Why We Do What We Do: Understanding Self-Motivation
Edward L. Deci & Richard Flaste

Written by Edward L. Deci, psychology professor at the University of Rochester and Richard Flaste, health editor for the New York Times, this book condenses decades of research in human motivation and the nature of the human mind to help us better understand what makes successful people tick.

Success is a relative term, of course, which is why if you ask people what success means, no matter how many people you ask, you will never get precisely the same answer twice. The drive and ambition for success however, be it academic, athletic, artistic, financial, political, sexual or otherwise, is much easier to scientifically define and quantify. The question is, however, is where does it come from, and why do some people seem to have a lot more of it than others?

Motivation, according to Professor Deci, is more based on the intrinsic rather than the extrinsic. Or, in other words, the bulk of our motivational force comes not from without, but from within. This is why, for example, so many companies suffer from poor morale and low production. It’s because, Deci says, the companies in question offer nothing whatsoever to trigger the internal motivational drive of their workers.

Such insights make this book a must-have for managers, executives, employers and business owners, as well as coaches, teachers, instructors or indeed anyone else who seeks to learn how to better motivate and inspire people.

Awaken the Giant Within : How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny! – Anthony Robbins

Anthony Robbins is a man who should need no introduction; the world-renowned writer, speaker and life coach is one of the most recognized self help personalities on the planet. In addition to having his own show and informercial series, Robbins has appeared on countless other shows, particularly on the US talk show circuit, and has sold millions of books and DVDs worldwide.

Robbins is renowned for his boundless vitality and charisma, the man literally crackles with an infectious energy that leaps out you either from the screen or off the page.

In this book he takes you on a step by step journey of self-discovery which will allow you to take control of the various facets of your life including your health, your physical and mental well-being, your finances and your thoughts and emotions with the eventual goal being to maximize your potential in all areas, so that you can enjoy the very best of everything.

In a world of gurus, Robbins is practically messianic. His following and his influence is simply astounding. Whilst many make claims and promises, this man really changes lives. And the evidence is to be found not just on all the positive Amazon reviews he gets but in the pages of this profoundly transformative book.

Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life: A Kick-Butt Approach to a Better Life – Larry Winget

They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but in this case, you can. Seriously, everything you see is exactly what you get. The title, as unambiguous a title you are ever likely to see, leaves you under no misconceptions as to what the book’s about. And as for Larry himself, with his trademark sunglasses, cowboy boots, shaved head, goatee and the knuckleduster rings pointing out at you, the self-proclaimed “pitbull of personal development”, yeah well, what you see of him is pretty much what you get too.

In other words, this ain’t your usual new age touchie-feelie hippy cobblers – this, to use a famous movie quote, is Sparta!

As you’ve probably also guessed by now, Larry is not a man to mince his words, he’s a straight-talkin’, take no nonsense kinda guy who couldn’t care less if he upsets people. Which is what makes him one of the more colorful and controversial figures in the self help business.

Some love him, others hate him, perhaps because they’re missing the point.
Sometimes the answers we need aren’t off someplace mystical, or buried deep beneath the multifarious layers of our subconscious, they’re right in front of our noses, and a smack in the nose is as good as anything else to draw our focus.

Larry isn’t trying to be profound, there is no hidden message, no clever metaphors no Zen-like riddles, just double-strength motivational homebrew and can after can of whoop-ass.

The results are refreshing, if somewhat unsettling. The unsettling feeling you get is because Larry’s just held up a mirror to your life, raw and real, and shown you what you need to do to change. Sometimes it’s hard to face facts because the truth hurts. But it’s only by staring down our demons and facing up to our responsibilities, owning up to our own mistakes and failings instead of blaming others and finally turning all that well-meaning talk into positive action, that we can ever truly get ahead in life.

Self improvement is, of course, an ongoing process involving a great deal of time and effort and there are plenty of books out there which can help take you through it step by step. If you’re looking for something more immediate and drastic, however, then you should consider enrolling in Larry’s intensive, grueling bootcamp for the mind.