These are a few of the books that have had the biggest influence on my life, my coaching, and the way I think about health, relationships, mindset, and personal growth.
Why I recommend it:
This book completely changed how I approached change.
For years, I thought I needed more motivation, more discipline, or the perfect plan. Instead, I learned that lasting transformation comes from making tiny improvements consistently and focusing on who you're becoming rather than what you're trying to achieve.
I stopped trying to overhaul my entire life overnight. Instead, I began making one small change at a time. I started walking outside as soon as I woke up, getting sunlight, eating breakfast earlier, drinking more water, taking cold showers, adding a few bodyweight exercises, then weights, then better nutrition. I didn't have a grand plan, I just kept building one habit on top of another.
Looking back, those small changes completely transformed my health, mindset, routines, and the way I coach others today.
Best for: Anyone who wants to create lasting change without relying on willpower or motivation.
Why I recommend it:
This book fundamentally changed how I understand the subconscious mind and why lasting change can feel so difficult.
It taught me that our brains operate like goal-seeking systems. If your self-image says you're not confident, healthy, worthy, or successful, you'll unconsciously make decisions that keep proving that identity true, even when you consciously want something different.
One of the biggest lessons I took from this book is that transformation isn't just about changing your habits or your thoughts. It's about changing the image you hold of yourself. Once your identity shifts, your behaviours naturally begin to follow.
This book has had a profound influence on how I coach. Much of my work focuses on helping people uncover the subconscious beliefs, patterns, and self-images that keep them stuck, then creating a new internal blueprint that allows lasting change to feel natural instead of forced.
Best for: Anyone who feels like they know what they should do but can't seem to consistently follow through, or who wants to create deep, lasting change from the inside out.
Why I recommend it:
This book completely changed the way I think about goals.
Most of us spend years chasing achievements, promotions, relationships, money, or milestones because we think they'll make us happy. The Desire Map flips that idea on its head by asking a much more important question:
How do you actually want to feel?
That simple shift has had a huge impact on both my life and my coaching. Instead of helping people build a life they think they should have, I help them create one that aligns with the emotions and experiences they truly want to live every day.
I've found that when you're clear on how you want to feel, your decisions become easier, your priorities become clearer, and you naturally begin creating a life that feels more authentic and fulfilling.
This book has influenced the way I coach clients through identity, values, relationships, career changes, and personal growth. Before we focus on changing what you're doing, we first uncover who you're becoming and how you want your life to feel.
Best for: Anyone who has achieved things they thought would make them happy but still feels like something is missing, or anyone looking to create a life that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside.
Why I recommend it:
This book is a powerful reminder that we waste so much energy trying to control things that were never ours to control.
Whether it's other people's opinions, choices, behaviour, or expectations, constantly trying to change or manage others often leads to frustration, anxiety, and resentment. The simple idea of "let them" creates an incredible sense of freedom.
This message aligns closely with how I coach. So much of our stress comes from trying to make people understand us, approve of us, or behave differently. When you stop carrying that responsibility, you create space to focus on the one thing you can control, your own thoughts, actions, boundaries, and growth.
Learning to let people have their own opinions, make their own choices, and tell their own stories about you isn't giving up. It's choosing peace over control and reclaiming your energy for the life you actually want to build.
Best for: Anyone who struggles with people-pleasing, overthinking what others think, setting boundaries, or letting go of relationships and situations they can't control.
Why I recommend it:
This is one of the most influential personal development books ever written, and for good reason. Tony Robbins teaches that lasting change doesn't happen by waiting for life to improve, it happens when you decide to take full responsibility for your thoughts, emotions, decisions, and actions.
One of the biggest lessons I took from this book is that the quality of your life is largely determined by the standards you set for yourself. If you want different results, you have to become a different version of yourself. Your habits, beliefs, emotions, and daily decisions all shape the future you're creating.
This philosophy has had a significant influence on my own coaching. Instead of focusing on blame or circumstances, I help clients identify the patterns that are keeping them stuck and create lasting change from the inside out. When you change your identity, your behaviours begin to change naturally.
Tony also explores how our beliefs, emotions, values, and the meanings we assign to events influence every area of life, from our health and relationships to our confidence and success. Many of the exercises in this book encourage deep self-reflection and personal responsibility, making it a resource you'll likely return to more than once.
Best for: Anyone who feels stuck, wants to break old patterns, build confidence, take ownership of their life, and create meaningful, lasting change.
Why I recommend it:
This book reinforced something I've come to believe through my own health journey: our bodies are designed to heal when we give them the right conditions.
Barbara O'Neill focuses on simple, practical principles that support the body's natural ability to repair itself through nutrition, hydration, movement, sleep, stress management, and reducing the toxic load we place on our systems. Rather than searching for quick fixes, she encourages returning to the fundamentals of good health.
Reading this book challenged me to think differently about the choices I make every day and reminded me that small, consistent lifestyle changes often have the greatest impact over time. Many of these principles have influenced the conversations I have with clients about creating a strong foundation for long-term health and wellbeing.
While I don't necessarily agree with every opinion or recommendation in the book, I believe it offers valuable insight into taking greater responsibility for your health and understanding how your daily habits shape how you feel.
Best for: Anyone looking to improve their health through simple lifestyle changes, whole foods, and a deeper understanding of how the body supports its own healing when given the right environment.
Why I recommend it:
This book challenged many of the nutrition beliefs I had accepted without question and encouraged me to look more critically at the quality of the foods we eat.
Dr. Paul Saladino makes a compelling case for prioritizing nutrient-dense animal foods while exploring why some people may benefit from reducing or eliminating certain plant foods, particularly if they're dealing with digestive issues, autoimmune conditions, or chronic inflammation. Whether or not you agree with every conclusion, the book encourages you to question assumptions and pay attention to how your own body responds.
One of the biggest lessons I took from this book is that nutrition isn't one-size-fits-all. Instead of following trends or eating a certain way because it's popular, I've learned the importance of listening to your body, focusing on whole foods, and choosing foods that help you feel your best.
This book has influenced both my own health journey and the conversations I have with clients about reducing ultra-processed foods, improving nutrient density, and experimenting with different approaches to discover what works for them as individuals.
Best for: Anyone curious about an animal-based approach to nutrition, looking to improve metabolic health, or wanting to better understand the role of nutrient-dense whole foods in supporting long-term health and wellbeing.
Why I recommend it:
This book completely changed the way I think about health and aging. Rather than waiting until something goes wrong, Dr. Peter Attia focuses on building a life that helps you stay healthy, strong, and independent for as long as possible.
One of the biggest takeaways for me is that longevity isn't just about living longer, it's about improving your quality of life. The daily choices you make today around exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress, and metabolic health have a profound impact on how you'll feel and function decades from now.
This book reinforced my belief that true health isn't about chasing quick fixes. It's about consistently investing in habits that support your future self. Many of the conversations I have with clients aren't just about solving today's problems, they're about creating a body and mind that will continue to serve them well for years to come.
I also appreciate Dr. Attia's evidence-based approach and his willingness to challenge conventional thinking while encouraging readers to take an active role in their own health.
Best for: Anyone who wants to improve their long-term health, prevent chronic disease, optimize their physical and mental wellbeing, and make decisions today that will help them live a longer, healthier, and more active life.
Why I recommend it:
One of the simplest ways to improve a relationship is to understand that people don't all experience love in the same way. We often give love the way we'd like to receive it, while our partner may need something completely different.
This book provides a practical framework for better understanding each other's emotional needs and communicating love more intentionally.
Best for: Couples who want to improve connection through better understanding and communication.
Why I recommend it:
This is one of the most influential books I've read on masculine and feminine dynamics, attraction, and intimacy. While some of David Deida's ideas are intentionally provocative, they encourage you to think differently about what creates passion and connection in long-term relationships.
One of the biggest takeaways for me is that attraction isn't something you earn once, it's something you continue to cultivate. Healthy relationships require both people to keep growing, bringing energy to the relationship, and showing up as someone their partner is excited to connect with.
The book explores how masculine and feminine energies complement one another, why polarity often fades over time, and how comfort, routine, and complacency can slowly replace passion if we're not intentional. Rather than trying to change your partner, it encourages you to focus on your own presence, purpose, confidence, authenticity, and the way you show up each day.
Whether you're single or in a long-term relationship, this book offers a different perspective on love, attraction, and personal growth. You don't have to agree with every idea to walk away with valuable insights that can strengthen both your relationships and your understanding of yourself.
Best for: Anyone who wants to better understand masculine and feminine dynamics, maintain attraction in long-term relationships, and become the kind of partner who inspires deeper connection and lasting desire.
Why I recommend it:
This book explores one of the biggest challenges in long-term relationships: how to maintain desire while building security.
Esther Perel examines why passion often fades over time and offers a different perspective on intimacy, mystery, independence, and attraction.
Whether or not you agree with every conclusion, it's an excellent conversation starter about keeping relationships alive over the long term.
Best for: Couples who want to rekindle intimacy and better understand the psychology of desire.
Brandi Gordon