The Penguin books that shaped our everyday lives

For centuries, we’ve turned to books to help us solve everyday problems – the term “self-help” was first coined in a book in 1859 – and Penguin has often led the way, bringing the best cookery, parenting and lifestyle advice to readers when they need it most.

To celebrate Penguin’s 90^th birthday, we explore the 12 landmark books that have shaped the way we lead our everyday lives - and you can jump straight to that list here. But first, celebrated psychologist and bestselling author Oliver Burkeman shares why we turn to such books for advice, and the Penguin book that has influenced him the most.

Oliver Burkeman on the value of books for all stages of life

The reason you’d be drawn to a good book of advice on everyday living seems obvious enough. You’re finding it hard to do something – to manage your time or declutter your house, say, or to work with difficult emotions, or be a half-decent parent – and so you’re hungry for expert tips.

The truth, though, is subtler. The best books of this genre feel more like frank and forthright friends. They may explicitly offer advice, and you may or may not choose to follow it. But often enough, their most valuable role is in reassuring you that you can trust your own instincts (Janet Lansbury, Elevating Child Care) or in giving you permission to spend time doing what you already enjoy (Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity).

At other times, the real benefit is in how eloquently a book expresses the fact that, yes, some aspect of life is indeed difficult (David Brooks, How to Know a Person): the realisation that everyone finds it hard has the paradoxical effect of making it easier. I’ve also often caught and benefited from the enchanting spirit of a book without ever implementing its specific advice (Marie Kondo, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, with its life-enriching view of physical objects as possessing their own personalities and needs.)

My top pick: Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport

Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism continues to prove indispensable in helping me find the appropriate space for digital devices, social media platforms and the like in my life and work. Blending philosophy with rigorously practical suggestions, Newport reminds us how essential it is that our technologies should serve our goals and values: that we embrace new tools or devices precisely as far as they help us thrive as the humans we want to be, instead of assuming that a new app or service is worth adopting by default, or that its designers have our best interests at heart. Amid the current surge of both panic and hype over artificial intelligence, it’s a deeply sane and calming book that’s only going to become more relevant.

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12 more Penguin books that shaped our everyday lives

Soft Fruit Growing by Raymond Bush (1945)

First published during World War II, Soft Fruit Growing by the suitably named Raymond Bush was reissued as a part of a new series of Penguin Handbooks, launched in 1945. The earliest books in the series offer a glimpse into the biting austerity of the end of the war and its immediate aftermath, with their practical advice to help British homeowners with outdoor space to grow fresh produce or raise poultry for food. As time went on, and a post-war modern lifestyle emerged, they broadened to cover all aspects of everyday life, including leisure activities, home improvement, pet care and more.

A Book of Mediterranean Food by Elizabeth David (1950)

Cookery writer Elizabeth David burst onto the scene just as Britain started to emerge from the long, dreary years of rationing and post-war austerity. A cosmopolitan art student and actress, she travelled extensively across Europe, exploring parts of the continent previously closed off by war. Her books celebrated the real food she discovered in homes across southern Europe and inspired a generation of British cooks to embrace what were considered exotic new ingredients. The most notable was olive oil, which – prior to the publication of her A Book of Mediterranean Food – had only ever been sold in pharmacies for medical use.

The Penguin Cookery Book by Bee Nilson (1952)

The Delia Smith of her era, cookery writer Bee Nilson’s recipe books became essential kitchen companions for confused and nervous cooks. Her work charted a rapidly changing world, offering support to a new generation of working women getting to grips with tight schedules and modern home technology. Her most popular book remains The Penguin Cookery Book, first published in 1952. Millions of fans learned to cook from it, but at least one reader found it a little puzzling and wrote a stern letter to Penguin Books, disappointed that the book didn’t contain any instructions on how to cook a penguin.

The Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr (1985)

Nicotine addiction is often perceived as one of the hardest habits to break. In the mid-1980s, accountant (and long-term smoker) Allen Carr turned this perception on its head with his straightforward, foolproof stop-smoking method, showing millions of smokers how easy it could be to ditch the habit with a simple adjustment of outlook. His techniques, which outline the psychology behind the addiction and propose alternative perspectives, have been so influential that, even years after his death, they are still used by the NHS to treat smoking addiction.

A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle (1989)

Probably the most influential travel memoir ever written, A Year in Provence documented Peter Mayle’s experience of ditching his life in the UK to embark on a rural French adventure with his wife. With wry wit and lyrical beauty, he depicted the ups and downs of their new life in France, inspiring legions of middle-class Brits to dream of a sunnier existence across the Channel. As a result of the book’s publication, the Provence property market boomed, with scores of wealthy British second home-owners enjoying the benefits of a romantic new life abroad – a love affair that continues to this day.

The Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver (1999)

The cosy world of TV cookery was turned on its head when 23-year-old Jamie Oliver burst onto our screens at the end of the ’90s. His easy, breezy style, the Cool Britannia soundtrack and – most importantly – his sophisticated but simple, Italian-inspired dishes, all combined to make The Naked Chef the most exciting cookery show in years. The accompanying book was a huge bestseller and marked the start of Oliver’s decades-long career. Over 25 years and 34 books later, he remains the UK’s bestselling non-fiction author of all time and continues to inspire new generations to embrace the benefits of home-cooked food.

The Contented Little Baby Book by Gina Ford (1999)

Sneak a peek at the bookshelves of new parents around the world, and you’re likely to find a copy of Gina Ford’s The Contented Little Baby Book. Her no-nonsense, rules-based approach to sleep training for infants has remained a bestseller since it was first published in 1999, offering a simple step-by-step solution that even the most exhausted of parental brains can follow. Twenty-five years after the book was first published, Ford – or “the queen of routine”, as she’s known in parenting circles – remains the number one bestseller of childcare books in the UK.

Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi (2010)

London-based restauranteur Yotam Ottolenghi was already known in the Noughties foodie world as a vibrant and exciting new talent, but it was the publication of Plenty – his second cookbook – that revolutionised British home cooking. A collection of 100+ plant-based recipes, Plenty reinvigorated vegetarian cookery for a new generation, introducing curious home cooks to a host of new Middle Eastern ingredients and dishes. We can thank Plenty for spurring UK supermarkets to begin selling za’atar and pomegranate molasses, as well as for the invention of a new verb, ‘to Ottolenghi’, used by excited dinner party hosts to describe their weekend cooking plans.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo (2011)

If you’ve ever gazed questioningly at any of your possessions and asked yourself if it “sparks joy”, then you’ve been influenced by the Japanese icon of tidying and decluttering, Marie Kondo. Her soothingly precise folding technique videos propelled her to early stardom on social media, while her bestselling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying, brought minimalistic relief to a consumerism-weary population drowning in clutter. Yet her techniques are not without controversy. Book lovers reacted with outrage when she suggested that no home should contain more than 30 books, leading Kondo to clarify that her method offers guidance, not proscriptive rules. Phew!!

Atomic Habits by James Clear (2018)

In many ways, Atomic Habits is the perfect self-improvement book for the age of the Internet. Its beguilingly simple message – that lasting personal change results from the compound effect of hundreds of tiny positive decisions – resonates profoundly in a world of conflicting advice and information overload. The book has sold 20 million copies and legions of fans on social media continue to champion Clear’s simple techniques and hacks almost a decade after Atomic Habits first appeared in bookshops, demonstrating the enduring appeal of this blueprint for an effective existence.

The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté (2022)

Our bodies and minds were built for a very different time to the world we live in today. Modern culture puts immense stress on our immune systems and, despite Western countries investing billions in healthcare, mental illness and chronic disease are on a seemingly unstoppable rise. In The Myth of Normal, physician and trauma expert Gabor Maté gently but powerfully makes the link between our environment and our experience, and outlines how we can reconnect with our true selves and heal from the trauma inflicted on us by modern life. Millions of readers around the world have found solace in his wisdom.

Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken (2023)

The premise of Ultra-Processed People is compelling: that, thanks to the industrialisation of modern food production, we now consume enormous quantities of Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) that are detrimental to our health. The book’s impact has already been huge, with millions of copies sold since 2023. UPF discussion has exploded on social media, with influencers routinely sharing videos scrutinising the ingredients in the products we buy. Meanwhile, supermarkets are racing to update their lines to reflect the population’s new-found desire for less ‘engineered’ food. The way we shop and eat is changing radically, thanks to this groundbreaking book.

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