Books for Motivation

While seemingly antithetical to motivation, the concept of sloth–as Wendy Wasserstein so entertainingly conveys in Sloth: The Seven Deadly Sins–embodies a commitment to personal contentment that, in the end, makes you even more productive. How does she do it?! Laughter and levity go a long way in the world of research and academia. This book will get you over whatever hump you’re stuck on and motivate you to keep going!

Lars Svendsen contends that boredom and depression have overlapping characteristics, mainly as symptoms of a loss of meaning. A Philosophy of Boredom — a very slim, but philosophical-based book — helps shed light on these connections by exploring literary characters as prime examples of what happens when boredom inevitably seeps into one’s life.

Did your paper or grant just get rejected? This hilarious book will have you laughing and feeling better in no time! Rejected is full of comedians’ stories of failure that will give you perspective on your own.