Christi's top coaching reads

So many people ask me,  "If you could recommend ONE top coaching book, what would it be?" But I'm just not that kind of girl. One book could never be enough. I love so many of them - book recommendations is my love language.

The following books aren't all exactly, strictly coaching books - but they are all marvelous reads chock full of insights that serve humans and coaches very well. Best, of all, I actually know and trust several of the authors in real life, and they're wonderful people.

This is what I answered the last person who asked me: 

1. A Shift in Being by Leon VanderPol: Rooted in the study of consciousness and transformative coaching, this book explores how deep presence and self-awareness facilitate profound inner shifts, enabling individuals to live in alignment with their true essence.

2. My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor: Drawing on the author’s personal experience and expertise as a neuroscientist, this memoir examines the brain’s capacity for recovery, revealing insights into the interplay between the brain’s hemispheres and emotional resilience.

3. No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz: Based on Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, this work highlights how understanding and integrating our inner parts, even the ones we resist, leads to healing and wholeness.

4. The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander: Blending psychology, leadership research, and personal stories, this book offers practices to shift from limiting frameworks to a mindset of creativity, collaboration, and possibility.

5. The Language of Emotions by Karla McLaren: Grounded in psychological and somatic research, McLaren provides tools to understand and work with emotions as a vital source of insight, healing, and empowerment.

6. From Coach to Awakener by Robert Dilts: Informed by neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), this book explores how coaching can catalyze personal transformation by accessing deeper layers of awareness and potential.

7. Rising Strong by Brené Brown: Combining social science research and storytelling, Brown examines how individuals rise after setbacks, emphasizing vulnerability, resilience, and the power of embracing our imperfect humanity.

8. Light Up: The Science of Coaching with Metaphors by Lyssa deHart: This book explores how metaphors shape thinking, emotions, and behavior, providing a science-backed approach to using them in coaching. Drawing from neuroscience, psychology, and her coaching expertise, deHart demonstrates how to work with client-generated metaphors to uncover insights, shift perspectives, and inspire transformation.