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Below is a representation of books that are a part of Unc’s personal Library. The books are categorized by topic for your ease of reference. We have included for your convenience a brief description of each book listed, together with links to online sources to purchase them. We have also included links to the authors’ personal blogs or websites. The Library is subject to ongoing review and will be updated as a service to the Encouragement Well community. If you are aware of other books that should be considered for inclusion in the library, please forward those suggestions to Admin@encouragementwell.com. As discussed in the Terms of Service and Disclaimer, by clicking on a link listed below you acknowledge and understand that you will be connected to a web site operated by a third party not affiliated with encouragementwell.com. Encouragement Well is not currently affiliated with any author or seller of any listed book and receives no compensation from the sale thereof from any party.
This is one of the most recommended books regarding boundaries. I found it also to be the most thorough on the subject. That said, be advised that it presents with a Christian based influence which might not be of interest for everyone.
This companion guide to the book is an excellent resource that assists in applying the lessons learned. Once you fully complete the reading and the exercises in this workbook, you will be fully equipped with the knowledge you need to apply in your life and relationships.
I’m recommending this workbook as it provides important support for anyone who has suffered abuse of any kind. It is also a good resource for shy or intimidated individuals and for anyone who has been bullied, threatened, made to feel ‘different,’ or lesser than others. WARNING: The author states some antiquated opinions as facts.
This how-to book is a quick read on defining the importance of boundaries. It provides examples from a range of experiences (work, friendship, illness, death, etc.) for practical application. Reading this book from cover to cover is time well spent.
A well respected classic assertiveness training manual. The author lists your 10 “assertive rights.” Provides techniques you can use to block manipulation, and encourage productive communication and negotiation. Your comfort level in saying “No” will rise after reading this book.
Codependency and related behaviors often drive boundary issues. This book discusses how trauma relates to codependency, denial, low self-esteem and self-worth. Case studies and related exercises show that the cycle can be broken and people healed.
This book helps you focus and refocus as necessary. Keep first things first – WHY are you motivated? Service to others? Financial Freedom? Focus on your WHY and the rest follows.
Dream big, focus and go to work. It is amazing how magical those ingredients can be. Read this book and learn to THINK BIG. NO magic dust required.
There is a reason why the classics are still around: They Work! Go knock the dust off of your parent’s copy and read this book. It will give you a lifetime of wisdom you will not find elsewhere.
Definitely a classic. That said, its more relevant now than ever before. Danger lies in complacency and your comfort zone. To move forward, you must embrace change and accept some level of being uncomfortable. You may find this a “cheesy read,” but it will be well worth your time.
A great book for branding. Perhaps one of the best. An even better book for understanding our current social environment. Whether to better understand the world around you, or to build your own tribe to support your career or business . . . this book is a must read.
This book is for the creative in you. And we all have one. We are all capable of being creative, but we must be willing to make mistakes, try things that might not work, and to fail. We keep showing up. Embrace the process. There is no failure when you find your voice and let your music out.
Grief and mourning can take us to our knees. Too often this level of pain, the messiness and rawness of grief, render the people in our lives awkward and silent. The journey is NOT learning how to “get over” our loss through the “stages” of grief. The journey is learning how to carry our grief. This book also teaches how to support those who are grieving.
This book is personal for me as I read it during the final years of my father’s life as he battled COPD. There are incredible lessons to be learned and applied if you open your heart and mind to them. I will be forever grateful to my wife for bringing this book into my life at the time I was walking with my Pops on the final stage of his journey.
This book was given to me shortly after I sustained a catastrophic injury. I was much too young and raw to appreciate its teachings at the time. I wish I had read it much sooner. Bottom line – this is a great book. Particularly for parents who have lost children. And for those walking through the grieving process with a friend or loved one.
A book based upon the author’s personal story of marital infidelity, addiction, divorce and reconciliation. While heavily laden with Christian themes, this author’s presentation of the battle for her own identity, processing of betrayal and loss, and finding a path to forgiveness without forgetting the pain inflicted offers lessons for us all.
You cannot change or develop a habit unless you first understand how they are learned. This book is both highly entertaining and informative. Make no mistake, it is the information that makes this the first book to read before all others on the subject of habit.
I love this book’s very practical approach for learning how to develop habits and sustain them. Good habits create a process by which we can put ourselves on autopilot toward a healthier, stress free, and more productive lifestyle.
The classic book on habits. It’s been around a long time and adopted by many organizations to develop their workforce. I bought this book back in 1989 and still go back to it for reference points.
If I could have you read one book before all others – this one is it. The bottom line is this: (1) Talent can be topped by persistent effort; and (2) Intelligence can be expanded by learning. If you embrace these two elements no one or anything will stand in the way of you pursuing your dreams and desires. Most importantly – you won’t stand in your own way.
Duckworth, in my mind, builds upon Dweck’s teachings in Mindset.
For anyone striving to succeed, the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent, but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit.”
Grit is a combination of passion and perseverance for a singularly important goal. Like mindset – grit can grow.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Profile
The teachings and science behind this book are the basis that the Navy Seals, extreme sport athletes, and creatives are using to attain optimal performance. They are seeking to create unique peak experiences that result in almost trance like states. The father of this science explains in detail what is necessary to replicate these states.
Kotler provides an effective case for Flow and its numerous benefits. Read this book as a primer to Mihaly’s more technical writing on the subject. I have experienced Flow numerous times, and have been able to replicate it on demand using the techniques described in the Flow books.
I love this book for one reason – I believe that to achieve anything you must combine the proper amount of focus with consistent effort. To do that, you need to stop focusing on your weaknesses and instead leverage your strengths. This book helps you identify your strengths and shows you how to put them to use.
This series is pure gold by Buckingham building upon his writings in NOW. Start now. If you have young people in your life, they need to see this video series. Frankly, everyone will benefit from it. Help yourself and the young people in your life draw out each of your strengths. Then develop and engage in activities that dig deeper into those strengths.
The other kind of “smart.” Get out of your own head. Know how to read a room when you walk into it. Stage fright? Learn how to overcome come it. Social anxiety? Welcome to the club. Learn how to manage it. This book is a must read for those struggling to manage their emotions that lead to problems in personal relationships, interactions with coworkers, or simply networking. Read, learn and apply if you want to progress.
I wish this book was available when I was 25. It is still a necessary read at age 55 and beyond. JL Collins provides a simple and effective path to financial independence. Listen to him.
This book adopts the proven index fund investment strategy adopted by JL Collins relying on simple principles, such as keeping investing expenses low. Join the Bogleheads’ community.
Overspending? This book details how people make decisions about money and will help you make sense of your own behaviors when it comes to finances and an inability stick to a budget.
This book is for parents, grandparents, mentors, advisors, and educators to engage kids at every age in activities that make financial fitness fun, from mall scavenger hunts to financial film festivals.
An easy-to-follow, nine-step plan to help you change your relationship with money. Learn how to get out of debt, start investing, build wealth, or even save money.
This book caters to money challenges facing Millennials and Gen Z. Learn how to understand your relationship with money, manage student loans and share the details of your finances with a partner.
Rick Warren’s book did not change my life, but it did affirm my grandfather’s teaching that we are in this world to leave it a better place. The book is intended to be read as a daily inspiration, with each of the 40 short chapters read on consecutive days. Each chapter contains a personal application section at the end with a “point to ponder,” a verse to remember, and a question to consider for that day.
Audible
This book did change my life. It gave me pause to look at the world from a broader perspective. Well before this book, I had learned that God speaks to us through many formats. I was led to this text by a friend to help me find solace after I lost my brother to a battle with cancer. Dyer’s application of the Tao Te Ching, to the teachings of Christ and daily life is elegant. I found a friend in Lao Tzu and a greater appreciation for the Way.
Story telling is an age-old method of relating which dates back to our earliest ancestors sitting around campfires. Neuro biologists have done studies on the power of story-telling. This original classic relies heavily on short stories to salve our wounds on such topics as love, parenting and death. In these stories we find inspiration, encouragement and models of proper behavior in difficult circumstances.
A series of personal stories woven into the tale of a fully meaningful life. Miller takes us through stories of abandonment, loss, failure and triumph allowing the reader to feel each moment. In the process of editing his life for a movie script, Miller brings forth the very real point that we are each the authors of our own stories in which we play the main character. And each of us get to control what that script looks like. Write well my friends
Through the real life story of a mail carrier, the author explains how the mentality of service to others can turn the ordinary into extraordinary. Every person has within them the ability to change the world when they act with passion in their performance, seeking to connect with others in a meaningful way, committed to going the extra mile to provide value, and being willing to reinvent themselves when they feel stagnated and unmotivated.
These teachings are both relevant and vital at this time. A book written for the people of the Christian faith to direct the church away from the “professionals” and into the hands of laypeople. As these laypeople step into roles of service, they are confronted with their own shortcomings. It is then that they find within themselves the capacity to love and accept those who are hurting around them. This is when they truly put out the “welcome mat” in their community.
