Books On Imposter Syndrome

You’re in a meeting. You just said something smart—something that actually moved the conversation forward. And instead of feeling good about it, you’re thinking: “How long before they figure out I don’t belong here?”

That feeling has a name. Imposter syndrome is the persistent belief that you’re a fraud despite real evidence of your competence. First described in 1978 by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes, it’s linked to burnout, anxiety, and depression—and it affects far more people than you’d guess. A 2025 meta-analysis in BMC Psychology found prevalence rates between 9% and 82% depending on the population studied, with 62% among healthcare workers alone.

You’re not alone in this. Not even close.

Books won’t cure imposter syndrome overnight. But they’re a brave and practical first step—accessible, private, and something you can return to when the voice in your head gets loud. And for those of us trying to do work that actually matters, to pursue living with purpose, understanding imposter syndrome isn’t optional. It’s the thing standing between you and the work you’re here to do.

Here’s what I want to do: help you find the right book. Not just any book. The one that meets you where you actually are.

Key Takeaways:

• Start with your need, not a bestseller list. Theory books, workbooks, memoirs, and demographic-specific books serve different purposes. Know what you need before you pick.
• The foundational text matters. Pauline Clance literally named imposter syndrome in 1978. Her book remains the most authoritative source.
• Workbooks outperform reading alone for many people. “Own Your Greatness” and “The Imposter Syndrome Workbook” offer structured exercises grounded in clinical psychology.
• Imposter syndrome often blocks people from pursuing their calling. Overcoming it isn’t just about feeling better—it’s about getting unstuck and doing the work that matters to you.

How to Choose the Right Imposter Syndrome Book for You

The right imposter syndrome book depends on what you need right now: understanding, action, inspiration, or representation.

If you’ve just been promoted and can’t shake the feeling you don’t deserve it, you probably need a different book than someone who’s read three self-help titles and still feels stuck. Don’t just grab the bestseller. Match the book to your situation.

Here’s a quick way to think about it:

If you want to understand what’s happening in your brain, start with a research-based book. If you want to do something about it today, grab a workbook.

Let’s start with the book that started it all.

The Foundation: Pauline Clance’s “The Impostor Phenomenon”

Dr. Pauline Rose Clance literally named imposter syndrome. Her 1985 book The Impostor Phenomenon remains the foundational text on the topic.

Clance and Suzanne Imes first identified imposter phenomenon in 1978 through research on high-achieving women. Later research—including a meta-analysis of 108 studies with over 40,000 participants—confirmed it affects people of all genders, though women do score moderately higher (effect size d=0.27).

A quick note on language: Clance called it “imposter phenomenon.” The popular term “imposter syndrome” stuck, even though it’s not technically a clinical diagnosis. Both terms refer to the same experience.

This isn’t the most accessible book on the list. It’s academic in tone and older in style. But every list of imposter syndrome books should start here, because Clance didn’t just write about it—she discovered it. If you want to understand the “why” behind your feelings at the deepest level, this is where you go.

Best for: Readers who want the original source material and a deep understanding of the psychology.

Best Books for Understanding Imposter Syndrome

For most people experiencing imposter syndrome for the first time, Valerie Young’s The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women and Jessamy Hibberd’s The Imposter Cure are the strongest starting points.

Valerie Young — The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women (2011)

Valerie Young is co-founder of the Impostor Syndrome Institute and has delivered imposter syndrome programs to over 500,000 people at organizations including Google, NASA, Harvard, and Stanford.

Here’s the thing: despite the title, this book applies to everyone. (The subtitle includes “And Men.”) Young’s research found that women are more apt to chalk up their accomplishments to luck rather than skill—and if you’ve ever done that, you’ll recognize yourself in these pages immediately.

The book explains what imposter syndrome is, why it’s more common in certain groups, and offers a step-by-step plan to overcome it. It’s been reprinted in six languages. It’s popular for a reason.

Best for: Anyone wanting an accessible, well-researched introduction.

Jessamy Hibberd — The Imposter Cure (2019)

Dr. Jessamy Hibberd is a chartered clinical psychologist with over 15 years of experience, trained at Kings College London. Her book has sold over 100,000 copies and was called “the definitive guide” by the Sunday Times.

What makes this one different is the approach. Hibberd uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles—which makes it unusually practical for a book in this category. It’s not just “you’re enough, believe in yourself.” It’s structured, evidence-based reframing of the thought patterns that keep you stuck.

Best for: Readers who want a clinical but accessible approach with practical tools.

Amy Cuddy — Presence (2015)

Amy Cuddy is a Harvard social psychologist whose TED talk became the second most-watched of all time. Presence is broader than imposter syndrome, but it directly addresses it—and Cuddy’s own story of rebuilding her confidence after a traumatic brain injury gives the book a personal weight that most academic texts lack.

As Cuddy writes in Presence: “Impostorism steals our power and suffocates our presence.” The book explores how your body language, mindset, and self-narrative either feed or fight imposter feelings.

Best for: Readers interested in the science of confidence and presence beyond just imposter syndrome.

Best Workbooks for Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

If you learn by doing, a workbook format will serve you better than a narrative book. Two stand out.

And here’s something most people get wrong: they skip workbooks entirely. They read three imposter syndrome books and still feel stuck. That’s usually because they need exercises, not more theory. It can feel vulnerable to actually sit down and do the work. But that’s where the change happens.

“Own Your Greatness” by Lisa and Richard Orbe-Austin (2020)

Own Your Greatness is one of the most actionable imposter syndrome resources available. Drs. Lisa and Richard Orbe-Austin are both licensed psychologists and executive coaches, and the book contains over 30 research-backed prompts and exercises.

It was a finalist for the Foreword INDIES Book Award. The Orbe-Austins also released a follow-up—Your Unstoppable Greatness (2022)—that digs into systemic workplace dynamics, not just individual psychology.

Best for: Readers who want structured, research-backed exercises they can work through systematically.

“The Imposter Syndrome Workbook” by Athina Danilo (2022)

Athina Danilo is a licensed marriage and family therapist. Her workbook includes interactive exercises, affirmations, and prompts designed to help you identify root causes—including people-pleasing patterns that feed imposter feelings.

Where Own Your Greatness takes a broader professional development approach, Danilo’s workbook goes deeper on the emotional and relational roots.

Best for: Readers who want to understand the emotional origins of their imposter syndrome, not just manage the symptoms.

Memoirs and Inspiration for Imposter Syndrome

Sometimes you don’t need advice. You need to see someone else wrestle with the same feelings and come through the other side.

There’s something powerful about reading someone else’s story and thinking, “Oh. It’s not just me.” Sometimes a memoir does more for imposter syndrome than any self-help book could.

Tara Westover — Educated (2018)

Educated is a memoir, not a self-help book. Westover grew up in a survivalist family in Idaho without formal schooling. When she eventually entered a university classroom, she didn’t know what the Holocaust was.

The imposter feelings in this book are extreme—and that’s exactly what makes it powerful. If Westover could walk into Cambridge and belong there, coming from where she came from, it reframes what “belonging” even means.

Best for: Readers who need inspiration and perspective, not instruction.

Brene Brown — The Gifts of Imperfection (2010)

Brene Brown’s research on shame and vulnerability tackles the emotional root of imposter syndrome—the fear that we’re not enough. The Gifts of Imperfection isn’t specifically about imposter syndrome, but it addresses the core shame that drives it.

Each chapter includes practical exercises. And Brown’s willingness to name the feeling—”I am not enough”—gives permission to stop pretending.

Best for: Readers who recognize that imposter syndrome is connected to deeper feelings of shame and unworthiness.

Books on Imposter Syndrome for Specific Groups

Imposter syndrome doesn’t hit everyone the same way. If you’re a woman of color in a predominantly white workplace, your experience is fundamentally different from a white male CEO’s—and you deserve a book that acknowledges that.

Here’s what frustrates me about most imposter syndrome book lists: they treat it as purely an individual problem. But some imposter feelings are responses to real exclusion, not individual pathology. The best books in this category hold both truths at once.

For Women

We already covered Valerie Young’s The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women above. The gender research shows a real but moderate difference (d=0.27)—women consistently score higher on imposter syndrome measures across 108 studies. The gap is real. And it matters.

For BIPOC Professionals

Three books stand out:

• “For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts” by Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodriguez addresses the specific challenges Brown women face, from imposter syndrome to colorism and assimilation pressure.
• “Be The First” by Caroline Flanagan (2022) confronts imposter syndrome in white-dominated spaces head-on. As Flanagan writes: “You don’t just feel like an imposter, you are one. You’re the only one in the room.” That’s a fundamentally different experience.
• “Overcoming Imposter Syndrome at Work” by ‘Tine Zekis (2023) is specifically written for Black women navigating perfectionism and self-doubt in their careers.

Imposter syndrome books that ignore systemic factors are only telling half the story.

For Executives and Leaders

“Beating the Impostor Syndrome” by Portia Mount and Susan Tardanico comes from the Center for Creative Leadership, which notes that many high-achieving leaders struggle with imposter syndrome. If you’re in a leadership role and the voice in your head says you don’t belong there, you’re in very good company.

When Imposter Syndrome Blocks Your Calling

Imposter syndrome doesn’t just make you feel bad. It keeps you from doing the work that matters most to you.

The cruelest thing about imposter syndrome is that it targets the things you care about most. The more meaningful the work, the louder the voice that says you’re not qualified.

Think about it. You’ve been thinking about making a career change for two years, but every time you update your resume, a voice says “Who are you to do that?” Or you have an idea for something you want to create—a business, a project, a book—and the doubt is so loud it stops you before you start.

That’s not random. Imposter syndrome is most commonly linked to high-achieving individuals who care deeply about their work. The people most affected are often the most capable. The paradox is brutal.

And here’s what nobody talks about enough: in my experience, imposter syndrome is one of the biggest barriers to pursuing your calling. Not lack of talent. Not lack of opportunity. The belief that you’re not enough to do the thing your whole self is pointing toward.

Finding your calling and life’s work requires moving through self-doubt, not around it. Understanding where calling comes from means understanding that the resistance you feel is often a sign you’re heading in the right direction.

Books are one step in that journey. A real step. But just one. The path between passion and purpose is rarely straight, and overcoming imposter syndrome is part of walking it.

FAQ: Common Questions About Imposter Syndrome Books

What is the best book on imposter syndrome?

The “best” depends on your needs. For foundational theory, read Pauline Clance’s The Impostor Phenomenon. For practical exercises, choose Own Your Greatness by the Orbe-Austins. For an accessible introduction, start with Valerie Young’s The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women.

Who first wrote about imposter syndrome?

Dr. Pauline Rose Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes first identified imposter syndrome (originally called “imposter phenomenon”) in their 1978 research. Clance published the foundational book The Impostor Phenomenon in 1985.

Are there imposter syndrome workbooks with exercises?

Yes. Own Your Greatness by Drs. Lisa and Richard Orbe-Austin contains over 30 research-backed prompts and exercises. The Imposter Syndrome Workbook by Athina Danilo offers interactive activities including affirmations and root-cause identification exercises.

How common is imposter syndrome?

Research shows prevalence rates range from 9% to 82% depending on the population and screening method. A 2025 meta-analysis in BMC Psychology found 62% prevalence among healthcare workers, with rates especially high among ethnic minorities and high-achieving professionals.

What’s the difference between “imposter syndrome” and “imposter phenomenon”?

They refer to the same experience. Clance originally called it “imposter phenomenon” in her 1978 research. “Imposter syndrome” became the popular term, though technically it’s not a clinical diagnosis—which is why some researchers still prefer “phenomenon.”

Start Reading, Stop Waiting

Reading about imposter syndrome won’t make it disappear. But it will help you understand what’s happening and give you tools to move through it.

The goal isn’t to never feel like an imposter. It’s to stop letting that feeling make your decisions for you.

Pick one book from this list. Just one. Don’t let choosing the “perfect” book become another form of procrastination—because that’s imposter syndrome doing its thing, whispering that you need to prepare more before you’re ready.

You don’t.

And if the books aren’t enough—if imposter syndrome is genuinely interfering with your work and life—that’s okay too. Therapy and coaching exist for a reason, and reaching out for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

But here’s what I believe: you’re closer than you think. The fact that you searched for books on imposter syndrome means you’re already doing something about it. You’re already in motion.

The voice that says you’re not enough? It’s loud. But it’s not right.

You have something to offer. And the world needs you to stop waiting and start showing up. I believe in you.

If you’re also exploring bigger questions about meaning and direction, check out these books on finding purpose. The journey of overcoming self-doubt and the journey of finding your calling—they’re the same journey.