My wife and I discuss the books we read together and then ask each other the question, “What would (the author) do in our situation?” We feel like we know them on a first-name basis after reading their books so we are constantly asking “What would Tim do?” “What would Tony do?”

My suggestion for you is to soak up some of these books or go back to the books that had the biggest impact on your life and ask, “What would (the author) do in my situation?”  It is amazing the ideas and answers I have got out of this approach.

Maybe create a book club with a few friends and do this together.  A book is as only as good as what you do differently afterward.

The title of the article might have drawn you in?  Now I have to deliver you a free book!  Audible (which is owned by Amazon) at the moment are offering a free trial membership.  You can sign up for free and then get 1 free book and 30 days free!  The book is yours to keep no matter what.

Audible hopes that you don’t cancel your account before the 30 days are up and then you become a member and pay £7.99 a month for your next book.  But you can sign up, get a free book, and then cancel before the 30 days are up.

I was 21 years old, my parents were getting divorced, I worked in the family business and eventually quit because I couldn’t be in that toxic environment. Our family home was under threat of repossesion and I didn’t know what to do.

I went to my girlfriend at the time and asked her to come to Brazil with me.  I had always wanted to play football on the beach, see Copacabana, Christo and more.  I knew she didn’t have money so I offered to pay for everything.

She told me she didn’t love me and wanted to break up with me.

I was at one of my lowest points in life ever and my co-worker Matt changed the course of my life.  He handed me a book on the way to Brazil and said “Read this, it helped me.”

He changed my life.  He changed the course of my entire future with that one action.  I hope that I can do that for you with these recommendations and help you to continue on your path to wherever you are going……

Here are the list of books that changed my life.

This is the first self-development book I ever read.  It is tiny!  This is the book that Matt above handed me on the way to Brazil.

Concepts such as there is no failure, I learned from this book.  It is a fairly entry-level, easy self-help book but I still get a lot out of it every time I read it.

This book blew my mind when I read it.  It was like the scene from the Matrix were you are offered the red and the blue pill by Morpheus and life will never be the same afterwards.

I chose the blue pill and dived in and my life was never the same again.  Whilst I never quite managed to build the muse as he describes it I have used the concepts, theories and ideas to help me build successful businesses for years.  This one really did have a huge impact on me and I would HIGHLY recommend it.

I watched one of Gary’s videos in the early days and it inspired me to buy his book (Crush It) and I was blown away by the simple plan it laid out.  He talked about how to use social media to build a business and make an income and we have been using those tips in our business ever since.

Gary has since re-written the book because social media changes so quickly and his new version is also excellent.   This book has helped me build businesses, fill events, get clients and more, and I love it.

​This was Tim’s second book and it had a massive impact on my life and physical shape.  I still haven’t read the whole book: Tim says to treat it like a buffet and dip in and out for the sections you need.

I lost 6 stone in weight, got fit, and I still follow the diet he recommends, 7 years later.  Tim helped me in so many ways and I can’t thank him enough.

I was recommended this book by my friend Doug at Toastmasters.  I think he might have even lent me his copy (I am not sure if I still have it, Doug, sorry!)

Robert Kiyosaki lays out some of the basic concepts of investing and life that I still follow today.  His definition of an asset and a liability literally changed our lives and we lived in a 2 bed flat in Basingstoke for 9 years because of him!

I watched  Garr Reynolds’ YouTube video of him giving a Google talk, which blew me away.  That hour-long talk taught me more about PowerPoint than I ever wanted to know! It also inspired me to buy his book, which is a beautiful visual book that helps you understand some of the fundamentals of presenting and how to create slides that have impact. 

I â€‹love presenting and learning about the skills of communication. This book taught me a huge amount and was part of the foundation for my training companies.

I was recommended James Clear’s blog by the same guy that recommended the Four-Hour Body and Mr Money Mustache to me.  His recommendations have always been incredible.  Sign up to get his newsletter, it is excellent.

​If you want to achieve anything in life, this is the book to start with!  Building habits, changing beliefs and identity and so much more.

A book on its own can’t change your life.  It is an inanimate object.  It is what you do with it that is going to change your world.  Pick a book, sign up for a free Audible account, get one for free or download it from Amazon and read it.

But remember, reading it isn’t even enough.  I have met so many people that have read the books but don’t actually live or do what is recommended in them.  You have to read the book, learn the content, work on the principles, develop the daily habits they recommend, and implement with a ferocious energy!

The book isn’t going to change your life.  You are.  The only person that can do this is you.  Take the ideas and concepts that these authors have put into their books and implement them.

I am always looking for new book recommendations, so if there is a book you think I should read then I would LOVE to hear from you.  Please leave your recommendations in the comments below.

Happy reading and enjoy the inspiration!

Love, Alan