Self Help & Psychology Book Summaries

Dopamine Nation explains how to break bad habits using the neuroscience of dopamine, the "pleasure molecule" in our brains. If you want to retrain your brain to like doing hard things, Dr. Anna Lembke shares tools that may help like dopamine fasting, self-binding, truth-telling and leaning into pain.

The 5AM Club is about learning to wake up at 5 a.m. and follow a morning routine, so we can become more self-disciplined, productive, and happy. Robin Sharma wrote this self-help book as a story, with a Billionaire mentoring an Entrepreneur and Artist, who were struggling with distraction and procrastination.

Will is the life story of Will Smith, one of the biggest Hollywood actors. You'll hear about his tense childhood in Philadelphia, how his father taught Will self discipline, his rise to wealth and fame, and his quest for happiness (through solitude, counselling, reading, and psychedelics).

Ikigai is about finding our life purpose and living longer, according to wisdom from Japan where people do live longer than average. The key ideas include: doing activities that make us feel 'flow', nurturing enjoyable relationships, keeping busy after retirement, and daily light eating and exercise.

Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus is about understanding the differences between men and women, so we can communicate better with our partner. John Gray says that in a relationship, men primarily need trust, acceptance and appreciation, while women need caring, understanding, and emotional validation

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind explains how to change our thinking through "scientific prayer," so we can change the outer conditions of our life to enjoy more prosperity, health, and happiness. Joseph Murphy's techniques include affirmations, visualization, gratitude, faith, and surrender.

The Way of Zen is a comprehensive introduction to Zen Buddhism, including the history and practices. Alan Watts explains how the ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism combined with Indian Buddhism to form Zen. He also shares many practices of Zen such as meditation, koans, and arts.

The War of Art explains how you can do more creative work and overcome your procrastination, distraction, and paralysis. Steven Pressfield says inside all of us is Resistance, a tricky enemy that sabotages our dreams, and it is the source of our fears, doubts, excuses, and poor habits.

The 5 Love Languages is about helping you connect better in your relationship or marriage. Gary Chapman says love is not one-size-fits-all. People are very different in what makes them feel loved. The 5 "love languages" are: words, time, gifts, service, and touch.