The 25 Best Productivity Books

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Written By Ryan Patton

Adventurer, Tech Geek and Lover of Productivity Hacks. 

Looking for the Best Productivity Books of All Time? Well, we’ve got you covered.

The smartest and most productive people on this planet know how to prioritize tasks and get things done in the most efficient manner.

Fortunately, some of these people have been kind enough to share their techniques with the world.

Successful people share common traits — They love to read and educate themselves to become better and better by the day.

Reading is a great tool to enhance your knowledge and to keep your mind active on a daily basis.

With so many aspirations ahead of us, we need to start somewhere in order to become productive and eventually more successful.

It is up to you to decide how you want to use the 24-hours in your day; successful people know how to use their time wisely in order to not let one minute go to waste.

As a part of growth and self improvement, reading is one of the main bases that can ensure a productive use of your time.

Through out time not only will you become more educated in different areas but you will also be learning from the best people who have already accomplished what they dreamed of. 

On average, adults make around 35,000 decisions every day, from what to wear to what to have for dinner.

By reading a book you are already making a conscious decision on improving your memory, on bettering your ability to process information, and doing everything in your power to increase your productivity.

Table of Contents

  1. The Best Productivity Books for 2020
  2. Eat That Frog
  3. Essentialism – The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
  4. The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
  5. The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do To Get It
  6. The Power of Less
  7. Getting Things Done: How to Achieve Stress-free Productivity
  8. The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results
  9. 168 hours: You Have More Time Than You Think
  10. Atomic Habits
  11. The Power of Full Engagement
  12. Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Getting Things Done
  13. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
  14. Control Your Day: A New Approach to Email Management Using Microsoft Outlook and Getting Things Done
  15. To-Do List Makeover: A Simple Guide to Getting the Important Things Done
  16. Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work
  17. 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done
  18. The One Minute To-Do List: Quickly Get Your Chaos Completely Under Control
  19. The Power of Story: Change Your Story, Change Your Destiny
  20. Getting Results the Agile Way: A Personal Results System for Work and Life
  21. Life Hacker: The Guide to Working Smarter, Faster, and Better
  22. Think Like da Vinci: 7 Easy Steps to Boosting Your Everyday Genius
  23. The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done
  24. The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play
  25. Time Warrior
  26. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

The Best Productivity Books for 2020

Below, you’ll find the Best Productivity Books for 2020


Eat That Frog

Author: Brian Tracy

Brian Tracy’s latest book consists of focusing your attention on what matters the most when it comes to searching for success. He also discusses the importance of organizing your day and getting rid of procrastination in order to get things done.


Essentialism – The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

Author: Greg McKeown

Essentialism isn’t about getting things done, but it is about getting the right things completed. McKeown explains throughout his book different time management strategies for people to use in their daily lives and achieve greater productivity in whatever they apply these techniques in.


The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich

Author: Tim Ferriss

Tim Ferriss’ book discusses how the typical working person is always looking for the idea of getting retired once their career is completed. Ferriss’ mentions how retirement isn’t the only option to live the life you deserve; in his book, you will find out how to live more and work less.


The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do To Get It

Author: Kelly McGonigal

Based on Stanford University psychologist Kelly McGonigal’s wildly popular course “The Science of Willpower”, this book talks about self-control as a way to improve your life.


The Power of Less

Author: Leo Babuata

If you are the type of person that feels constantly distracted and won’t seem to get anything done, then this is the book for you. Babuata shows us how to differentiate the essential things in life from the unnecessary ones we need to eliminate.


Getting Things Done: How to Achieve Stress-free Productivity

Author: David Allen

Getting Things Done has turned into a very popular book because of its great tips on stress-free productivity. The author shows the readers how to take control of their life and reduce stress by doing so.


The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results

Author: Gary Keller

This book discusses ONE method for people to use in their lives to focus on what matters the most in their personal lives and also at the workplace. By focusing your energy on only one thing at a time this allows you to be more productive and less distracted to get things done.


168 hours: You Have More Time Than You Think

Author: Laura Vanderkam 

It’s an unquestioned truth of modern life: we are all looking for more time throughout our day. Whenever we seek to accomplish more through a 24-hour basis, it only seems that time runs out on all of us. After interviewing dozens of successful people the author noticed that people aren’t accommodating their time frames correctly and in this book, she discusses how to make the most out of the hours that we have.


Atomic Habits

Author: James Clear

Whichever your goals are, this productivity book has the key how to improve yourself day by day in order to achieve it. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation reveals numerous strategies on how to build new and efficient habits.


The Power of Full Engagement

Author: Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz

The Power of Full Engagement a book on understanding the rush that humans go through in their daily lives and how the stress of being successful doesn’t allow people to function properly. The authors discuss how to manage energy and not time in order to achieve happiness and a balanced lifestyle.


Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Getting Things Done

Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Getting Things Done

Author: David Allen

David Allen’s latest book consists of the greatest strategies to be fulfilled by both your work and your life. By making the necessary adjustments you can actually make things happen without having to wait your entire life for them.


The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Author: Stephen Covey

Covey’s book discusses the 7 habits of highly effective people for people to apply to their daily lives. Make sure you not only read your way through this book but also incorporate all these habits in order to ensure success.


Control Your Day: New Approach to Email Management Using Outlook

Control Your Day: A New Approach to Email Management Using Microsoft Outlook and Getting Things Done

Author: Jim McCullen

If you are one to struggle with organization at work and in life, this book is perfect for you. Jim McCullen discusses numerous organization strategies, from organizing your very own email to finishing up with straightening your life.


To Do List Makeover: A Simple Guide to Getting Important Things Done

To-Do List Makeover: A Simple Guide to Getting the Important Things Done

Author: Steve Scott

If you are the type of person that lives their life creating to-do lists whenever they need to get something done, then this is the book for you. The author shows readers the ultimate to-do list so that not only you keep on adding tasks into your list, but for you to actually get things done.


Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work

Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work

Author: Chip and Dan Heath

Research in psychology shows that our decisions are biased and irrational; whenever we need a straight answer we look for what works best for us instead of what reality really is. This book will show you to stop making choices based on emotions and start using your brain to make the best decisions.


18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done

18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done

Author: Peter Bregman

18 Minutes demonstrates how busy people are in their daily lives and how easy it is to spare 18 minutes in doing something that matters. This book will show you how to focus on important aspects and how to differentiate those that shouldn’t take up your time.


The One Minute To-Do List: Quickly Get Your Chaos Completely Under Control

The One Minute To-Do List: Quickly Get Your Chaos Completely Under Control

Author: Michael Linenberger

We have all created to-do lists from time to time, and we have noticed how we always end up adding stuff to them but they never seem to be getting smaller. This book presents a simple and foolproof way to solve that problem and to create ideal to-do lists that can be completed.


The Power of Story: Change Your Story, Change Your Destiny

The Power of Story: Change Your Story, Change Your Destiny

Author: Jim Loehr

“Your story is your life,” says Loehr, and this is. because we continuously tell each other stories on what we are meant to do and whether that story will lead to success or failure. Telling ourselves stories provides structure and direction and for that reason, Loehr discusses the correct way we should be talking about our life story.


Getting Results the Agile Way: A Personal Results System for Work and Life

Getting Results the Agile Way: A Personal Results System for Work and Life

Author: J.D. Meier

J.D.Meier’s book discusses the best way to get results out of the work that you do both in the office and in your life. His insight on life provides a fresh start to the way that you have always attempted to get results; his methods and strategies will offer a new point of view for your life.


Life Hacker: The Guide to Working Smarter, Faster, and Better

Life Hacker: The Guide to Working Smarter, Faster, and Better

Author: Adam Pash

Life Hackers re-define productivity with newer and more advanced methods to take on, in this modern life. This guide to working more efficiently will demonstrate you new productivity techniques you need to become better at what you do.


Think Like da Vinci: 7 Easy Steps to Boosting Your Everyday Genius

Think Like da Vinci: 7 Easy Steps to Boosting Your Everyday Genius

Author: Michael Gelb

Michael Gelb attempts to show his readers through his book how to imitate Leonardo Da Vinci’s thought different processes in order to enhance people’s aptitudes in every area of their lives.


The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done

The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done

Author: Peter Drucker

Peter Drucker discusses in his new book the right way to getting things done. He refers to the executive as his main subject to understand the daily average working man and this way he attempts to offer better solutions to their working methods.


The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play

The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play

Author: Neil Fiore

Learn how to overcome procrastination with numerous strategies discussed by Neil Fiore. Learn how to enjoy guilt-free play from having accomplished all your goals and your tasks by following his methods.


Time Warrior

Time Warrior

Author: Steve Chandler

Time Warrior offers a new approach to dealing with the consecutive timeline that the working man faces throughout his life. The non-linear time management executes actions on a daily basis without having to wait to do something “later” but focusing on the aspect of “right now”.


The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

Author: Charles Duhigg

Charles Duhigg takes us to scientific discoveries that explain how habits are necessarily not the best when they stick around for a long time. In this book, the author explains to us exactly how to change them in order to improve them.

Do you have any Productivity Books that you’d like to recommend? If so, leave a comment below with your favorite productivity related reads.

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