Best Psychology books everyone should read

Psychology is a broad field that includes anything from strong connections to brain and nervous system disorders (neurology). Whether you want to major in psychology at university or are just starting to explore your interest in the field, we’ve compiled a list of ten books that we believe every student should read. Well, in this article, I will introduce you to the best psychology books that can help boost your career in the psychological field.

Contents

Best psychology books

Thinking Fast And Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Drive by Daniel Pink
Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
Everything Is F*cked by Mark Manson
The Wisdom Of Insecurity by Alan Watts
Do What You Are by Paul Tieger, Barbara Barron, & Kelly Tieger
The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt
Influence by Robert Cialdini
The Psychology Of Selling by Brian Tracy
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
Descartes’ Error by Antonio R. Damasio
Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus by John Gray
Attached by Dr. Amir Levine
Personality Isn’t Permanent by Benjamin Hardy
The Personality Brokers by Merve Emre
The Road Back To You by Ian Morgan Cron
My Age Of Anxiety by Scott Stossel
Lost Connections by Johann Hari
Reasons To Stay Alive by Matt Haig
A First-Rate Madness by S. Nassir Ghaemi
Social by Matthew D. Lieberman
The Social Animal by David Brooks
Words Can Change Your Brain by Andrew B. Newberg
The Secret Life of Pronouns by James W. Pennebaker
Stumbling On Happiness by Dan Gilbert
Flourish by Martin Seligman
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
The Paradox Of Choice by Barry Schwartz
Mistakes Were Made, But Not By Me by Carol Tavris
The Honest Truth About Dishonesty by Dan Ariely
Switch by Chip & Dan Heath
The Antidote by Oliver Burkeman
The Upside Of Your Dark Side by Todd Kashdan

Thinking Fast And Slow by Daniel Kahneman

The book Thinking Fast and Slow explains how two brain systems are continually fighting for control of your behavior and actions, how this can result in mistakes in memory, judgment, and decision-making, and what you can do to fix it. There are two systems in our minds that control how we think. One approach is fast and focuses on the emotional aspect of things, while the other is a little slower and relies more on reasoning. Together, these two systems impact our decisions and the way we think, and Kahneman hopes to explain how to deal with our brains in this book.

Drive by Daniel Pink

Drive explores human motivation throughout history and shows how we transitioned from a focus on basic survival to the carrot-and-stick method still used today—and why it’s ineffective. There are many strategies available that we can use to inspire ourselves, but some of them may be ineffective. By utilizing the need to guide our lives, Daniel Pink has written this compelling book to assist us in learning how to be great performers in any area of our lives. You can alter how you think about motivation by using this book.

Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely

Predictably Irrational reveals the underlying forces that truly influence our actions. These forces are much less rational than we realize, but if we are aware of them, they may help us manage our money, interact with others more effectively, and live happier lives. Every day, we make decisions, often without even considering the reasoning behind them. Humans are thought to be rational creatures, but according to Ariely, certain behaviors may ultimately lead to them being… crazy, but in a predictable way. You can learn more about your thought patterns and, who knows, maybe even break them with the aid of this book.

Everything Is F*cked by Mark Manson

Everything Is F*cked delineates the flaws in our approach to happiness and offers philosophical recommendations for improving it. Even though it seems like we have it all these days—from freedom to wonderful technical advancements—an increasing number of people appear to be drowning in a feeling of hopelessness. A book that focuses on everything around us will make you think about things you probably haven’t even considered before by putting things into perspective in a sharp, yet hilarious way.

The Wisdom Of Insecurity by Alan Watts

A self-help classic, The Wisdom of Insecurity, dissects our psychological need for stability and shows how it has driven us directly toward consumerism, why that won’t fix our problem, and how we can actually ease our uneasiness. We live in a period when things sometimes appear to be somewhat unstable and susceptible, despite the fact that you would assume that this age affords humans adequate stability. This book by Alan Watts helps us understand that, despite our best efforts to achieve psychological security, a variety of factors can lead us to psychological insecurity.

Do What You Are by Paul Tieger, Barbara Barron, & Kelly Tieger

Do What You Are will assist you in learning about your personality type and how it might help you find a more fulfilling job that matches your skills and interests. Your ideal job is just your personality type away. By identifying your personality type and the best occupation for you based on your results, this book will help you determine exactly what it is that you are good at. This book will assist you in determining the path you need to take to be pleased with your life and profession by using a variety of activities and examples.

The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt

The Happiness Hypothesis, which is supported by a wealth of empirical data, real-world examples, and even a happiness formula, is the most comprehensive examination of how to obtain happiness in contemporary culture. This can be an excellent place to start if you want to understand happiness but are unsure of where to begin. There are many proverbs about happiness that we may have naturally utilized, but are they still in use today? In his intriguing work, Haidt examines the relationship between conventional knowledge and the modern world.

Influence by Robert Cialdini

Since its publication in 1984, Influence has been the go-to book for marketers. It presents six essential principles of human influence and illuminates them with a wealth of real-world examples. Why do you, along with others, respond “yes”? Are you being convinced by someone, or is there another factor at play? In this book, Robert Cialdini outlines six concepts that will help us improve as persuaders and comprehend the psychology involved. You can determine what you need in order to succeed by using these concepts.

The Psychology Of Selling by Brian Tracy

The Psychology Of Selling inspires you to improve your self-perception and interpersonal skills in order to close more sales. How do you increase sales? This book can be helpful if you still don’t know the answer to that question since it will give you enough tips, tricks, and ideas to help you sell more quickly and more effectively.

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

The Tipping Point describes how ideas spread like epidemics and identify the few components that must come into play for an idea to reach the critical mass at which its infectious influence becomes irreversible. To start something significant, something that people quickly adopt, a tipping point must occur. something that becomes popular among many people, such as an idea or a trend. And in his best-selling book, Malcolm Gladwell explores this concept by examining a variety of concepts and trends to determine what makes them so alluring that people are so drawn to them.

Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman

The book Emotional Intelligence explains the significance of emotions in your life, how they affect your ability to navigate the world and offers helpful tips on how to develop greater emotional intelligence. It also explains why having greater emotional intelligence is essential to living a successful life. Does having a high IQ make you more likely to be successful? Looking at how the cognitive and emotional halves of our brains interact, Daniel Goleman believes that it takes a little more effort to reach the peak of accomplishment. This book demonstrates how emotional intelligence affects many facets of our lives and how it also exemplifies intelligence.

Descartes’ Error by Antonio R. Damasio

Using cutting-edge case studies and neuroscience, Descartes’ Error demonstrates how the body and our emotions play a crucial part in logical reasoning and disproves the claim that the mind and body are separate entities. One of Descartes’ most famous claims is the phrase “I think therefore I am.” But ever since it arose, it has forced scientists to focus more on the cognitive than the emotional side of things. Antonio R. Damasio has created a striking book that employs case studies to show that we require emotions for both our action and rationality.

Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus by John Gray

Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus reveals the essential distinctions between men and women, assisting you in strengthening your relationships. Even though they are both humans, men and women communicate in different ways. This book, which is founded on years of effective counseling, can show you how to interact with the person seated next to you without starting a fight. Is it only a matter of embracing one another’s differences? Let’s investigate!

Attached by Dr. Amir Levine

Based on the human need for attachment and the three various kinds of it, Attached provides a scientific explanation for why some relationships flourish and chart a clear course across a lifetime while others fail and end in divorce. According to how you feel about your partner, what would you describe as your attachment style? This book provides us with some understanding of the science of love while also assisting us in identifying our attachment style. You may strengthen and improve your relationship with your significant other by understanding how you behave in connection to them.

Personality Isn’t Permanent by Benjamin Hardy

By pointing out the reasons why the person you are is changeable and providing you with practical and doable ways to change, Personality Isn’t Permanent will dispel your ingrained concept that you’re trapped as yourself, warts and all. Throughout their lives, do people’s attitudes and behaviors change, or do they remain constant? Benjamin Hardy, a psychologist, claims that the notion that people never change is false and prevents us from being who we need to be. This book will capture your interest with its practical recommendations and scientific foundation.

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The Personality Brokers by Merve Emre

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality test’s genuine, if unscientific, roots are revealed by The Personality Brokers. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a personality assessment tool that is practically universally used to identify a person’s type. This book focuses on understanding how a personality indicator came to be so successful while also attempting to put into context all the factors that may affect our ability to be ourselves.

The Road Back To You by Ian Morgan Cron

The Road Back To By weighing the benefits and drawbacks of each personality type on the Enneagram test, you can learn more about the type of person you are. Although every human has unique wiring, everyone has both positive and negative features. This book focuses on the Enneagram, a historical personality classification system that can teach you more about yourself. This book will teach you how to explore the spiritual side of things in order to gain a deeper understanding of who we are as people. It is full of stories.

My Age Of Anxiety by Scott Stossel

My Age Of Anxiety is your guide to comprehending a serious form of mental disease that most of us are unaware of, as well as techniques to manage it. It explains its biological and environmental causes. When would you say that you first heard the word “anxiety”? You can come to the conclusion that while this was not regarded as a diagnostic thirty or so years ago, it is now one of the most widely used diagnostics for mental illnesses. We learn a little bit from Stossel about how anxiety affects people and how to manage it at the same time.

Lost Connections by Johann Hari

In Lost Connections, the author explores why so many individuals experience depression and how strengthening our interpersonal connections rather than taking medication can help us overcome mental health issues. When did you first come across the term “anxiety”? You might conclude that even though this wasn’t thought of as a diagnostic thirty or so years ago, it is today one of the most often utilized diagnostics for mental diseases. Stossel teaches us a little bit about how anxiety affects people and how to control it simultaneously.

Reasons To Stay Alive by Matt Haig

By telling the tale of Matt Haig’s recovery following a terrible panic attack and subsequent fight with depression and anxiety, Reasons To Stay Alive demonstrates the risks and challenges associated with mental illness, dispels the stigma surrounding it, and outlines ways to recover from it. One of the most crucial things that people need to comprehend is that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Living with depression is difficult, whether it affects you directly or someone close to you. Matt Haig is aware of this because he also has the condition. He has created this blunt yet uplifting book to remind us that life should be enjoyed, for better or worse, and that the little things do matter.

A First-Rate Madness by S. Nassir Ghaemi

A First-Rate Madness shows you how to transform your psychological weaknesses into leadership strengths by telling the story of numerous world leaders and explaining how they succeeded despite their mental diseases and problems. Up to now, the globe has produced a number of renowned leaders. But what do they all have in common when a crucial situation is developing? Ghaemi has discovered that what is perceived as a mood problem can be a highly significant trait for a leader by examining figures like Gandhi, Churchill, and JFK, among others. Are you interested in learning more about this topic?

Social by Matthew D. Lieberman

The book Social analyzes how human behavior is mostly driven by our intrinsic desire to form social relationships and how we might take advantage of this understanding. The fact that humans are social creatures is widely acknowledged. But a lesser-known truth is how much of us may be said to be “social.” According to Matthew Lieberman, our need to connect with one another may be more essential than our need for food or shelter. This book may be the perfect choice for you if you want to learn more about our need to interact with others and be social.

The Social Animal by David Brooks

The Social Animal uses social science research to illuminate the influence of our unconscious thoughts in making decisions through the narrative of a fictional couple. What do you think of fiction and non-fiction combined? Because David Brooks develops a couple that lives their lives to the fullest in this book, and that is exactly what he does. Brooks examines the characteristics of both personalities and puts into perspective the factors that contributed to who they are and what motivated them by using a variety of scientific references.

Words Can Change Your Brain by Andrew B. Newberg

The definitive manual for mastering communication, Words Can Change Your Brain teaches you how to use psychology to your advantage to communicate more clearly, listen intently, and build trust with everyone you interact with. Individuals interact with other people frequently throughout the day. There is always more to learn about how we may effectively communicate, so that does not always make them the best communicators. This book will assist you in honing your communication abilities so that you can be successful and pleased in any setting where you must apply them.

The Secret Life of Pronouns by James W. Pennebaker

The usage of pronouns, articles and other style words can reveal personal information about us, according to research and case studies in the book The Secret Life of Pronouns. A small window into who we are and how we think is provided by the way we speak. The words we use have a deeper meaning and can hold enough meaning to help us dig into the feelings we have and more, at least that is what Pennebaker has discovered in his studies. The Secret Life of Pronouns may be able to answer your questions about how our use of language affects how we think.

Stumbling On Happiness by Dan Gilbert

Stumbling On Happiness looks at how our brains can replicate experiences and fill in blanks, how our ignorance of these abilities can sometimes cause us to make poor choices, and how we can alter our behavior to create our own happiness. Every day, we envision many different things, but we mostly create scenarios to imagine the future. Daniel Gilbert gives us not only a clever but also an understandable book that will put into perspective the fact that we typically know very little about ourselves and the people around us. He does this by using the most recent findings in psychology, economics, and cognitive neuroscience.

Flourish by Martin Seligman

With the help of five important pillars, Flourish creates a new framework for well-being that is based on positive psychology and shows you how to use easy activities to transform your life. How can you succeed? The solutions you seek, however, may be found within the pages of this book by Martin Seligman, a leader in the field known as “happiness research.” This book, which focuses on positive psychology, will make you realize that psychology is a tool to assist you to improve your life rather than just a means of easing people’s pain.

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

The book Blink discusses what occurs when you follow your instincts, why they’re frequently more accurate than deliberate thought, and how to stop your intuition from leading you astray. What influences every choice we make? Why do some people decide on anything in a split second while others take their time making a decision? Blink enlightens us on both the process and the results of decision-making. Malcolm Gladwell’s book will be useful to you if you wish to understand your mind and its workings better.

The Paradox Of Choice by Barry Schwartz

The Paradox Of Choice explains how having so many options nowadays makes you impatient, less likely to make a decision, more likely to make a mistake, and less generally pleased before offering specific advice on how to make decisions easier. The choice is no longer an issue in the world we live in, at least not in terms of quantity. And that’s where it gets tricky: this wealth of options can overwhelm us and even cause worry. How then do we come to make the proper decisions? Barry Schwartz provides us with useful guidance that will enable us to make the best decision and to be content with that decision.

Mistakes Were Made, But Not By Me by Carol Tavris

Mistakes Were Made, But Not By Me takes you on a journey through well-known instances and areas of life where errors are covered up rather than acknowledged, demonstrating along the way how this impedes advancement, why we do it in the first place, and what you can do to start openly acknowledging your own. We ever just hidden, ever since we were kids. Of course, it’s not only a game of hiding and seeking; faults are also being concealed. Even as adults, we detest having to own that we were wrong. But why do we behave in this way, exactly? This book will walk you through the brain processes that prevent us from owning up to our mistakes while also giving you enough sound advice to make you man up and do it.

The Honest Truth About Dishonesty by Dan Ariely

The Honest Truth About Dishonesty explains why we cheat, why it’s not fully reasonable, and, based on several experiments, what we can do to reduce the tension between the desire to succeed and our moral obligations. Do people generally cheat a little bit or are they never completely honest? This book’s primary focus is on dishonesty, and according to best-selling author Dan Ariely, cheating sometimes has irrational motivations. Ariely has once more investigated how irrationality may influence what we do, even in terms of cheating, because he is fascinated by how humans make judgments.

Switch by Chip & Dan Heath

With an emphasis on the three factors that affect human behavior—the rider, the elephant, and the path—Switch explores how you may inspire and facilitate changes in human behavior in both yourself and your company. It might not be simple to make a change. Sometimes we can’t do it since it doesn’t depend on us, and other times we won’t do it because we’re afraid of what may happen. The authors of this book, Chip and Dan Heath, want to assist us to understand what we can do when change is difficult in an interesting and engaging manner. They face the difficulty of change head-on.

The Antidote by Oliver Burkeman

The Antidote will outline all of the problems with positivity-based self-help advice as well as what you may do to feel, live, and be happier in its place. How content would you say you are at the moment? How ecstatic would you feel if it began to snow or rain? These two inquiries are just two in a lengthy list of inquiries about happiness, which we all seek but which appear to be challenging to get. Additionally, positive thinking might not always be the solution, according to Oliver Burkeman. Are you willing to give some of the novel approaches this book suggests a try?

The Upside Of Your Dark Side by Todd Kashdan

The Benefits Of Having A Dark Side examines our worst feelings, such as worry or wrath, and demonstrates to you that they are followed by genuine rewards as well as their underlying personality qualities, such as narcissism or psychopathy. Are only the good things that are happening in your life intended to help you advance and lead better lives? Or do we also need to experience unpleasant feelings like grief or rage in order to learn how to accept them? This book explains how the complete range of emotions can enable us to improve our lives by drawing on years of research.

Conclusion

We adore psychology since it is one of the most useful academic disciplines. Relationships between people only exist in the world of psychology. Everything you discover about it will therefore improve your interactions with others and with yourself. After reading these books, our lives have improved significantly. We are confident that yours will as well.

Understanding your ideas and feelings is difficult. However, when you do, you discover a fresh potential for a greater life than you ever thought was conceivable. The more you study psychology, the more adept you’ll get at identifying the negative emotions and beliefs that hold you back and teaching yourself how to get rid of them for a happier, healthier life.

Best psychology books of all time