Knowledge is king. The first step to creating change in your life is to know what you're doing wrong or why you need to change. We've picked out 41 books that will better your life in a dramatic way. Whether it's figuring out how to get out of debt, learning how to be happier, or trying to find ways to get a job, reading just one of these books this year is guaranteed to change your life for good.
1. You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life 
While not dedicated entirely to career advice, the powerful insights found within Jen Sincero's You Are a Badass will absolutely carry into your work life in the best way possible. A lack of confidence is perhaps the biggest hurdle for most women in their careers, and this book will help restore that incredibly valuable resource.
2. A Calm Brain: How to Relax Into a Stress-Free, High-Powered Life 
Many of us can't avoid the chaos and bustle of our everyday lives, but all of us can learn to manage it. Chronic stress and sleep deprivation are just a couple consequences of not being able to take control of life's difficulties, but Dr. Gayatri Devi teaches readers how to attain calmness in his book, A Calm Brain: How to Relax into a Stress-Free, High-Powered Life.
3. The Happiness Project One-Sentence Journal: A Five-Year Record 
It's easy to get caught up in life's petty issues and forget that there is so much to be grateful for.
Get The Happiness Project One-Sentence Journal to remind yourself of the things you appreciate. You'll be surprised by how positive you'll become. It only requires you to write one sentence per day about what you're grateful for. How simple is that?
4. The Five Love Languages 
Find out what languages of love you and your spouse are speaking with the help of The Five Love Languages, and you will gain a deeper understanding of each other and what fuels your love and insecurities.
5. Cat Sense 
Finally understand the mysterious workings behind your feline friend's mind with Cat Sense. You'll be a better slave . . . er, owner after reading this book.
6. Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us 
Salt Sugar Fat will change the way you think about processed food and make you think twice about buying that bag of chips.
7. Mindfulness 
A top self-improvement seller on Amazon, Mindfulness shares tools to help us in the vicious cycles of anxiety, stress, unhappiness, and exhaustion. Looking for a happier, more content life in 2014? This may the book that will make that happen.
8. The Last Lecture 
The Last Lecture is a book written by the late Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer and passed away in 2008. The book reiterates the idea of living life to the fullest in an extremely personal way, as the author takes readers into his life and shares his thoughts and feelings on dealing with his terminal diagnosis.
9. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking 
If you're sick and tired of the bad rap introverts get in a society that celebrates extroverts, take comfort in the strengths you have as an introvert with Quiet.
10. Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life 
We often lose sight of our compassion, which causes more strife in our lives and makes us more judgmental of other people. Karen Armstrong's Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life rights us back to our path to evolving into a more loving, forgiving, and understanding person.
11. Spontaneous Happiness 
There are a lot of wellness books out there, but Spontaneous Happiness takes the cake, because it has the right balance of scientific evidence to back up its theories.
Contrary to what you might think, this book isn't just for the clinically depressed — it's just a great tool to better peoples' minds and bodies. If something has got you down or if you are feeling stressed, Dr. Weil will give you very doable strategies to overcome those feelings.
12. The Spectrum: A Scientifically Proven Program to Feel Better, Live Longer, Lose Weight, and Gain Health 
If you're ready for a drastic health overhaul and have enough self-discipline to do all the right things for optimum health, pick up a copy of Dean Ornish's The Spectrum: A Scientifically Proven Program to Feel Better, Live Longer, Lose Weight, and Gain Health. Although his methods work, they can be tough to follow.
13. Imagine Life With a Well-Behaved Dog 
If you're a dog owner, you'll know that having a disobedient pup makes life more stressful. Nip those behavioral problems in the bud with Imagine Life With a Well-Behaved Dog.
14. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People 
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People ($17) is a good read for anyone, but especially for those who have recently lost jobs. This book will help you be in the right place emotionally.
15. Chicken Soup For the Volunteer's Soul 
One of the biggest keys to happiness is volunteering, because it makes you think beyond yourself and your worries. When you're helping those who need it, you'll gain a new appreciation for the life you have.
Read Chicken Soup For the Volunteer's Soul to inspire you in your volunteering journey! Resolve to make a difference in someone else's life this year.
16. The 4-Hour Workweek 
In this bestseller The 4-Hour Workweek, author Timothy Ferriss talks about how he went from a 80-hour workweek while making $40,000 to making $40,000 a month in just four hours a week.
17. Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think 
Mindless Eating may change the way you think about about eating and dieting. Dr. Brian Wansink is a food psychologist who delves into the psychology of overeating and retraining your brain and its approach toward food.
18. The Willpower Instinct 
Harness the power of self-control with tips from The Willpower Instinct, and train your brain for success.
19. The Omnivore's Dilemma 
The Omnivore's Dilemma will bridge the disconnect many of us face with the food we eat and will remove the veil on the alarming realities on how our food is produced.
20. The Power of Now 
The Power of Now is a book written by Eckhart Tolle that came highly rated by Oprah Winfrey. The spiritual book gives readers insight on living in the present and letting go of the past.
21. E-Squared 
Perform these energy experiments from E-Squared that may result in life-altering changes. This book takes the law of attraction and helps us put it into practice.
22. Steal Like an Artist 
Juice up your creativity by reading Steal Like an Artist. The book embraces the idea that nothing is original, so we shouldn't be afraid of being inspired by what's already out there. After all, imitation is the greatest form of flattery!
23. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion 
Figure out what gets people to say "yes" and what pushes them away with Influence.
24. Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives 
Whether you are expecting or not, Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives is a great read for anyone who plans to have children. Find out how the decisions you make during your pregnancy can impact your kids for life. This may even inspire you to live a healthier and more optimal life right now in preparation for the future.
25. Find Your Focus Zone 
Feeling a little unfocused lately? Grab and devour Find Your Focus Zone so you can finally finish what you started. Let 2014 be the year of finished projects and fulfilled promises.
26. Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? 
Become a sought-after employing by turning into a linchpin, someone who is indispensable to any company or organization. Seth Godin's Linchpin may help you grow into a valued employee.
27. How We Do It 
How We Do It offers a fascinating look into the history and science of sex and reproduction. Find out what's really "natural" when it comes to making and raising babies.
28. The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work 
Dr. John Gottman is a premier relationship expert who spent decades researching and studying couples. The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work is the culmination of that research, and in it you'll find valuable ways to mend or strengthen your relationship.
29. The Hoarder in You 
From chronic hoarders to those need a little help with mess, The Hoarder in You has applicable advice for everyone. Start decluttering today!
30. I Will Teach You to Be Rich 
If you're in your 20s and making a decent salary, I Will Teach You to Be Rich will be perfect for you. Ramit Sethi, a Stanford grad and a New York Times bestselling author, dishes out practical personal finance advice in a fun and easy read.
31. The Tao of Pooh 
Follow Winnie the Pooh as the bear and his famous friends teach us the greatest lessons of simplicity in the Tao of Pooh.
32. The Gifts of Imperfection 
Vulnerability is the key message in The Gifts of Imperfection. This book will help you overcome the fears that keep you from moving foward.
33. Think and Grow Rich 
Think and Grow Rich was written by Napolean Hill after the Great Depression and continues to grow in popularity today. It is one of the most well-known self-improvement books on success.
34. Your Money or Your Life 
Your Money or Your Life is a classic book on the topic of money management. It talks at length about the emotional connection we have with money and how to be concious of your spending.
35. The Secret 
An acclaimed book, The Secret is based off the theory of the law of attraction.
36. The Power of Habit 
The best book on forming habit. Backed up by scientific research, The Power of Habit will teach you how to create lasting habits.
37. Anger 
Any book by Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh is worth reading, and Anger is one of his most popular books. It will give readers insight into their anger and help them realize where it is coming from — a place of suffering. Let Hanh's teachings show you how to turn anger into compassion.
38. The Total Money Makeover 
The Total Money Makeover is the perfect book for people who are trying to get out of debt. The author speaks from personal experience as well — Dave Ramsey built a $4 million business in his 20s, but later went bankrupt. There are a lot of references to Christianity, but you can just ignore them if you're not religious.
39. Love Is Never Enough 
Love Is Never Enough takes the psychotherapy approach to cognitive behavioral therapy and applies it to relationships.
40. Getting Things Done 
Get productive without the stress by reading David Allen's Getting Things Done.
41. Why We Get Fat 
Heralded as one of the most important books on nutrition, Why We Get Fat may possibly change the way you think about dieting and losing weight.
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