Psychology Books You Should Read

The world of psychology is certainly an interesting one as this is the subject that studies the mind and engages in constant research to better improve the functioning of the mind and also working closely with psychiatrists to bring out cures for mind-related disorders.

That’s why one who is studying psychology has an interesting life as there is always something new to learn every day. A psychologist helps people who are suffering from depression, stress or are not able to function properly regards their daily activities.

The field of psychology has grown in vastness as now there are varied branches of psychology that study a specific branch of psychology and try to understand the workings of the human brain.

Psychiatrists prescribe medicines and treat mental conditions medically. The counselling work is usually done by psychologists who are employed under the psychiatrist.

When we talk about psychology books, then they are certainly very interesting to read. We get to know so many things such as the beginnings of psychology, what are the methods psychologists use to gather information etc.

There are many books available in psychology which have been bestsellers and people come back to them again and again. In this blog, we will be discovering some titles on psychology that people must read once in their lifetime.

10 Psychology Books One Must Read Once

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks- In this book, neurologist Oliver Sacks has presented to us some of the psychological cases that he came across in his professional life. One of the cases which is the title of the book did happen in Sacks’ life. The man had visual agnosia so had difficulty recognizing shapes and objects. Similarly, Sacks has written about many other interesting cases that tell us how our brains function and when they can go wrong.

The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry by Jon Ronson- This is a very interesting book where Ronson has described the lives of psychopaths and of the psychologists and psychiatrists who treat them. He visited some of these psychopaths to understand what goes on in their minds. Ronson has also described how people are diagnosed as psychopaths and goes on to explore The Psychopath Test by Bob Hare. This book will surely give many people an exciting insight into the lives of people who are psychopaths.

Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind by V.S. Ramachandran and Sandra Blakeslee- This book talks about the condition of phantom limbs, a condition where amputated people can feel the presence of the lost limb and even experience pain in it which can become a bit difficult for psychologists and psychiatrists to treat. The book explains the cause of this condition and has covered an array of other psychological conditions. This book will then give readers an understanding of how our brain forms perceptions of ourselves and other surroundings.

50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions About Human Behaviour by Scott O. Lilienfield, Steven Jay Lynn, John Ruscio and Barry Beyerstein- This book aims to dispel all of the misconceptions that we hold around the subject of psychology. This book will allow us to analyze and think critically about whether to believe those misconceptions or not. We usually take the myths to be true even though they are neither scientifically nor psychologically true. People still spread rumours and misconceptions when it comes to psychology and these must not be accepted or judged correct quickly.

The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language by Steven Pinker- Pinker has talked at length about the subject of language, grammar and linguistics. This book focuses on how the human brain forms language and grammar so that we can communicate with others. This is a great book for those who wish to know more about the subject of language psychology.

Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely- In this book, behavioural economist Ariely explores the way we behave irrational and dispels the belief that humans behave rationally and make rational decisions. He gives an example that we will eat extra food at an unlimited buffet although we may be full. Ariely similarly explores other factors where we may sometimes behave irrationally.

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman- In this book, Kahneman has written about his study in cognitive and social psychology and asks us to have two types of thinking; one that is fast, and intuitive while the second should be thoughtful, deliberate and calculating. This book will surely change our way of thinking and how we should be thinking.

Bad Science by Ben Goldacre- This book is a take on how media misuses statistical data and scientific evidence and presents it in a wholly untrue way. Similarly, it has also given us an insight into how pharmaceutical companies use statistics to their advantage and how the practice of homoeopathy has gained a wide following among people as a cure. This book tells us everything that is bad science and not true.

The Invisible Gorilla by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons- In this book, the authors have explained how we tend to overlook our surroundings when we are completely focused on one thing. The authors conducted an experiment in which they asked participants to tell them how many times players passed the ball to each other in a game of basketball. The participants were so focused on the counting that none of them noticed a gorilla walking in between the game. This book is an entertaining read as it tells us how our intuitions deceive us.

Influence: Science and Practice by Robert Cialdini- This book explores the concepts of influence and persuasion in everyday lives. Cialdini has given good examples of how to be more persuasive while not being persuaded by others to do the wrong things and which we don’t want to do as well. This is a must-read book for everyone as it will help us to understand how to talk to people in daily life.

So, these are some of the interesting books on psychology that any reader or student interested in psychology must-read. You will always be two steps ahead of people who try to bring you down if you follow the principles given in these books.