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  • Experts

Psychology

Most Recommended Books

Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert

Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert

“We tend to see ourselves as not unlike rats, creatures driven by the short-term reward centres in our brains. But what Gilbert does fantastically well is to argue that, actually, humans are better at long-term thinking than almost any other animal. A chimpanzee may strip off the leaves from a branch to make a tool to poke into a termite hole, but that chimp will never make a dozen of those tools and put them aside for next week. Yet this is exactly what humans do.”

Roman Krznaric, Philosopher

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Principles of Psychology by William James

“A wonderful summary of what was known and what questions were being asked at the dawn of psychology as a science in the 19th century. James is widely mis-cited and misunderstood as someone who advocated for a classical, common sense view of emotion. The irony is that he advocated for just the opposite.”

Lisa Feldman Barrett, Psychologist

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Eichmann in Jerusalem by Hannah Arendt

“She suggests that the Nazis, like Eichmann, who were responsible for such evil acts were stupid, short-sighted, and ordinary.”

Paul Bloom,

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The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks

“What would that be like? What would it be like to be unable to lay down any new memories, to think it’s 1945 all the time and everybody you meet is new? It’s fascinating to imagine, and I feel a lot of sympathy for the Mariner even though he doesn’t know how bad he has it.”

Eric Schwitzgebel,

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Making up the Mind by Chris Frith

“It’s about consciousness, and how we are conscious, and how our brains enable us to be conscious, and to have awareness of the world around us.”

Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, Medical Scientist

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Browse book recommendations:

Psychology

  • Applied Psychology
  • Autism
  • Child Psychology
  • Mental Health
  • Neuroscience
  • New Psychology Books
  • Psychoanalysis
  • Psychology Research
  • Self Help
  • Social Psychology

The best psychology books combine scientific rigour with accessible writing. We turned to some of the most eminent psychologists working today for their book recommendations. Psychology may not have all the answers, but it can help you have a better understanding of yourself and others; what motivates thoughts, feelings, and actions. Using the distilled knowledge of psychology presented in these books can empower you to make better decisions, control habits, be more motivated and productive, maybe even be a little happier.

Our experts include Daniel Goleman, author of the ultra-bestselling book Emotional Intelligence; Professor Carol Dweck, whose book Mindset, on motivation, success and forming a 'growth mindset,' has sold more than a million copies; Dr Andrew Lees, one of the most cited neurologists in the world; and Harvard professor, linguist and cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker (author of hit popular psychology books including The Language Instinct and The Blank Slate). In total more than 80 experts have helped make these lists.

We already have reading lists outlining the best books on mindfulness, consciousness, depression, teenage mental health, child psychology and cognitive neuroscience.

    The best books on Behavioral Science, recommended by Nicholas Epley

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    The best books on Behavioral Science - Love at Goon Park by Deborah Blum

    1

    Love at Goon Park
    by Deborah Blum

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    The best books on Behavioral Science - How We Know What Isn’t So by Thomas Gilovich

    2

    How We Know What Isn’t So
    by Thomas Gilovich

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    The best books on Behavioral Science - Delusions of Gender by Cordelia Fine

    3

    Delusions of Gender
    by Cordelia Fine

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    The best books on Behavioral Science - Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert

    4

    Stumbling on Happiness
    by Daniel Gilbert

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    The best books on Behavioral Science - Nudge by Cass Sunstein & Richard Thaler

    5

    Nudge
    by Cass Sunstein & Richard Thaler

The best books on Behavioral Science, recommended by Nicholas Epley

What can we draw from behavioral science to help us better understand each other? Nicholas Epley, Professor of Behavioral Science and Faculty Director of the Center for Decision Research at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, recommends the five best books for learning about an interdisciplinary field that draws from psychology, sociology, economics and anthropology.

    The best books on Emotional Intelligence, recommended by Daniel Goleman

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    The best books on Emotional Intelligence - The Triple Focus: A New Approach to Education by Daniel Goleman and Peter Senge

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    The Triple Focus: A New Approach to Education
    by Daniel Goleman and Peter Senge

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    The best books on Emotional Intelligence - Handbook of Social and Emotional Learning: Research and Practice by ed. Durlak et al

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    Handbook of Social and Emotional Learning: Research and Practice
    by ed. Durlak et al

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    The best books on Emotional Intelligence - The Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science by ed. Seppälä et al

    3

    The Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science
    by ed. Seppälä et al

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    The best books on Emotional Intelligence - Emotional Alchemy: How the Mind Can Heal the Heart by Tara Bennett-Goleman

    4

    Emotional Alchemy: How the Mind Can Heal the Heart
    by Tara Bennett-Goleman

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    The best books on Emotional Intelligence - Marrow: Love, Loss, and What Matters Most by Elizabeth Lesser

    5

    Marrow: Love, Loss, and What Matters Most
    by Elizabeth Lesser

The best books on Emotional Intelligence, recommended by Daniel Goleman

We are taught to value intelligence and academic ability, but raw mental firepower does not always translate into success at work or a life of contentment. Just as important are the skills that make up ’emotional intelligence,’ says Daniel Goleman, whose bestselling book popularised the concept. Here he chooses five emotional intelligence books that explore its practical applications.

    The best books on Character Development, recommended by Angela Duckworth

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    The best books on Character Development - The Marshmallow Test: Why Self-Control Is the Engine of Success by Walter Mischel

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    The Marshmallow Test: Why Self-Control Is the Engine of Success
    by Walter Mischel

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    The best books on Character Development - A Curious Mind: The Secret To a Bigger Life by Brian Grazer

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    A Curious Mind: The Secret To a Bigger Life
    by Brian Grazer

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    The best books on Character Development - Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck

    3

    Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
    by Carol Dweck

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    The best books on Character Development - Popular: The Power of Likability in a Status-Obsessed World by Mitch Prinstein

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    Popular: The Power of Likability in a Status-Obsessed World
    by Mitch Prinstein

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    The best books on Character Development - Path to Purpose by William Damon

    5

    Path to Purpose
    by William Damon

The best books on Character Development, recommended by Angela Duckworth

Can we cultivate qualities like grit, tenacity and kindness? How about habits of the successful—hard work, perseverance and productivity? Angela Duckworth, bestselling author of Grit and founder of the Character Lab at the University of Pennsylvania, recommends five books, including a title that graces every CEO’s shelf.

    The best books on Mindset and Success, recommended by Carol Dweck

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    The best books on Mindset and Success - How Children Fail by John Holt

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    How Children Fail
    by John Holt

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    The best books on Mindset and Success - The Mismeasure of Man by Stephen Jay Gould

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    The Mismeasure of Man
    by Stephen Jay Gould

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    The best books on Mindset and Success - Developing Talent in Young People by Benjamin Bloom

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    Developing Talent in Young People
    by Benjamin Bloom

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    The best books on Mindset and Success - Moneyball by Michael Lewis

    4

    Moneyball
    by Michael Lewis

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    The best books on Mindset and Success - The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge

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    The Brain That Changes Itself
    by Norman Doidge

The best books on Mindset and Success, recommended by Carol Dweck

If you’ve stepped inside a school recently, you’ve probably heard teachers talking about the importance of  a ‘growth mindset.’ Here psychologist Carol Dweck, who pioneered research into this key concept, explains what it’s all about and recommends books—other than her own—that shed light on it.

    The best books on The Decline of Violence, recommended by Steven Pinker

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    The best books on The Decline of Violence - The Internationalists: How a Radical Plan to Outlaw War Remade the World by Oona Hathaway & Scott Shapiro

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    The Internationalists: How a Radical Plan to Outlaw War Remade the World
    by Oona Hathaway & Scott Shapiro

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    The best books on The Decline of Violence - Homicide by Martin Daly and Margo Wilson

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    Homicide
    by Martin Daly and Margo Wilson

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    The best books on The Decline of Violence - Statistics of Deadly Quarrels by Lewis F Richardson

    3

    Statistics of Deadly Quarrels
    by Lewis F Richardson

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    The best books on The Decline of Violence - Violent Land by David Courtwright

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    Violent Land
    by David Courtwright

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    The best books on The Decline of Violence - The Remnants of War by John Mueller

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    The Remnants of War
    by John Mueller

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    The best books on The Decline of Violence - Evil: Inside Human Violence and Cruelty by Roy Baumeister

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    Evil: Inside Human Violence and Cruelty
    by Roy Baumeister

The best books on The Decline of Violence, recommended by Steven Pinker

Our TV screens may be full of news about war and crime, but this masks a fall in historical terms in the number of violent deaths that’s nothing short of astonishing, says Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker. He tells us how and why this happened. (This interview was updated 17 December, 2020, to include books that have come out since it was published in 2011)

    The best books on Coping With Failure, recommended by Elizabeth Day

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    The best books on Coping With Failure - Heartburn by Nora Ephron

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    Heartburn
    by Nora Ephron

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    The best books on Coping With Failure - Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger by Rebecca Traister

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    Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger
    by Rebecca Traister

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    The best books on Coping With Failure - The Weather in the Streets by Rosamond Lehmann

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    The Weather in the Streets
    by Rosamond Lehmann

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    The best books on Coping With Failure - Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

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    Educated: A Memoir
    by Tara Westover

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    The best books on Coping With Failure - Slipstream: A Memoir by Elizabeth Jane Howard

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    Slipstream: A Memoir
    by Elizabeth Jane Howard

The best books on Coping With Failure, recommended by Elizabeth Day

Elizabeth Day, author of How to Fail: Everything I’ve Ever Learnt from Things Going Wrong, explains how the road to success truly is paved with failure—and why we must learn to deal with it better.

    The best books on Happiness, recommended by Jonathan Haidt

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    The best books on Happiness - Dhammapada

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    Dhammapada

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    The best books on Happiness - Ambition by Gilbert Brim

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    Ambition
    by Gilbert Brim

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    The best books on Happiness - Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert

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    Stumbling on Happiness
    by Daniel Gilbert

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    The best books on Happiness - The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky

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    The How of Happiness
    by Sonja Lyubomirsky

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    The best books on Happiness - Dancing in the Streets by Barbara Ehrenreich

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    Dancing in the Streets
    by Barbara Ehrenreich

The best books on Happiness, recommended by Jonathan Haidt

Most of us want to be happy, and yet it’s hard to achieve. Jonathan Haidt, psychologist and author of  the classic The Happiness Hypothesis, talks us through five books, old and new, to better understand happiness.

    The best books on Cruelty and Evil, recommended by Paul Bloom

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    The best books on Cruelty and Evil - Eichmann in Jerusalem by Hannah Arendt

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    Eichmann in Jerusalem
    by Hannah Arendt

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    The best books on Cruelty and Evil - Evil: Inside Human Violence and Cruelty by Roy Baumeister

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    Evil: Inside Human Violence and Cruelty
    by Roy Baumeister

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    The best books on Cruelty and Evil - Less Than Human by David Livingstone Smith

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    Less Than Human
    by David Livingstone Smith

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    The best books on Cruelty and Evil - Evil Men by James Dawes

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    Evil Men
    by James Dawes

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    The best books on Cruelty and Evil - Down Girl by Kate Manne

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    Down Girl
    by Kate Manne

The best books on Cruelty and Evil, recommended by Paul Bloom

How do evil-doers justify their behaviour? A common view of evil sees dehumanisation as fundamental. Yale psychologist Paul Bloom argues, however, that the picture may not be so simple. The most callous acts of cruelty and evil involve recognising the human feelings of the victim, their ability to feel shame and humiliation.

    The best books on Productivity, recommended by David Allen

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    The best books on Productivity - The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload by Daniel J Levitin

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    The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload
    by Daniel J Levitin

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    The best books on Productivity - BrainChains: Your Thinking Brain Explained in Simple Terms by Theo Compernolle

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    BrainChains: Your Thinking Brain Explained in Simple Terms
    by Theo Compernolle

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    The best books on Productivity - The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande

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    The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right
    by Atul Gawande

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    The best books on Productivity - The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future by Kevin Kelly

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    The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future
    by Kevin Kelly

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    The best books on Productivity - The Antidote by Oliver Burkeman

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    The Antidote
    by Oliver Burkeman

The best books on Productivity, recommended by David Allen

If you feel like you lose whole days to procrastination or indecision—or simply have too much to do!—you probably want advice on how improve your productivity. We spoke to David Allen, creator of the perennial bestseller Getting Things Done, about the best books on the subject: why we waste time, and what we can change to be more productive.

    The Best Self Help Books of 2020, recommended by Oliver Burkeman

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    The Best Self Help Books of 2020 - The Wisdom Pattern: Order, Disorder, Reorder by Richard Rohr

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    The Wisdom Pattern: Order, Disorder, Reorder
    by Richard Rohr

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    The Best Self Help Books of 2020 - Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times: Powerful Tools to Cultivate Calm, Clarity, and Courage by Philip Goldberg

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    Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times: Powerful Tools to Cultivate Calm, Clarity, and Courage
    by Philip Goldberg

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    The Best Self Help Books of 2020 - How to Be a Failure and Still Live Well: A Philosophy by Beverley Clack

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    How to Be a Failure and Still Live Well: A Philosophy
    by Beverley Clack

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    The Best Self Help Books of 2020 - The Passion Economy: The New Rules for Thriving in the Twenty-First Century by Adam Davidson

    4

    The Passion Economy: The New Rules for Thriving in the Twenty-First Century
    by Adam Davidson

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    The Best Self Help Books of 2020 - The New Corner Office: How the Most Successful People Work From Home

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    The New Corner Office: How the Most Successful People Work From Home

The Best Self Help Books of 2020, recommended by Oliver Burkeman

We asked Oliver Burkeman, the Guardian writer and author of The Antidote, to select the best self help books published in 2020. His recommended titles include spiritual guidance for the age of doomscrolling, a philosophy of failure, and practical advice for those working from home for the first time.

    Meditation Books, recommended by Andy Puddicombe

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    Meditation Books - Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice by Shunryu Suzuki

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    Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice
    by Shunryu Suzuki

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    Meditation Books - The Life of Milarepa Translated by Lobsang P Lhalungpa

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    The Life of Milarepa
    Translated by Lobsang P Lhalungpa

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    Meditation Books - Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism by Chogyam Trungpa

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    Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism
    by Chogyam Trungpa

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    Meditation Books - The Bodhicaryāvatāra by Śāntideva

    4

    The Bodhicaryāvatāra
    by Śāntideva

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    Meditation Books - One Robe, One Bowl: The Zen Poetry of Ryōkan by Ryōkan

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    One Robe, One Bowl: The Zen Poetry of Ryōkan
    by Ryōkan

Meditation Books, recommended by Andy Puddicombe

Two decades ago Andy Puddicombe was ordained as a Buddhist monk. Now back in lay life, he tries to teach the benefits of meditation to the rest of us—most notably through the Headspace app, but also by writing books. Here he chooses some of the books that inspired him, from Japanese poetry to Tibetan philosophy. Not all are meditation books but they are his “old favorites.”

    The best books on Mindfulness, recommended by Tessa Watt

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    The best books on Mindfulness - Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World by Mark Williams. Danny Penman

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    Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World
    by Mark Williams. Danny Penman

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    The best books on Mindfulness - Into the Heart of Mindfulness: Finding Our Path to Well-Being by Ed Halliwell

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    Into the Heart of Mindfulness: Finding Our Path to Well-Being
    by Ed Halliwell

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    The best books on Mindfulness - A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled by Ruby Wax

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    A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled
    by Ruby Wax

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    The best books on Mindfulness - The Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement in the Cultivation of Well-Being by Daniel Siegel

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    The Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement in the Cultivation of Well-Being
    by Daniel Siegel

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    The best books on Mindfulness - Mindfulness in Action: Making Friends with Yourself through Meditation and Everyday Awareness by Chogyam Trungpa

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    Mindfulness in Action: Making Friends with Yourself through Meditation and Everyday Awareness
    by Chogyam Trungpa

The best books on Mindfulness, recommended by Tessa Watt

In a world where many people feel frazzled by the pace of life, can mindfulness help? What’s the best way of practising it? Or is it just a fad? Philosopher Nigel Warburton talks to mindfulness expert, Tessa Watt, about the best books on mindfulness.

    The Best Books on Emotions, recommended by Lisa Feldman Barrett

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    The Best Books on Emotions - The Book of Human Emotions: An Encyclopedia of Feeling from Anger to Wanderlust by Tiffany Watt Smith

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    The Book of Human Emotions: An Encyclopedia of Feeling from Anger to Wanderlust
    by Tiffany Watt Smith

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    The Best Books on Emotions - Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

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    Middlesex
    by Jeffrey Eugenides

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    The Best Books on Emotions - Principles of Psychology by William James

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    Principles of Psychology
    by William James

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    The Best Books on Emotions - Emotional Success: The Power of Gratitude, Compassion and Pride by David DeSteno

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    Emotional Success: The Power of Gratitude, Compassion and Pride
    by David DeSteno

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    The Best Books on Emotions - Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert

    5

    Stumbling on Happiness
    by Daniel Gilbert

The Best Books on Emotions, recommended by Lisa Feldman Barrett

Not every culture has a word for ‘fear.’ Smiling was an invention of the Middle Ages. There’s a lot that will surprise you about the way we process emotions, says the neuroscientist and psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett. Here she picks five books that illustrate our understanding of how emotions work.

    The best books on Essentialism, recommended by Susan Gelman

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    The best books on Essentialism - The Mismeasure of Man by Stephen Jay Gould

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    The Mismeasure of Man
    by Stephen Jay Gould

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    The best books on Essentialism - The Bad Seed by William March

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    The Bad Seed
    by William March

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    The best books on Essentialism - How Pleasure Works by Paul Bloom

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    How Pleasure Works
    by Paul Bloom

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    The best books on Essentialism - The Edge of Islam by Janet McIntosh

    4

    The Edge of Islam
    by Janet McIntosh

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    The best books on Essentialism - Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck

    5

    Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
    by Carol Dweck

The best books on Essentialism, recommended by Susan Gelman

Putting people and things into categories is something we all do. It’s a useful shortcut but reveals biases. And it plays a role in everything from ethnic violence to childhood development, as psychologist Susan Gelman explains.

    The best books on Burnout, recommended by Josh Cohen

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    The best books on Burnout - The Weariness of the Self by Alain Ehrenberg

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    The Weariness of the Self
    by Alain Ehrenberg

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    The best books on Burnout - Hikikomori: Adolescence Without End by Saito Tamaki

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    Hikikomori: Adolescence Without End
    by Saito Tamaki

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    The best books on Burnout - Exhaustion: A History by Anna K Schaffner

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    Exhaustion: A History
    by Anna K Schaffner

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    The best books on Burnout - Non-Stop Inertia by Ivor Southwood

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    Non-Stop Inertia
    by Ivor Southwood

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    The best books on Burnout - Against Nature (À rebours) by J K Huysmans

    5

    Against Nature (À rebours)
    by J K Huysmans

The best books on Burnout, recommended by Josh Cohen

Overwhelmed, exhausted, yet unable to relax when you have the chance? You are not alone. Josh Cohen, psychoanalyst and author of Not Working: Why We Have to Stop, discusses the symptoms and causes of burnout—and why relentless activity is at the source.

    The best books on Clinical Psychology, recommended by Susan Llewelyn

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    The best books on Clinical Psychology - The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy by Irvin D Yalom

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    The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy
    by Irvin D Yalom

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    The best books on Clinical Psychology - Introduction to Cognitive Analytic Therapy: Principles and Practice by Anthony Ryle & Ian B Kerr

    2

    Introduction to Cognitive Analytic Therapy: Principles and Practice
    by Anthony Ryle & Ian B Kerr

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    The best books on Clinical Psychology - Managing Your Mind: The Mental Fitness Guide by Gillian Butler, Tony Hope & Nick Grey

    3

    Managing Your Mind: The Mental Fitness Guide
    by Gillian Butler, Tony Hope & Nick Grey

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    The best books on Clinical Psychology - What Works for Whom: A Critical Review of Psychotherapy Research by Anthony Roth & Peter Fonagy

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    What Works for Whom: A Critical Review of Psychotherapy Research
    by Anthony Roth & Peter Fonagy

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    The best books on Clinical Psychology - Why Don't I Feel Good Enough?: Using Attachment Theory to Find a Solution by Helen Dent

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    Why Don't I Feel Good Enough?: Using Attachment Theory to Find a Solution
    by Helen Dent

The best books on Clinical Psychology, recommended by Susan Llewelyn

Clinical psychologists look at how we feel, how that affects how we behave, and whether we can change. Here, the Oxford academic and clinician Susan Llewelyn discusses five key books in the field of clinical psychology, why clinicians must keep their minds open to new approaches, and why aspiring psychologists should read as many novels as they can.

    The best books on High Performance Psychology, recommended by Michael Gervais

  • Read
    The best books on High Performance Psychology - The Daodejing by Laozi

    1

    The Daodejing
    by Laozi

  • Read
    The best books on High Performance Psychology - Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson

    2

    Leonardo da Vinci
    by Walter Isaacson

  • Read
    The best books on High Performance Psychology - Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

    3

    Man's Search for Meaning
    by Viktor Frankl

  • Read
    The best books on High Performance Psychology - Artist of Life by Bruce Lee

    4

    Artist of Life
    by Bruce Lee

  • Read
    The best books on High Performance Psychology - Mind Gym : An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence by David Casstevens & Gary Mack

    5

    Mind Gym : An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence
    by David Casstevens & Gary Mack

The best books on High Performance Psychology, recommended by Michael Gervais

To reach your full potential you must put as much effort into building mental resilience as you do into work or training, advises high-performance psychologist Dr Michael Gervais. Here, he selects five titles to help you find the right mindset—whether you dream of sporting stardom, artistic achievement or business success.

    The best books on Cognitive Neuroscience, recommended by Dick Passingham

  • Read
    The best books on Cognitive Neuroscience - The Concept of Mind by Gilbert Ryle

    1

    The Concept of Mind
    by Gilbert Ryle

  • Read
    The best books on Cognitive Neuroscience - Perception and Communication by Donald Broadbent

    2

    Perception and Communication
    by Donald Broadbent

  • Read
    The best books on Cognitive Neuroscience - Evolution of the Brain and Intelligence by Harry Jerison

    3

    Evolution of the Brain and Intelligence
    by Harry Jerison

  • Read
    The best books on Cognitive Neuroscience - Images of Mind by Michael Posner and Marcus Raichle

    4

    Images of Mind
    by Michael Posner and Marcus Raichle

  • Read
    The best books on Cognitive Neuroscience - Organization of Behavior: A Neuropsychological Theory by Donald Hebb

    5

    Organization of Behavior: A Neuropsychological Theory
    by Donald Hebb

The best books on Cognitive Neuroscience, recommended by Dick Passingham

Neuroscience has banished the problem of dualism—the ‘ghost in the machine’ mulled over by philosophists since the time of Descartes, says the renowned cognitive neuroscientist Professor Dick Passingham. Here, he chooses five books that signified major breakthroughs in this fast-advancing field.

    The Best Psychology Books for Teens, recommended by Jessica Flitter, Laura Brandt & Nancy Fenton

  • Read
    The Best Psychology Books for Teens - Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer

    1

    Moonwalking with Einstein
    by Joshua Foer

  • Read
    The Best Psychology Books for Teens - Shrinks: The Untold Story of Psychiatry by Jeffrey A. Lieberman & Ogi Ogas

    2

    Shrinks: The Untold Story of Psychiatry
    by Jeffrey A. Lieberman & Ogi Ogas

  • Read
    The Best Psychology Books for Teens - Brain On Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

    3

    Brain On Fire: My Month of Madness
    by Susannah Cahalan

  • Read
    The Best Psychology Books for Teens - The Upside of Your Dark Side by Robert Biswas-Diener & Todd Kashdan

    4

    The Upside of Your Dark Side
    by Robert Biswas-Diener & Todd Kashdan

  • Read
    The Best Psychology Books for Teens - You Are Not So Smart by David McRaney

    5

    You Are Not So Smart
    by David McRaney

The Best Psychology Books for Teens, recommended by Jessica Flitter, Laura Brandt & Nancy Fenton

Three award-winning US high school psychology teachers—authors of the website Books for Psychology Class—share their recommendations of the best psychology books for teenagers, students and their teachers—and reflect on why storytelling is a key aspect of the art of teaching.

    The Best Autism Books, recommended by Steve Silberman

  • Read
    The Best Autism Books - Nerdy, Shy, and Socially Inappropriate: A User Guide to an Asperger Life by Cynthia Kim

    1

    Nerdy, Shy, and Socially Inappropriate: A User Guide to an Asperger Life
    by Cynthia Kim

  • Read
    The Best Autism Books - The Real Experts: Readings for Parents of Autistic Children by Michelle Sutton (editor)

    2

    The Real Experts: Readings for Parents of Autistic Children
    by Michelle Sutton (editor)

  • Read
    The Best Autism Books - Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism by Barry Prizant and Tom Fields-Meyer

    3

    Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism
    by Barry Prizant and Tom Fields-Meyer

  • Read
    The Best Autism Books - Autism Adulthood: Strategies and Insights for a Fulfilling Life by Susan Senator

    4

    Autism Adulthood: Strategies and Insights for a Fulfilling Life
    by Susan Senator

  • Read
    The Best Autism Books - The Eagle Tree by Ned Hayes

    5

    The Eagle Tree
    by Ned Hayes

The Best Autism Books, recommended by Steve Silberman

Writing about autism has undergone an important shift, finally giving a voice to people with autism, says Steve Silberman, the winner of the 2015 Baillie Gifford Prize for his book tracing the history of autism, NeuroTribes. He picks the best new books on autism.

    The best books on Forensic Psychology, recommended by David Canter

  • Read
    The best books on Forensic Psychology - Forensic Psychology for Dummies by David Canter

    1

    Forensic Psychology for Dummies
    by David Canter

  • Read
    The best books on Forensic Psychology - The Criminal by Havelock Ellis

    2

    The Criminal
    by Havelock Ellis

  • Read
    The best books on Forensic Psychology - Inside the Criminal Mind by Stanton Samenow

    3

    Inside the Criminal Mind
    by Stanton Samenow

  • Read
    The best books on Forensic Psychology - The Psychology of Criminal Conduct: Theory, Research and Practice by Ronald Blackburn

    4

    The Psychology of Criminal Conduct: Theory, Research and Practice
    by Ronald Blackburn

  • Read
    The best books on Forensic Psychology - Introduction to Forensic Psychology: Research and Application Curtis & Anne Bartol

    5

    Introduction to Forensic Psychology: Research and Application
    Curtis & Anne Bartol

The best books on Forensic Psychology, recommended by David Canter

There’s more to criminal psychology than Mindhunter and Silence of the Lambs would have you believe, says the offender profiling pioneer David Canter. Here, he selects five of the best books on forensic psychology.

    The best books on Sports Psychology, recommended by Bill Cole

  • Read
    The best books on Sports Psychology - The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey

    1

    The Inner Game of Tennis
    by W. Timothy Gallwey

  • Read
    The best books on Sports Psychology - Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect by Bob Rotella

    2

    Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect
    by Bob Rotella

  • Read
    The best books on Sports Psychology - Zen Putting: Mastering the Mental Game on the Greens by Joseph Parent

    3

    Zen Putting: Mastering the Mental Game on the Greens
    by Joseph Parent

  • Read
    The best books on Sports Psychology - Heads-Up Baseball: Playing the Game One Pitch at a Time by Ken Ravizza & Tom Hanson

    4

    Heads-Up Baseball: Playing the Game One Pitch at a Time
    by Ken Ravizza & Tom Hanson

  • Read
    The best books on Sports Psychology - The Champion’s Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train, And Thrive by Jim Afremow

    5

    The Champion’s Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train, And Thrive
    by Jim Afremow

The best books on Sports Psychology, recommended by Bill Cole

What do you think about when you’re training at the gym, or on the tennis court? And what should you think about, if your goal is maximizing performance and results? Seasoned sports psychologist Bill Cole, coach for numerous Olympic teams and top-level international athletes, reveals that the number one road block to athletic performance often isn’t physical—it’s overthinking.

    The best books on Play, recommended by Dorothy Singer

  • Read
    The best books on Play - A Dynamic Theory of Personality by Kurt Lewin

    1

    A Dynamic Theory of Personality
    by Kurt Lewin

  • Read
    The best books on Play - Childhood and Society by Erik H Erikson

    2

    Childhood and Society
    by Erik H Erikson

  • Read
    The best books on Play - Play, Dreams and Imitation in Childhood by Jean Piaget

    3

    Play, Dreams and Imitation in Childhood
    by Jean Piaget

  • Read
    The best books on Play - Psychotherapy With Children by Frederick H Allen

    4

    Psychotherapy With Children
    by Frederick H Allen

  • Read
    The best books on Play - Dibs in Search of Self by Virginia M Axline

    5

    Dibs in Search of Self
    by Virginia M Axline

The best books on Play, recommended by Dorothy Singer

Play is a vital learning experience. But not all play is equal. Some helps children develop their imagination and learn cooperative behaviour. Some doesn’t. The Yale psychologist explains all

    The Best Self-Help Books of 2019, recommended by Oliver Burkeman

  • Read
    The Best Self-Help Books of 2019 - Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb

    1

    Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed
    by Lori Gottlieb

  • Read
    The Best Self-Help Books of 2019 - Seculosity: How Career, Parenting, Technology, Food, Politics, and Romance Became Our New Religion and What to Do about It by David Zahl

    2

    Seculosity: How Career, Parenting, Technology, Food, Politics, and Romance Became Our New Religion and What to Do about It
    by David Zahl

  • Read
    The Best Self-Help Books of 2019 - The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life by David Brooks

    3

    The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life
    by David Brooks

  • Read
    The Best Self-Help Books of 2019 - In Search of Silence by Poorna Bell

    4

    In Search of Silence
    by Poorna Bell

  • Read
    The Best Self-Help Books of 2019 - This Life: Secular Faith and Spiritual Freedom by Martin Hägglund

    5

    This Life: Secular Faith and Spiritual Freedom
    by Martin Hägglund

The Best Self-Help Books of 2019, recommended by Oliver Burkeman

The self-help genre is sometimes dismissed as simplistic or over-earnest. But, at their best, self-help books offer powerful insights into how to live. Oliver Burkeman, the Guardian columnist and author of The Antidote, recommends five of the best self-help books published in 2019.

    The best books on Consciousness, recommended by Susan Blackmore

  • Read
    The best books on Consciousness - Consciousness Explained by Daniel C Dennett

    1

    Consciousness Explained
    by Daniel C Dennett

  • Read
    The best books on Consciousness - Principles of Psychology by William James

    2

    Principles of Psychology
    by William James

  • Read
    The best books on Consciousness - The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind by Julian Jaynes

    3

    The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind
    by Julian Jaynes

  • Read
    The best books on Consciousness - The Mind's I: Fantasies And Reflections On Self & Soul by Douglas R Hofstadter & Daniel C Dennett

    4

    The Mind's I: Fantasies And Reflections On Self & Soul
    by Douglas R Hofstadter & Daniel C Dennett

  • Read
    The best books on Consciousness - Other Minds: The Octopus and the Evolution of Intelligent Life by Peter Godfrey-Smith

    5

    Other Minds: The Octopus and the Evolution of Intelligent Life
    by Peter Godfrey-Smith

The best books on Consciousness, recommended by Susan Blackmore

The ‘hard problem’ of consciousness – of how the physical matter of the brain produces the psychological phenomenon of consciousness – has dogged psychologists and neuroscientists for decades. But what if we’ve been posing the question incorrectly all this time? The psychologist Susan Blackmore discusses five key texts that tackle this quicksilver concept.

    The best books on Neuroscience as a Career, recommended by Andrew Lees

  • Read
    The best books on Neuroscience as a Career - An Essay on a Shaking Palsy by James Parkinson

    1

    An Essay on a Shaking Palsy
    by James Parkinson

  • Read
    The best books on Neuroscience as a Career - Take Me Home: Parkinson’s, My Father, Myself by Jonathan Taylor

    2

    Take Me Home: Parkinson’s, My Father, Myself
    by Jonathan Taylor

  • Read
    The best books on Neuroscience as a Career - The Naturalist on the River Amazons by Henry Walter Bates

    3

    The Naturalist on the River Amazons
    by Henry Walter Bates

  • Read
    The best books on Neuroscience as a Career - The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

    4

    The Complete Sherlock Holmes
    by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

  • Read
    The best books on Neuroscience as a Career - Naked Lunch by William Burroughs

    5

    Naked Lunch
    by William Burroughs

The best books on Neuroscience as a Career, recommended by Andrew Lees

Are you considering a career in neuroscience? Neurologist Andrew Lees, one of the world’s leading authorities on Parkinson’s and author of Mentored by a Madman: The William Burroughs Experiment, talks about the books that continue to inspire him in his work.

    The Best Self-Help Novels, recommended by Beth Blum

  • Read
    The Best Self-Help Novels - How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu

    1

    How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe
    by Charles Yu

  • Read
    The Best Self-Help Novels - How to Get Filthy Rich In Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid

    2

    How to Get Filthy Rich In Rising Asia
    by Mohsin Hamid

  • Read
    The Best Self-Help Novels - How Should A Person Be? by Sheila Heti

    3

    How Should A Person Be?
    by Sheila Heti

  • Read
    The Best Self-Help Novels - How to Be Happy by Eleanor Davis

    4

    How to Be Happy
    by Eleanor Davis

  • Read
    The Best Self-Help Novels - How to Be Both by Ali Smith

    5

    How to Be Both
    by Ali Smith

The Best Self-Help Novels, recommended by Beth Blum

Since the publication of Samuel Smiles’ Self-Help (1859) in Victorian Britain, self-help has become a billion dollar industry—and its influence is even felt in the contemporary novel, says Harvard literary scholar Beth Blum, author of The Self-Help Compulsion, a new history of the rise of self-help narratives in modern literature.

    The best books on Minimalism, recommended by Kyle Chayka

  • Read
    The best books on Minimalism - In Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanizaki

    1

    In Praise of Shadows
    by Junichiro Tanizaki

  • Read
    The best books on Minimalism - Donald Judd Writings by Donald Judd

    2

    Donald Judd Writings
    by Donald Judd

  • Read
    The best books on Minimalism - Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism by Fumio Sasaki

    3

    Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism
    by Fumio Sasaki

  • Read
    The best books on Minimalism - Silence by John Cage

    4

    Silence
    by John Cage

  • Read
    The best books on Minimalism - Agnes Martin: Her Life and Art by Nancy Princenthal

    5

    Agnes Martin: Her Life and Art
    by Nancy Princenthal

The best books on Minimalism, recommended by Kyle Chayka

In times of political or personal turmoil, there’s a tendency to seek solace in stripping back life to its bare essentials. Minimalist thought is threaded through Stoicism and Zen Buddhism; absence and space became major preoccupations of 1960s US art. Kyle Chayka, the art critic and author of The Longing for Less, recommends five books on the philosophy that underpins the present fad for minimalist self-help.

    The best books on Grief, recommended by Sophie Ratcliffe

  • Read
    The best books on Grief - Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter

    1

    Grief is the Thing with Feathers
    by Max Porter

  • Read
    The best books on Grief - Broken Hierarchies: Poems 1952-2012 by Geoffrey Hill

    2

    Broken Hierarchies: Poems 1952-2012
    by Geoffrey Hill

  • Read
    The best books on Grief - Late Fragments: Everything I Want To Tell You (About This Magnificent Life)

    3

    Late Fragments: Everything I Want To Tell You (About This Magnificent Life)

  • Read
    The best books on Grief - With the End in Mind: Dying, Death, and Wisdom in an Age of Denial by Kathryn Mannix

    4

    With the End in Mind: Dying, Death, and Wisdom in an Age of Denial
    by Kathryn Mannix

  • Read
    The best books on Grief - I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith

    5

    I Capture The Castle
    by Dodie Smith

The best books on Grief, recommended by Sophie Ratcliffe

We often think of bereavement in terms of deep melancholy or gentle sadness, but “grief behaves badly and grief is risk-taking”, says Sophie Ratcliffe, Oxford literary critic and author of the memoir The Lost Properties of Love. Here, she recommends five books that may act as a balm for those who have lost someone, and says that the act of reading—any book, any poem—can be consoling.

    The best books on Overcoming Insecurities, recommended by Robert Kelsey

  • Read
    The best books on Overcoming Insecurities - Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman

    1

    Emotional Intelligence
    by Daniel Goleman

  • Read
    The best books on Overcoming Insecurities - They F*** You Up by Oliver James

    2

    They F*** You Up
    by Oliver James

  • Read
    The best books on Overcoming Insecurities - Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

    3

    Man's Search for Meaning
    by Viktor Frankl

  • Read
    The best books on Overcoming Insecurities - The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

    4

    The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
    by Stephen Covey

  • Read
    The best books on Overcoming Insecurities - Don't Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson

    5

    Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
    by Richard Carlson

The best books on Overcoming Insecurities, recommended by Robert Kelsey

Most self-help books promise to take you from 0 to 100, but many people reading them are starting at minus 100. The author of What’s Stopping You? picks books that helped him come to grips with his own insecurities.

    The best books on Scientific Differences between Women and Men, recommended by Angela Saini

  • Read
    The best books on Scientific Differences between Women and Men - A Lab of One’s Own: Science and Suffrage in the First World War by Patricia Fara

    1

    A Lab of One’s Own: Science and Suffrage in the First World War
    by Patricia Fara

  • Read
    The best books on Scientific Differences between Women and Men - Eve to Evolution: Darwin, Science, and Women's Rights in Gilded Age America by Kimberly Hamlin

    2

    Eve to Evolution: Darwin, Science, and Women's Rights in Gilded Age America
    by Kimberly Hamlin

  • Read
    The best books on Scientific Differences between Women and Men - Wally Funk's Race for Space: The Extraordinary Story of a Female Aviation Pioneer by Sue Nelson

    3

    Wally Funk's Race for Space: The Extraordinary Story of a Female Aviation Pioneer
    by Sue Nelson

  • Read
    The best books on Scientific Differences between Women and Men - The Woman That Never Evolved by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy

    4

    The Woman That Never Evolved
    by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy

  • Read
    The best books on Scientific Differences between Women and Men - The Naked Ape: A Zoologist's Study of the Human Animal by Desmond Morris

    5

    The Naked Ape: A Zoologist's Study of the Human Animal
    by Desmond Morris

The best books on Scientific Differences between Women and Men, recommended by Angela Saini

Consideration of differences between men and women has been obscured by centuries of biological essentialism, argues Angela Saini – author of Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong. Here she discusses five books that examine or demonstrate the misogynistic lens through which female capability has been viewed.

    The best books on Personality Types, recommended by Merve Emre

  • Read
    The best books on Personality Types - Psychological Types by Carl Jung

    1

    Psychological Types
    by Carl Jung

  • Read
    The best books on Personality Types - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

    2

    The Great Gatsby
    by F. Scott Fitzgerald

  • Read
    The best books on Personality Types - Murder Yet To Come by Isabel Briggs Myers

    3

    Murder Yet To Come
    by Isabel Briggs Myers

  • Read
    The best books on Personality Types - Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote

    4

    Breakfast at Tiffany's
    by Truman Capote

  • Read
    The best books on Personality Types - The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life by Erving Goffman

    5

    The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life
    by Erving Goffman

The best books on Personality Types, recommended by Merve Emre

Since its birth in the early twentieth century, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) has become the most popular personality test in the world. Here, Merve Emre, author of the new book The Personality Brokers: The Strange History of Myers Briggs and the Birth of Personality Testing, recommends five books that reveal how the language of ‘type’ has seeped into the marrow of American civic institutions and social life—from Fortune 500 companies to Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

    The best books on Children, recommended by Jo Boyden

  • Read
    The best books on Children - Pricing the Priceless Child: The Changing Social Value of Children by Viviana A Zelizer

    1

    Pricing the Priceless Child: The Changing Social Value of Children
    by Viviana A Zelizer

  • Read
    The best books on Children - Social Development by H. Rudolph Schaffer

    2

    Social Development
    by H. Rudolph Schaffer

  • Read
    The best books on Children - The Roads of Chinese Childhood by Charles Stafford

    3

    The Roads of Chinese Childhood
    by Charles Stafford

  • Read
    The best books on Children - The Child in the City by Colin Ward

    4

    The Child in the City
    by Colin Ward

  • Read
    The best books on Children - The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett

    5

    The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger
    by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett

The best books on Children, recommended by Jo Boyden

We all know how children should be brought up, and rarely question the cultural norms that underly that certainty. But what does that mean for the policies we try to impose on the developing world? Jo Boyden, professor of international development at Oxford University and director of its Young Lives study, picks books that question our assumptions about how to successfully raise a child.

    The best books on The Neuroscience of Aesthetics, recommended by Anjan Chatterjee

  • Read
    The best books on The Neuroscience of Aesthetics - Homo Aestheticus: Where Art Comes From and Why by Ellen Dissanayake

    1

    Homo Aestheticus: Where Art Comes From and Why
    by Ellen Dissanayake

  • Read
    The best books on The Neuroscience of Aesthetics - Inner Vision: An Exploration of Art and the Brain by Semir Zeki

    2

    Inner Vision: An Exploration of Art and the Brain
    by Semir Zeki

  • Read
    The best books on The Neuroscience of Aesthetics - The Neurobiology of Painting by F Clifford Rose

    3

    The Neurobiology of Painting
    by F Clifford Rose

  • Read
    The best books on The Neuroscience of Aesthetics - Feeling Beauty: The Neuroscience of Aesthetic Experience by G Gabrielle Starr

    4

    Feeling Beauty: The Neuroscience of Aesthetic Experience
    by G Gabrielle Starr

  • Read
    The best books on The Neuroscience of Aesthetics - Art, Aesthetics, and the Brain by Ed. Huston & Nadal et al

    5

    Art, Aesthetics, and the Brain
    by Ed. Huston & Nadal et al

The best books on The Neuroscience of Aesthetics, recommended by Anjan Chatterjee

Why is it that following a certain kind of brain damage, some artists’ work changes for the better? Neurologist and cognitive neuroscientist Anjan Chatterjee speaks to Five Books about how we can deconstruct the way the brain processes aesthetic experiences. He recommends the  best books on neuroaesthetics

    The best books on Philosophy of Mind, recommended by Keith Frankish

  • Read
    The best books on Philosophy of Mind - A Materialist Theory of the Mind by D M Armstrong

    1

    A Materialist Theory of the Mind
    by D M Armstrong

  • Read
    The best books on Philosophy of Mind - Consciousness Explained by Daniel C Dennett

    2

    Consciousness Explained
    by Daniel C Dennett

  • Read
    The best books on Philosophy of Mind - Varieties of Meaning: The 2002 Jean Nicod Lectures by Ruth Garrett Millikan

    3

    Varieties of Meaning: The 2002 Jean Nicod Lectures
    by Ruth Garrett Millikan

  • Read
    The best books on Philosophy of Mind - The Architecture of the Mind by Peter Carruthers

    4

    The Architecture of the Mind
    by Peter Carruthers

  • Read
    The best books on Philosophy of Mind - Supersizing the Mind: Embodiment, Action, and Cognitive Extension by Andy Clark

    5

    Supersizing the Mind: Embodiment, Action, and Cognitive Extension
    by Andy Clark

The best books on Philosophy of Mind, recommended by Keith Frankish

The experimental investigation of the mind is now the province of psychology and neuroscience – but many conceptual and metaphysical questions remain. Philosophy of mind deals with these fundamental questions, says Keith Frankish, as he selects five of the best books in the field.

    The best books on Teenage Mental Health, recommended by Rae Earl

  • Read
    The best books on Teenage Mental Health - The Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger

    1

    The Catcher in the Rye
    by J D Salinger

  • Read
    The best books on Teenage Mental Health - Girl Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

    2

    Girl Interrupted
    by Susanna Kaysen

  • Read
    The best books on Teenage Mental Health - The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

    3

    The Perks of Being a Wallflower
    by Stephen Chbosky

  • Read
    The best books on Teenage Mental Health - It's a Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

    4

    It's a Kind of a Funny Story
    by Ned Vizzini

  • Read
    The best books on Teenage Mental Health - The Kenneth Williams Diaries by Russell Davies

    5

    The Kenneth Williams Diaries
    by Russell Davies

The best books on Teenage Mental Health, recommended by Rae Earl

Every generation has its own minefield to negotiate in order to reach adulthood. Rae Earl discusses five books that explore a range of mental health issues that some teenagers may face, and many adults have faced, while on this difficult journey.

    The best books on How to Be Happier, recommended by Gretchen Rubin

  • Read
    The best books on How to Be Happier - The Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell

    1

    The Life of Samuel Johnson
    by James Boswell

  • Read
    The best books on How to Be Happier - The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin

    2

    The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
    by Benjamin Franklin

  • Read
    The best books on How to Be Happier - Story of a Soul by Therese de Lisieux

    3

    Story of a Soul
    by Therese de Lisieux

  • Read
    The best books on How to Be Happier - The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim

    4

    The Enchanted April
    by Elizabeth von Arnim

  • Read
    The best books on How to Be Happier - Happy All the Time by Laurie Colwin

    5

    Happy All the Time
    by Laurie Colwin

The best books on How to Be Happier, recommended by Gretchen Rubin

The author who gave us The Happiness Project passes on tips for happier living, with a little help from Samuel Johnson, Benjamin Franklin and a nun with humour on her mind.

    The best books on Understanding Infants, recommended by Tobias Hecht

  • Read
    The best books on Understanding Infants - Tired of Weeping by Jónína Einarsdóttir

    1

    Tired of Weeping
    by Jónína Einarsdóttir

  • Read
    The best books on Understanding Infants - The Afterlife is Where We Come From by Alma Gottlieb

    2

    The Afterlife is Where We Come From
    by Alma Gottlieb

  • Read
    The best books on Understanding Infants - Anthropology and Child Development by Robert A LeVine and Rebecca S New (ed)

    3

    Anthropology and Child Development
    by Robert A LeVine and Rebecca S New (ed)

  • Read
    The best books on Understanding Infants - Our Babies, Ourselves by Meredith F Small

    4

    Our Babies, Ourselves
    by Meredith F Small

  • Read
    The best books on Understanding Infants - The Evolution of Childhood by Melvin Konner

    5

    The Evolution of Childhood
    by Melvin Konner

The best books on Understanding Infants, recommended by Tobias Hecht

The anthropologist explains how infants are socially aware and why behaviour thought inevitable in some cultures, such as tantrums, can be uncommon elsewhere

    The best books on Food Psychology, recommended by Paul Rozin

  • Read
    The best books on Food Psychology - The Hungry Soul: Eating and the Perfecting of Our Nature by Leon R Kass

    1

    The Hungry Soul: Eating and the Perfecting of Our Nature
    by Leon R Kass

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    The best books on Food Psychology - The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan

    2

    The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
    by Michael Pollan

  • Read
    The best books on Food Psychology - The Food Police: A Well-Fed Manifesto About the Politics of Your Plate by Jayson Lusk

    3

    The Food Police: A Well-Fed Manifesto About the Politics of Your Plate
    by Jayson Lusk

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    The best books on Food Psychology - The Primal Cheeseburger: A Generous Helping of Food History Served On a Bun by Elizabeth Rozin

    4

    The Primal Cheeseburger: A Generous Helping of Food History Served On a Bun
    by Elizabeth Rozin

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    The best books on Food Psychology - Taste Matters: Why We Like the Foods We Do by John Prescott

    5

    Taste Matters: Why We Like the Foods We Do
    by John Prescott

The best books on Food Psychology, recommended by Paul Rozin

Food is an affirmation of who we are. Paul Rozin, food psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, deconstructs the cheeseburger and busts myths about food consumption: not only is our food budget controlling what we eat, but also the expensive organic foods we’re pressured to buy may not even be healthier—let alone better-tasting—than their alternatives.

    The best books on Lying, recommended by Dorothy Rowe

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    The best books on Lying - Making up the Mind by Chris Frith

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    Making up the Mind
    by Chris Frith

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    The best books on Lying - Whoops! Why Everyone Owes Everyone and No One Can Pay by John Lanchester

    2

    Whoops! Why Everyone Owes Everyone and No One Can Pay
    by John Lanchester

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    The best books on Lying - Father and Son by Edmund Gosse

    3

    Father and Son
    by Edmund Gosse

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    The best books on Lying - The Boy with the Topknot by Sathnam Sanghera

    4

    The Boy with the Topknot
    by Sathnam Sanghera

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    The best books on Lying - The German Trauma by Gitta Sereny

    5

    The German Trauma
    by Gitta Sereny

The best books on Lying, recommended by Dorothy Rowe

All our behaviour is determined not by what happens to us, but how we interpret what happens to us, says the psychologist and bestselling author. And we don’t always tell ourselves the truth. Dorothy Rowe chooses the best books on lying.

    The best books on Gender and Human Nature, recommended by Carol Gilligan

  • Read
    The best books on Gender and Human Nature - The Feeling of What Happens by Antonio Damasio

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    The Feeling of What Happens
    by Antonio Damasio

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    The best books on Gender and Human Nature - Deep Secrets by Niobe Way

    2

    Deep Secrets
    by Niobe Way

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    The best books on Gender and Human Nature - Mothers and Others by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy

    3

    Mothers and Others
    by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy

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    The best books on Gender and Human Nature - The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

    4

    The Scarlet Letter
    by Nathaniel Hawthorne

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    The best books on Gender and Human Nature - Living in Denial by Kari Marie Norgaard

    5

    Living in Denial
    by Kari Marie Norgaard

The best books on Gender and Human Nature, recommended by Carol Gilligan

The idea that girls are emotional and “boys don’t cry” is ridiculous, says the feminist and psychologist. She tells us about books that debunk the gender myths that continue to restrict and distort our lives.

    The best books on Ecstatic Experiences, recommended by Jules Evans

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    The best books on Ecstatic Experiences - The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James

    1

    The Varieties of Religious Experience
    by William James

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    The best books on Ecstatic Experiences - Moksha: Aldous Huxley's Classic Writings on Psychedelics and the Visionary Experience by Aldous Huxley

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    Moksha: Aldous Huxley's Classic Writings on Psychedelics and the Visionary Experience
    by Aldous Huxley

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    The best books on Ecstatic Experiences - Authors of the Impossible: The Paranormal and the Sacred by Jeffrey J Kripal

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    Authors of the Impossible: The Paranormal and the Sacred
    by Jeffrey J Kripal

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    The best books on Ecstatic Experiences - When God Talks Back: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship with God by Tanya Luhrmann

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    When God Talks Back: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship with God
    by Tanya Luhrmann

  • Read
    The best books on Ecstatic Experiences - Centuries of Meditations by Thomas Traherne

    5

    Centuries of Meditations
    by Thomas Traherne

The best books on Ecstatic Experiences, recommended by Jules Evans

States of ecstasy (from the ancient Greek ekstasis, meaning ‘standing outside’) are moments when you lose your ordinary sense of self and feel connected to something greater than you. It can be euphoric, but it can also be terrifying, says the philosopher Jules Evans. Here he selects five books that explore the significance and power of these surprisingly common experiences.

    The best books on Psychosomatic Illness, recommended by Suzanne O'Sullivan

  • Read
    The best books on Psychosomatic Illness - Studies in Hysteria by Josef Breuer & Sigmund Freud

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    Studies in Hysteria
    by Josef Breuer & Sigmund Freud

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    The best books on Psychosomatic Illness - Medical Muses: Hysteria in Nineteenth-Century Paris by Asti Hustvedt

    2

    Medical Muses: Hysteria in Nineteenth-Century Paris
    by Asti Hustvedt

  • Read
    The best books on Psychosomatic Illness - The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks

    3

    The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
    by Oliver Sacks

  • Read
    The best books on Psychosomatic Illness - Into the Silent Land: Travels in Neuropsychology by Paul Broks

    4

    Into the Silent Land: Travels in Neuropsychology
    by Paul Broks

  • Read
    The best books on Psychosomatic Illness - The Examined Life: How We Lose and Find Ourselves by Stephen Grosz

    5

    The Examined Life: How We Lose and Find Ourselves
    by Stephen Grosz

The best books on Psychosomatic Illness, recommended by Suzanne O'Sullivan

We still understand very little about the workings of the brain, and yet we dismiss the tricks it can play on us as undeserving of the same sympathy as physical illness. Neurologist and author Suzanne O’Sullivan recommends the best books on psychosomatic illness.

    The best books on Streams of Consciousness, recommended by Charles Fernyhough

  • Read
    The best books on Streams of Consciousness - Ulysses by James Joyce

    1

    Ulysses
    by James Joyce

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    The best books on Streams of Consciousness - Describing Inner Experience by Russell T Hurlburt and Eric Schwitzgebel

    2

    Describing Inner Experience
    by Russell T Hurlburt and Eric Schwitzgebel

  • Read
    The best books on Streams of Consciousness - Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

    3

    Mrs Dalloway
    by Virginia Woolf

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    The best books on Streams of Consciousness - Principles of Psychology by William James

    4

    Principles of Psychology
    by William James

  • Read
    The best books on Streams of Consciousness - Night by Edna O'Brien

    5

    Night
    by Edna O'Brien

The best books on Streams of Consciousness, recommended by Charles Fernyhough

Is it possible to describe or study our inner experience, and – if so – how might one go about it? Charles Fernyhough, professor of psychology and author of The Voices Within chooses five of the best books that employ or examine streams of consciousness.

    The best books on Fear of Death, recommended by Sheldon Solomon

  • Read
    The best books on Fear of Death - The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker

    1

    The Denial of Death
    by Ernest Becker

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    The best books on Fear of Death - Escape From Evil by Ernest Becker

    2

    Escape From Evil
    by Ernest Becker

  • Read
    The best books on Fear of Death - Frankenstein (Book) by Mary Shelley

    3

    Frankenstein (Book)
    by Mary Shelley

  • Read
    The best books on Fear of Death - Existential Psychotherapy by Irvin D Yalom

    4

    Existential Psychotherapy
    by Irvin D Yalom

  • Read
    The best books on Fear of Death - Clock Without Hands by Carson McCullers

    5

    Clock Without Hands
    by Carson McCullers

The best books on Fear of Death, recommended by Sheldon Solomon

Existential anxiety drives our lives but most of us are too frightened to think about it, says psychologist and author Sheldon Solomon. He chooses the best books to get a better understanding of our fear of death.

    The best books on The Human Brain, recommended by Suzana Herculano-Houzel

  • Read
    The best books on The Human Brain - Connectome by Sebastian Seung

    1

    Connectome
    by Sebastian Seung

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    The best books on The Human Brain - The Feeling of What Happens by Antonio Damasio

    2

    The Feeling of What Happens
    by Antonio Damasio

  • Read
    The best books on The Human Brain - Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human by Richard Wrangham

    3

    Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human
    by Richard Wrangham

  • Read
    The best books on The Human Brain - The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health and Disease by Daniel Lieberman

    4

    The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health and Disease
    by Daniel Lieberman

  • Read
    The best books on The Human Brain - The Secret of Our Success: How Culture Is Driving Human Evolution by Joseph Henrich

    5

    The Secret of Our Success: How Culture Is Driving Human Evolution
    by Joseph Henrich

The best books on The Human Brain, recommended by Suzana Herculano-Houzel

The human brain contains 86 billion neurons and burns a quarter of our energy intake. But it is by no means extraordinary, says Suzana Herculano-Houzel. Here, the Brazilian neuroscientist chooses five of the best books for understanding the complexities and connectivity of our most enigmatic organ.

    The best books on Worry, recommended by Steven Amsterdam

  • Read
    The best books on Worry - Wolf Solent by John Cowper Powys

    1

    Wolf Solent
    by John Cowper Powys

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    The best books on Worry - Beware of Pity by Stefan Zweig

    2

    Beware of Pity
    by Stefan Zweig

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    The best books on Worry - Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

    3

    Lolita
    by Vladimir Nabokov

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    The best books on Worry - The White Album by Joan Didion

    4

    The White Album
    by Joan Didion

  • Read
    The best books on Worry - The Plot Against America by Philip Roth

    5

    The Plot Against America
    by Philip Roth

The best books on Worry, recommended by Steven Amsterdam

The author tells us about books that have anxiety at their heart, ranging from obsessional love and chronic neurosis to conspiracy theory paranoia and existential angst

    The best books on Moral Character, recommended by Christian B Miller

  • Read
    The best books on Moral Character - The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle

    1

    The Nicomachean Ethics
    by Aristotle

  • Read
    The best books on Moral Character - Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

    2

    Les Misérables
    by Victor Hugo

  • Read
    The best books on Moral Character - The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

    3

    The Brothers Karamazov
    by Fyodor Dostoevsky

  • Read
    The best books on Moral Character - Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification by Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman

    4

    Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification
    by Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman

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    The best books on Moral Character - The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper

    5

    The Little Engine That Could
    by Watty Piper

The best books on Moral Character, recommended by Christian B Miller

Why do apparently ‘good’ people sometimes behave deplorably? Christian B Miller, professor of philosophy at Wake Forest University, selects five books that explore the subject of moral character and warns us to be cautious of making inferences about the underlying motives of others – and ourselves.

    The best books on Depression, recommended by Bryony Gordon

  • Read
    The best books on Depression - Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig

    1

    Reasons to Stay Alive
    by Matt Haig

  • Read
    The best books on Depression - Your Voice in My Head by Emma Forrest

    2

    Your Voice in My Head
    by Emma Forrest

  • Read
    The best books on Depression - Heartburn by Nora Ephron

    3

    Heartburn
    by Nora Ephron

  • Read
    The best books on Depression - The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

    4

    The Bell Jar
    by Sylvia Plath

  • Read
    The best books on Depression - The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

    5

    The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
    by Carson McCullers

The best books on Depression, recommended by Bryony Gordon

Writing about her life in memoirs and a newspaper column allowed the author Bryony Gordon to “join the dots” to see the true face of her own mental illness. Here, she chooses five books to help with depression, books in which she has found solace and a sense of community among those who suffer from depression.

    The best books on Psychological Trauma, recommended by Matthew Green

  • Read
    The best books on Psychological Trauma - War and the Soul by Edward Tick

    1

    War and the Soul
    by Edward Tick

  • Read
    The best books on Psychological Trauma - The Body Keeps the Score: Mind, Brain and Body in the Transformation of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk

    2

    The Body Keeps the Score: Mind, Brain and Body in the Transformation of Trauma
    by Bessel van der Kolk

  • Read
    The best books on Psychological Trauma - The Theatre of War by Bryan Doerries

    3

    The Theatre of War
    by Bryan Doerries

  • Read
    The best books on Psychological Trauma - Waking From Sleep by Steve Taylor

    4

    Waking From Sleep
    by Steve Taylor

  • Read
    The best books on Psychological Trauma - True Hallucinations: Being an Account of the Author's Extraordinary Adventures in the Devil's Paradise by Terence McKenna

    5

    True Hallucinations: Being an Account of the Author's Extraordinary Adventures in the Devil's Paradise
    by Terence McKenna

The best books on Psychological Trauma, recommended by Matthew Green

The way we deal with psychological trauma is outdated and overly focused on the individual. Matthew Green, author of Aftershock, picks books that could help us, as a society, heal soldiers and others who have been through more than they can cope with.

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