Books about resilience

You Deserve It

Brian Reese · 2023 · Audiobook

YOU SERVED. YOU DESERVE.Brian Reese was good at masking his PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety. He even told himself he did not “deserve” benefits, which he later discovered was complete bullshit. As an Air Force officer deployed to Afghanistan…

You Deserve It Second Edition

Brian Reese · 2023

YOU SERVED. YOU DESERVE.Brian Reese was good at masking his PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety. He even told himself he did not “deserve” benefits, which he later discovered was complete bullshit. As an Air Force officer deployed to Afghanistan…

WTF?! (Willing to Fail)

How Failure Can Be Your Key to Success

Brian Scudamore · 2018

Entrepreneurship is a roller coaster of trial and error, laughter and tears, confusion and triumph. In WTF?! (Willing to Fail), serial entrepreneur Brian Scudamore takes you on an adventure that will convince you once and for all that you have exactly what it…

Burn Zones

Jorge P. Newbery · 2015

Life was good for Jorge Newbery. A high school dropout and serial entrepreneur, he built a real estate empire of over 4,000 apartments across the USA. Taking risks and working tirelessly were the ingredients to his rise. But, he took one risk too many. An ice…

Limp Forward

A Memoir of Disability, Perseverance, and Success

Libo Cao Meyers · 2023 · Audiobook

From being a little girl in a village in China with polio to a tech executive at Apple, Libo Cao Meyers (曹力波) has had quite a journey in life, a journey steeped in rich family legacy and powered by determination, growth, and love. Over the years and the…

Tools for the Trenches

Daily Practices for Resilience, Perspective & Progress

Elizabeth Benton Thompson · 2021 · Audiobook

What happens when a master of personal transformation suffers unspeakable loss? After thirty years of battling obesity and struggling with her finances, Elizabeth Benton transformed herself. She lost 150 pounds, eliminated $130,000 of debt, and committed…

The Beauty of a Darker Soul

Joshua Mantz

This is a journey of finding beauty within darkness. Former Army Major Josh Mantz reaches into the deepest corners of the human soul to expose the most difficult emotions associated with traumatic experiences. Mantz was shot and killed by a sniper on the…

Own Your Power

Jayson Waller · 2021

What’s your underdog story? Did you grow up poor? Don’t have the right connections? The right education? The right trauma-free childhood? Any other excuses? Jayson Waller grew up poor, with an abusive childhood. He had no education and was a father in his…

Thank You Cancer

Logan Sneed · 2019

What if the worst thing that’s ever happened to you was actually the greatest blessing you’ve ever received? When Logan Sneed was diagnosed with stage-4 brain cancer, he used a diagnosis that’s usually a death sentence as a springboard for the life of his…

Outsider Agent

Anthony Arismendi · 2022

Anthony Arismendi moved to the United States from Venezuela as a teenager in the mid-seventies with the dream of becoming a US citizen and an FBI agent, despite the fact that he couldn’t speak a word of English. Transplanted from the dangerous streets of…

Master the Key

Michael Flynn · 2019

Master The Key, is the story of Steve, a very successful adviser at Outlier Capital. He began his career with the intention of having a meaningful impact on others, but the markets were booming and his motives were quickly overcome by the sweetness of easy…

From Beat Down to Back Up and Beyond

James Neville-Taylor · 2023

James Neville-Taylor has felt the suffocating darkness that can drive a person to take their own life. After a failed suicide attempt in 2017, he realized his life would have amounted to nothing if it had ended then. So he resolved to change it. From Beat…

The Comeback

Dave Scatchard · 2021

Dave Scatchard has always been the underdog, but his drive to overcome obstacles meant none of that mattered. That’s how his childhood dream of becoming an NHL hockey player came true at twenty-one, followed by marrying the love of his life and starting a…

Art of Resilience

Hussein Al-Baiaty · 2021

Art of Resilience: The Refugee State of Mind shares the refugee heritage, life, and art of Hussein Al-Baiaty. A graphic designer by trade, Hussein uses the wearable medium of printed T-shirts to promote understanding, expressing the stories of hardship…

The Resilience Roadmap

Danny Morel

As a teenager, real-estate broker Danny Morel felt he was destined to do great things. Even though he had to contend with a lackluster education system and lived on welfare in a single-parent home, he didn’t let any of that hold him back. He had resilience…

Written in the Snow

Elizabeth Rose

Through Written in the Snow, prepare to embark on a global adventure and discover how to convert challenge to opportunity, believe in yourself, and conquer even your highest personal peaks. Liz Rose shares her inspiring adventures of climbing the Seven…

The Empowerment Paradox

Seven Vital Virtues to Turn Struggle Into Strength

Ben Woodward · 2020

Adversity comes to all of us in ways we may not expect or choose. Often, it is unwanted and untimely. And still it boldly demands something of us. A response. Perhaps it’s the pain of sickness, death, or simply getting older. Maybe it’s the struggle of…

The Gospel of Fire

Eliot Marshall · 2019

Eliot Marshall has always been a fighter, from overcoming bullies and bigots who targeted his half-black, half-Jewish heritage to using his martial-arts prowess to become part of the UFC. But beneath his badass exterior, Eliot struggled with severe anxiety…

Lost in Startuplandia

E. Keller Fitzsimmons · 2019

Entrepreneurship seems like a thrilling, lucrative adventure, until things go horribly wrong. As crisis after crisis hits, even the most seasoned founder can get disoriented. Whether you're in the throes of business woes or just getting into the game, E.…

The Least Likely Millionaire

Jonathan Beskin · 2023 · Audiobook

WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER - From mental hospital to millionaire. Everyone told Jonathan Beskin that his ideas would never work, his business would never succeed, and he would be a failure. He endured bullying and abuse from family, peers, teachers, and…

The Game of Adversity

Nick Dinardo · 2015

We're too comfortable. Growing up, we're all taught that the best situation is the one where everything goes according to plan. Adversity is something to be avoided or, at the very least, tolerated. This book is here to tell you the opposite. Adversity is…

Mindset for Mastery

Ryan Harris

Two voices in your head compete for attention. One says, "I am worthy. I am capable. I will succeed." The other says, "I can't. It's too hard. The game is rigged against me."Everything the first voice tells you is true--if you have the courage to believe it.…

Not Okay? Okay.

Sheridan Taylor · 2022

This is a challenging book. In Not Okay? Okay. combat veteran and suicide survivor Sheridan Taylor chronicles the anguish and rage he experienced in the darkest depths of despair, and he shares the process and triumph of fighting his way out. After a…

Becoming Ovary Jones

How to Fight Cancer Without Losing Your Mind

Melanie Holscher · 2020

What happens when a leadership coach ends up fighting for her life? When business performance coach Melanie Holscher learned she had stage 4 ovarian cancer, it sounded more like a sentence than a diagnosis. And fighting the disease demanded more than she…

West Point to Wall Street

Omar Ritter · 2025

In vulnerability lies strength. Do you feel trapped by your past? Are you struggling with mental health issues or overwhelmed with life’s pressures? You’re not alone. In West Point to Wall Street, veteran Omar Ritter reveals the lessons he’s learned over…

Life Ignited

Connor McKemey · 2023

In a split second, Connor McKemey went from being an active, athletic thirteen-year-old whose life revolved around school, sports, and family, to being engulfed in flames from a propane tank explosion in his backyard. Passing out in the ambulance, he woke up…

Fired Up

Alreen Haeggquist · 2023

One out of every two women in the United States experience sexual assault. Underreporting, victim blaming, and societal shaming mean the actual rate is even higher. But you are not a statistic. You are a survivor. This book is for you. Sex abuse survivor…

The Art Cure

Bridgette Mayer · 2016

How did a young girl who came through social services and foster care end up in the art world with a multi-million dollar gallery and consulting business? Through the kindness of strangers, fierce determination, and a survivor’s sheer will, Bridgette Mayer’s…

Live Beautiful

A Compassionate, Balanced Guide to Everyday Wellness & Well-Being

Renee Joyal · 2023

Renée Marie suffered a life-threatening illness in early adolescence, enduring multiple surgeries and months in the hospital. Doctors told her to expect a life marked by pain and limitation. Unwilling to accept such a fate, Renée devoted herself to…

Ordinary Resilience

Luis Velasquez · 2024

Optimism x (Commitment + Persistence) = Resilience Change, suffering, disappointment, failure, these are inevitable life experiences. Your response to them, though, is a choice you make. Resilience in the midst of hardship is not an extraordinary…

Pivot

Jody Ray

When a series of heartbreaking events left pastor Dr. Jody G. Ray feeling stuck and without purpose, he knew he had a choice in this "pivot" moment: remain in his present place, or move forward. After choosing the latter, he dedicated himself to helping…

Between the Lines

Jay Lind · 2022

For years, Jay Lind lived between the lines of society’s moral and legal boundaries. But his smooth, privileged life was interrupted when his dad died and his drug addiction snowballed out of control. Between the Lines is the moving saga of Jay’s descent…

Blue Sky Lightning

Jeff Kuhn

All of us deal with trauma, lightning bolts that disrupt our lives in small or devastating ways. But no matter what you’re facing, you can recover, through strength, fortitude, and belief. Jeff Kuhn survived the unthinkable: burns over 80 percent of his body…

The NeuFit Method

Garrett Salpeter · 2021

Humans are resilient. In fact, we’re built to endure trauma. Whether facing chronic pain, invasive surgery, or debilitating injury, we’re capable of healing, repairing, and adapting to return even stronger. But sometimes the road to recovery feels like a…

Resilience Parenting

Chris & Holly Santillo · 2019

Your children will face many challenges in the years ahead, so you want to raise them to be resilient, strong, adaptable, and able to recover. It is your mission to empower your son or daughter to cultivate a functional and fulfilling life. This essential…

It Has to Hurt

Luis Raul Scott Jr. · 2023

We all have hurt in our lives. Luis Scott knows this truth firsthand. He was overlooked for athletics growing up. Eight of his businesses failed, and he almost went bankrupt. With his house being foreclosed upon and his vehicles being repossessed, Luis had to…

Overcoming Insurmountable Odds

How I Rewired My Brain to Do the Impossible

Scott Allen McCreight · 2023

Born four weeks premature and weighing little more than five pounds, Scott A. McCreight had a rough start and uncertain future. He was placed for adoption, but the good news didn’t last long: shortly after, Scott was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.…

Handle the Horrible

Chasta Hamilton · 2022

Chaos, crisis, and change are recurring themes in life. You might fear the chaos, operate in constant crisis, or resist change. But that is an exhausting way to live. So how do you find resilience and gratitude through the turmoil of life? Despite living…

Everyone Has a Plan until Sh!t Hits the Fan

How to Not Be the Bitch of Your Own Brain

Tofe Evans · 2018

Sh!t can happen to anyone, whether it's a life-threatening situation, a death in the family, a business gone bust, or another high-stress personal catastrophe. This book is your lifeline, offering tools to help you prepare yourself mentally to weather every…

Reclaiming My Pride

From Tragedy to Triumph. How I Took over My Husband's Car Dealerships and Steered My Way to a New Life

Suzanne Iovanna · 2026

"A red Ferrari is up in flames!" When Suzanne Iovanna's husband is tragically killed, she instantly becomes a single parent to two teenage children and the new owner of Pride Motor Group. Reclaiming My Pride is the inspiring, true story of how a…

Your REAL Life

Nathan Andres · 2023

Life is full of adversity and change. What enables us to endure events like 9/11 or record-breaking natural disasters? Overcome discrimination and loss? Or even simply recover from common daily inconveniences? Nathan Andres has ridden life’s roller-coaster…

Power in Chaos

Nick Darland · 2024 · Audiobook

“You’ll be dead or in prison by the time you’re eighteen.”Born into a family of addicts and abusers, Nick Darland knows what it’s like to be stuck inside chaos. Physical and psychological trauma fill his childhood. He self-medicates with alcohol and…

Free Trials (and Tribulations)

Kyle Racki

Creation is never easy, especially in the midst of chaos. Kyle Racki survived personal and professional hell on the road from struggling freelancer to successful software entrepreneur. The tactical knowledge he gained through adversity can help any aspiring…

Don’t Call Me Sober, Call Me May

May Tal · 2025

The truth is that being sober is not an accomplishment. Overcoming your addiction, however, is. For decades, addiction recovery has followed a single narrative: "You are powerless. Your addiction is a disease. You will fight it for the rest of your life." …

Catapult

Punit Dhillon · 2021 · Audiobook

Punit Dhillon was nine when he almost drowned in a swimming pool. Twenty years later, he became a competitive swimmer and completed his first of several Ironman Triathlons. Punit lives by the philosophy of using adversity as fuel to exceed all expectations. …

For the Right Kind of Love

Shari Moss · 2021 · Audiobook

“The kids at school were not as bad as the teachers when it came to treating me differently.” At the age of eight, Shari Moss lived in a single motel unit in the middle of the desert with her three siblings. Isolated from her peers and too poor for toys, she…

STRONG[ER+]

Kimberly Irvine

Adversity can strike in ways you never see coming: a life-threatening illness, a sudden divorce, the loss of a loved one. Setbacks like these not only knock your life off track, but leave you feeling overwhelmed and fearful of what tomorrow will bring.…

The Resilient Decision-Maker

Navigating Challenges in Business and Life

Joseph Lampel · 2019

When was the last time you faced a challenge that seemed too tough to handle? Was it a business obstacle you did not foresee, office politics that were hard to figure out, or a life-changing incident that left you shell-shocked? When life hands you a setback…

Resilient People

A Journey from Childhood Abuse to Healing and Love

Rick Huttner · 2019

If you were abused as a child, the psychological damage can be considerable. Feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, and shame can persist well into adulthood, seriously impacting your personal and professional life. For fifty years, Rick Huttner suffered…

No Need for Sight When You Have a Vision

Lex Gillette · 2023

If you lost your sight, how would you tap into your vision? Lex Gillette was seven when his eyesight challenges became increasingly severe. By the time he was eight, he was living in complete darkness. He never would have imagined that this perceived…

Refuse to Lose

Adell J. Harris · 2019

You cannot hide from negative experiences in life. But you can control how these moments affect you and turn them into a source of energy. In Refuse to Lose, Adell J. Harris offers a clear, step-by-step method for making adversity your advantage. Drawing on…

Dear Cancer, Love Stacy

Stacy Middleman · 2017

Stacy Middleman felt lucky. She had two great kids about to go to college, a hilarious husband and a future they were planning with excitement. Then, at forty-three, she was faced with the greatest challenge of her life: a second diagnosis of breast cancer.…

Destined

Aminata Sy · 2025

Growing up in Kinshasa, Zaire, and Dakar, Senegal, Aminata Sy could have never imagined that one day she would serve as an American diplomat. Throughout her life, she experienced disorienting changes and poverty that threatened to derail her from her path.…

Perspective Is a Verb

101 Reflections on Gratitude, Awareness, and Purpose for a Meaningful Life

Converse Cowboy · 2025

Discover answers to questions you never knew you had. Life happens for you, not to you. Every unwanted circumstance offers an opportunity to alter your perspective, and that can change everything. In Perspective Is a Verb, the Converse Cowboy delivers fresh…

F College

A Memoir of Doubt, Self-Discovery, and Resilience

Joy Lane · 2026

Sometimes college feels rigged against you. In her sixth year of community college, Joy Lane is broken. She spends hours studying, but is failing her classes. As she teeters on the brink of giving up, her childhood dream of being an inventor seems…

Lena's Journey

Vivian Liu · 2026

Sometimes hope grows from the places you least expect. The hospital is home now for ten-year-old Lena as she battles a mysterious, undiagnosed illness. While her friends take tests on history and math, she is the subject of hers, given by doctors through…

Lucky Me

My Story of Survival, Shame, and Strength

Dagmar Margot · 2026

It’s never too late to start the next chapter. After more than fifty tumultuous years of marriage, Dagmar Margot had hit rock bottom. She was facing divorce, unmade by betrayal and rattled by a shame she couldn’t explain. Then Dagmar saw the poster. It was…

Through the Shadow of Fear

Breaking Free from Religious Trauma

Jasper Cove · 2026

The church imprisoned Jasper in fear. True faith shattered his chains. Jasper Cove spent his childhood imprisoned by dread. Promises of eternal hellfire as punishment for unconfessed sins terrorized him. As a teenager, he suffered from crippling migraines…

Treading Water

A New Orleans Police Officer’s Memoir of Survival and Service During Hurricane Katrina

Chad Perez · 2026

You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor. (Aristotle) August 2005 is forever seared in memory for Chad Perez, a New Orleans police officer born and raised in the city he served. Hurricane…

Be The Dawn In The Darkness

The Relentless Pursuit of Becoming Who We Are Meant To Be

John Henry Parker · 2023

Pay attention to the people you meet by chance. Often they are messengers sent to help you along your way. John Parker never had to look far for an advocate and mentor to help him overcome his greatest challenges, from his father's abuse to the tragic loss…