Best Books On Building Social Skills

Social skills are hard to teach. They are more easily learned by observing others in the same situation, but not everyone is surrounded by people with good social skills. It can be hard to figure out who to emulate when you don’t have that natural environment. Fortunately, there are lots of books on the topic of building social skills.

In this blog post we have collected the best books on social skills that you have to read if you want to develop this very essential life skill.

Why should you read the best books on building social skills?

Books on social skills are beneficial to the self-improvement process. They provide insight into what social skills are and how they can be used in everyday life.

Furthermore, the reading of these books helps one to have a more well-rounded understanding of themselves and others.

Surrounded by Idiots

For business professionals who are constantly surrounded by people, it can be difficult to know the best way to get your point across. There are four types of human behavior that you should be aware of when communicating with people. From Thomas Erikson’s book  Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business (and in Life)  you can learn more about this behavior type.

If you know which one you are communicating with them about an idea or issue, it will make the conversation much more effective.

The Charisma Myth

It is not often that the issue of charisma is examined in depth. Many people assume that it is an innate quality, but The Charisma Myth argues otherwise. In this book, Olivia Fox Cabane examines charisma to determine if it can be learned and provides insight on how to become more charismatic.

Charisma is a behavior. It’s not fixed, it’s not unchangeable. There are many people who feel that if you don’t have the charisma it can’t be learned, but that’s simply not true. This groundbreaking book reveals how charismatic behavior can be learned and practiced. It provides examples of how to behave more charismatically in order to engage with others to create results.

The Fine Art of Small Talk

Debra Fine, the nationally recognized communication expert and author of the book “The Fine Art of Small Talk: How to Make Conversation in Any Situation,” gives us all the tools we need to succeed in any networking event or business meeting.

The techniques she shares with her readers include how to get people talking, how to answer questions about yourself, and how to get more intimate with the other person. Anyone can use these simple tips and tricks for small talk in any situation.

How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships

This book, How to Talk to Anyone, by Leil Lowndes follows a very research-based approach to talk about the psychological and social aspects of human interaction.

The author argues that once you have a basic understanding of how others think and what they might want from a conversation, you will be able to speak with anyone without fear. The book includes sections on body language, listening, empathy, humor and finally body language again.

The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists

The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists is a best-selling non-fiction book by Neil Strauss. Pickup artists are males that are obsessed with seduction and can spend hundreds of hours on end learning to pick up women. Author Neil Strauss spent three years traveling the world interviewing these men, studying their methods, and picking up women himself.

Strauss recounts his personal observations of the pickup artist community, highlighting some successful stories while revealing the darker side of using deception to get laid.

How to Win Friends & Influence People

If you want to succeed in life, you need to know how to read people and influence them. The book “How to Win Friends & Influence People” by Dale Carnegie is a self-help guide with tricks on how you can use psychology and human nature to get what you want from others.

The book offers advice on everything from how to speak well, how to keep your friends interested, and how to take criticism without feeling personally offended.

Words That Work: It’s Not What You Say, It’s What People Hear

People often say one thing but what people hear is something else altogether. It is the words that are heard that matter most.

The book, Words That Work: It’s not What You Say, It’s What People Hear, by Frank Luntz, looks at how to use language to communicate effectively with others.

The Definitive Book of Body Language: The Hidden Meaning Behind People’s Gestures and Expression

Understanding body language is an important part of your interpersonal world. The Definitive Book of Body Language aims to help readers understand the basics while also providing a deeper understanding into the meanings behind different actions.

The book discusses how gestures and body movements can be used to indicate emotions, thoughts, and even health concerns by putting together a variety of chapters that cover different social situations.

By reading the book, you will find out about how to read hand movements, posture, facial expressions, eye contact, and signs of stress.

Best books on social skills – The list

To recap, here is a top ten books on building social skills

  1. Surrounded by Idiots

  2. The Charisma Myth

  3. The Fine Art of Small Talk

  4. How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships

  5. The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists

  6. How to Win Friends & Influence People

  7. Words That Work: It’s Not What You Say, It’s What People Hear

  8. The Definitive Book of Body Language: The Hidden Meaning Behind People’s Gestures and Expression

Other book lists you might find interesting

Summary – Top books on social skills

Social skills are something that many people struggle with, but it is possible to learn these skills. Books can be a helpful resource when learning about social skills. There are several books out there that provide the reader with abundant information on improving their social skills.

The books often include both theory and practice, which can help readers better understand what they are reading, while also implementing the knowledge into their everyday lives.

Hope you found at least one social skills book on the list, that you will read in the future.

If you are missing a great social skills book from the list, let us know in the comments below and we might add it to the list. Happy reading!

Marilyn Nissen
Written by Marilyn Nissen

Marilyn Nissen is the founder of BestSellerSummary.com, a highly reputable book summary and reviews website. With over a decade of experience in summarizing and reviewing books, Marilyn is a trusted authority in the book industry.