Life Skills 101: The best books to teach you everything

Want to get fitter? Learn that language? Learn how to do your tax yourself or even just think smarter? One of the most interesting genres of books is the ‘Self Help’ category. Agreed, it’s not as sexy as glossy coffee table books about architecture and fashion or as socially accepted as the latest James Patterson mystery. But damn, are they useful?!? If you are in a rut or just have New Year’s Resolutions that you want to nail, here are our recommended reads for the best books to teach you everything:

Tax for Australians for Dummies by Jimmy B Prince

If you want to tackle your tax with confidence, this is a great resource. Designed to help you take advantage of the rebates related to investments, having children or business, ‘Tax for Australians For Dummies’ tells you everything you need to know to maximise your tax refund. Whether you’re an employee, investor, small business owner, retiree, or even student, this easy-to-follow guide answers all your tax questions. All changes to tax legislation are incorporated.

The First 20 Minutes by Gretchen Reynolds

Tired muscles? Use chocolate milk! Think it’s a good idea to stretch before a run? Think again! This New York Times Bestseller is an innovative guide to getting fit using cutting-edge science. Perfect for optimising your workout, this workout ‘bible’ is the perfect guide for making the most of your exercise regime. Even better news is how even just 20 minutes of regular exercise can transform your health.

Love Yourself like your Life depends on it by Kamal Ravikant

The premise of this book is simple: love yourself and your life will love you back. During a particularly dark time in his life involving a great deal of stress and depression, the author kept repeating to himself “I love myself.” The beauty of the book is its simplicity and that the single premise of loving yourself can unlock freedom and clarity of thought that can have hugely beneficial effects in our busy lives. A great book for anyone feeling anxious or overwhelmed.

Think Like a Freak: How to Think Smarter than almost Everyone by Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner

The Freakonomics books have come to stand for challenging conventional wisdom; using data rather than emotion to answer questions. Now Levitt and Dubner have turned what they’ve learned into a readable and practical toolkit for thinking smarter, harder, and different – thinking, that is, like a Freak. Think Like a Freak offers rules like ‘Put Your Moral Compass in Your Pocket,’ ‘The Upside of Quitting,’ ‘Just Because You’re Great at Something Doesn’t Mean You’re Good at Everything,’ and ‘If You Have No Talent, Follow Levitt’s Path to Success.’

Philosophy for Life by Jules Evans

In his engaging new book, Jules Evans explains how philosophy quite literally saved his life and shows how we can make use of it everyday in our own. Co-founder of the London Philosophy Club, visiting research fellow at Queen Mary University, columnist for the School of Life and journalist and blogger, Jules imagines his dream school, with a rowdy faculty that includes 15 of the greatest and most colourful philosophers the world has ever known. Each of them teaches a technique we can use to transform ourselves and live better lives. These practical techniques are animated by the extraordinary stories of real people who are using them today; from soldiers and firemen, to gangsters and astronauts. This is philosophy for the street, for the workplace, for the battlefield, for love, for life.

Fluent in 3 Months by Benny Lewis

Upon leaving College at 21, Benny only knew how to speak English and found learning languages challenging. Through discovering a system to quickly master languages, it’s possible to have confident conversations in your new language in a matter of weeks. Now fluent in 7 languages, Benny is a full-time globe-trotter who makes the mission of learning any language possible.