Psychology books is a broad field that includes anything from social bonds to neurological problems. We’ve compiled a list of ten Psychology books that we believe every students should read. Whether you’re prepared to study at university, just starting to explore your interest, or looking to expand your understanding of Psychology before attending our Oxford Summer School, these psychology books will provide vital insights and enhance your learning experience.
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales – Oliver Sacks
In this classic book, Sacks describes a number of fascinating and unusual cases that he encountered while working as a neurologist.
The psychology books is named after one of these incidents: the man who mistook his wife for a hat suffered visual agnosia. This is a condition in which people are unable to process visual information and hence cannot recognize objects or faces. From this to a case with a patient who couldn’t recognize his own leg, Sacks deals with the most bizarre circumstances.
It’s an intriguing and easy-to-read book that will make you realize how many things may go wrong in our brain. Explorations of the human mind are key to our Psychology programme at Oxford Summer Courses.
The Psychopath Test: A Journey through the Madness Industry – Jon Ronson
In this psychology books, The Psychopath Test, Ronson discusses his search to determine whether many high-ranking executives and politicians are psychopaths.
He describes his interactions with psychopaths as well as the psychologists and psychiatrists who study them. The book also discusses how psychopaths are identified and the Psychopath Test, which was developed by Bob Hare.
Ronson provides insightful insights into the minds of psychopaths, as well as some really entertaining stories, making this book a must-read.
Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind – V.S. Ramachandran and Sandra Blakeslee
Phantoms in the Brain is an intriguing psychology books about numerous neurological illnesses, including phantom limbs.
A phantom limb is a condition in which amputees can feel their amputated limb even after it has been removed (and in some cases, experience pain in it, which is extremely difficult to treat). The psychology books discusses the cause of this phenomena, among many others. The authors explain how these can help us understand the brain and include numerous fascinating case studies of patients with various problems.
Reading this will help you understand how the brain shapes our experience of the world and ourselves.
50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions About Human Behavior – Scott O. Lilienfeld, Steven Jay Lynn, John Ruscio & Barry Beyerstein
As the title says, this psychology books debunks 50 common psychological myths. These are claims that are not scientifically valid but are nonetheless widely circulated by the general public.
The authors’ goal is to demonstrate how common sense can mislead people. 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology challenges us to think critically about these statements rather than simply accepting them as real.
The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language – Steven Pinker
Pinker’s psychology books delves into the theory that language is innate in humans, a phenomena he refers to as ‘the language instinct’.
Pinker argues that language is a uniquely human ability: we evolved it so that we could communicate. The book investigates numerous situations that support the thesis that language and grammar are inherent (an theory first presented by linguist Noam Chomsky).
This is an excellent overview of language psychology and linguistics. It is full with fascinating instances and concepts that will offer you a new perspective on how the brain operates.
Predictably Irrational – Dan Ariely
In Predictably Irrational, Ariely, a behavioural economist, challenges the generally held notion that humans make logical judgments. Rather, he argues for the view that humans behave irrationally. For example, we will eat another plate at an endless buffet despite the fact that we are full.
The book looks at a variety of elements that influence these behaviors, including expectations, emotions, and social conventions. It reveals the unreasonable mistakes we make on a regular basis, which are predictable. Ariely also offers suggestions for breaking these habits.
Reading this will challenge your assumptions about your own behavior and help you stop making the same stupid decisions.
Thinking, Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman
Thinking, Fast, and Slow is an interesting account of Kahneman’s research throughout his career.
In it, Kahneman examines the relationship between two modes of cognition that he advises we adopt. System 1 is spontaneous, automatic, and intuitive; it operates without conscious thought. System 2, on the other hand, is purposeful, deliberative, and calculated. The book illustrates how the interplay between these systems shape our thoughts and actions.
Kahneman has produced an interesting review of recent social and cognitive psychology research, which will almost likely cause you to reconsider how you think.
Bad science – Ben Goldacre
This is more than just a psychology books; it is about science in general, and notably bad science, as the title implies.
Bad Science warns readers about our society’s misunderstanding of scientific evidence and data. For example, Goldacre investigates how science reporting in the media frequently produces false descriptions of legitimate study and data. He also discusses how pharmaceutical firms manipulate statistics for their own gain, as well as how homeopathy misleads so many people into believing it is a treatment.
This psychology books is both amusing and easy to read, and it will make you question everything you’ve ever been told to be true.
The Invisible Gorilla – Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons
The Invisible Gorilla shows how, when we concentrate on one thing, we tend to ignore everything else.
The book’s title references to previous studies in this area: when participants are instructed to count how many times players pass the ball in a basketball game, they fail to detect a gorilla wandering through the game!
In this engaging psychology book, Chabris and Simmons do an excellent job of proving that we do not notice as much as we believe we do.
Influence: Science and Practice – Robert Cialdini
Cialdini’s eye-opening work investigates the concepts of influence and persuasion. It teaches us how to be more persuasive as well as how to avoid being persuaded into doing things we don’t want to do.
Cialdini explains that there are six psychological factors that push us to comply with the influence of others, which he discusses in depth.
Influence is not only intriguing, but it will also help you become more conscious of the power of how you communicate with others – even in ordinary situations.
Psychology Books Conclusion
In the broad landscape of psychology, these ten psychology books serve as essential guides, providing varied viewpoints on the complexity of the human brain. Whether addressing the complexities of decision-making, the power of habits, or the search for meaning, each book adds to our understanding of psychology and its tremendous impact on our lives. Reading these texts can be a transforming experience, allowing people to traverse the intricacies of their own and others’ brains.
