Allusionary
No. But some will make you think. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein. The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov.
Spike
IF you are talking being smarter, understanding and knowing about more stuff in life and how to go about it. Then MAYBE these books.
The Art of War by Sun Tzu and Translated by James Trapp
Why Didn't They Teach Me This in School?: 99 Personal Money Management Principles to Live By by Cary Siegel
The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality by Brian Greene
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich
Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream by Barbara Ehrenreich
Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream by Adam W. Shepard
The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz P.H.D.
The Disney Way, Revised Edition: Harnessing the Management Secrets of Disney in Your Company by Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson
Inside the Magic Kingdom : Seven Keys to Disney's Success by Tom Connellan
Sun Tzu - The Art of War for Managers: 50 Strategic Rules Updated for Today's Business by Gerald A. Michaelson and Steven Michaelson
The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund Bourne PhD
Freaking Out: Real-life Stories About Anxiety by Polly Wells
Anxiety Disorders and Phobias: A Cognitive Perspective by Aaron Beck and Ph.D. Gary Emery
Fight, Flight, Freeze: Taming Your Reptilian Brain and Other Practical Approaches to Self-Improvement by Gilmore Crosby
The Mindful Way through Anxiety: Break Free from Chronic Worry and Reclaim Your Life by Susan M. Orsillo PhD and Lizabeth Roemer PhD
Mindfulness: Mindfulness For Anxiety Relief How To Use Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Meditation Exercises To Develop Peace and Happiness In Your Everyday Life by Mike Mitchell
Knowledge of Self: A Collection of Wisdom on the Science of Everything in Life by C'BS Alife Allah and Supreme Understanding Allah
Solving Problems in Technical Communication by Johndan Johnson-Eilola and Stuart A. Selber
American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in the New China by Matthew Polly
Light on Life: The Yoga Journey to Wholeness, Inner Peace, and Ultimate Freedom by B.K.S. Iyengar
NOTE: Ones with stories are good too. But they don't always have enough to lean from. Because they have to have the characters daily life happening, why he or she is this way or that way, where they live and so on.