Top 14 Books About Psychology Updated 04 /2024

Psychology encompasses a broad range of topics, from interpersonal relationships to brain and nervous system problems (neurology). Every student interested in psychology should read these 10 works, regardless of whether or not they want to pursue a university degree in the field.

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales – Oliver Sacks

As a neuroscientist, Sacks saw a lot of intriguing and bizarre instances in his work, which he chronicles in this famous book.

That guy, who mistaken his wife for a hat, is what inspired the book's title. As a result, they are unable to recognize things or faces because they are unable to process visual information correctly. Sacks has seen it all, from a patient who couldn't identify his own leg to a patient who couldn't recognize his own arm.

As a result of reading this book, you'll understand how much may go wrong in our minds.

The Psychopath Test: A Journey through the Madness Industry – Jon Ronson

According to Ronson's book The Psychopath Test, he set out to find out whether many high-ranking CEOs and politicians are psychopaths.

For his book, he describes his visits to psychopaths and to those who research them. The Psychopath Test, designed by Bob Hare, is also discussed in the book as a diagnostic tool.

There are fascinating insights into the brains of psychopaths and some fascinating anecdotes in Ronson's book, which makes it a worthwhile investment of time.

Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind  – V.S. Ramachandran and Sandra Blakeslee

Phantoms in the Brain is a fascinating book that examines a variety of neurological illnesses, including the phenomenon of phantom limbs.

A phantom limb is a phenomenon in which amputees may still feel their severed limbs after they have been removed (and in some cases even feel pain in it which is very difficult to treat). In addition to other situations, the book explains this occurrence in detail. Many intriguing stories of people with various problems are presented, and the authors explain how they might help us better understand the brain.

You'll get a better grasp of how the brain creates our perceptions of the world and ourselves by reading this.

50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions About Human Behavior – Scott O. Lilienfeld, Steven Jay Lynn, John Ruscio & Barry Beyerstein

This book debunks fifty common myths about psychology, as the title indicates. A lot of people still believe in these myths despite the lack of scientific evidence.

The writers' goal is to demonstrate how easily individuals may be misled by their own common sense. It's time for us to think critically about these statements rather than just believing them to be true.

This is a fascinating book, and it's likely that many of us didn't realize that they are only myths until we read it.

The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language – Steven Pinker

On a number of occasions in this book, Pinker touches on the concept that human beings have an underlying capacity for language.

Pinker argues that language is a human talent that has only been developed during the course of our species' evolution in order to communicate. The book covers various situations that illustrate this thesis that language and grammar are in-built (an idea that was initially suggested by the linguist Noam Chomsky) (an idea that was first proposed by the linguist Noam Chomsky).

This is a great introduction to linguistics and linguistic psychology. If you've ever wondered how your brain works, this book will offer you a new viewpoint.

Predictably Irrational – Dan Ariely

Behavioural economist Dan Ariely, in his book Predictably Irrational, challenges the generally accepted notion that people make logical judgments in their daily lives. To put it another way, he makes the point that humans act irrationally. Even if we are already full, we will consume another dish of food at an infinite buffet.

Expectations, emotions, and social conventions are just a few of the influences examined in this book. In this way, it exposes the unreasonable errors that we all make on a regular basis. Getting rid of these habits is also something Ariely recommends.

If you've ever wondered why you've made the same illogical decisions over and over again, this article is for you.

Thinking, Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman

In his book, Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman describes his life's work as a researcher.

To better understand the link between these two modes of cognition, Kahneman focuses on the interaction between them. When we are in System 1, we act on impulse, automatically, and intuitively. While System 2 is intentional and calculated, it is also considerate. The book explains how our thoughts and behaviors are influenced by the interplay between these systems.

When it comes to social and cognitive psychology, Kahneman provides a succinct, but comprehensive, overview of current developments.

Bad science – Ben Goldacre

This isn't simply a book on psychology; it's also a book about science in general, and in this case, lousy science.

Bad Science aims to raise awareness about the general lack of knowledge about scientific evidence and statistics among the general public. Science reporting in the media is often inaccurate, according to Goldacre, who focuses on this issue. The pharmaceutical industry uses statistics to their advantage, and homeopathy fools many people into believing it is a solution.

If you're looking for a book that's both entertaining and thought-provoking, go no further.

The Invisible Gorilla – Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons

In the book The Invisible Gorilla, it is described how we tend to miss everything else while we are concentrated on one thing.

According to previous studies, participants in a basketball game who were instructed to count the number of times the ball was passed did not even detect a gorilla wandering through the game as the title of the book suggests.

We don't actually notice as much as we believe we do in Chabris and Simmons' engaging book.

Influence: Science and Practice – Robert Cialdini

Cialdini's book, Influence and Persuasion, is an eye-opening look at how people are persuaded. A key takeaway from this book is that it not only helps us become more persuasive, but it also helps us avoid being persuaded into doing things we don't want.

Cialdini goes into great length on the six psychological elements that motivate us to submit to the authority of others.

In addition to being intriguing, Influence will help you become more conscious of the power you have when you speak to others.

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