Books Recommended by Kevin Trudeau

Napoleon Hill (1883–1970), the pioneering self-help author of Think and Grow Rich, dedicated over two decades to studying the habits of successful individuals like Andrew Carnegie and Thomas Edison.

Born into poverty in Virginia, Hill’s work bridges practical success strategies and mindset development, crystallizing his research into 13 principles that include desire, faith, and organized planning.

A cornerstone of the personal development genre, Think and Grow Rich builds upon his earlier 1928 work The Law of Success, which outlined 16 foundational laws of achievement. Hill’s philosophy emphasizes the subconscious mind’s power and collaborative mastermind groups as keys to unlocking prosperity.

With over 20 million copies sold worldwide, this enduring classic continues to influence entrepreneurs and motivators, cementing Hill’s legacy as a foundational voice in success literature.

1. Definite purpose precedes riches—vague goals breed financial stagnation.
2. Auto-suggestion shapes reality: visualize wealth daily to reprogram subconscious drives.
3. Persistence outweighs talent—consistent action breaks resistance’s grip.
4. Mastermind alliances amplify success: surrounding yourself with experts accelerates goal attainment.
5. Specialized knowledge + organized planning > general intelligence in wealth creation.
6. Burning desire transcends fear: obsession with your “why” overcomes obstacles.
7. Indecision attracts failure—Napoleon Hill’s 500 interviewees shared decisive urgency.
8. Faith in unseen outcomes activates subconscious problem-solving for financial breakthroughs.
9. Procrastination reflects weak desire: Hill’s “definite chief aim” formula kills delays.
10. Money magnetism starts with giving value first—riches follow service excellence.
11. Brain as “broadcasting station”: focused thoughts attract opportunities and resources.
12. Ego dissolution for wealth: Hill’s success blueprint requires cooperative leadership.

Dale Carnegie (1888–1955), author of the perennial self-help classic How to Win Friends and Influence People, was a pioneering motivational speaker and corporate training innovator whose work revolutionized interpersonal communication strategies.

Born into poverty in Missouri, Carnegie leveraged his early experience teaching public speaking at New York’s YMCA to develop actionable frameworks for building relationships and reducing conflict. His expertise in human psychology and practical communication techniques stemmed from decades of refining his globally recognized Dale Carnegie Courses, which continue training professionals through his institute.

Carnegie solidified his authority with other influential works like How to Stop Worrying and Start Living and Lincoln the Unknown, blending historical analysis with timeless self-improvement principles. His emphasis on empathy, active listening, and leadership development remains foundational in business and personal growth curricula.

How to Win Friends and Influence People has sold over 50 million copies worldwide, been translated into 38 languages, and maintains its status as a cornerstone text for professionals, educators, and executives seeking to master social dynamics.

1. Become genuinely interested in others to build deeper connections faster
2. Remember names—Carnegie’s sweetest sound—to instantly boost rapport and recall
3. Shift conversations from self-promotion to others’ interests for influence
4. Replace criticism with empathy to disarm defensiveness and build trust
5. Frame requests around others’ wants using Carnegie’s “arouse eager want” principle
6. Practice sincere appreciation over empty flattery to motivate lasting change
7. Master active listening by asking open questions about others’ experiences
8. Lead conversations with others’ priorities using “talk in their terms”
9. Transform conflicts by admitting faults first with honest humility
10. Smile authentically as Carnegie’s universal language of approachability and warmth
11. Help others feel important through focused attention and specific praise
12. Apply Carnegie’s “six ways to make people like you” through consistent curiosity

Robert Toru Kiyosaki, bestselling author of Rich Dad Poor Dad and a pioneering voice in financial literacy, reshaped global perspectives on money management through his contrarian approach to wealth-building. Born in 1947 in Hawaii, this former U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot and Xerox sales executive turned entrepreneur channels his experiences with business failures and real estate successes into actionable frameworks for financial freedom. His seminal work—a personal finance classic blending memoir and practical advice—challenges conventional education systems while advocating for passive income streams, asset accumulation, and entrepreneurial thinking.

Kiyosaki expanded his philosophy through companion works like Cashflow Quadrant and Why "A" Students Work for "C" Students, all published under his Rich Dad brand via Cashflow Technologies, Inc.

A viral speaker and financial education advocate, his teachings emphasize real estate investing, tax optimization, and breaking free from paycheck dependency. Rich Dad Poor Dad has sold over 26 million copies worldwide, remaining a cornerstone of modern financial literature since its 1997 release.

1. Focus on buying income-generating assets, not liabilities that drain wealth
2. Financial education matters more than job security for lasting wealth
3. The rich make money work for them through cash-flow assets
4. Avoid the "Rat Race" by building passive income streams first
5. Pay yourself first before covering bills or lifestyle costs
6. Good debt invests in assets; bad debt funds liabilities
7. Escape the employee mindset by mastering the Cashflow Quadrant model
8. Financial freedom comes from passive income exceeding monthly expenses
9. Build businesses and investments that thrive without your daily effort
10. Wealth grows by solving problems versus trading time for money
11. Embrace failure as education to refine investment risk strategies
12. Shift from earning paychecks to acquiring income-producing assets

Hilary Hinton "Zig" Ziglar (1926–2012), bestselling author of See You at the Top, was a pioneering motivational speaker and sales expert whose work transformed personal development and professional success strategies.

A Mississippi-born salesman turned self-help icon, Ziglar’s teachings on positivity, goal-setting, and ethical persuasion stemmed from his early career struggles selling cookware and later coaching sales teams for organizations like Mary Kay Cosmetics. His 1975 breakthrough book—initially rejected by 30 publishers before becoming a perennial classic—combines practical advice with inspirational storytelling, reflecting his belief that “you can have everything in life you want if you help enough other people get what they want.”

Ziglar authored over 30 books, including Secrets of Closing the Sale and Over the Top, while his seminars and training programs reached millions through platforms like American Salesmasters and appearances on The Today Show and 20/20. Honored with the National Speakers Association’s Cavett Award in 2001, his philosophy became required reading for corporate teams and entrepreneurs worldwide. See You at the Top alone sold over 1.4 million copies in its first decade and has been translated into 38 languages, cementing Ziglar’s legacy as one of history’s most influential motivational thinkers.

1. Build a positive self-image through daily affirmations and success-focused relationships
2. Set specific goals with actionable steps to avoid life’s “random wandering”
3. Replace “stinkin’ thinkin’” with gratitude practices to reshape your mindset
4. Strengthen marriages and key relationships to fuel professional and personal success
5. Adopt “loser’s limp” awareness to stop blaming external factors for setbacks
6. Combine hard work with ethical habits for sustainable career advancement
7. Use Ziglar’s 5-step success stairway: self-image, relationships, goals, attitude, action
8. Frame sales and negotiations as helping others achieve their desires first
9. Cultivate spiritual alignment through service-oriented living and purpose-driven work
10. Leverage morning routines to reinforce success habits before daily distractions hit
11. View failures as feedback by maintaining progress-focused daily improvement cycles
12. Anchor decisions in core values rather than short-term gains or social approval

David Joseph Schwartz (1927–1987) was a pioneering motivational writer, professor, and leadership expert best known for his self-help classic The Magic of Thinking Big. A PhD graduate of Ohio State University, Schwartz served as a marketing professor and department chair at Georgia State University, where his research on mindset and success strategies shaped his groundbreaking work.

His book, blending practical psychology with actionable goal-setting techniques, established him as a leading voice in personal development, emphasizing the transformative power of confidence and proactive thinking.

Schwartz founded Creative Educational Services Inc., a consultancy focused on leadership training, and his principles continue to influence corporate coaching programs worldwide. The Magic of Thinking Big has sold over 6 million copies globally, been translated into 17 languages, and remains a staple in business and self-improvement curricula.

Georgia State University honors his legacy with an endowed scholarship in his name, cementing his enduring impact on motivational literature.

1. Belief in your potential unlocks greater achievements than raw talent alone
2. Action cures fear—move forward before confidence fully forms
3. Never sell yourself short—ordinary people achieve extraordinary results
4. Thinking big attracts opportunities where small goals limit growth
5. Surround yourself with encouragers who amplify your ambition, not doubt
6. Eliminate procrastination by breaking tasks into manageable, deadline-driven steps
7. Build influential networks by prioritizing respect and genuine interest in others
8. Replace "I can't" with "I will" to condition your mind for success
9. View setbacks as feedback, not failure, to maintain momentum toward big goals
10. Success depends on goal commitment, not intelligence or luck
11. Manage time effectively by prioritizing high-impact actions over trivial busywork
12. David J. Schwartz teaches that confidence is a habit built through daily courage

Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993), author of the groundbreaking self-help classic The Power of Positive Thinking, was a pioneering minister and motivational speaker who popularized the fusion of faith-based optimism and practical psychology. A Ohio native and Boston University School of Theology graduate, Peale served as pastor of New York’s Marble Collegiate Church for 52 years, growing its congregation from 600 to 5,000 through his transformative sermons on overcoming adversity through positive thought.

His expertise in blending religious principles with mental health strategies led him to co-found the American Foundation of Religion and Psychiatry and launch Guideposts magazine, which reaches millions with inspirational content. Peale expanded his influence through 46 books, including The Positive Principle Today and Enthusiasm Makes the Difference, along with radio and television programs like “The Art of Living.”

His work earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom and shaped modern positive psychology. The Power of Positive Thinking remains a cultural touchstone, with over 7 million copies sold and translations into 15 languages since its 1952 release.

1. Norman Vincent Peale’s applied Christianity turns faith into actionable success habits
2. Replace negative thoughts with prayer-powered affirmations for lasting mental peace
3. Visualize success daily to program your subconscious for peak performance
4. Overcome obstacles using Peale’s “spiritual energy” formula: pray → believe → act
5. Cure anxiety by filling your mind with pre-chosen positive phrases
6. Build unbreakable confidence through Peale’s 10-minute morning empowerment ritual
7. Transform relationships by practicing deliberate goodwill toward difficult people
8. Peale’s “relaxed grasp” technique reduces stress while maintaining goal focus
9. Combine scientific goal-setting with spiritual surrender for guaranteed results
10. Stop fatigue using Peale’s anti-exhaustion mantra: “God flows through me”
11. Create problem-solving energy through Peale’s “never alone” prayer framework
12. Rewire your personality by repeating “I can” until automatic belief

Napoleon Hill (1883–1970), born Oliver Napoleon Hill in Wise County, Virginia, was a pioneering self-help author and motivational speaker best known for The Law of Success and his groundbreaking work on achievement psychology.

His books, rooted in self-help and personal development, explore themes of mindset, perseverance, and wealth-building, distilled from decades of research interviewing influential figures like Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Hill’s The Law of Success (1928) laid the foundation for his later global phenomenon Think and Grow Rich (1937), which has sold over 100 million copies and remains a cornerstone of success literature. Other notable works include Outwitting the Devil and The Master-Key to Riches, which delve into overcoming fear and unlocking personal potential.

Hill’s philosophy, emphasizing the power of desire and faith, continues to shape modern entrepreneurship and business education. His principles are cited by leaders worldwide and taught in corporate training programs, cementing his legacy as one of history’s most impactful success theorists.

1. Mastermind alliances multiply success through collaborative intelligence and shared purpose
2. Definiteness of purpose directs energy into focused, measurable outcomes
3. Applied faith transforms belief into actionable steps toward goals
4. The habit of overdelivering creates compound returns in career growth
5. Emotional discipline separates high achievers from chronic underperformers
6. Creative visioning rewires neural pathways for opportunity recognition
7. Adversity becomes advantage when processed through Hill’s resilience framework
8. Personal initiative functions as the ignition switch for latent potential
9. Budgeted time investments yield 10X returns in skill mastery
10. The WWWH formula (What-Why-When-How) systematizes decision-making clarity
11. Service-oriented leadership naturally attracts wealth through value creation
12. Thought contagion theory explains why environments shape financial destinies

Napoleon Hill (1883–1970) was a pioneering self-help author and motivational speaker best known for his collaboration with W. Clement Stone on Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude, a foundational work in personal development literature.

A leading figure in the success philosophy movement, Hill’s expertise in goal setting and mindset strategies stems from decades studying top achievers, including Andrew Carnegie and Thomas Edison.

His earlier bestseller, Think and Grow Rich (1937), revolutionized the self-help genre with its focus on desire, persistence, and mastermind principles, selling over 100 million copies worldwide. Hill’s works blend practical advice with psychological insights, establishing frameworks still used in business coaching and success training.

Co-founder of the Napoleon Hill Foundation, his teachings continue through global seminars and educational programs. Think and Grow Rich remains required reading in executive education curricula and has been translated into 40+ languages, cementing Hill’s legacy as the ‘father of personal success literature.’

1. Definiteness of purpose is the foundation for transforming desires into actionable success plans.
2. Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) amplifies resilience by reframing adversity as opportunity.
3. Mastermind alliances leverage collective wisdom to accelerate goal achievement beyond individual effort.
4. Applied faith converts belief into daily habits that align with long-term visions.
5. Going the extra mile builds trust and unlocks unforeseen career or financial rewards.
6. Negative Mental Attitude (NMA) sabotages progress by fixating on limitations rather than solutions.
7. Adversity contains “seed of equivalent benefit” when approached with PMA-driven problem-solving.
8. Self-talk shapes reality—disciplined mindfulness replaces doubt with courage and initiative.
9. Success attracts success by magnetizing opportunities through persistent optimism and generosity.

Roy Herbert Jarrett (1874–1937), author of the self-help classic It Works: The Famous Little Red Book That Makes Your Dreams Come True!, was a Chicago-based businessman whose motivational insights revolutionized early 20th-century personal development literature. A self-educated printing industry salesman, Jarrett distilled his success strategies into this concise 1926 guide, pioneering themes of positive affirmation, goal visualization, and subconscious mind programming decades before modern psychology popularized these concepts.

His seminal work has remained continuously in print for nearly a century and has been translated into multiple languages, including French and Spanish. Updated editions like It Works DELUXE EDITION and thematic companion pieces such as The Meaning of the Mark have expanded his legacy.

Jarrett’s pragmatic approach—emphasizing simple, actionable steps over theoretical frameworks—resonated with Depression-era readers and continues to influence contemporary self-help authors. The original text’s cult following persists through grassroots recommendations, with modern reprints frequently appearing on lists of influential personal growth literature. It Works has been credited by devotees for career transformations, creative breakthroughs, and lifestyle design successes across generations.

1. Write specific goals daily to activate subconscious manifestation power
2. Three daily readings program your mind for automatic desire fulfillment
3. Mental clarity beats vague wishes in attracting tangible results
4. Secrecy magnifies goal achievement by preventing external energy drains
5. RHJ's "Three Positive Rules" simplify metaphysical success principles
6. Consistent focus on written objectives triggers cosmic cooperation
7. "Emmanuel" concept teaches God-consciousness as success accelerator
8. Gratitude practice completes manifestation cycles for continuous abundance
9. Ordered goal lists create prioritized roadmaps for life upgrades
10. Testing the method builds unshakable belief in inner power
11. Jarrett's system transforms sales psychology into spiritual manifesting
12. 1926 original text remains modern self-help's most copied framework

Rhonda Byrne is the Australian bestselling author of The Power and a pioneering voice in the self-help and personal development genre. Renowned for her transformative work on the law of attraction, Byrne rose to global prominence with her 2006 phenomenon The Secret, which has sold over 34 million copies worldwide and been translated into 50 languages.

A former television producer, her career pivoted after personal challenges inspired her to explore the principles of conscious creation and manifestation.

The Power, part of Byrne’s acclaimed Secret Book Series, delves into love’s role as the universe’s fundamental force, building on her signature themes of positivity and intentional living. Her other works, including The Magic and Hero, further solidify her authority in motivational literature.

Featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show and named to TIME magazine’s 2007 list of the world’s most influential people, Byrne’s teachings have shaped modern spiritual discourse. The Secret spent over 200 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, remaining a cornerstone of contemporary personal growth philosophy.

1. Rhonda Byrne's Power reveals love as the universe's ultimate magnetic energy source
2. Harness the Creation Process: Imagine, Feel, Receive to manifest desires effortlessly
3. Your emotional frequency determines reality—align with love to attract abundance
4. Gratitude multiplies blessings by amplifying love's vibration through intentional focus
5. Negative thoughts repel abundance—The Power teaches conscious positivity as survival skill
6. Love-force transforms health, wealth, and relationships through quantum attraction principles
7. Byrne's Love Frequency technique rewires brains for automatic abundance-seeking behaviors
8. Shift from lack mentality to "already have" consciousness for instant results
9. The Secret's successor proves love outweighs fear in cosmic manifestation mathematics
10. Master inner dialogues—every thought broadcasts orders to the universe's delivery system
11. Toxic emotions create attraction sabotage—The Power's purge method restores flow
12. "Fake it till you make it" becomes scientific law through emotional alchemy