STEPHEN R. COVEY, NOTED AUTHOR OF The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
"A tremendous resource for anyone seeking a ‘bite-sized’ look at the philosophies of many self-help legends, including sacred scriptures."

WARREN BENNIS, BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF BECOMING A LEADER
"Soon to become the 51st classic!"

ELLEN LANGER, PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY, AND AUTHOR OF MINDFULNESS
"An exceptional and diverse collection for anyone interested in understanding the possibilities of the self."

Book Description
This is the first and only bitesized guide to the works that have captured the imagination of millions and inspired readers everywhere to follow their dreams.

From the Publisher
Life-transforming insights from timeless sages to contemporary gurus. Experience, as never-before, the words and ideas of some of our deepest thinkers, spiritual teachers, and poets who represent the true inspiration for our new world: James Allen • Robert Bly • Boethius • Alain de Botton • Dalai Lama * Ralph Waldo Emerson • Benjamin Franklin • Pierre Teilhard de Chardin * Henry David Thoreau Explore the wisdom of ancient philosophy and religion: Marcus Aurelius • The Bhagavad-Gita • The Bible • The teachings of Buddha in The Dhammapada • Lao-Tzu’s The Way of Power. Learn from contemporary philosophers and inspirational gurus: Martha Beck • William Bridges • David Burns • Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers • Richard Carlson • Dale Carnegie • Deepak Chopra • Paulo Coehlo * Stephen Covey • Mihaly Cziksentmihalyi • Wayne Dyer • Clarissa Pinkola Estes * Viktor Frankl • Shakti Gawain • Daniel Goleman • John Gray • Louise Hay * James Hillman • Susan Jeffers • Richard Koch • Ellen Langer • Maxwell Maltz Abraham Maslow • Phil McGraw • Thomas Moore • Joseph Murphy • Norman Vincent Peale • Carol Pearson • M Scott Peck • Ayn Rand • Anthony Robbins * Florence Scovell-Shinn • Martin Seligman • Samuel Smiles • Marianne Williamson

From the Inside Flap
For the first time, fifty of the most important life-changing works in one volume! Thousands of books have been written offering the ‘secrets’ to personal potential, fulfillment, and happiness: how to walk The Road Less Traveled, Win Friends and Influence People, or Awaken the Giant Within. But which are the all-time classics? Which ones really can change your life? Tom Butler-Bowdon has cut through the bewildering array of choices to bring you the essential ideas, insights, and techniques from the ‘literature of possibilities’. In works that span the world’s religions, cultures, philosophies, and centuries, he summarizes each work’s key ideas and finally makes clear how these legendary classics can educate, affirm, and motivate anyone searching for the inspiration to make a meaningful life change. The 50 classics examined here – from the ancient teachings of Buddha and Lao-Tzu and the character-building works of Benjamin Franklin and Samuel Smiles, to contemporary bestsellers such as Emotional Intelligence, Learned Optimism and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – represent the very best of what has become known only since the early 20th century as "self-help". 50 Self-Help Classics is the first and only ‘bite-sized’ introduction to the classic works of life transformation - a unique guide that acknowledges everyone’s yearning for a more meaningful and successful life, yet appreciates that each of us is inspired by different philosophies and ideas.

About the Author
Tom Butler-Bowdon is widely recognized as an expert on the personal development literature. A passionate advocate of the positive power of self-help, what he calls "the literature of possibility," he is also the author of 50 SUCCESS CLASSICS (2004). Through his writing, his web site, and working with individuals, he actively promotes the belief that self-help is not about achieving a perfect life, but one of greater richness and freedom of mind. The author has spent over six years researching, reading, and compiling his list of the self-help and success classics.