“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
Humans have a crucial quality that defines them – they really want to be accepted by others. As social beings, forming bonds and being part of a collective has been fundamental to our evolution, and it remains one of the most fulfilling feelings we rely on even today.
On the flip side, experiencing rejection can be one of the most frustrating, confusing and hurtful feelings. Whether it is in our personal or professional lives, rejection is a part of life but still something that can knock us back significantly. Join us here at What We Reading as we offer up some of the best books on rejection, covering everything from why rejection happens, to how we can bounce back from it!
Don’t Take It Personally – Elayne Savage
From personal to professional, Elayne Savage tackles all forms of rejection in her book Don’t Take It Personally: The Art of Dealing with Rejection.
Savage explores the psychological roots of where the fears of rejection come from, and presents easy-to-follow and achievable steps for those looking to overcome it. With these tools, readers will gain a better understanding of how to avoid the anxiety, stress, hurt and frustration that can arise from a rejection.
Dealing With Rejection – Richard Sloan
Richard Sloan’s book, Dealing With Rejection: Overcoming the Emotional Struggle and Building Resilience, presents an eloquently written guide for individuals who have faced the distress of rejection. It offers practical strategies and valuable insights to overcome such challenges and build emotional resilience.
Sloan’s work is helpful for anyone who has felt rejected, whether it’s by a social group, friends, family, or someone they love. Instead of focusing on this being the end of a journey, however, Sloan demonstrates how rejection from one situation can be an empowering tool for growth.
Rejection Proof – Jia Jiang
Rejection Proof: How I Beat Fear and Became Invincible Through 100 Days of Rejection is an inspiring self-help book from Jia Jiang. In it, readers follow Jia as he arrives in the United States with the dreams of becoming the next Bill Gates.
After a string of rejections that crushed his self-belief, he embarks on a ‘100-day Rejection experiment’ to test how many of his outlandish requests would be turned down. Through his experiment, readers will gain a better understanding of how to become resilient to rejection by overcoming self-doubt and living a bold life.
Bouncing Back From Rejection – Leslie Becker-Phelps
Leslie Becker-Phelps offers readers one of the best books on rejection with her work, Bouncing Back from Rejection. In this self-help guide, Becker-Phelps examines why rejection has such a profound impact on our lives, and how we can go about bouncing back with greater resilience and a renewed outlook.
Becker-Phelps presents captivating arguments on fear of rejection stemming from one’s attachment style, helping readers to gain a better understanding of their own emotional needs. Alongside this, she creates a vivid drawing of ‘STEAM’ – sensations, thoughts, emotions, actions, and mentalizing – to aid in bouncing back better from rejection!
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Mindset – Carol Dweck
Carol Dweck’s Mindset: The New Psychology of Success has been one of the go-to books on rejection, guiding readers on how our mindsets impact our successes. Dweck explores and explains the difference between what she calls ‘fixed’ and ‘growth’ mindsets. She illustrates that being limited to a specific perspective can hinder our progress. Through several practical techniques, Dweck encourages readers to take control of their life and begin planning for the future they want.
Win Or Learn – Harlan Cohen
What would you do if every venture in your life was a success? Harlan Cohen, the acclaimed author of the New York Times bestseller, skillfully guides readers towards recognizing their desires and embracing the necessary risks to achieve them. With adept advice, he demonstrates how to turn any situation into a pathway to success.
Win or Learn: The Naked Truth About Turning Every Rejection into Your Ultimate Success is a risk-taking guide designed to give readers a better understanding of their worth and fight for their goals without the fear of rejection.
Show Your Work – Austin Kleon
A Goodreads Choice Award nominee, Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered is a self-help book from Austin Kleon. In it, Kleon explains why it is okay to face rejection, and why it is so crucial to plan ahead in life.
Filled with creative images, quotes, stories and techniques, Show Your Work combines the practical with the creative to explore how collaboration and generosity in sharing successes can inspire others around you.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
