At some point all of us reach a stage where we might fall into a rut in our lives. We might not be inspired anymore or our focus for the future might become unclear. Fortunately, there are many classic books that help with issues such as personal improvement, professional or career development, and more. Many of them are tried and tested texts, providing motivation and guidance for millions. If you feel like you could use a little extra boost in your life, have a look through some of the titles below. The time you invest in reading them could have a marked improvement on your outlook and lifestyle.

• Seven Habits of Highly Effective People – A classic by Dr. Stephen Covey, useful for improving business or even personal work habits.
• The Last Lecture – Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon professor, discusses living life to the fullest and achieving your dreams.
• True North – Discover the traits within yourself that can be harnessed for success and strong leadership, in this book by Bill George.
• Who Moved My Cheese? – This quintessential book by Spencer Johnson shows how to flourish in all aspects of life.
• How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie’s best-selling book talks about increasing personal success by improving our daily relationships with other people.
• Jonathan Livingston Seagull – Through the metaphor of an anthropomorphic seagull, determined to become better than his flock, Richard Bach shows how determination can help break down boundaries.
• The Art of War – Sun Tzu’s guide on military strategy, penned as far back as 2 BC, has provided invaluable insight for business leaders.
• The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success – Deepak Chopra writes about gaining success through spirituality, karma and intention.
• What Color is Your Parachute? – Richard Bolle’s guidebook is especially geared towards job seekers and stresses the importance of networking.
• The Art of Innovation – Leading designers reveal tips on brainstorming and innovation.
• The Art of Happiness – The Dalai Lama discusses philosophy and how happiness can be achieved.
• The Tipping Point – Malcolm Gladwell explains how even very small events can lead to large differences in our lives.
• Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff – Learn to stop worrying and spend more time appreciating life.
• The Alchemist – Paul Coelho’s astounding novel offers inspiration on how to follow one’s dreams.
• The Tao of Pooh (PDF) – Winnie the Pooh is used as a striking example to show that Tao principles exist in our daily lives.
• The Prophet – Kahlil Gibran’s deeply insightful book touches on many aspects of life including relationships and personal trials.
• A New Earth – Eckhart Tolle made waves with his notable writing on defining your life’s purpose and achieving it.
• Eat, Pray, Love (PDF) – Elizabeth Gilbert’s true life account examines life attitudes and starting over.
• The Secret – The bestseller by Rhonda Byrnes looks at the power of positive thinking and the laws of attraction.
• Oh, The Places You’ll Go! – Although originally written for children, this quick read by Dr. Seuss is a perfect pick-me-up for adults too.
• Standing for Something – Learn about the ten virtues that help to make us stronger everyday.
• The Noticer – Based on a true story, this novel delivers inspiration on love and personal integrity.
• All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten – Robert Fulgham shows how to simplify life through some basic values.
• Life of Pi – Yann Martel’s fantastical novel explores areas such as spirituality and determination.
• The Celestine Prophecy – This adventure novel spawned a cult following for its inspiring parables on life and perception.
• The Greatest Salesman in the World – Through various important lessons, Og Mandino tells of an impoverished boy who rises up through life.
• Illusions – Richard Bach explores self-awareness and perspective in this slim read.
• The Way of the Peaceful Warrior – A spiritual book that uses fictitious characters to illustrate the purpose of life.
• Man’s Search for Ultimate Meaning – A Holocaust survivor examines themes of inspiration and our ability to change our lives.
• The Magic of Thinking Big – Learn about success through opening your mind and not succumbing to narrow-mindedness.
• Inspiration – Wayne Dyer teaches how to find inspiration and follow it.
• The Seat of the Soul – An inspiring read by Gary Zukav on living a better life.
• Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die – See how learning to develop better ideas can lead to better motivation.
• The Power of Intention – Learn how to harness your intention to make it a stronger force in your life.
• Play – Stuart Brown explains that taking life less seriously can have many positive effects in the way we think and act.
• Now, Discover Your Strengths – Find out how to stop underestimating yourself and hone your strengths.
• Drive – Daniel Pink reveals what factors motivate us and how to nurture them.
• The Element – Read about how to find your true passion and stay inspired.
• Mindset – This book shows how your mindset and attitude can change your life in a significant way.
• The Power of Resilience – Break down abstract and mental barriers to learn how to succeed in life.
• The Magic of Believing (PDF) – Claude Bristol delves into the importance of believing in our strengths and ourselves.
• Year to Success – Bo Bennet shows why we fail and how to overcome or avoid our failures.
• The Winner’s Brain – What factors help our brains to seek out success and motivation?
• Delivering Happiness – Get tips on how to find happiness in your personal life and career.
• The Book of Awakening – Learn to live in the present and achieve your goals.
• The Four Agreements (PDF) – Ancient Toltec wisdom is drawn upon to illustrate lessons on personal freedom.
• Brain Rules – Read about some simple guidelines on improving all areas of your life.
• The Success Principles – Jack Canfield reveals how to turn your life around and reach the point you’ve been aiming for.
• Stillness Speaks – Eckhart Tolle discusses inner stillness and how to improve life by getting in touch with yourself.
• This I Believe – Remarkable people speak about their life experiences and how they achieved them.