The best way to improve your social skills is to go out and practice by interacting with people. However, it is hard to implement different concepts of confident, charismatic behavior if you don’t know any!
For that purpose, we recommend you pick up a few books and see how they can help you become a better version of yourself. Even if you don’t like to read, you can always listen to audiobooks while jogging or driving to work.
In today’s post, we will show you the seven best books on charisma that will help you immensely, as long as you apply what you learn.
Keep in mind that we haven’t listed the books in any particular order. Each of them is great in its way and offers a lot of learning material.
Let’s start with the number one on our list right away!
#1 – How to Win Friends and Influence People (by Dale Carnegie)
Amazon Rating = 4.7/5 | Goodreads Rating = 4.21/5
No list of books on social skills can be complete without this timeless masterpiece. It’s a well-structured guide that will provide you with wonderful insights to improve the overall quality of your life.
How to Win Friends and Influence People covers the important advice on how to:
- handle people and improve the quality of your interactions
- make people like you in an honest and natural way
- express your way of thinking and convince people without being stubborn
- become a leader
- positively influence other people
- do better in your relationships overall
What we like the most is Dale Carnegie’s approach in this book. It’s simple, intuitive, and natural. The emphasis is on being nice, genuinely interested in building connections, and treating people with respect.
One reason why birds and horses are not unhappy is because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses.
#2 – Becoming a Person of Influence: How to Positively Impact the Lives of Others (by John C. Maxwell)
Amazon Rating = 4.7/5 | Goodreads = 4.28/5
This book teaches you how to interact more positively with people around you. It also aims to show you that you can influence others, whether you realize it or not.
One of the key points in Becoming a Person of Influence is the concept of becoming a trustworthy person. Integrity is an important trait of charismatic people, and Maxwell’s thoughts can help you develop a sense of it.
Here are some other topics that you will get a chance to learn about:
- nurturing other people and believing in them
- listening and understanding people
- being a motivational person and a mentor
- connecting with and empowering those around you
This book is a great place to start if you are looking to expand your influential skills and leadership mentality. We feel that it is highly likely you will be coming back to it multiple times throughout your life.
Many call this priceless book a great counterpart to Carnegie’s timeless classic above.
If you run well but are unable to pass the baton to another runner, you lose the race.
#3 – Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People (by Vanessa Van Edwards)
Amazon Rating = 4.6/5 | Goodreads = 4.15/5
In her book Captivate, Vanessa Van Edwards promises a completely new approach to building connections.
There are quite a few things that you can learn if you decide to pick it up. By the end of it, you can expect to:
- start rethinking the way you interact with people
- learn how to communicate in various everyday scenarios
- successfully start conversations and keep them going
- understand facial expressions and “read” others
One of this book’s big upsides is that it speaks to you in a very simple, casual manner. It breaks down complex ideas and gives you actionable advice on how to implement them right away.
We wouldn’t want to forget to mention that it can offer you a lot of useful information on behaving in networking events, as well as dating. Overall, it covers a wide variety of topics.
Being memorable is not about bringing up your high points. It’s about highlighting theirs. Don’t try to impress people, let them impress you.
#4 – Charisma on Command: Inspire, Impress, and Energize Everyone You Meet (by Charlie Houpert)
Amazon Rating = 4.4/5 | Goodreads = 4.04/5
There is no surprise that Charisma on Command has its place on the list of the best books on charisma. Charlie is one of the most well-known experts on the topic. He gained his popularity through his incredibly helpful Youtube channel, which we have been following for years.
This book aims to teach you how to develop the charismatic potential that is already inside you. It is well organized and simple to follow, which is important for any self-improvement book.
Some of the things you will find in the book are:
- analysis of the most charismatic people in the world
- actionable advice based on real-life examples
- great storytelling to keep you engaged
- 30-day action plan at the end of the book
We found that it is quite easy to follow, reads fast, and you end up with useful knowledge that you can implement through the action plan.
If you have followed Charlie and his Youtube channel, you will be familiar with some of the book’s points. Regardless, it is never a bad idea to structure and revise what you have learned.
Be the first to bring fun into a situation and you’re the charismatic leader.
#5 – The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism (by Olivia Fox Cabane)
Amazon Rating = 4.5/5 | Goodreads = 3.94/5
The name suggests the main premise of the book. It tries to break the myth that charisma is an inborn quality which only rare people possess and that the rest should give up pursuing it.
Olivia Fox Cabane separates charisma into several main aspects. She explains each of them and shows you how you can improve in all fields.
It’s a great book to go through if you are wondering how to:
- become more charismatic in everyday situations
- increase your chances for success at work
- positively influence others
- understand and feel the emotions you want to project
How is this book different from others?
It has an exceptional taxonomy of charismatic behaviors. It’s really interesting to hear about the different charisma styles and learn to recognize each of them.
The book also focuses on the ‘warmth’ aspect of charisma greatly, which we found valuable. Most people get so focused on appearing and acting charismatic that they forget the main idea behind trying to connect with people in the first place.
Being charismatic does not depend on how much time you have but on how fully present you are in each interaction.
#6 – How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships (by Leil Lowndes)
Amazon Rating = 4.5/5 | Goodreads = 3.76/5
A vital aspect of being a charismatic person is the ability to communicate well with people. Conversation skills always offer a lot of room for improvement, and you will spend your time well by working on them.
Leil Lowndes covers a lot of very important topics in this book:
- making a great first impression
- body language tips
- developing a natural, deep rapport with anyone you communicate with
- mastering the art of small talk, as well as the “big talk”
You will come across many real-life examples in this book that support the points the author explains. It will bring your attention to many little things that you may not notice about people’s behavior.
We have to add a slight disclaimer here:
Expect some controversial advice and storytelling in this book. If you can filter out what works for you and what doesn’t, we are more than sure you will pick up tons of useful information reading How to Talk to Anyone.
Great posture, a heads-up look, a confident smile, and a direct gaze. The ideal image for somebody who’s a somebody.
#7 – Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (by Robert B. Cialdini)
Amazon Rating = 4.6/5 | Goodreads = 4.19/5
Quite a few mentions on our list of best books on charisma talk about the ability to influence people. It’s a crucial skill that all charismatic people possess. It might be the goal of being charismatic in the first place.
However, as our 7th pick, we have decided to show you a book that speaks entirely about the power of persuasion.
Reading this book will teach you about the six “weapons” of influence, how to recognize, implement them and defend yourself against them. You will learn about the principles of:
- reciprocity
- commitment and consistency
- social proof
- authority
- liking
- scarcity
There is some great advice in the book that will help you in your professional and personal life.
A well-known principle of human behavior says that when we ask someone to do us a favor, we will be more successful if we provide a reason. People simply like to have reasons for what they do.
#8 – Bonus Recommendation
Lastly, we wanted to give you a piece of advice for studying charisma through books.
As we mentioned, you will soon notice that reading won’t get you far without implementation. That is why all of the books on our list of best books on charisma have actionable steps to take into the real world.
However, there is another great way to study charismatic behavior. It is through observation.
Is there a better way to learn how to become good at anything than by watching the masters? The same is true for charisma.
How does that tie to reading and this list?
The number eight on our list are all the biographies and autobiographies of successful, charismatic people.
Reading about their lives and taking note of how they handled certain life situations and interactions can greatly help you.
Bonus tip: they don’t even have to be real people!
Fictional characters are also great examples, especially since some of them are more charismatic than real-life figures could ever be.
Learn from your favorite novel, movie, or TV show. For some people, this can also be much more fun than reading non-fiction books.
Your Turn
Now, we would like to hear from you.
Which of these books are you going to pick up first?
Let us know in the comments below.
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