The self-help genre is flooded with books, especially since the advent of A.I. So it can be hard to determine what to read first. Everyone seems to have good reviews, but sometimes the message in these books is not quite fitting for everyone. The more you read, the more you start to realize not a lot of self-help books are catered specifically to men. Being a self-help junkie for over 20 years now, I’ve read every self-help book imaginable, and in this list, I’m compiling a top 10 list every man should read.

Help Your Self by Shah Day

“Help Your Self”  is fairly new to the market, but it is one that is a must-read for every man because it is grounded in realism. This book is broken up into two parts, with mini chapters that are easy to get through with daily short reads. The first part focuses on self-help lies that you’ve been told in every self-help book out there, and how to rewire yourself out of these lies. It touches on myths like the “law of attraction” and, at the same time, can help you understand that “hard work” isn’t the end-all-be-all. In the second part of the book, it dives into real examples of how to succeed in life, touching on things like discipline, rest, health, and actionable tips to focus on the right things. It’s marketed as a “help self” book, rather than a “self-help” book.

The biggest takeaway in this book is that most of what you hear out there is fluff that has no substance in guiding you to actual success principles. The author himself is a successful entrepreneur and coach who says he has gone through the self-help lies “the hard way.”

Be Useful by Arnold Schwarzenegger

If you don’t know Arnold, you may find a picture of him next to the word “success” in the dictionary.

He is a guy that went from being an Austrian immigrant, to the best bodybuilder of all time, to the highest-earning actor of his time, to the governor of California, to a best-selling author and philanthropist. Not to mention, a wildly successful businessman before he ever even got the fame from bodybuilding.

Everything that Arnold has ever set his mind on doing, he has done, and he has done it from the most humble of beginnings. He’s as close to a “self-made” man as there is.

In this book, he very simply outlines his rules for success in 7 easy-to-understand tips to help men realize their potential and how they can too “Be Useful.”

Never Finished by David Goggins

If you’re a man, then you’ve likely heard of “The Hardest Man on the Planet,” David Goggins. His book “Never Finished” is somewhat of a sequel to his first book, Can’t Hurt Me. The reason this book is on the list and not his first book is because I actually found it even more motivating than the first. You realize that his accomplishments are not all the glamor, accolades, and motivational speeches we see on social media. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. There are a lot of dark days, and there is not one ounce of smooth sailing in his process. He continually overcomes both the mental and physical struggles in a way that is extremely inspiring to read about. I guarantee you will get up and get moving after you finish this book.

Psychology of Money

It doesn’t matter what you do in life; if you don’t know how to manage your money, you won’t go far. Oftentimes, money management is the one discipline that most men lack, and yet it can be the most important discipline to have. I personally have mastered discipline in my day, but the lack of financial discipline has caused me much pain throughout my success journey. No matter how much money I made, I somehow always lived paycheck to paycheck.

This book helped rewire my mind. It doesn’t just do that for money either; it shows you a different way of thinking rationally about life and your money.

Mastery by Robert Greene

Robert Greene is the famous author of The 48 Laws of Power, and Mastery is his take on what it takes to become the best at something. If you know anything about Robert Greene, his advice is always grounded in reality. This is a thick book, but one that every man should read to remind himself that “every master was once a disaster.”

Talent is Overrated

One of my all-time favorite books because it helps you understand the one very important concept of “deliberate practice.” Years ago, there was a very popular phenomenon called the “10,000-hour rule” that said to become a world-class expert, you need to spend 10,000 hours doing something. However, in this book, Geoff Colvin outlines something that this rule misses, which is that it’s not just 10,000 hours of doing something that makes you an expert; it’s that amount of time actually practicing it.

I can throw thousands of punches and get a good workout, but I won’t get any better at it if I’m not actively practicing how to throw a better punch.

And thus, it’s not just 10,000 hours of doing; it’s 10,000 hours of doing it right.

The best part is that this is only one of the gems that you will take away from this amazing book.

50th Law by 50 Cent & Robert Greene

This is a book that Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Robert Greene teamed up on to create the 50th law. This book is a deep dive into fear, how to manage it, and how to emerge fearless on the other side of it. It’s a simple yet deep psychological dive into how to control and use fear to our advantage, and most importantly, how to overcome it. It is one of the best success books you will read, and it will change who you are as a man once you’re done reading it.

Much like Arnold, 50 Cent is a guy that came from an insane life as a prominent drug dealer to leaving the dangerous life behind after getting shot 9 times, becoming a successful musician, successful actor, wildly successful business mogul, and now an entertainment entrepreneur, having produced countless successful TV shows.

He knows a thing or two about navigating this life thing with no fear.

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

The War of Art is a book that is mostly for creatives, but this book is valuable for anyone on any journey in life because it introduces you to the concept of “The Resistance.” This mythical force tries to sabotage you as soon as you try to make a positive change in your life. Bringing this force into awareness can help you battle it.

Outwitting the Devil

This book is a bit different from the other books on this list because it is a little less grounded, yet one of the most impactful books you will read. It’s a super easy read, but it will change your life. This book is a literal Q&A session with the devil, that allows you to see how he operates and how he traps your mind and soul to belong to him. This is written by the same guy who wrote Think and Grow Rich, but this book, in my opinion, is twice as impactful.

Great by Choice by Jim Collins

Great by Choice is a business book, but it has so many incredible self-help elements in it. It touches on the concept of consistency through the “20 Mile March” story and dives into a little something called “super discipline” that will open your eyes to a world of being on point about all of your efforts, and not just taking half measures in your daily life.

No More Living Passively

These self-help books are a must-read for every man because they have the necessary source material to wire you for success and help you in this very competitive modern environment for men. These books will give you the edge to be the best man that you could be.