6 Books You Must Read

If you would like to be more creative, more productive, smarter, healthier, better able to deal with life's challenges, and a better leader—and who doesn't—check out the following six books.

Each will leave you feeling challenged, motivated, inspired... and and ready to take your professional life to new heights. — Jeff Haden

Sure, some people are more creative than others, but we can all be more creative, more imaginative, and more productive. As Lehrer describes, creativity isn't a gift, it's a process, and one we can all use more effectively. If you've struggled to come up with a big new idea—or any idea—this is your book.

Plus Lehrer thinks holding brainstorming meetings is a bad idea. Gotta love him for that.

Even though we like to think otherwise, most of the time we don't make decisions. Instead we just automatically do what we've done before, and repeating those habits makes us less productive and less effective than we could be.

So what can you do? Change an old habit into a new habit. It's not easy, but it is simple. And it's an infinitely repeatable process.

I forget stuff all the time. Trivial things, important things, all kinds of things. Like creativity, memory is a process—all you need are the right tools.

Not only does Foer provide those tools, he wraps them inside his story of winning the U.S. Memory Championship, which makes the book even more memorable (sorry, couldn't resist).

In his quest to create "bodily perfection," Jacobs spends two years trying seemingly every exercise, food, supplement, diet plan... and even describes sphincter toning. (Don't ask.)

You'll learn a lot about what doesn't work, and just as importantly you'll laugh a lot—which, of course, is good for your health. So you'll already be off to a good start.

Mathematical equations can provide insights into your feelings and emotions.

Don't think it's possible? Surely you've thought, "Once I looked at that differently I felt a lot better," right? Conley's equations provide a mental framework that can help center you when you're wallowing in despair... or help you contain your euphoria when your expectations are out of control.

Balance is everything; knowing the equations, and acting accordingly, can help you achieve that balance.

Lee, Longstreet, Meade, Reynolds... all the big names are here. But so is a name you've probably never heard of: Joshua Chamberlain, the college professor who won the Medal of Honor at Gettysburg, commanded the Union troops at Lee's surrender, and later became the Governor of Maine and President of Bowdoin College.

Unlike the other books this one is a novel, but don't worry: By the end of the book I promise you'll want to be a leader—and a person—like Joshua Chamberlain.

Read more: The Simplest Way to Get Smarter