8 of the Best Manifestation Books

You can spend a lifetime wanting things. Or, from another perspective, you can spend a lifetime wanting things to be different. But until you create the conditions to ‘get, change, and achieve’ things in your life, that desire will not convert into a ‘have, changed, or achieved.’

The good news is that the path to change and achievement does indeed start with want. As long as the next steps are a change of mentality, emotional focus, and redirected energy, you will be on your way toward getting what you want - maybe even your dream life! 

Why? Because with the conditions of a mind prepared for and open to success, and a heart committed to goals the mind has fixed, there’s really nothing that can stop you. That’s because these are the conditions for manifestation. 

Quite simply, when you become a person ready for and committed to getting the things you want and need out of life, they manifest as if of themselves. This is true for finding a more fulfilling life, to attract wealth and make more money, or finding your own way in the world. In reality, these things appear because you make them so.

What is manifesting?

When we say manifesting, here’s what we mean when it’s boiled down to the most basic form: Manifestation is achieving things in life thanks to the energy you exert, the self-esteem you feel, and the attraction to you that these qualities create in others. 

It can be an inspiring spiritual journey, or a way to transform fear into the fuel you need to move forward. It can be a “master key system” that doesn't just prepare you for your future, but that also helps you live more fully in the present moment.

Someone who manages to fully manifest is someone not with a set of goals, but with a set of plans, and plans that are in action, no less. It is someone who exudes self-confidence yet without arrogance, for anyone with true self-worth need not show off. 

Quotes on manifesting and positive thinking

Manifesting is doing, not wanting or wishing, in other words. A few quotes about manifesting can help you grasp the concept more fully and more quickly, so let’s share a few:

“Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice.” 

– William Jennings Bryan

“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.” 

– Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Beware of what you set your heart upon, for it shall surely be yours.” 

– Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Now here’s the thing: a quote about manifesting can help you understand the importance of it and make manifestation a goal, but a book (or nine books) can help make manifestation a physical reality.

Laws of attraction

The reason you so often hear about manifestation and the so-called Law of Attraction associated with one another is that they are, in a sense, inseparable. 

While the Law of Attraction is a precept of the pseudoscientific, pseudo-spiritual New Thought movement, it need not be debunked, merely interpreted. The Law of Attraction essentially states that positive thinking and action lead one to getting the desired results in life. 

That’s a distillation of a larger concept, of course. There are plenty of Law of Attraction books. But the idea that getting your head in the right place will help you get the things you want – or at least increase the chances of such happening – is anything but bunk. 

Indeed it is correct. And that, from another point of view, is manifestation: it’s living the life one wants because one makes the choices and takes the actions to do so.

And yes, it’s easier said than done. And easier read than done, too, but reading manifestation books is a good step toward taking control of your very destiny. Which sounds dramatic because… it is.

Manifest yourself and you manifest your destiny

In many ways, your manifestation journey is simply about taking as much control as possible over your own life, and creating your own reality. While family, friends, and colleagues can (and of course should) support one another and add joy and positivity to each other's lives, in the end, personal happiness is a matter of personal responsibility. 

And happiness is generally achieved following personal growth. 

Reduce your negative thinking

If you can curtail negative thinking, increase your positive thinking, and work toward making life goals into life realities, then you shape your own destiny rather than simply making your way in life. In other words, you live your best life by being the best version of yourself. And remember, living your best life is what manifesting is all about.

Fortunately, you do have the chance to read what each book teaches. You can grow and improve, so if you are wondering how to manifest into your best self, then you are about to fill your queue with the perfect reading material. Just remember, there is no complete How-To book that answers all questions. So review a few of these, and find the advice that works best for you. 

Open your eyes to the power of manifesting with these manifestation books

Do you absolutely need to read manifestation books in order to self-manifest? No, you don’t. Neither do you need to get a degree studying geology if you want to be a geologist. You could just wander out into the forests or deserts or canyons and spend a few decades studying all the rocks you found. But wouldn’t it make more sense to instead spend a much shorter period learning from experts in the subject? Just like those that read Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, you can use the books here to add enormous amounts of wisdom. 

The manifestation books here – from law of attraction books to works focused on healthy relationships to books centered on manifestation techniques – are a quicker, steadier path toward unlocking your subconscious mind, seeing the power your thoughts create, and taking the helm of your own life.

Here are eight manifestation books to consider.

The Game of Life and How to Play It - Florence Scovel Shinn

This book was first published in 1925, and it was most recently published within the past decade. Let that sink in: nearly one hundred years on, this book remains relevant and actionable enough that publishers keep creating new runs of it. 

It does that by being one of the finest examples of so-called “prosperity literature” ever written, and it is written with an infectious sense of positivity (and often humor) that still resonates today. Shinn believed life is a long round of giving and receiving, and when you give off what today might be called good vibes, you get back good things.

How the Secret Changed My Life – Rhonda Byrne

Reading this book can make you feel less alone on your path toward mastering the method of the Law of Attraction and manifesting things in your life. That’s because it is a collection of stories – all nonfiction, of course – of people who had their lives profoundly changed by the profound book The Secret. So in reading this book, you will see manifestation made, well, manifest. Also, consider the audio book on this one, as Byrne narrates her own work well.

Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires - Esther Hicks

Now for the record, this book leans heavily into spiritual and into some areas many people might find a bit too unusual to be actionable, such as the underpinning that wisdom and insight come down to us from a cohort of non-physical entities that Hicks collectively refers to as Abraham. 

Abraham has, in Hicks’ mind and writing, infinite wisdom and intelligence, and in the right mindset, we can tap into it and improve for so doing. Which sounds a bit odd because it is a bit odd when measured against the mainstream. Still, taken with a grain of salt, the book can unlock new ways of thinking about life.

Good Vibes, Good Life: How Self-Love Is the Key to Unlocking Your Greatness – Vex King

It’s all right there in the subtitle, really: “How Self-Love Is the Key to Unlocking Your Greatness.” But let’s unpack that a bit anyway. Without self-love, you really can’t have self-esteem, and without self-esteem, motivation is no easy feat. And of course without motivation, achievement is pretty much not possible. So how to get that self-love? 

The author describes it in many different ways, but the most important take away you will get from Good Vibes, Good Life is the feeling that you are worthy of self-love. And rightly so. The book achieves this aim not just through a lot of aphorisms and put-ups, but with action steps you can use, such as self-care routine suggestions, guidance to understanding your emotions, and tips for finding that all-important positivity.

Super Attractor: Methods for Manifesting a Life beyond Your Wildest Dreams – Gabrielle Bernstein

If you are looking for a very relatable and easy read all about how to achieve success and reach for the infinite possibilities in your life, then this is your book. And that’s not to denigrate the book by saying it’s an easy read, for it is entirely of substance, it is simply written in such a way that the pages keep turning and the insight keeps flowing. 

Bernstein’s central assertion is that locked within all of is already a “super attractor,” a being that will bring the good and desired things to itself, if said being can merely start exuding their best. It’s a comforting book in many ways, and one that may help you worry less, feel less stressed, and achieve more even as you relax and take a calmer calm approach to life. Bernstein will be your highly relatable manifestation coach.

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment – Eckhart Tolle

If you’re on the fence about whether books about manifestation are right for you but you know you want to make some positive changes in your life, then ask yourself this question: do you consider yourself spiritual? Or at least open to spirituality? If so, then this is your book – you and millions of other people, as it happens. 

While not intentionally a book about the Law of Attraction or manifesting or any of it, indeed Tolle’s celebrated book is all about removing self-made barriers to achievement and fulfillment, and that can start for you when you read the relatively brief book yourself.

Infinite Possibilities: The Art of Living Your Dreams – Mike Dooley

In terms about as direct and understandable as you can get, Dooley explains in this book how it really is all up to you: there are indeed a great many possibilities in life, but only if you take advantage of them. Otherwise, life is just a long series of unrealized potential. 

Dooley is motivating but without pressure, more with support and encouragement. He wants you to believe that you are powerful, capable, and destined to achieve great things, because he genuinely believes that if you genuinely believe all that, then it becomes the truth.

Dear Universe: 200 Mini-Meditations for Instant Manifestations – Sarah Prout

So, you’re intent on achieving manifestations in your life but right now your life is just too busy to really get to work on it? Well every little step you take is a step in the right direction, and with this book, you can take little steps a few at a time. 

Its short chapters are broken down into sections purposefully designed not to necessitate a cover-to-cover read – not in order, anyway. You can pick through and read what you need to help you in that moment – Prout’s words and wisdom will be there for you in small doses as needed. Of course you can just read the whole thing, too.