Welcome to the Sources of Insight list of the best productivity books!
If you want to be productive, it helps to take a holistic approach. I believe that includes the ability to dream big, prioritize, set goals, manage your energy, manage tasks, deal with setbacks, play to your strengths, take massive action, create burning desire, and compound your effort through focus.
I’m a fan of achieving meaningful results over just doing tasks, and I find it also helps to distinguish between effectiveness and efficiency, balance work and life, and spend more time in your values.
With that in mind, I’ve arranged the world’s best productivity books that I could find, by scenario. Beginners can start with Getting Started. Experts can start with Advanced. Otherwise, I have listed books by topics, and there is a simple A-Z list of all the productivity books on this page at the end.
Top 10 Best Productivity Books
- 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done, by Peter Bregman
- Flow, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
- Getting Results the Agile Way: A Personal Results System for Work and Life, by J.D. Meier
- Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen
- Go Put Your Strengths to Work: 6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance, by Marcus Buckingham
- Goals!: How to Get Everything You Want — Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible, by Brian Tracy
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey
- The 80/20 Individual: How to Build on the 20% of What You do Best, by Richard Koch
- Unlimited Power: The New Science Of Personal Achievement, by Tony Robbins
- The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness, by Stephen Covey
Getting Started
- 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done, by Peter Bregman
- Flow, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
- Getting Results the Agile Way: A Personal Results System for Work and Life, by J.D. Meier
- Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen
- Go Put Your Strengths to Work: 6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance, by Marcus Buckingham
- Goals!: How to Get Everything You Want — Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible, by Brian Tracy
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success; How We Can Learn to Fulfill Our Potential, by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.
- The 80/20 Individual: How to Build on the 20% of What You do Best, by Richard Koch
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey
- The Essential Drucker, by Peter F. Drucker
- The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal, by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
Advanced Productivity Books
- Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School, by John Medina
- How To Think Like da Vinci: 7 Easy Steps to Boosting Your Everyday Genius, by Michael Gelb
- Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind, by Jocelyn K. Glei
- Overachievement: The New Science of Working Less to Accomplish More, by John Elliot
- The 4-Hour Workweek, by Time Ferris
- The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness, by Stephen Covey
- The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter, by Michael D. Watkins
- The Obstacle is the Way, by Ryan Holiday
- Unlimited Power: The New Science Of Personal Achievement, by Tony Robbins
- What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast: A Short Guide to Making Over Your Mornings–and Life, by Laura Vanderkam
Action
- Act Now! A Daily Action Log for Achieving Your Goals in 90 Days, by Peter Winiarski
- Getting Results the Agile Way: A Personal Results System for Work and Life, by J.D. Meier
- Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen
- Just Start: Take Action, Embrace Uncertainty, Create the Future, by Leonard A. Schlesinger
- The Freakishly Productive Guide to Taking Action, by Annie Mueller
Delegation
- Delegation & Supervision, by Brian Tracy
Drive, Energy, and Motivation
- Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel Pink
- Flow, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
- Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life, by Martin Seligman
- The Charge: Activating the 10 Human Drives That Make You Feel Alive, by Brendon Burchard
- The Desire Map, by Danielle LaPorte
- The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal, by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
Focus
- Focal Point: A Proven System to Simplify Your Life, Double Your Productivity, and Achieve All Your Goals, by Brian Tracy
- Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, by Daniel Goleman
- The Power of Focus: How to Hit Your Business, Personal and Financial Targets with Absolute Confidence and Certainty, by Jack Canfield, Les Hewitt, and Mark Hansen
Goals
- Goal-Free Living: How to Have the Life You Want NOW!, by Stephen M. Shapiro
- Goal Setting: 21 Days To Achieving Life Changing Goals And Being Happy Happy Happy, by Darrin Wiggins
- Goals!: How to Get Everything You Want — Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible, by Brian Tracy
- Practical Goal Setting: A Guide for Real People Who Want to Live Unreal Lives, by Mark Milotday
- Ready, Aim, Fire! Setting and Achieving Goals, by Erik Fisher
- S.M.A.R.T. Goals Made Simple – 10 Steps to Master Your Personal and Career Goals, by S.J. Scott
- The One Thing, by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
Learning and School
- 19 High-Impact Study Hacks: Learn the Techniques Top Students Use To Get Amazing Grades & Cut Study Time in Half, by Richard Glenn
- How To Win at College: Surprising Secrets for Success from the Country’s Top Students, by Cal Newport
- The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life, by Tim Ferris
Procrastination
- Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time, by Brian Tracy
- No Excuses!: The Power of Self-Discipline, by Brian Tracy
- The Art of Procrastination: A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging and Postponing, by John Perry
- The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play, by Neil Fiore
- The War of Art: Break Through the Block and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, by Stephen Pressfield
- Time Warrior: How to Defeat Procrastination, People-Pleasing, Self-Doubt, Over-Commitment, Broken Promises and Chaos, by Steve Chandle
Strengths
- Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification, by Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman
- Go Put Your Strengths to Work: 6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance, by Marcus Buckingham
- StrengthsFinder 2.0, by Tom Rath
Teams and Organizations
- Exponential Organizations: Why New Organizations are Ten Times Better, Faster, and Cheaper Than Yours (and What to Do About It), by Salim Ismail, Michael S. Malone, and Yuri van Geet
- Flawless Execution: Use the Techniques and Systems of America’s Fighter Pilots to Perform at your Peak and Win Battles in the Business World, by James D. Murphy
- Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter, by Liz Wiseman
- Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It…and Why the Rest Don’t, by Verne Harnish
- Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time, by Jeff Sutherland
- The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, by Peter M. Senge
- The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter, by Michael D. Watkins
- The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses, by Eric Ries
- The Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability, by Roger Conners
To-Do Lists
- Getting Results the Agile Way: A Personal Results System for Work and Life, by J.D. Meier
- Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen
- The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right, by Atul Gawande
- To-Do List Makeover: A Simple Guide to Getting the Important Things Done, by S.J. Scott
Work-Life Balance
- Getting Results the Agile Way: A Personal Results System for Work and Life, by J.D. Meier
- Goal-Free Living: How to Have the Life You Want NOW!, by Stephen M. Shapiro
- How Full Is Your Bucket?: Positive Strategies for Work and Life, by Tom Rath
- Less Doing, More Living: Make Everything in Life Easier, by Ari Meisel
- Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, by Richard Swenson
- The Power of Less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential…in Business and in Life, by Leo Babauta
- Work from the Inside Out: Seven Steps to Loving What You Do, by Nancy O’Hara
A-Z Best Productivity Books
- 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management: Proven Strategies for Increased Productivity and Inner Peace, by Hyrum W. Smith
- 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done, by Peter Bregman
- 19 High-Impact Study Hacks: Learn the Techniques Top Students Use To Get Amazing Grades & Cut Study Time in Half, by Richard Glenn
- 101 Ways to Have a Business and a Life, by Andrew Griffiths
- Act Now! A Daily Action Log for Achieving Your Goals in 90 Days, by Peter Winiarski
- Becoming The 1%: How To Master Time Management And Rise To The Top In 7 Days, by Dennis Crosby
- Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School, by John Medina
- Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification, by Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman
- Delegation & Supervision, by Brian Tracy
- Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel Pink
- Do the Work, by Steven Pressfield
- Eat Move Sleep: How Small Choices Lead to Big Changes, by Tom Rath
- Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time, by Brian Tracy
- Exponential Organizations: Why New Organizations are Ten Times Better, Faster, and Cheaper Than Yours (and What to Do About It), by Salim Ismail, Michael S. Malone, and Yuri van Geet
- Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, by Greg McKeown
- Execution IS the Strategy: How Leaders Achieve Maximum Results in Minimum Time, by Laura Stack
- Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours, by Robert C. Pozen
- Flawless Execution: Use the Techniques and Systems of America’s Fighter Pilots to Perform at your Peak and Win Battles in the Business World, by James D. Murphy
- Flow, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
- Focal Point: A Proven System to Simplify Your Life, Double Your Productivity, and Achieve All Your Goals, by Brian Tracy
- Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, by Daniel Goleman
- Get More Done in Less Time: How to Be More Productive and Stop Procrastinating, by Beau Norton
- Getting Results the Agile Way: A Personal Results System for Work and Life, by J.D. Meier
- Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen
- Go for No! Yes is the Destination, No is How You Get There, by Richard Fenton
- Go Put Your Strengths to Work: 6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance, by Marcus Buckingham
- Goal-Free Living: How to Have the Life You Want NOW!, by Stephen M. Shapiro
- Goal Setting: 21 Days To Achieving Life Changing Goals And Being Happy Happy Happy, by Darrin Wiggins
- Goals!: How to Get Everything You Want — Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible, by Brian Tracy
- Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes or Less, by S. J. Scott
- How Full Is Your Bucket?: Positive Strategies for Work and Life, by Tom Rath
- How To Think Like da Vinci: 7 Easy Steps to Boosting Your Everyday Genius, by Michael Gelb
- How To Win at College: Surprising Secrets for Success from the Country’s Top Students, by Cal Newport
- Just Start: Take Action, Embrace Uncertainty, Create the Future, by Leonard A. Schlesinger
- Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life, by Martin Seligman
- Less Doing, More Living: Make Everything in Life Easier, by Ari Meisel
- Living the 80/20 Way, New Edition: Work Less, Worry Less, Succeed More, Enjoy More, by Richard Koch
- Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind, by Jocelyn K. Glei
- Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, by Richard Swenson
- Maximum Achievement: Strategies and Skills That Will Unlock Your Hidden Powers to Succeed, by Brian Tracy
- Mini Habits: Smaller Habits, Bigger Results, by Stephen Guise
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success; How We Can Learn to Fulfill Our Potential, by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.
- Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter, by Liz Wiseman
- No Excuses!: The Power of Self-Discipline, by Brian Tracy
- Organize Your Day in 24 Hours!: 50 Best Strategies to Successfully Manage Your To-Do Lists, Practice Prioritizing Skills, and Self-Organize Effectively in the Way You Want, by Christ Lewis
- Overachievement: The New Science of Working Less to Accomplish More, by John Elliot
- Personal Kanban the Book, by Jim Benson and Tonianne De Maria Barry
- Pomodoro Technique Illustrated, by Staffan Noteberg
- Practical Goal Setting: A Guide for Real People Who Want to Live Unreal Lives, by Mark Milotday
- Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About It Now, by Jane B. Burka
- Productivity Unleashed: How To Achieve Any Goal In 7 Minutes A Day — Goal Setting Reinvented, by Mark L. Messick
- Ready, Aim, Fire! Setting and Achieving Goals, by Erik Fisher
- Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It…and Why the Rest Don’t, by Verne Harnish
- Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time, by Jeff Sutherland
- See You at the Top, by Zig Ziglar
- S.M.A.R.T. Goals Made Simple – 10 Steps to Master Your Personal and Career Goals, by S.J. Scott
- Solving the Procrastination Puzzle: A Concise Guide to Strategies for Change, by Timothy A. Pychy
- StrengthsFinder 2.0, by Tom Rath
- Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals, by Dr. Heidi Grant Halverson
- Ten Things Successful People Do Every Day, by Daniel E. Kahn
- The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life, by Tim Ferris
- The 4-Hour Workweek, by Time Ferris
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey
- The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness, by Stephen Covey
- The 80/20 Individual: How to Build on the 20% of What You do Best, by Richard Koch
- The Art of Procrastination: A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging and Postponing, by John Perry
- The Charge: Activating the 10 Human Drives That Make You Feel Alive, by Brendon Burchard
- The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right, by Atul Gawande
- The Compound Effect, by Darren Hardy
- The Desire Map, by Danielle LaPorte
- The Essential Drucker, by Peter F. Drucker
- The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, by Peter M. Senge
- The Freakishly Productive Guide to Taking Action, by Annie Mueller
- The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses, by Eric Ries
- The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play, by Neil Fiore
- The Obstacle is the Way, by Ryan Holiday
- The One Thing, by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
- The Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability, by Roger Conners
- The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter, by Michael D. Watkins
- The Power of Focus: How to Hit Your Business, Personal and Financial Targets with Absolute Confidence and Certainty, by Jack Canfield, Les Hewitt, and Mark Hansen
- The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal, by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
- The Power of Less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential…in Business and in Life, by Leo Babauta
- The Power of Story: Change Your Story, Change Your Destiny, by Jim Loehr
- The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life, by Thomas M. Sterner
- Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Getting Things Done, by David Allen
- The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey
- The War of Art: Break Through the Block and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, by Stephen Pressfield
- The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It, by Kelly MgGonigal, Ph.D.
- Time Power: A Proven System for Getting More Done in Less Time Than You Ever Thought Possible, by Brian Tracy
- Time Warrior: How to Defeat Procrastination, People-Pleasing, Self-Doubt, Over-Commitment, Broken Promises and Chaos, by Steve Chandle
- To-Do List Makeover: A Simple Guide to Getting the Important Things Done, by S.J. Scott
- Unlimited Power: The New Science Of Personal Achievement, by Tony Robbins
- Wake Up Successful – How to Increase Your Energy and Achieve Any Goal with a Morning Routine, by S.J. Scott
- What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast: A Short Guide to Making Over Your Mornings–and Life, by Laura Vanderkam
- Work from the Inside Out: Seven Steps to Loving What You Do, by Nancy O’Hara
- Writing Habit Mastery – How to Write 2,000 Words a Day and Forever Cure Writer’s Block, by S.J. Scott
- Your Road Map For Success: You Can Get There from Here, by John Maxwell
- Zen to Done, by Leo Babauta
