Beliefnet
2017-07-12

The written word is an amazing thing. It can be entertaining, instructive, or even revolutionary. It can make you laugh, cry, and cheer, often at the same time. Books can show you new worlds and redefine old ones. Most importantly, however, books can inspire you and change your life. This list, while not definitive, is the Beliefnet editors’ attempt to bring together the 100 most inspirational books ever written.

But what, exactly, makes a book inspirational? As we combed through hundreds and hundreds of works, we found that to be a difficult question to answer. For example, take the great spiritual works that are treasured by the world’s major religions. Which book should hold the number one spot? Entire wars have been fought over the answer to that question! And since the goal of this list is to inspire you and not to incite heated religious debate, we made the explicit choice to leave such books off of the list entirely. You’re not going to find the Bible or the Koran on here, despite the fact that they are considered an inspiration to hundreds of millions of people around the globe.

Many of the books on this list were extremely divisive, with some editors arguing for them and others against them. Very few of our selections had 100% approval across the board. Ultimately, however, we decided that if the book had been deeply inspirational to at least one person, if they could argue for why that book changed them profoundly, it deserved a spot on the list.

We will be debuting a new section of this list each week for the next six weeks, leading up to our selection of the number one most inspirational book. You'll rediscover old stories you had forgotten about and find new, inspiring gems you’ve never heard of. We hope you enjoy reading this list as much as we enjoyed putting it together. 

Originally published in 1935, Little House on the Prairie has inspired millions of readers with its simple, powerful tale of a family heading out West to make a new life for themselves. Based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s actual childhood, the book (and the seven others in the series) is filled with adventure, hardship, and perseverance of the human spirit. It’s impossible not to like Pa, Ma, Mary, and little Laura, and become deeply invested in their story. The classic values at the heart of the book have appealed to readers of all ages, and will continue to inspire families for years to come.

~ Evan Derrick

Purchase "Little House on the Prairie" here.

Joyce Meyer’s Battlefield of the Mind shares practical ways to live a better life, despite the constant bombardment of negative thoughts. Meyer’s gives the tools to become free from depression, anger, worry and doubt. She teaches how to deal with thoughts and to focus the mind on God’s word.

~ Corine Gatti

Purchase "Battlefield of the Mind" here.

Gerald McGrew visits a zoo and quickly announces that the exotic animals are “not good enough.” The rest of the book, told in the quintessential Seussian style, follows Gerald as he scours the globe for the most bizarre and outlandish creatures he can find. 

While not a morality tale or profound object lesson like many of Dr. Seuss’s other works, If I Ran the Zoo is a celebration of the unbridled imagination of children. Little boys and girls are inspired and even encouraged to, like Gerald, dream big and not settle for the same old same old. 

“Then the whole town will gasp, ‘Why, this boy never sleeps!
No keeper before ever kept what he keeps!
There’s no telling WHAT that young fellow will do!’”

~ Evan Derrick

Purchase "If I Ran the Zoo" here.

Even the story of this book’s printing is inspirational.  It was reportedly rejected by more publishers than any other bestselling book.  Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a 17 day philosophical journey across America.  The author writes about his emotional trip, shared with two friends and his son Chris, and discusses their conversations on philosophy are what make up the bulk of the book.  It is a book about finding yourself in the wake of strong conversation in the most unlikely of places – on a motorcycle.  

~ Stephen Russ

Purchase "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" here.

The Richest Man in Town by V.J. Smith shares the simple truths of Marty Martinson, an elderly Wal-Mart greeter in Brookings, South Dakota. Seemingly a nobody, Marty affected thousands of people across the country – even though he had difficulty remembering their names. Customers would write of the impact he had made on their lives with his simple wisdom and words of kindness. Upon reading their letters, he would shake his head, unable to recall the incident – but pleased that he had made a difference. This book shares the lessons on life that a seemingly unimportant oldster taught to complete strangers, such as “Give a little more of yourself,” “The only person who can make you happy is you” and “Be a better you.” Marty lived his beliefs – convinced that “when you are nice to people, you get it back and then some.” 

~ Rob Kerby

Purchase "The Richest Man in Town" here.

Gary Chapman examines how women and men define love differently. The book guides couples to understand their differences by identifying and stirring up their gifts of affirmation, encouragement, and patience. It features a love languages quiz (that you can actually take here on Beliefnet!) that will help couples strengthen their relationship and work together when facing challenges.

~ Corine Gatti

Purchase "The Five Love Languages" here.

Everyone wonders what it is about certain people that make them successful. Businessman and author Steven Covey cracked the code in 1989 with his bestseller The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. In the book, Covey details mentalities, mindsets and actions that help ordinary people become extraordinary in, not only their work lives, but their personal lives as well, including ideas like “Think Win-Win” and “Be Proactive”.

~ Jennifer Jones

Purchase "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" here.

Stephen King may not strike many as an inspirational writer.  Though known mainly for his dark tales of human depravity and malevolent monsters, King is also a master at developing characters.  It is those characters who lift The Green Mile from just another supernatural tale to a story that can inspire.  The book centers around the character of John Coffey, a wrongfully accused death row inmate and a character who is as selfless as he is sympathetic.  He possesses amazing healing powers that unfortunately come at the cost of his own health.  He seeks to use those very abilities to aid those who have imprisoned him, making this story a reminder of the good that can exist in humanity.  That is a rare feat for Stephen King.

~ Stephen Russ

Purchase "The Green Mile" here.

Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that your right hand be with me, and that you would keep me from evil, that it not be to my sorrow! God granted him that which he requested. 

1 Chronicles 4:9-10

From that one verse came a book that sold nine million copies, inspiring believers in their faith. The book offered a simple challenge: pray Jabez’s prayer consistently for 30 days and watch the Lord work wonders in your life. Millions were inspired to do so, discovering the true power in praying to God regularly. 

~ Evan Derrick

Purchase "The Prayer of Jabez" here.

If you want a beginner’s course in Eastern philosophy, look no further than one of children literature’s most beloved characters, Winnie-the-Pooh. Author Benjamin Hoff made Taoism simple by showing it through the eyes of Pooh and his friends. The New York Times bestseller uses Pooh’s quiet demeanor to demonstrate “wu wei”, the art of action without effort. The Tao of Pooh also inspire Hoff’s follow-up, The Te of Piglet.

~ Jennifer Jones

Purchase "The Tao of Pooh" here.

The letters of a senior demon to his apprentice are the subject of this popular C.S. Lewis book. Within its pages, Screwtape helps young Wormwood tempt his “patient”. Although the man becomes a Christian, the devils are still hot on his trail to deceive him with every trick they have. At first glance, Screwtape Letters does not appear to be an inspiring book; however, for decades Christians have read this classic piece of literature and found inspiration to fight against the temptations of the enemy. The tell-all fictional account reads like an insider’s guide to the underworld and how the devil seeks get believers’ eyes off the light of Christ.

~ Jennifer Jones

Purchase "The Screwtape Letters" here.

At the opening of The Path of Blessing, Rabbi Marcia Prager insists that "we are not called merely to notice casually now and then that something is special and nice but to sustain and deepen a profound and sustained gratitude. Indeed, the more we acknowledge our gratefulness, the more we temper our tendency to be users, despoilers, arrogant occupiers". Prager's book is nothing short of a manual for cultivating an awareness of deep gratitude. Walking readers through the first six words of a standard Jewish blessing, Prager invites readers into a deep meditation on the nature of God, humanity, and our connections to each other and the world around us. The Path of Blessing is a book not only for mystics but also for those of us who wish for the connection we believe the mystics have.

~ Malachi Kosanovich, author of the blog "On the Doorposts of My House"

Purchase "The Path of Blessing" here.

The Giving Tree is a controversial and depressing book.  Reading it now as an adult, I was struck by the weight of the story and the depth that was there.  The story involves a tree slowly giving of herself to a young boy as he grows from a child to an adult, and the tree gives until she has almost nothing left.  Eventually the boy comes back as an old man and just sits with the tree, making both of them happy.  Now, the book has been seen both as a parable on the joys of parenting, and a harsh look at a very one-sided relationship.  I’m not sure what I made of it as a child (likely nothing), but as an adult there is so much depth there.  What makes the story inspiring is quite simple – after the boy has taken all of his material needs from the tree, he realizes in the end that all he really needed was the tree itself.  Life isn’t about what you have, it’s about who you have.  It isn’t an easy lesson for either of them, but both the boy and the tree realize it in the end.  

~ Stephen Russ

Purchase "The Giving Tree" here.

Kathryn Stockett's popular debut novel, The Help, is worthy of it's reputation. Told from three unique and exquisitely drawn perspectives, Stockett creates a vivid picture of racial tensions in 1960s Jackson, Mississippi. Two black maids--Minny and Aibleen--and a young white debutante named Skeeter team up to incite change by writing an anonymous book about being a black maid in their city. The fear and hope they experience together make the book a significant beacon of light illuminating the truth that we are all human beings, and we really aren't that different after all.

~ Kristena Derrick

Purchase "The Help" here.

Rifles for Watie is a youth novel by Harold Keith set in the War Between the States. First published in 1957, it received the Newbery Medal and remains recommended reading for young teens, particularly boys. I remember indentifying completely with the 16-year-old hero, Jefferson Davis Bussey. I, too, was named for a southern hero – Robert E. Lee – and shared young Jeff’s enormous conflicts over the war. I was a loyal southern boy from a family proud of our involvement in smuggling slaves to safety in Iowa. My town’s Superintendent of Schools was named for Stand Watie, the Cherokee commander willing to side with anybody who wanted to do battle with the U.S. Army. Young Jeff can't wait to leave his Kansas farm and defend the Union – yet is assigned to be a spy to prevent a shipment of rifles from reaching the Confederate general. This tale challenges young readers to realize there's more to war than honor and glory … and that what appears to be black and white may not really be.

~ Rob Kerby

Purchase "Rifles for Watie" here.

This 1980 bestseller is billed as “the book that changes lives”, and it’s easy to see why. Way of the Peaceful Warrior is Dan Millman’s fictional, somewhat autobiographical retelling of a man in spiritual crisis meeting an old wise mechanic who he nicknames “Socrates”. His life is forever changed by the advice given to him, and readers learn the importance of being strong, yet peaceful. Millman writes such sage wisdom as, “Resistance creates suffering. Stress happens when your mind resists what is...The only problem in your life is your mind's resistance to life as it unfolds.”

~ Jennifer Jones

Purchase "Way of the Peaceful Warrior" here.

A troublesome student, government secrets, flying angels, time travel, and a tesseract; these high brow concepts sound more like the start to a 500 page high brow science-fiction epic. While the story is indeed vast, this brisk teen novel incorporates all of these elements to tell a simple, inspiring tale of individuality and love. Madeline L’Engle often writes using Christian imagery, philosophic thought, and relate-able characters, but this is her best work. It is often easy to simply fall in line with what others are doing, but the true beauty of life is found by those who dare to do things differently. There are few stories that communicate that simple truth better than this one.

~ Stephen Russ

Purchase "A Wrinkle in Time" here.

This book tells the story of Hadid, a poor camel boy who achieves a life of prosperity, but it’s really not a narrative so much as it is a loose philosophy of life as it relates to salesmanship and success. Although the book is only 128 pages, if you follow author Og Mandino’s reading plan it will take you 10 months to finish. Most of that time will be spent reaffirming simple truths like “persist until you succeed” and “live each day as if it were your last” until they’re ingrained in your psyche. That might not sound exciting or even inspirational, but millions have sworn that this powerful book has changed their lives forever.

~ Evan Derrick

Purchase "The Greatest Salesman in the World" here.

For decades the story of a small prince living literally in his own world has captivated millions of readers, young and old. Le Petit Prince tells the story of a stranded pilot who meets a young prince, and in many ways the story mirrors the inspirational and bittersweet life of the author, Antoine Saint-Exupery. As we are introduced to the world the Little Prince through the narrator, we are taught and reminded of some of life’s greatest lessons – we are responsible for the things we tame, if we are not careful the “baobabs” (weeds) in our lives will take over, and that the things we love the most can hurt us the most. Above all though, the book shows us that: “On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.” (One only sees with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye.)

~ Erin Russ

Purchase "The Little Prince" here.

Momo, by Michael Ende (who is best known for writing The Neverending Story), is a fantastical allegory about taking back our lives and our time to enjoy the little things that really matter. When a ragged but special little girl named Momo notices a sad change in her city--the children don't have time to play, the storytellers don't have time to tell stories, shop owners can't seem to get ahead--she sets out on a journey to find out why and make things right again. Along the way, she encounters soul-sucking Men in Grey, who work for the Time-Saving Bank and are literally consuming other people's time while promising to garner interest on all "saved" time. This simple but beautiful story is guaranteed to remind readers of the precious gifts of time, relationships, and finding joy in every part of life. After it tugs on your heartstrings, be sure to pass it on.

~ Kristena Derrick

Purchase "Momo" here.


Recommended For You
Beliefnet Columnists

New Fossil Discovery May Be Proof of...

Vassil/WikiCommons The recent discovery of a fossil in...

Next Steps

Why Don't Christians Pray More?

Samuel Martins Prayer is a spiritual discipline that most...