Relationship skills and social skills are referred to as "skills" for a reason — they require learning, practice, and improvement. Here are the best relationship books on the market, according to a licensed mental health counselor.
Best for Communication: 4 Essential Keys to Effective Communication in Love, Life, Work — Anywhere!
In this day and age, we could all use a refresher in terms of basic communication skills. This award-winning book — filled with how-to guides and exercise challenges — is a great place to start. Written with all kinds of relationships in mind, including family, dating, friendships, and even work relationships, it's designed to help you improve empathy, listening skills, and communication skills.
Best for Socializing: How to Become a People Magnet
Social anxiety is a common issue in our modern-day world among all age groups. This book, written by award-winning author Marc Reklau, provides 62 simple strategies (策略) to help you improve your social skills in everything from first impressions to deeper relationships. With a variety of strategies available, you can choose the ones that are best suited for your needs. This book is also beneficial for those working in sales or customer service — industries that frequently handle complaints or require making connections.
Best for Problem-Solving: I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships
In this bestselling book, author Michael Sorensen put relationship problem-solving skills into a three-hour read. It reads more like a conversation to help users understand the value of listening and validation in relationships.
Best for Personality Types: The Enneagram for Relationships: Transform Your Connections with Friends, Family, Colleagues, and in Love.
The Enneagram is one of the fastest-growing personality assessments and concepts in the world right now, and rightfully so. There are nine different personality types with up to 27 subtypes to help you understand yourself — aiding in connection with those closest to you.
