There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.
Looking for the best books to read on developing a growth mindset? Today’s review features some of the best growth mindset books, each one containing valuable information on developing and adopting the type of mindset that leads to success in your professional and personal life.
Our awareness of how mindset influences how far we can go in life is made possible through a study done by Stanford professor and psychologist Carol S. Dweck and her team.
Their study revealed that people who believe that the talents they currently have can be improved on (growth mindset) tend to achieve more in life compared to those who believe that what talent they have is fixed and innate (fixed mindset). This result became the foundation for the growth and fixed mindset framework.
It should be pretty clear which mindset is ideal for improving our lives.
The following are some of the best books for understanding more about the concept of a growth mindset and how to apply it in different aspects of your life for maximum benefit.
1. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck
Check Price on Amazon | Check Audiobook Price
If you’re looking for a book that introduces the concept of mindset in relation to success, start with the one that started it all. This book is the embodiment of Carol Dweck and her team’s research.
It details how the way we think about what we can and cannot do influences success in all areas of our lives, such as in:
The book shows us how to harness this mindset to reach our full potential in any field.
In this edition of the book, Dweck adds several new insights about the growth mindset, including a concept she calls “false growth mindset,” in which people claim they have a growth mindset but actually do not understand what it’s all about.
The book is a wonderful guide on how to achieve positive transformation in your life.
2. The Growth Mindset: A Guide to Professional and Personal Growth by Joshua Moore and Helen Glasgow
For practical and actionable information on how to develop a growth mindset in one's professional and personal life, this book is a must-read.
Written in an entertaining style, this book encourages readers to commit to their personal development. It offers several action plans for how to develop a growth mindset to reach maximum potential in different areas of your professional and personal life. Along with several self-evaluation checks, each chapter discusses ideas and explores ways to achieve success in these areas.
Whether it’s dealing with bosses, working on overcoming discontent in an area of your life, or just wanting to be a better version of yourself, this book has the information you need.
3. The Growth Mindset Workbook for Teens: Say Yes to Challenges, Deal with Difficult Emotions, and Reach Your Full Potential by Jessica L. Schleider, Michael C. Mullarkey, and Mallory L. Dobias
To equip our children with the most important tool for success in all stages of their lives, it is crucial to introduce them to the growth mindset concept. For this purpose, there are children’s books on growth mindset to help younger kids grasp this idea early on.
Teens can benefit more from this workbook, which explores the concept of a growth mindset and provides activities to help teenagers embrace experiences (often difficult ones) that will help them develop their maximum potential.
In addition to serving as a guide for coping and dealing with challenging life experiences, this book is a wonderful resource for teenagers on the topics of self-care and self-love.
4. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
This classic, groundbreaking book was written with the intention of helping people achieve a paradigm shift in their views on how to become not only successful, but also effective in their personal and professional lives. It does so by introducing seven habits that Stephen R. Covey identifies as the keystones for this shift.
In this book, Covey emphasizes the importance of life-long learning and encourage readers to proactively work on becoming better versions of themselves. Sounds familiar? These two actions are the hallmarks of a growth mindset.
If you are looking for a guide to improve your leadership skills, gain better self-awareness, build stronger relationships, and live a richer and more meaningful life, this book is the answer.
5. How to Fail: Everything I've Learned From Things Going Wrong by Elizabeth Day
One of the identifying characteristics of someone who has a growth mindset is their ability to view failure not as a negative thing, but as an opportunity for improvement.
Elizabeth Day hosts a podcast that was the source of this book’s title. In the book, Day shares valuable lessons she has learned from things that have gone wrong in her life. This helps readers understand that failure, when welcomed, can make us stronger and braver.
This book will change how you view failure, and perhaps even teach you how to welcome it in your life as a precursor to success.
6. Help Me, I'm Stuck: Six Proven Lessons to Shift Your Mindset From Self-Sabotage to Self-Improvement by Vaughn Carter
Check Price on Amazon | Check Audiobook Price
Having a negative personality can be detrimental to your success and overall life satisfaction. This book can help transform the tendency to dwell on negativity into the ability to embrace positivity instead.
In this book, Vaugh Carter discusses six methods to help get yourself out of a self-limiting mindset:
When applied in your daily routine, these actions keep you moving forward, promote more positivity, and enrich your life.
7. The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander
Check Price on Amazon | Check Audiobook Price
If you’re looking for a guide that weaves creativity into your experience of developing a growth mindset, here’s one worth your attention.
This book tells us that the way we look at things shapes the kind of life we have. With a little creativity, we can transform the way we look at obstacles by turning them into inspiring possibilities.
Authors Rosamund and Benjamin Zander share their perspectives and creative “tools” that lead to possibilities in every moment of life. In their book, they state that everything in life is invented. Thus, you might as well invent a viewpoint that’s beneficial to you.
8. Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life by Jim Kwik
Check Price on Amazon | Check Audiobook Price
If you’re looking for practical, science-based steps for positive self-transformation, Jim Kwik delivers through his book Limitless.
Kwik shares techniques for unlocking your own “superpowers” to improve your life. He has a three-step approach:
This book empowers readers to discover their abilities and create positive change in their lives.
9. The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance by Josh Waitzkin
Check Price on Amazon | Check Audiobook Price
The willingness to learn something new is one of the hallmarks of having a growth mindset. If you are looking for a principled approach to learning, this book is for you.
Josh Waitzkin was nine years old when he won the National Chess Championship. He then went on to dominate for a decade. He then trained in the martial art Tai Chi Chuan, where he earned the distinction of being world champion. His book is your guide to maximize learning to achieve success and excellence.
The narrative style of the book gives you the feeling that you’re reading an action-packed thriller. Nevertheless, the well-written lessons about optimal performance are clearly emphasized in every section.
In addition to appreciating the perks of victory, readers learn the importance of embracing defeat and using it to propel you forward to victory in the next round.
10. You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero
Check Price on Amazon | Check Audiobook Price
There are a handful of books written about the growth mindset that can also be described as “entertaining.” This is one of the best among them.
This irreverent, humorous, life-changing book is your guide to flipping your mindset, creating the life you’ve always wanted, and achieving personal greatness while you’re at it.
Within the pages of the book by Jen Sincero are funny stories that inspire you to pursue your own greatness. She generously sprinkles wise counsel into every chapter, encouraging you to develop self-awareness, which will be your greatest tool for:
11. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
Check Price on Amazon | Check Audiobook Price
Grit is the growth mindset in action. It is having the tenacity and persistence to go after something you are passionate about. In this book, Angela Duckworth shows that grit, rather than talent or genius, drives success.
This is an eye-opening book, and an empowering one, as well, because it affirms those people who show up. These are the people who are willing to work hard to achieve what they want, even when they’ve met obstacles along the way or been told no by a doubter.
Final Thoughts on Growth Mindset Books
The books featured today will help you lay the foundation for long-lasting success. However, it is important to note that they do not offer quick fixes or “magic” solutions.
Instead, they encourage you to commit to your own success. Hard work is necessary, but in the process, you’ll develop a growth mindset and get to fully enjoy the benefits of success.
If you are looking for more resources on the growth mindset, the following posts are worth checking out:
- 11 Benefits of Developing a Growth Mindset in Life
- Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset: 9 Differences with Examples
- 10 Growth Mindset Goals Examples to Change Your Thinking
- 9 Growth Mindset Worksheets and Templates for 2023
- 21 Children’s Books to Teach the Growth Mindset
- 13 Growth Mindset Videos for Kids to Watch on YouTube
