12 Best Success, Biography & Autobiography Books

“This is the book that will help you finally put your self-doubt to rest and awaken you to your brilliance.” — Nakeia Homer, author of I Hope This Helps

Everywhere we look, we’re bombarded with millions of ways we can transform ourselves. But while often a worthwhile goal, this drive to be our best selves can also be overwhelming and stressful. Alison Faulkner has been there, and is here to remind us that nothing external can give us worth or value– we’re already awesome, what we need to do is learn how to recognize our inherent awesomeness and then step into our true power.

In You’re Already Awesome, Alison shares with honesty, vulnerability, and a whole lot of humor, personal stories and twelve powerful shifts that help us shift back into an awareness of our awesomeness. The tools in each chapter are tried and true methods that she has used herself and with countless clients to build successful businesses and step into the life of their dreams.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

The Biggest Edition – Revised and Expanded with All New Chapters

A captivating and inspiring guide to building an untouchable empire from mud to marble, no matter what obstacles stand in the way

Rick Ross is a hip-hop icon and a towering figure in the business world, but his path to success was not always easy. Despite adversity and setbacks, Ross held tight to his vision and never settled for anything less than greatness. Now, for the first time, he shares his secrets to success, offering his own life as a road map to readers looking to build their own empire. Along the way he reveals:

• How to turn your ambition into action
• Tips for managing and investing your money
• Inside stories from his business and music ventures
• Why failure is central to success
• Secrets to handling stressful situations
• How to build the perfect team

As Ross explains, “It doesn’t matter what’s going on. Even the most dire situation is just another opportunity to boss up.”Intimate, insightful and brimming with no-nonsense advice, The Perfect Time to Boss Up is the ideal book for hustlers everywhere.

From finding common ground with warlords, introducing the Taliban to change, and working with NFL greats such as Marshawn Lynch, this uplifting and inspirational memoir from coach and personal development expert, Tareq Azim, will help you build a relationship with fear and embrace your own power.

A descendant of Afghan nobles, Tareq Azim’s family was forced to flee their homeland in 1979. He assimilated in the United States through his love of sports, excelling in wrestling, boxing, and football. In 2004, Azim decided to visit his home country, and upon arriving, he discovered countless children living on the streets, waiting for the inevitable recruitment into terrorist networks and anti-peace militias. Azim’s close encounter with the ravages of a war-torn society taught him how pain can generate the most intense forms of fear, anxiety, and depression. He had found his salvation through sports and physical activity, and he knew these children could, too.

He put his method to the test and created the Afghan Women’s Boxing Federation, the official governing body for women’s sports for the National Olympic Committee and the first ever in the history of any Islamic republic, proving that Afghanistan was ready for social change by addressing the harms of accumulated trauma.

Now, his remarkable full story is revealed in this book that is both a memoir and a roadmap. Through his own experiences, he effortlessly explains how fear is an invitation to seek a deeper feeling within–a feeling that is achieved when we engage in righteous and sincere struggle. Only then will our choices be guided by values that help us avoid the pitfalls of moral and personal failure. Featuring actionable advice and varied clear-eyed case studies, including MMA star Jake Shields, former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, and San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York–Empower is the ultimate guide to living a life understanding that fear is there to help you.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER
“It was an honor to play Joy on the big screen–she’s such a fearless woman, an incredible business force and an inspiration to everyone she meets.” –Jennifer Lawrence

From Joy Mangano, self-made millionaire, entrepreneur, inventor of the Miracle Mop and inspiration behind the acclaimed film Joy starring Jennifer Lawrence comes a breakthrough story of love and hope that will unlock the best and brightest version of you.

Joy’s rise from single mother of three to the nation’s most celebrated female inventor is truly what dreams are made of. Full of twists and turns, work and love, obstacles encountered and overcome, Inventing Joy is a binge-worthy book in every aspect. Dive in and be swept along for the ride as she relives her incredible and inspiring journey to joy.

But there’s more. Throughout her inspirational rags-to-riches story, Joy points out her very own personal light-bulb moments–lessons that she learned the hard way, and principles she still relies on today. Thoughts and ideas that drive her business, life, and family and are the foundation for her success. These concepts come together in the end to form Joy’s Blueprint, a resource that will help you live your most joyful life–the Blueprint that Joy delivers to the world for the first time. So look inside yourself, grab hold of your dreams, and be brave enough to take that very first step and start your next best chapter. You’ll be in good company with Inventing Joy.

2017 Audie Award Finalist for Audiobook of the Year

The instant New York Times bestseller from the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal and executive producer of How to Get Away With Murder shares how saying YES changed her life. “As fun to read as Rhimes’s TV series are to watch” (Los Angeles Times).

She’s the creator and producer of some of the most groundbreaking and audacious shows on television today. Her iconic characters live boldly and speak their minds. So who would suspect that Shonda Rhimes is an introvert? That she hired a publicist so she could avoid public appearances? That she suffered panic attacks before media interviews?

With three children at home and three hit television shows, it was easy for Shonda to say she was simply too busy. But in truth, she was also afraid. And then, over Thanksgiving dinner, her sister muttered something that was both a wake up and a call to arms: You never say yes to anything. Shonda knew she had to embrace the challenge: for one year, she would say YES to everything that scared her.

This poignant, intimate, and hilarious memoir explores Shonda’s life before her Year of Yes–from her nerdy, book-loving childhood to her devotion to creating television characters who reflected the world she saw around her. The book chronicles her life after her Year of Yes had begun–when Shonda forced herself out of the house and onto the stage; when she learned to explore, empower, applaud, and love her truest self. Yes.

“Honest, raw, and revelatory” (The Washington Post), this wildly candid and compulsively readable book reveals how the mega talented Shonda Rhimes finally achieved badassery worthy of a Shondaland character. Best of all, she “can help motivate even the most determined homebody to get out and try something new” (Chicago Tribune).

Arnold Palmer taught world-class pro golf instructor Brad Brewer how to play golf. But that was just the beginning. For more than 30 years, Palmer taught Brad how to live. As a businessman, a father, a celebrity, a philanthropist, and a friend, Palmer showed those around him that true success has nothing to do with the final score – and everything to do with how you play the game.

In Arnold Palmer’s Success Lessons, Brad shares the life-changing truths he learned from the King of Golf throughout three decades of knowing Palmer as a business partner, employer, and mentor. In short but powerful chapters, Brad passes on Palmer’s secrets such as:

• Why you always need to play for the love of the game

• What your starting point tells you about your destination

• How to capitalize on past success

• The attitude of a true champion

• Why golf is like all the best things in life – it’s more complicated than it looks

Taking us from Palmer’s childhood to his last years back in his own hometown, Brad introduces us to the Arnold Palmer behind the trophies, the celebrity, and the fame. This was the man who changed lives simply by living well, a man loved and respected not only for what he did but for who he was.

Today coanchor Al Roker presents an entertaining guide to achieving a life of happiness and success through the power of “yes!”

These days, the road to success can feel jampacked with scheduling, networking, nonstop hustle, and flat-out absurdity. And no one knows that better than Al Roker–beloved cohost of The Today Show, weatherperson extraordinaire, and the man we all secretly wish we could turn to for wisdom and wisecracks in our everyday lives. From his college days as a polyester suit-clad weather forecaster in Syracuse to battling and buttering up the “Butter Man” during the legendary Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Al has learned worthwhile lessons over a long, successful career. And now, for the first time, Al is ready to unleash savvy advice on how to embrace happiness and the power of saying “yes,” alongside a host of humorous tips and tricks about how to succeed in life.

In You Look So Much Better in Person, Al teaches us how we can weather the storm of life, no matter how torrential the downpour, and shares anecdotes from his own treasure trove of memories in the spotlight. And it hasn’t always been easy–believe it or not, even Al has been yelled at by his boss, suffered an emotional breakdown at work, and been told he’d be better suited in another position. Within these pages, he looks back on his own career and shares valuable “Altruisms” that can be applied to our own endeavors, such as how to:

• Navigate the special hell that is socializing
• Craft the perfect comeback line during a confrontation–and know when to use it
• Get up early and actually make the most of your time
• Cry at work without freaking people out
• And much, much more!

Packed to the brim with cackle-inducing and cringeworthy behind-the-scenes insights and observations from over four decades in the media, this book reminds us all that long-term success in our personal lives and our careers is just within reach. You Look So Much Better in Person will leave you laughing out loud, inspired, and comforted during life’s best and worst moments.

Winner of the 2016 Audie Award for Business/Personal Development

From the beloved cohost of Good Morning America, NFL Hall of Fame member and Super Bowl champion Michael Strahan comes a motivational guide to tackle each day from the moment you get out of bed.

Pulling from his own life experiences, Michael Strahan details the mix of mental discipline, positive thinking, and sense of play that lead him to a Super Bowl XLII victory as a member of the New York Giants, and later to star alongside Kelly Ripa in the hit daytime talk show Live! with Kelly and Michael. Each of these “Strahan Rules” will guide you step-by-step through developing a work ethic and mental durability that will prime you to achieve your goals and transform your life.

Delivered with his signature wit and wisdom, Strahan’s Rules combine a range of advice, from values he picked up from his father who served in the military to professors who teach on the science of happiness and include:

-Rule #5: Too many of us count ourselves out before we even give ourselves a chance…Do the work. Be excellent. You’ll find your place.
-Rule #11: You can’t change other people, but you can change how you are around them, and sometimes, a lot of times, that’s more than enough.
-Rule #12: Listen to other people, but don’t take their opinions for fact. Have your own experiences. Draw your own conclusions.

Whether you are attempting to achieve your career goals, seeking to better your relationships or simply up your optimism quotient, Wake Up Happy will inspire you.

Build a better financial future for yourself and the world. Former monk turned financial advisor, Doug Lynam, shares the rules of money management that will change your approach to earning, saving, and investing.

From Monk to Money Manager is an entertaining and self-deprecating journey through Lynam’s relationship with the almighty dollar—his childhood in a rich family, the long-haired hippie days running away from materialism, time in the Marine Corps looking for selfless service, and his twenty years in the monastery under a vow of poverty that led to his current profession as a financial advisor. In this unique look at wealth from a spiritual perspective, Lynam shares his belief that God doesn’t expect us to live in poverty. The truth is, we need financial peace so we can help others. When money becomes a part of our spiritual practice, used in love and service, it can bring us closer to our highest spiritual ideals. 

With humor and humility, Lynam uses stories told through the lens of his own money mistakes, and those of counseling clients, to understand how our attitudes about money hold us back. He also provides clear, step-by-step guidance on how to grow a little bit wealthy. His insights include how to build a compassionate relationship to our finances; some of the good, bad, and ugly truths about money; and the tricks to unlocking financial freedom.

Charts available in the audiobook companion PDF download.

A New York Times bestselling author and successful businesswoman shares the important tips and tricks she used to build a business and maintain balance as a media personality, mogul, and mother.

This program is read by the author.

From the co-founder of Flywheel and SoulCycle comes an audiobook about perseverance and success.

“Ruth Zukerman is an inspiration. She somehow had a keen sense that indoor cycling was going to be a huge trend and she wasted no time turning it into a lucrative business. I’m among the legions of Flywheel fans who make Ruth’s class part of our regular routine. Her energy, enthusiasm and great playlist keeps us spinning and coming back for more.” –KATIE COURIC

Ruth Zukerman is the Queen of Spinning: she put the Soul in SoulCycle and the Fly in Flywheel.

Recounting the pivotal moments that helped launch Zukerman as the breakout star of the boutique fitness world, Riding High is a reminder that the greatest success stories often start in the unlikeliest of places.

Ruth Zukerman used her heartache-at the death of her father, the end of her marriage, and the dissolution of her first business partnership with SoulCycle, as the inspiration to reinvent herself. At 51, she founded a new business, the highly successful Flywheel, and built the life she’d always dreamed of. And she did it all while navigating through single motherhood and a business world that is often unkind to women, especially those who wear their hearts on their sleeves.

Riding High is a prescriptive, warts-and-all journey through Ruth’s evolution, offering fresh, unexpected business and life lessons to help listeners recognize their own potential and channel their passion into success. Part confidante, part mentor, Ruth pulls no punches and holds nothing back.

“For all of David’s technology genius and innovation, he keeps it real…He leads with love, kindness, and a willingness to take others up with him.” –Nancy Lieberman, Broadcaster for ABC, NBC, ESPN, Basketball Hall of Famer, and Former and Olympic Silver Medalist

What does it mean to create a “model”? First, we naturally tune our attention toward role models during early childhood and take data to form an accurate model of our world. And from there, we model and remodel ourselves to become more like the ideal person we conceptualize in our imagination.

Business Model gives readers a front-row view of Williams’ own life experiences that gave rise to his unique business model. With a journey spanning from his early beginnings as a youth in South Dallas to his recent Legacy Award as the 2021 Black Engineer of the Year STEM Global Competitiveness Conference, profound wisdom is derived from every page.

Multi-talented author and AT&T Assistant Vice President of Automation, David C. Williams is fun, compassionate, and drives $100Ms in business. He is also an inaugural Dream in Black winner, Champion of Diversity winner, and has been featured as the cover story in several magazines, including interviews with Ebony, Fox, NBC, and more. Williams’ many trials and triumphs present a powerful opportunity for readers to explore their own lives to extract invaluable lessons and skills.

Throughout Business Model, readers will be treated to countless inspiring perspectives on self-transformation, business success, and transcending adversity, including:

Using our past life experiences to fulfill our future ambitions

Overcoming obstacles in the corporate world

Driving a positive impact on society at large

Tapping into the innovation and insight within us all

David C. Williams embodies full transparency and vulnerability as he puts each significant experience of his life on full display. In doing so, Business Model treats its readers to one of the most remarkable, meaningful, and powerful stories seen in years.