Best Books for Coaching?
So what are the best books for coaching?
I asked a number of coaches and they recommended a wide range of books - from those outlining coaching models and techniques, best practice in leadership and management , positive psychology, to books taking a spiritual approach to coaching and business. They also recommended books drawing on theories of Neuro Linguistic Programming and personality types. There were also many texts suggested aimed at supporting clients in taking action and making change.
Which are the most popular?
Perhaps, as you would expect, the majority of books recommended were texts to support clients in taking action and making positive change. However, these books are also often as useful for coaches as their clients.
The next most recommended were books on business development - particularly on marketing and growing a coaching practice - particularly effective ways of attracting new clients.
Surprisingly, only a small number of books on coaching methods and techniques were recommended - but several coaches recommended Co-Active Coaching and Coaching for Performance.
Below you will find the full list of all the books recommended. Click on the headings to go to the relevant section in the list organised by author. I have have included links to as many reviews as I can (just click on the book title to get to the review) but I would like to add to this list and to our number of reviews - so if you would like to contribute a review or you believe we have missed a useful book please contact us.
Many thanks to the following coaches who contributed their comments and ideas:
Marjorie Geiser, Monica McPherrin, Julie Fleming-Brown, Marion Franklin (Life Coaching Group), Niquenya Fulbright (www.niquenyafulbright.com), Gary Hillman (New Leaf Coaching Online), Joan Jesion, Dorcas Kelley, Lisa Keyes Scott, Olivia Landsberg (Landsberg Coaching), Hugh Levenbach, Sheila Mikulin, Sue Plumtree (www.sueplumtree.co.uk), Sandra Martini, Dale Noles (Virtual Accuracy Companies) Gudmundur Sigurdarson (Mindformula) and Christiane Turnheim.
Sonia Thomas, Editor, Coaches Plus
Coaching Models and Techniques
Spirituality in Business/Coaching
Business Development and Marketing
Leadership and Management Coaching
Coaching Models and Techniques
Coaching: Evoking Excellence in Others by James Flaherty - Butterworth-Heinemann; 2 edition (July 1, 2005)
Coach Anyone About Anything: How to Help People Succeed in Business and Life by Germaine Porché and Jed Niederer – Wharton; 1st edition (September 5, 2001)
Co-Active Coaching: New Skills for Coaching People Toward Success in Work and Life, by L. Wentworth, P. Sandall, H. Kimsey-House. Publisher: Davies-Black Publishing; 2 Pap/Com edition (February 25, 2007)
Coaching for Performance by John Whitmore - Nicholas Brealey Publishing; 3 edition (May 25, 2002)
Spirituality in Business/Coaching
Jesus Life Coach by Laurie Beth Jones - Nelson Bibles (21 Feb 2006)
Tools of Leadership by Max Landsberg - Profile Books; New Ed edition (January 1, 2003)
Tao of Motivation by Max Landsberg - Profile Books; New Ed edition (January 1, 2003)
The Diamond Cutter- Geshe Michael Roach - Three Leaves (July 15, 2003)
Doing Business by the Good Book by David L. Steward - Amazon Remainders Account; 1st edition (January 2, 2004)
Business Development and Marketing
Selling the Invisible by Harry Beckwith - Texere; 1 edition (March 1, 2001)
Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles - William Morrow; 1 edition (May 19, 1993)
Four Steps to Building A Profitable Coaching Business/ A Complete Marketing Resource Guide for Coaches - Deborah Brown-Volkman - iUniverse (October 30, 2003)
Get Clients Now! by C.J. Hayden - Amacom; 2 edition (1 Oct 2006)
The E-Myth by Michael Gerber - HarperBusiness, U.S. (October 1988)
The E-Myth Mastery by Michael Gerber - HarperBusiness, U.S.; Reprint edition (1 Feb 2007)
Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne - Harvard Business School Press (1 Jan 2005)
No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs by Dan Kennedy - Entrepreneur Press; 1 edition (July 7, 2004)
No B.S. Wealth Attraction for Entrepreneurs by Dan Kennedy - Entrepreneur Media; 1 edition (August 1, 2007)
Multiple Streams of Coaching Income - by Andrea J. Lee - MP Press (November 1, 2005)
Guerilla Marketing (Third Edition) by Jay Conrad Levinson - Houghton Mifflin (Trade); 4Rev Ed edition (5 Jun 2007)
Be Your Own Brand by David McNally and Karl Speak - Berrett-Koehler Publishers (September 2003)
Million Dollar Consulting by Alan Weiss - McGraw-Hill; 3 edition (August 5, 2002)
Leadership and Management Coaching
Leadership and Self Deception by the Arbinger Institute – Berrett-Koehler; New Ed edition (1 Mar 2002)
Principle-Centered Leadership by Stephen R. Covey - Free Press; 1st edition (October 1, 1992)
The Daily Drucker by Peter Drucker -HarperCollins Publishers (30 Nov 2004)
Synchronicity: the inner path of leadership, Joseph Jaworski - Berrett-Koehler Publishers; 1st ed edition (March 1996)
Leadership and the Art of Conversation by Kim H. Krisco Prima Publishing, US (Aug 1997)
The Leadership Moment by Michael Useem – Three Rivers Press; 1 edition (November 2, 1999)
The Unfair Advantage: Practical Applications of NLP for Sales and Marketing by Duane Lakin - Lakin Associates, US (1 Mar 2001)
The Psychology of Persuasion by Kevin Hogan - Pelican Publishing Company (May 1996)
The Coaching Bible by Ian Mcdermott - Piatkus Books (April 25, 2007)
New Technology of Achievement - Harper Paperbacks (February 19, 1996)
Positive Psychology Coaching: Putting the Science of Happiness to Work
for Your Clients by Robert Biswas-Diener (Author), Ben Dean (Author)- Wiley; 1 edition (April 20, 2007)
Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert - HarperPerennial; New Ed edition (5 Feb 2007)
Choice Theory, William Glasser - Harper Paperbacks (January 6, 1999)
Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your
Potential for Lasting Fulfillment
by Martin Seligman - Simon & Schuster Ltd; 1st Free Press Trade Pbk. Ed edition (19 Jan 2004)
Getting Everything You Can Out Of All You've Got by Jay Abraham - Piatkus Books; New Ed edition (26 April 2001)
Finding Your North Star by Martha Beck - Piatkus Books (28 Aug 2003)
On Families by John Bradshaw- HCI; Revised edition (April 1, 1990)
Six Pillars of Self-Esteem by Nathaniel Branden - Bantam; Bantam Trade Paperback Ed edition (May 1, 1995)
Taming Your Gremlin by Richard D Carson - HarperSanFrancisco; Rev Sub edition (1 Sep 2003)
When Things Fall Apart- Pema Chodron - Shambhala (January 11, 2005)
The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire by Deepak Chopra - Three Rivers Press (August 12, 2004)
12 Choices... That lead to Your Success by David Cottrell - CornerStone Leadership Institute (January 23, 2005)
This Is How We Do It: The Working Mother's Manifesto by Carol Evans - Hudson Street Press (April 6, 2006)
Living Your Best Life by Laura Berman Fortgang - Penguin Putnam; Reprint edition (May 2002)
Take Yourself to the Top by Laura Berman Fortgang - Tarcher (August 18, 2005)
Risking Everything : 110 Poems of Love and Revelation edited by Roger Housden - Harmony; 1 edition (March 18, 2003)
The Cash Flow Quadrant by Robert T. Lechter and Sharon L. Kiyosaki - Techpress Inc (1999)
The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World by Marti Olsen Laney – Workman Publishing Company; 1 edition (February 1, 2002)
Life Strategies by Phil McGraw- Hyperion; 1 edition (January 1, 2006)
Why Don’t You Want What I Want? by Rick Maurer - Bard Press (April 25, 2002)
Coach Yourself to Success by Talane Miedaner - McGraw-Hill (Nov 2000)
The 9 steps to Financial Freedom by Suze Orman - Running Press Miniature Editions; Min edition (October 18, 2001)
Kitchen Table Wisdom - by Rachel Naomi Remen M.D. - Riverhead Books (1996)
Stand Up For Your Life by Cheryl Richardson - Free Press (April 29, 2003)
Take Time for Your Life by Cheryl Richardson - Bantam Books Ltd (1 Jan 2000)
Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins - Pocket Books; New Ed edition (January 2, 2001)
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz - Amber-Allen Publishing; 1 edition (January 15, 2001)
Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott - Piatkus Books (August 21, 2003)
The Places You'll Go by Dr Seuss - Random House, New York; 1 edition (January 22, 1990)
Goal Free Living by Stephen Shapiro - Wiley (January 3, 2006)
Wishcraft - How to get what you really want by Barbara Sher - Ballantine Books; 2 edition (Dec 2003)
Rich Dad, Poor Dad - by Robert T. Kiyosaki - Business Plus; 1 edition (April 1, 2000)
A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle - Penguin (January 30, 2008)
The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist - W. W. Norton (October 16, 2006)
Do I Look Fat in This? by Jessica Weiner - Pocket Books (2 Jan 2007)
The Art of Possibility by Rosamund and Ben Zander - Penguin (Non-Classics) (September 24, 2002)