Personal growth is essential to being human. In order to feel like we are progressing in life, we need to expand our way of thinking, and keep moving in the direction we want to go. Books are a gateway to growth, and there's little more satisfying than spending a rainy afternoon curled up on the couch with a great book. If you're looking for a book that will inspire you to grow, here are our three top favorites.

Thinking Fast and Slow

This book written by Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman, gives us a fascinating look at our brains and how they trick us into every day common behaviors. In one example given, scientists in the pre-cellphone area placed a dime inside of a phone booth (about the worth of a call) and then staged an accident of some sort outside the phone booth. 88% of callers who found the dime would help in the accident, such as by helping to pick up fallen papers, while only 4% helped if there was no dime.

This book can help you understand yourself in a scientific way, from the snap decisions you make, to the slow ones you agonize over for days. This book empowers us by teaching us how we make decisions, and to help us learn when we can trust our gut—and when we should take time before reaching a decision.

Eat, Pray, Love

Imagine rising to the top of the world, and having everything you ever wanted, only to realize that none of it makes you happy. After a ruinous divorce and failing love a second time, one woman gives up every possession she owns to travel around the world instead.

This story is healing in its own right, and makes even the hardest hearted of us all feel like there's some hope in faith, love, and community. It's a heartwarming and enriching book for almost everyone.

How to Win Friends and Influence People

This book has been around for a long time, but the advice is still as good as ever. Each page teaches you how you can manipulate others, but in a good way. By helping you to see how other people might see you and react to you, you can take steps to make others want to do things for you.

Imagine not only getting a great job with people you enjoy working with, but also having a boss that really wants to give you the raises and bonuses you deserve. This book helps make you the influential person you want to be, and can help inspire you to change how you interact with others in order to fulfill your own needs.

These 3 books are great reads, and will inspire you in different ways. Whether you are having trouble recovering from your own painful past and need hope for a brighter future, or simply need a hand dealing with life and people, these books will inspire you to be the best person you can be.