8 Books to Help You Grow During the Coronavirus Pandemic

In just a few weeks, COVID-19 has changed the way the world works, plays and gets groceries. As people are forced to spend more and more time in their homes, the need for new ways to cope becomes greater and greater. While this crisis might cause you to grab your favorite page-turner, it can also be a valuable opportunity for personal development.

The right book doesn’t just help with cabin fever — it can help you grow as well. This list contains books covering everything from addiction to stock trading. Each offers insight into how you and your company can thrive, both during and after the quarantine. So if you’re looking for a good read during a tough time, here are several to consider.

1. No One’s Listening and It’s Your Fault: Get Your Message Heard During Organizational Transformations by Pam Marmon 

Leadership in the age of COVID-19 is a daunting task. How can the heads of businesses stay effective as offices shut down? Pam Marmon’s new book is a helpful look at the way leaders can keep their messaging clear and their voices heard in even the most difficult of crises. By offering a framework for getting your message across in times of transition, No One’s Listening and It’s Your Fault is a template for how to keep communication effective in times like these.

2. Shtick to Business: What the Masters of Comedy Can Teach You about Breaking Rules, Being Fearless, and Building a Serious Career by Peter McGraw

Personal or professional development doesn’t need to be completely serious in order to work. Shtick to Business is a deep dive by business professor Peter McGraw into the surprising intersections between comedy and commerce and what businesspeople can learn from them. Taking lessons from the likes of Groucho Marx and Amy Poehler, this book is a can’t-miss for people looking to lighten their mood and learn at the same time.

3. Give & Get Employer Branding: Repel the Many and Compel the Few with Impact, Purpose and Belonging by Bryan Adams and Charlotte Marshall 

In times of great stress, traditional business relationships may not have the power they once did. As people begin to focus more on what matters most to them, employers need to keep their workers’s priorities in mind. Give & Get Employer Branding is a how-to guide for creating a brand that focuses on having a meaningful impact — one that can do great things for your business down the line.

4. The Grace of Cancer: Lessons in Humility and Greatness by Veronica Villanueva 

More than ever, people need stories about how they can recover and grow from illness. Veronica Villanueva’s harrowing story of her recovery from incurable lung cancer is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the true power of the human spirit amidst health worries. The Grace of Cancer contains some difficult moments, but the lessons learned are empowering.

5. Naked at Work: A Leader’s Guide to Fearless Authenticity by Danessa Knaupp

Every single day, business leaders across the world put on a brave face to survive the workday. Danessa Knaupp’s insight into how to be a great leader? Take it off. Naked at Work is a look at how authenticity is the only true way to becoming a top-shelf leader. While it may sometimes be difficult to admit your own fears to yourself, doing so will allow you to lead, especially in tough situations.

6. Before I Leave You: A Memoir on Suicide, Addiction and Healing by Robert Imbeault 

Warning: Robert Imbeault’s memoir isn’t for the faint of heart. Before I Leave You is the story of Imbeault’s journey from suicidal drug addict to successful entrepreneur and eventual Harvard University student. This book is a reminder of how far people can come from their lowest moments and how important it is to look to the future, particularly when the present seems dark.

7. Automated Stock Trading Systems: A Systematic Approach for Traders to Make Money in Bull, Bear and Sideways Markets by Laurens Bensdorp 

The last several weeks have seen enough fluctuations in the stock market to make even experienced traders wonder if they know what they’re doing. Laurens Bensdorp wrote this book to share his expertise in market automation and explain how it can help people take control of their portfolio. With the market at its current level of volatility, Automated Stock Trading Systems should be required reading for those hoping to get a grip on things.

8. The Reality Revolution: The Mind-Blowing Movement to Hack Your Reality by Brian Scott

The Reality Revolution is a book only Brian Scott could have written. By combining his near-death experience with research into quantum mechanics, meditation and parallel realities, Scott found a way to achieve happiness in nearly any situation imaginable. While his interests might sound unorthodox, his findings will be of interest to anyone hoping to expand his mind and improve his life as well.

The novel coronavirus may be wreaking havoc across the world, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take some control over your life in the meantime. By reading books like these, you can continue to grow into the best version of yourself, even if it may be a while before the world sees.