There’s never a bad time for a bit of inspiration, as modern life can be crushingly difficult at times. Luckily for audiobook enthusiasts, the world is filled with self-help books that provide plenty of motivation and inspirational stories. These audiobooks are packed with advice that will inspire you to live your best life, follow your passion, help you make your bed, and be more than happy to lie in it for days. New books on motivation and happiness are often released, but these classic audiobooks remain as pertinent as ever. In need of a reminder of your own power? Want to ward off worries and procrastination? Look no further than the best motivational audiobooks on the planet, from ancient wisdom to modern survival. These best books might just change your life.
Not the easiest listen, but inspiration rarely comes from positions of comfort. Viktor E. Frankl’s seminal Man’s Search for Meaning is one of the most important books about the Holocaust. This is a searing autobiographical audiobook filled with pain, passion and the eternal human desire for survival. Narrated by award-winning voice actor Simon Vance, Man’s Search for Meaning details Frankl’s horrifying treatment at the hands of Nazi soldiers. It also documents his development of logotherapy, a branch of psychotherapy that centres around the search for meaning in our own lives that defines us all. A challenging listen but a significant one.
Tara Westover’s incredible memoir has become one of the bestselling inspirational books of the 21st century. It isn’t difficult to understand why. Brought up in a family preparing for the end of the world, Tara Westover didn’t exist anywhere in any official capacity. Somehow, some way, the little girl from Idaho dragged herself out of the wilderness and into the modern world, where she found education and entered the real world. Brilliantly narrated by Julia Whelan, Educated is an unpausable listen. It is an inspirational tale of one girl’s journey from not existing to becoming a bestselling author. Educated is one of the best inspirational books, and it is a thrilling listen in audiobook form.
What an incredible story. Narrated by Eji Kim, In Order to Live is the harrowing story of Yeonmi Park’s escape from North Korea to the South through the murky underworld of people smugglers and human traffickers. This is not a listen for the faint of heart, and even so, it remains immensely vital. In Order to Live shows the incredible strength of will that human beings are capable of. The story of a young girl fighting her way out of the most repressive country in the world conjures up many feelings, but it all comes together in one of the best inspirational books in recent times. Events don’t come much more life-changing than that, after all.
Motivation rarely comes from a life spent easily in the comfort zone. It doesn’t get much more complex than a childhood spent at war. Drugged up to the point of numbness and forever wedded to the cold grip of an AK-47, Ishmael Beah faced a future utterly void of hope. Not many survive this wretched life. Fewer still grow up to write one of the best motivational books of this time about it all. Ishmael Beah did just that. A Long Way Gone is a heartbreakingly honest listen, masterfully narrated himself. Empowering, intense and impactful, A Long Way Gone is one of the most incredible stories you’ll find.
One of the most inspiring stories of survival, Alive is an audiobook that is guaranteed to touch all who listen to it. The remarkable tale of the Uruguayan rugby team clawing to life in impossible circumstances has been told many times (most notably in a 1993 major motion picture). However, British writer Piers Paul Read’s original book remains the most impactful. Narrated by Paul Ansdell, Alive is an against-all-odds story that remains as shocking today as in the ’70s. This is a drama beyond drama that is harrowing and motivational. The book is a must-read, and the audiobook adaptation is a must-listen.
Stunningly narrated by Jackson Gutierrez, A Place to Stand is a coming-of-age story with a difference. It is a memoir of an impossible childhood and the impossible circumstances that gave the world one of the great modern poets. Jimmy Santiago Baca is a storyteller like no other, and A Place to Stand is a jaw-dropping window into life in a maximum-security prison and the life-changing events that made Baca who he is today. Inspirational books don’t come much more intense than A Place to Stand. This is an impactful love letter to the enduring power of the written word and how it can save lives, no matter the circumstances.
Filled with incredible stories of survival in the most extreme circumstances, Lessons from the Edge is more accessible and actionable than an audiobook about abseiling into erupting volcanoes and rowing oceans should be. Sure, most listeners will not be held at gunpoint any time soon, but it isn’t the extremities that make Lessons from the Edge one of the most inspirational books today. It is the heart, the mind, and the soul of it all. It is how Aldo Kane utilises his emotions to find focus, purpose and belonging against seemingly insurmountable odds. Narrated by Kane himself, Lessons from the Edge is one of the best self-help books around, albeit one told through some compelling stories by the world's most formidable man.
Loss is an unavoidable part of human existence, but how that loss comes about is not the same for us all. Jesmyn Ward grew up in an impoverished part of rural Mississippi, and her life has been punctuated by the sudden deaths of men she had been close to. An inspirational story rises from these bleak ashes, and Men We Reaped is a powerful listen that takes the brutality of existence and lays it out with naked beauty. American actress January LaVoy is a revelation as narrator, imbuing this moving memoir with sensitivity and power at the crucial moments. Men We Reaped is another difficult listen, but it is undoubtedly one of the best motivational books.
The brutal carnage of World War II might not seem like the most fertile ground for uplifting stories. However, in all the deaths were stories of survival and positive thinking that still inspire us today. Defiant Courage is one such tale, the unbelievable story of Jan Baalsrud’s escape from the Nazis into the brutal cold of Arctic Norway. In the audio version, Peter Altshuler’s narration gives this relatively well-known story a whole new layer of wonder. It takes a miraculous story and creates a truly unpausable audiobook. Baalsrud’s escape was no walk in the park: he was buried under an avalanche, became snow blind and lost nine of his toes, but survived. How? Listen to find out.
Malala Yousafzai is one of the most inspirational individuals of the modern age. Her story is well-known. She began writing a blog on BBC Urdu about life under the Taliban, only for the militants to board her school bus and shoot her in the face. Somehow, Malala survived, becoming an international symbol of inspiration and courage. I Am Malala is her story, and it is one of the best inspirational books on the planet; a truly jaw-dropping audiobook. The book is narrated with grace by British actress Archie Panjabi. Malala herself reads the prologue to the book, which is another reason to give I Am Malala all the attention it deserves.
Laura Hillenbrand’s stunning rendering of Louis Zamperini’s life is already an international bestseller. In this audiobook adaptation, Edward Herrmann’s terrific narration lifts that extraordinary tale to previously unforeseen heights. Zamperini’s life was one incredible account after another, from a difficult childhood to running in the Berlin Olympics to the impossible fight for survival in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp. The boy from New York managed to keep his head above water and survive, and Unbroken is an apt title for an audiobook about his unimaginable 97 years. An incredible real-life story, Unbroken is one of the best motivational audiobooks one could hope to listen to.
Trevor Noah might be one of the most popular comedians today. However, the 18 stories that comprise Born a Crime show that it has been far from smooth sailing for the boy from Johannesburg, South Africa. Celebrity memoirs don’t come much more open, honest and personal than this. Noah’s narration of his own life in Born a Crime is a New York Times bestseller and one of the most famous memoirs in recent times, Born a Crime shows that a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck can make a massive difference in all circumstances.
For nine months in 2002 and 2003, Elizabeth Smart lived a life of total horror. Abducted from her family home, the then 14-year-old Smart was kept chained and frequently abused before eventually being rescued and reunited with her family. The full terrifying tale is told for the first time in My Story. This is a moving memoir written and narrated here by Elizabeth Smart herself. At times brutal and unwavering in its commitment to telling the whole story, My Story is a triumph of determination and hope. Smart’s life is a testament to both. Now an international advocate, Elizabeth Smart is a beacon of the power of positive thinking and proof that a good life can still flourish from the most traumatic experiences.
International figures don’t come much more inspiring than Nelson Mandela. Long Walk to Freedom remains one of the best motivational books ever created. Narrated here by American actor Michael Boatman, Long Walk to Freedom is a warts-and-all telling of one of history’s most iconic figures. The story runs from childhood to freedom fighter to incarceration to release. During his 27 long years of imprisonment, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela became an international symbol of the fight against racial oppression. His story continues to influence people to this very day. Long Walk to Freedom is the epic telling of a lifetime of struggle, influence, and belief. This is undoubtedly one of the most inspirational books ever written.
Sway is primarily the story of a young boy’s obsessive quest to learn more about the tragic death of his father on 9/11. Nevertheless, this tale has so much depth that it unquestionably becomes inspirational. Voiced by Timothy Andres Pabon, Sway isn’t just a story of intense research and investigation. It is a story of hope, finding rock bottom and then dragging yourself up from the ashes. It is about rediscovering the importance of self-care and coming to terms with the unmentionable in the process. The past is never truly buried and often the only way to deal with it is by letting it flow over you. Sway shows us that while heartbreak may never heal, happiness, and hope are not entirely out of reach.
Ruth Wariner takes care of The Sound of Gravel’s narration and what an inspiring job she does. Her upbringing was tumultuous. The 39th of 42 children in a polygamist cult, Wariner’s father is brutally murdered by her brother and a life spent between Mexico and the United States begins. It was an existence defined by instability and insecurity. Wariner eventually finds freedom from this life, but balancing her love for her siblings with a desire for a full life is easier said than done. The Sound of Gravel is a stunning listen, one told from the eternally hopeful perspective of a child defined by courage and resilience.
Resilience is everything and few writers know this as intimately as Maya Angelou. Her six volumes of autobiography are an absolute must-read for everyone. However, it is I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings that stands tall as her finest work. Narrated here by Maya Angelou herself, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings is a stunning telling of a childhood in the American South in the 1930s. It was a childhood tempered by racism, discrimination, complete poverty and no small amount of trauma. It was a childhood that Maya Angelou overcame in her inimitable way. This is the greatest work of one of the most inspirational writers in history.
Flying on the Inside is a mesmerising tale of fighting for life in impossible circumstances. Narrated by Rachel Gotto, this memoir centres around the author’s discovery of abnormal tissue growth that was deemed benign yet impossible to treat. It gave Gotto two years to live at best. What happened next? You’ll have to listen to Flying on the Inside to find out. Gotto’s fight for survival is a celebration of life and Flying on the Inside is an inspiring book about the power of positive thinking. How do you overcome hopelessness, paralysis and certain doom? By living, come hell or high water.
No collection of inspirational books and podcasts is complete without the indomitable Brené Brown. The American research professor has made a career out of changing how we approach fragility, vulnerability and shame. Atlas of the Heart is a manifesto for meaningful connection, narrated by the New York Times bestselling author herself. Atlas of the Heart sparkles from beginning to end, brimming with inspiration and motivation in equal measure. As Brown says, with "the right maps, we can travel anywhere and never fear losing ourselves. Even when we have no idea where we are."
One guaranteed way to change your life is to rid it of all clutter. Who better than the mega-popular founder of the KonMari Method to help make the change? Marie Kondo’s already legendary reputation was cemented in 2019 with the Netflix show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Up until then, the Japanese star had been establishing and perfecting her method long before the English-language world cottoned on. Initially published in 2011, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying is a step-by-step guide to cleaning up messes of all kinds. Lucy Scott brilliantly narrates the audiobook adaptation. Make your bed and never look back.
Narrated by Stephen R. Covey himself, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People serves the listener precisely what the title suggests. This inspirational audiobook (one of the best self-help books of all time) details the life-changing habits that can turn bad into good and good into great. Covey is all about the human route, eschewing fads in favour of proven ideas and actionable advice. These habits are timeless, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People will have listeners improving their focus in next to no time. This version also comes with a fascinating afterword that sees the author test the habits in the fast-paced chaos of the 21st century. This audiobook will change the way you think.
One of the most inspirational travel books of the 21st century, Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love has been motivating readers since it was published in 2006. This audiobook adaptation is narrated by Gilbert herself and does all that and more for listeners, imbuing her famous story of discovery and pleasure with new energy and joy. It is a well-told story but one that stands the test of time; such is the universal power of trying to work out just who exactly you are. A motivational audiobook of the highest order, Eat, Pray, Love lives up to the hype. Follow Elizabeth Gilbert on a seminal journey of self-discovery and life-changing events. You never know where happiness is waiting.
To give it its full title, it's The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle and Generally Have More Fun. Gretchen Rubin’s love letter to making life matter is one of the great inspirational books. Her narration of this audio adaptation also makes it one of the best motivational audiobooks to boot. Gretchen Rubin dedicated a year to immerse herself in all of life’s possibilities, and The Happiness Project is the result. An absolute joy of a listen, The Happiness Project might inspire listeners to embark on their quest for positivity.
Inspiration doesn’t just come from self-help audiobooks and motivational audiobooks. For centuries, the wonderful world of fiction has provided proverbial words of ambition, and Paulo Coelho’s seminal tale of an epic search for treasure is right up there with all of the greats. Narrated by Jeremy Irons, The Alchemist is a life-changing story in this audiobook adaptation. If you're not already immersed in Paulo Coelho and The Alchemist, what are you waiting for? The Alchemist is one of the best motivational audiobooks one could hope to enjoy.
Narrated by Admiral William H. McRaven himself, this New York Times bestseller is a personal habits revolution in audiobook form. Admiral William H. McRaven dispels wisdom with all the credibility of a man who has been there and bought the t-shirt. Make Your Bed centres around McRaven’s ten life-changing principles, learned during nearly four decades of his life as a Navy SEAL. But don’t expect Make Your Bed to be a discipline-heavy struggle. It’s quite the opposite. McRaven’s principles are all relatively simple things that can open doors and close others. Sometimes, simplicity is the key to overcoming mental health issues and Make Your Bed is precisely the type of audiobook you need.
This inspirational audiobook from Rachel Hollis (narrated by the author) does exactly what it says. It is an unapologetically excellent take on self-loathing from a New York Times bestselling author and a trending phenomenon. It is also a big slap in the face for anxiety in the best possible way. In Girl, Stop Apologizing, Rachel Hollis sets out a manifesto for a global revolution that begins with removing the fear of being judged. The sky is the limit, or maybe even the bare minimum. This is an inspirational book for inspirational women, written and narrated by a highly inspirational woman herself. This exclusive Audible edition also includes downloadable prints featuring quotes from the book.
Life is about extremes. Maybe the nuts and bolts of existence aren’t, but it can feel as though life is all about bouncing from incredible highs to disastrous lows and back again. Cheryl Strayed’s collection of Tiny Beautiful Things is a one-stop-shop for all of the above. Built out of Strayed’s former life as an anonymous online columnist known only as Sugar, Tiny Beautiful Things is defined by its commitment to raw honesty and fragile humanity. It reminds us once more that the only way to survive being human is to be as human as possible. Strayed herself narrates the audiobook adaptation.
Every now and then, you come across a book that seems to have been created precisely with the audiobook format in mind. Michelle Obama is a unique woman, and Becoming is an extraordinary audiobook. Gorgeously narrated by the former First Lady herself, Becoming is more than a political memoir from an inspirational figure. It is an incredible insight into one of the 21st century’s most compelling individuals. Becoming has won almost every award in the audiobook world, and it isn’t difficult to understand why. This audiobook is an intimate look at a magnificent human being and an inspirational book.
Maybe it is best to let the tagline of Jen Sincero’s fantastic book take the lead; How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life. In the chaos of the modern world (not to mention the hyper-scrutiny of social media), it can be easy to forget just how incredible we all are. Jen Sincero’s tremendous You Are A Badass is here to remind you that you are, indeed, a badass, and the world is yours for the taking. The audiobook adaptation is brilliantly narrated by Sincero, creating a self-help book with a streak of magic through its heart.
Overcoming obstacles is one of the keys to living a full life. However, many people need a bit of a push before they are willing to face adversity head-on and jump into the magic of existence. If you are unsure about your next step, consider Ryan Holiday’s fabulous The Obstacle is the Way. This inspirational audiobook takes the roadblocks in front of us and creates meaning and value from them all. This book is all about facing hardship and turning it around, using the struggle to your advantage and becoming utterly incredible. Holiday’s methods have worked for prominent names and CEOs across the land. There’s no reason why it won’t work for you.
Small but perfectly formed, Seth Godin’s iconic scattergun attack on conventionality in all walks has been inspiring readers for years. Now, narrated by Godin, the audiobook adaptation can do the same for listeners. Poke the Box takes seemingly impeachable wisdom and turns it upside down. This title offers advice that invites failure instead of staying cocooned in the comfort zone of life. Poke the Box is all about finding your niche in this chaotic world and the intricate steps that need to be taken—inspirational words brilliantly narrated by Godin.
There’s success, and then there’s extreme success. Narrated by author Grant Cardone himself, The 10X Rule is a committed business book that focuses on the extremes and nothing else. This is a thrilling manifesto against fear, insecurity and worry, favouring self-belief, productivity, and purpose. The 10X Rule is the 21st century at its most intense in many ways. It is an audiobook that wrings every last drop of brilliance out of all who take it to heart. Cardone’s promises are lofty. He promises to help the listener reach goals that seemed impossible, create unprecedented levels of life satisfaction, and become a role model for success.
Living With a SEAL is a hilarious tale of how Jesse Itzler spent 31 days living and training with the so-called ‘toughest man on the planet.’ It is classic odd couple storytelling (the laidback Itzler, the terrifyingly intense SEAL) told through the lens of a self-help book, and it is utterly thrilling from start to finish. Jesse Itzler takes care of the narration and the audiobook shines as a result, with Itzler’s exasperation and varying levels of enthusiasm a highlight throughout.
A perennially popular book in inspirational literature, Think and Grow Rich has long been a go-to text for successful individuals worldwide. Since its original publication in 1937, Napoleon Hill’s collection of actionable advice (collated from more than 500 interviews with individuals as notable as Edison, Morgan and Rockefeller) has often been imitated but has never been duplicated. Narrated by Erik Synnestvedt, this audiobook adaptation of Think and Grow Rich transports it into the 21st century for a whole new generation of listeners, ready for timeless inspiration from some of the great minds of history.
Narrated by Ray Porter, The 4-Hour Work Week has been a constant in the self-help charts since it was initially published to great acclaim in 2007. The book focused on Timothy Ferriss and his lightning achievements. While the book itself is more self-congratulatory than truly actionable, it does feature more than a few tidbits of advice that have proven helpful to millions of readers worldwide. This audiobook adaptation does the same for listeners, encouraging an outsourced life and working less in favour of exploration and living more. No list of inspirational books is complete without one entry from Timothy Ferriss.
Narrated by Ryan Vincent Anderson, The Happiness Hypothesis is award-winning psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s love letter to centuries of philosophical wisdom. The audiobook is centred around ten great ideas. Many of history’s most incredible civilizations are celebrated throughout the title, with their central ideas brought into a modern context with actionable advice and real lessons. The Happiness Hypothesis is all inspirational aphorisms and wisdom, one civilization at a time. Jonathan Haidt is the bestselling author of The Righteous Mind, but The Happiness Hypothesis might be his best work yet. The narration is also spectacular, adding character and charm to philosophy and science.
Available for the first time as an unabridged audiobook, David Schwartz’s bestselling The Magic of Thinking Big is as must-listen today as it was must-read upon publication in 1959. Schwartz’s iconic treatise doesn’t just talk about becoming more successful. The Magic of Thinking Big sets out an actionable roadmap to success, leaving nothing to chance and offering the listener every opportunity to achieve whatever they want. It is a fantastic book, and Jason Culp’s brilliant narration adds another layer of excellence to this timeless classic. There is so much to love here; just press play.
We’ll end with the motivational words of American author, salesman and speaker Zig Ziglar. How to Stay Motivated is about avoiding procrastination in all walks of life, from work to relationships via goals and the rest. Narrated by Zig Ziglar, How to Stay Motivated is built around easy-to-follow steps that focus on creating a more satisfying life for all who encounter it. Looking to improve every single aspect of your existence? How to Stay Motivated won’t fix everything, but it’ll put you on the right path to a more fulfilled life. Ziglar’s narration is also excellent, filled with credibility as the brains behind the words.
