The 8 Best Books On Social Skills

Are you uncomfortable or insecure when interacting with other people? Do you think that when you go to social gatherings you are out of place? You do not know how to adapt well to these situations? We propose a list of the 8 best books on social skills so that you can acquire and develop them.

But first of all, remember! Social skills are manifested in the behaviors we have when we interact with others. They are key to adapting to different situations, because they help us to relate to others in an adequate and satisfactory way. And do you know the best? Which can be obtained and trained through practice!

Social Skills Books You Should Read

Next, we offer you a list of the 8 best books on social skills

1. “The world in your hands” by Elsa Punset

If we have to talk about one of the reference authors in books on social skills, that is Elsa Punset. Philosopher, journalist and popularizer, after publishing her bestseller “A Backpack for the Universe” in 2014 with this book she is still able to convey her positivism and enthusiasm.

His book incorporates a series of strategies and simple exercises to take care of, understand and train your mind. To do this, he uses sport as a reference. He believes that, just as it has taken us decades to understand that sports practice considerably improves our physical health, it is still difficult for us to assimilate that social intelligence enriches our interpersonal relationships.

The content director at the Laboratory for Social and Emotional Learning (LASE) also considers that social, emotional and digital competences are basic to be able to “respond to the challenges of 21st century societies.”

2. “The Myth of Charisma” by Olivia Fox Cabane

It has been translated into Spanish by María Isabel Merino Sánchez. This is one of the most recommended books on social skills if you want to change the feelings you generate in yourself and in others when you face a social event.

It is especially designed for those who consider themselves reserved, insecure, shy or who have a general deficit in social skills. “The myth of charisma”  will allow you to enhance your ability to influence people and will help you improve your emotional regulation.

To better develop our ability to promote our own well-being and that of the people around you, Olivia Fox considers that there are three basic keys: presence, power and closeness. This compendium of fun, science and practicality will make you more outgoing and confident. It seems easy! Why not give it a try?

3. “Ideas that stick”, by Chip and Dan Heath

It is a translation of the book “Made to stick”, which has become one of the best sellers in the field of social psychology. It revolves around the idea of how to communicate effectively.

The authors seem to have discovered the secret of communicative success. They try to explain why messages manage to be memorable. And, on the contrary, others, who a priori have better prospects of success, fail to survive and fail, quickly going into oblivion.

Their real case examples illustrate what to do and what not to do to make an idea impact and stick in memory. Likewise, you will discover the mistakes we make most often when trying to communicate. They give you guidelines to become someone with the capacity to influence.

4. “The Power of Introverts” by Susan Cain

Are you shy or introverted? Susan Cain not only answers this question, but also makes one of the most enriching contributions in this field in recent years.

Explain why being an introvert is not always a negative trait. In addition, it can play in our favor and give us an advantage when it comes to moving through certain areas. Throughout the book, she transcends Susan’s fight with a myth: the one that claims that extroverts are more valuable than introverts.

However, the author tries to clarify that what differentiates one from the other is “simply” the need they have to receive a greater or less amount of stimulation. In addition, it offers practical resources to these people less so that this trait does not prevent them from socializing properly.

5. “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie

What do people have who seem to make friends wherever they go? This book shows you the strategic value of human relationships and gives you the key to empowering the human side of life. Try to explain how to communicate emotionally with others, but without losing your persuasiveness and assertiveness.

It also provides tips on how to express your opinion effectively and how to properly defend your point of view. It stresses the importance of negotiation skills as a method of avoiding conflicts and solving problems.

In addition, at the end it offers a practical synopsis to help us better internalize all the concepts explained. Without a doubt, it is one of the indispensable classics in this field and one of the best books on social skills.

6. “The Language of the Body” by Allan and Barbara Pease

Did you know that only 7% of what you communicate is verbal? That means that almost everything you transmit you do with your body. 93% no less. This is one of the books on social skills that teaches us to decipher what body language means.

It is agile, entertaining, concrete, precise and highly illustrative, as it includes a wide variety of practical advice. He delves into active listening, that is, the importance of not only paying attention to the words that the other person says, but also paying attention to what he does not say, but shows and tries to communicate. If you want to know how to interpret others, what they think even if they are silent or their telltale gestures, without a doubt, it is one of the best books and one that you will enjoy very much.

7. “How to improve your social skills” by Elia Roca

Empathy, that ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Compassion, understood as acceptance and forgiveness. Respect or courtesy. They are difficult social skills to develop because in our education nobody stops to teach us how to do it. Elia Roca does it, also highlighting the importance of beliefs, values ​​and other cognitive factors that influence their development.

In addition, this expert author in clinical psychology conceives these 10 chapters as an effective self-help program. That is, a program that everyone can self-apply.  Elia has more than two decades of research in this area behind her. This means that the techniques and recommendations that you offer us in your book are backed by solid experience and a good accumulation of knowledge.

8. “The magic seeds of patience” by Efrat Haddi

Cultivating social skills from childhood continues to be one of the great challenges in psychology today. What if we could read our children a bedtime story that would also teach them to improve their patience? This is one of the books on social skills that will allow us to do it.

To do this, he tells the story of Daniel, a boy who receives a mysterious gift from his grandfather. From there, the author tries to make the little ones travel with the protagonist through numerous illustrations. Thus, they will discover the importance and benefits of social skills.

Social skills, values ​​and development, something that is not usually integrated in most books on social skills

“The magic seeds of patience” is recommended for children over 3 years. Haddi is the mother of three children and much of her book is the product of her experience. Therefore, his work becomes a great alternative for adults. It offers an entertaining and very didactic way to educate in values.

In this sense, both the brain development of the child and the learning of social skills should be parallel and uninterrupted processes.  In addition, the acquisition of the latter has a window of opportunity during the first years of the child’s life. Especially in the preschool stage and during their primary schooling.

In summary, and also in line with what Lacunza says, AB (2010), it is crucial to teach them from childhood how important the development of good skills can have for their social performance, where empathy, assertiveness, patience come into play or active listening. In the same way, the books on social skills that we have proposed will surely help you advance in this regard!