13 Books Like Atomic Habits (Highly Recommended!)

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Books like Atomic Habits belong to the self-development category and have existed for years now.

They can vary from topics like increasing productivity, managing finances and relationships, learning the art of persuasion and forming habits. 

If you’re someone who rarely reads self-help books, it’s important to understand that your takeaways from the book are highly personal to you – take what suits you and leave the rest. 

Wondering what to read if you liked Atomic Habits? Below are some Atomic Habits recommendations that self-help book lovers should check out! 

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What Is Atomic Habits All About?

Atomic Habits by James Clear is a self-help book that discusses how the accumulation of tiny changes can lead to big, impactful results.

It also teaches you how to build tiny habits that are good for you in the long-run instead of giving in to instant gratification.

The 4 laws of forming a new positive habit are – make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy and make it satisfying. 

Read More: 30 Note-Worthy Atomic Habits Quotes By James Clear

13 Books Like Atomic Habits by James Clear

1. How to Change by Katy Milkman

books like atomic habits

Amazon rating: 4.4/5

Goodreads rating: 3.86/5

What do readers say? 

Written based on a combination of principles of psychology, Milkman’s own research and findings. The book sheds insights into understanding our own internal obstacles – laziness, procrastination, forgetfulness, among others. 

Milkman points out that failure is inevitable so it’s important to shift our focus to learning how to navigate around those situations instead.

I have read both this book and Atomic Habits, there are some similar habit forming theories which you will encounter in both books.

This book is a great additional read if you’ve already read Atomic Habits and want more insight on how to change your habits for the better. 

2. Tiny Habits By B.J. Fogg 

books like atomic habits

Amazon rating: 4.6/5

Goodreads rating: 4.17/5

What do readers say?

Unlike Katy Milkman’s How To Change, B. J. Foggs Tiny Habits is a much heavier read.

Many readers found that this book is the holy grail of everything you need to know about breaking and forming habits.

Readers felt it was a rather complete book about habits and considered a manual of life. 

3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

books like atomic habits

Amazon rating: 4.8/5

Goodreads rating: 4.14/5

What do readers say? 

What makes 7 Habits of Highly Effective People different from Atomic Habits is the approach – the former is more strategic and the latter is more tactical.

This is one of those books that readers would either hate or love. Some readers found that the 7 habits helped remind and rekindle what lies within them.

But some readers beg to differ and felt that it was repetitive and found it difficult to digest. 

To sum up, this book still remains one of the classic self-help books like Atomic Habits, that readers would return to over and over again.

4. The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss

books like atomic habits

Amazon rating: 4.5/5

Goodreads rating: 3.92/5

What do readers say? 

Feriss’s structured his book around the acronym DEAL: Define, Eliminate, Automation, Liberation. It focuses on the Pareto Principle aka 80/20 rule at its core. 

What ‘DEAL’ suggests is for readers to define their important tasks, prioritize, schedule them and tackle them.

By doing that, readers are able to simplify their life by putting aside everything else that isn’t a priority. Putting aside doesn’t only mean to eliminate, it can be either automate or outsource.

The key takeaway? The 4-Hour Work Week reminds us that life is what you make of it rather than what someone else tells you to.

5. Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before by Dr Julie Smith

books like atomic habits

Amazon rating: 4.7/5

Goodreads rating: 4.04/5

What do readers say? 

Readers say this is book is a mental health toolbox to anyone and everyone who needs help navigating around their emotional health and overall well-being. 

Given that Dr. Smith is a clinical psychologist, the book is evidence-based, offering necessary life skills that everyone can put to use when needed. 

Readers found the prompts after each chapter to be healing as they were given the chance to reflect on these practices.

Dr. Julie Smith has helped millions of people online with her content on TikTok and you should totally check her out if you haven’t! 

6. The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson 

books like atomic habits

Amazon rating: 4.7/5

Goodreads rating: 4.29/5

What do readers say? 

Readers share that The Slight Edge is common sense brought to life. 

Similar to another book The Compound Effect, The Slight Edge shares the idea of the simple choices we make and the little things we overlook cumulatively, can impact the way our life turns out.

Readers felt this book was more suited to readers new to self-help books. 

All in all, if you’re looking for a guide on consistent habits, this is the book. It’s an empowering book that readers may find useful when working towards success in both their personal and professional lives. 

 7. Atlas Of The Heart by Brené Brown

Amazon rating: 4.8/5

Goodreads rating: 4.38/5

What do readers say? 

Brené Brown is known for her TED talks on vulnerability and shame. It’s almost automatic to say that this book is thought-provoking and will transform the way you understand and communicate your emotions.

Other than the contents of the book, readers also love the aesthetics – glossy pages, colourful illustrations and colourful yet helpful graphics that aid readers with understanding complex ideas. 

Because of it’s contents, it is a fun way to incorporate some self-help reading into your TBR.

This is on the list of must-reads if you’re looking for books similar to Atomic Habits.

8. The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

books like atomic habits

Amazon rating: 4.7/5

Goodreads rating: 4.25/5

What do readers say? 

The title of the book speaks for itself – that small changes made to your life, consciously, can multiply and create significant impact. 

The other core theme in the book reflects on bad habits that we often overlook, consciously or unconsciously, and how the affects our lives in the long-run. 

Readers found it useful that the author used various analogies that created a “show-and-tell” dynamic between the author and reader.

This helped readers picture how they could also, implement such strategies in their own lives.

If you enjoyed Atomic Habits, The Compound Effect is a similar read with motivational elements and interesting takeaways for you to start making a difference in your life. 

9. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg 

books like atomic habits

Amazon rating: 4.7/5

Goodreads rating: 4.12/5

What do readers say? 

“The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do.” – Charles Duhigg

Among one of the timeless books like Atomic Habits, The Power of Habit is split into three parts and it brings readers on an educational journey on how our brain works. 

Readers were impressed by the eye-opening examples used by the author and found themselves reflecting deeply into the secret workings of their own habits. 

Unlike other self-help books, readers gravitated to the idea that the teachings are practical and were also inspired to be better versions of themselves.

10. Badass Habits by Jen Sincero   

books like atomic habits

Amazon rating: 4.7/5

Goodreads rating: 3.78/5

What do readers say? 

The most intriguing thing that stood out the most about this book was the style of writing the author adopted for a non-fiction book: non-preachy, humorous with a little mix of profanity. 

While the title contains the word ‘habits’, readers found that it was more about boundaries.

The reviews are mixed for this book as well. Some readers felt that it was a great book if you’re up for a 21-day challenge in picking up or breaking a bad habit.  

If you’re a reader that prefers evidence-based books, this book might not be your cup of tea. But if you’re looking for a more fun self-help book to read, do pick this one up!

11. High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard 

books like atomic habits

Amazon rating: 4.7/5

Goodreads rating: 4.12/5

What do readers say? 

As we all have come to realise, there are plenty of self-help books out there and you might be wondering: “Is there anything else to learn?”

This is where author Brendon Burchard’s unique perspectives and out-of-the-box ideas that come in and makes the book worth reading. 

Readers look forward to this book as the author distinguishes himself as a professional high performance coach rather than a psychologist. Because of that, his writing approach is based off actionable tips on what he knows best as a trainer.

To summarise, read this book if you’re a struggling high performer and striving to be a more balanced person between becoming happy and successful. 

12. Keep Going by Austin Kleon

books like atomic habits

Looking for more books like Atomic Habits? Keep Going is one of them.

Keep Going is not exactly about forming and leaving certain habits, but it does emphasize how some habits help you keep going (keep creating as a creative) when times get challenging.

I liked how short and simple this book was. Super easy and fast to read with illustrations to make things more interesting!

13. The 3 Alarms by Eric Partaker

books like atomic habits

The 3 Alarms is a book about balancing your health, wealth and relationships.

The author was inspired to write this book after he had an heart-attack on a plane. Because of that incident, he decided to make small yet powerful changes that can help him live a more balanced life.

In this book, you’ll learn how to make and break some habits, just like in Atomic Habits. However, the audience for this book is targeted towards CEO and entrepreneurs, so it might not be relevant for some readers.

The author has quoted Atomic Habits in this book too, so this is definitely a book to explore if you liked reading Atomic Habits.

FAQ on Similar Books To Atomic Habits

What To Read After Atomic Habits?

Once you’re done reading Atomic Habits, explore other books on habit formation, such as, How To Change by Katy Milkman, The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and Tiny Habits by B.J. Fogg.

Who Should Read Atomic Habits?

Atomic Habits is a great book for anyone interested in the self-help genre, especially if you’re interested in forming good habits and breaking away from bad habits. This book is perfect for beginner self-help readers as everything is explained in layman’s terms by the author.

Are There Other Books by James Clear?

As of now, James Clear has only written Atomic Habits. However, the author has created a habit journal, “The Clear Habit Journal”, that might help you put into practice on what you’ve learned from the book, Atomic Habits.

Is Atomic Habits Worth The Hype?

Yes, Atomic Habits is worth the hype. It helps in educating the reader on how to form positive habits and how to break away from negative habits. All methods are backed up by psychology, making it a trust-worthy read.

Wrap Up: Atomic Habits Similar Books

As we reach the end of this list of books like Atomic Habits, I hope that this helps you decide on which self-help books you would like to further explore. 

Like mentioned at the start, it’s important to remind yourself to experiment with the presented ideas, choose what works for you and leave the rest. 

Happy reading! 

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