativity and passion

Buy it on Booktopia, they say: “This book is your coach for speaking up, standing out and embracing the changes that fuel engaged workplaces and better business.”

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Before I finish up, I thought I would leave you with my ‘read next’ list in case any of these interest you. These are: 

• Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari 
• Life 3.0 by Max Tegmark 
• Hey Whipple, Squeeze This by Luke Sullivan 
• The Marshmallow Test by Walter Mischel 
• Misbehaving by Richard Thaler 

Happy reading! All the best, Georgia x 

*The MMSS does not endorse or sponsor any of these recommendations or the websites listed above. This post is a reflection of my own personal views and opinions. 

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