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. Our most recommended psychology book is Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert.
We already have reading lists outlining the best books on mindfulness, consciousness, depression, teenage mental health, child psychology and cognitive neuroscience.
To keep up to date, check out our list of new psychology books.
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The Marshmallow Test: Why Self-Control Is the Engine of Success
by Walter Mischel -
2
A Curious Mind: The Secret To a Bigger Life
by Brian Grazer -
3
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
by Carol Dweck -
4
Popular: The Power of Likability in a Status-Obsessed World
by Mitch Prinstein -
5
Path to Purpose
by William Damon
The best books on Character Development, recommended by Angela Duckworth
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.
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Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway
by Susan Jeffers -
2
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living
by Dale Carnegie -
3
Helping Your Child with Fears and Worries
by Cathy Creswell & Lucy Willetts -
4
Mindfulness For Health: A Practical Guide To Relieving Pain, Reducing Stress And Restoring Wellbeing
by Danny Penman & Vidyamala Burch -
5
Jog On: How Running Saved My Life
by Bella Mackie
The best books on Anxiety, recommended by Lucy Foulkes
The best books on Anxiety, recommended by Lucy Foulkes
Feeling anxiety is a natural part of being a human being, but for some people it can cause terrible mental and physical anguish and prevents them from leading happy and fulfilling lives. Lucy Foulkes, a psychologist at University College London, talks us through books that can help with anxiety.
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The Triple Focus: A New Approach to Education
by Daniel Goleman and Peter Senge -
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Handbook of Social and Emotional Learning: Research and Practice
by ed. Durlak et al -
3
The Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science
by ed. Seppälä et al -
4
Emotional Alchemy: How the Mind Can Heal the Heart
by Tara Bennett-Goleman -
5
Marrow: Love, Loss, and What Matters Most
by Elizabeth Lesser
The best books on Emotional Intelligence, recommended by Daniel Goleman
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 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.
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Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want
by Ruha Benjamin -
2
Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole
by Susan Cain -
3
The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness
by Meghan O'Rourke -
4
Elite Capture: How the Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (And Everything Else)
by Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò -
5
Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living
by Dimitris Xygalatas
Five of the Best Self-Help Books of 2022, recommended by Avram Alpert
Five of the Best Self-Help Books of 2022, recommended by Avram Alpert
At the turn of the year, many of us take the opportunity to think about our lives—how they are going, and how we hope to live them in future. We asked Avram Alpert, author of The Good-Enough Life, to recommend five of the best self-help books of 2022 that might help our bids for self-improvement; his choices remind us that self-help is not only about life-hacks and diets, but about bringing the world more in line with our ideals.
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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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Middlesex
by Jeffrey Eugenides -
3
Principles of Psychology
by William James -
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Emotional Success: The Power of Gratitude, Compassion and Pride
by David DeSteno -
5
Stumbling on Happiness
by Daniel Gilbert
The Best Books on Emotions, recommended by Lisa Feldman Barrett
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 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 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.
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Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind
by David M Buss -
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Homicide
by Martin Daly and Margo Wilson -
3
The Language Instinct
by Steven Pinker -
4
Death from a Distance and the Birth of a Humane Universe
by Joanne Souza & Paul M. Bingham -
5
The Illusion of Conscious Will
by Daniel M. Wegner
The best books on Evolutionary Psychology, recommended by Chris Paley
The best books on Evolutionary Psychology, recommended by Chris Paley
Human traits are a product of natural selection—and the story of how we have evolved explains many of our psychological quirks today. Chris Paley, author of Unthink and Beyond Bad, recommends five of the best evolutionary psychology books—and explains how experimental data might finally get to the bottom of the question of free will.
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 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.
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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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Into the Heart of Mindfulness: Finding Our Path to Well-Being
by Ed Halliwell -
3
A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled
by Ruby Wax -
4
The Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement in the Cultivation of Well-Being
by Daniel Siegel -
5
Mindfulness in Action: Making Friends with Yourself through Meditation and Everyday Awareness
by Chogyam Trungpa
The best books on Mindfulness, recommended by Tessa Watt
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 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 Behavioural Economics, recommended by Dan Ariely
We can all be more aware of our surroundings and our decision-making process, says the professor of psychology and behavioural economics, Dan Ariely. He recommends five books to help us maximise our prosperity and well-being.
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Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland
by Christopher Browning -
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Life After Life: Interviews with Twelve Murderers
by Tony Parker -
3
Innocent Blood
by P D James -
4
Cries Unheard: The Story of Mary Bell
by Gitta Sereny -
5
The Adversary: A True Story of Monstrous Deception
The best books on The Psychology of Killing, recommended by Gwen Adshead
The best books on The Psychology of Killing, recommended by Gwen Adshead
Does anyone have the capacity to commit homicide? Forensic psychiatrist and bestselling author Gwen Adshead raises the chilling possibility that maybe they do, as she recommends five of the best books on the psychology of killing.
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.
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The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life
by Erving Goffman -
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Popular: The Power of Likability in a Status-Obsessed World
by Mitch Prinstein -
3
Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away
by Annie Duke -
4
The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias
by Dolly Chugh -
5
The Odyssey
by Homer and translated by Emily Wilson
The best books on Making A Good Impression, recommended by Övül Sezer
The best books on Making A Good Impression, recommended by Övül Sezer
From the classroom to the boardroom, everybody tries (and sometimes fails) to be liked and admired by others. In this interview, Övül Sezer—Assistant Professor of Management and Organizations at Cornell University—recommends five books that can help you make a good impression on everybody, including yourself.
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Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
by Oliver Burkeman -
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Make Your Art No Matter What: Moving Beyond Creative Hurdles
by Beth Pickens -
3
Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself
by Nedra Glover Tawwab -
4
The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self
by Martha Beck -
5
Seeking Wisdom: A Spiritual Path to Creative Connection
by Julia Cameron
The Best Self Help Books of 2021, recommended by Emma Gannon
The Best Self Help Books of 2021, recommended by Emma Gannon
Lockdowns have forced many of us to pause and consider the way we are living our lives, says the podcaster and bestselling author Emma Gannon. Here she highlights five of the best self help books published in 2021, with a special focus on creativity and setting better boundaries to safeguard our time and energy.
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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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Homicide
by Martin Daly and Margo Wilson -
3
Statistics of Deadly Quarrels
by Lewis F Richardson -
4
Violent Land
by David Courtwright -
5
The Remnants of War
by John Mueller -
6
Evil: Inside Human Violence and Cruelty
by Roy Baumeister
The best books on The Decline of Violence, recommended by Steven Pinker
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 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.
Best Books on the Neuroscience of Consciousness, recommended by Anil Seth
Nearly every human has a sense of self, a feeling that we are located in a body that’s looking out at the world and experiencing it over the course of a lifetime. Some people even think of it as a soul or other nonphysical reality that is yet somehow connected to the blood and bones that make up our bodies. How things seem, however, is quite often an unreliable guide to how things are, says neuroscientist Anil Seth. Here he recommends five key books that led him to his own understanding of consciousness, and explores why it is that what is likely an illusion can be so utterly convincing.
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 Sigmund Freud, recommended by Lisa Appignanesi
Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Moravia in the Austro-Hungarian empire, Sigmund Freud spent most of his life in Vienna, until fleeing to London just before his death in 1939. Using his classical education to illustrate his points, he introduced the idea that we have an ‘unconscious’ that plays an important role in our actions. For his sessions when patients talked freely to him about their thoughts in a one-on-one setting, he coined the term ‘psychoanalysis.’ Freud expert Lisa Appignanesi talks us through books that shed light on his life as well as his work.
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Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
by David Allen -
2
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
by Cal Newport -
3
The Tao of Time
by Diana Hunt & Pam Hait -
4
Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less
by Tiffany Dufu -
5
Finding Meaning in an Imperfect World
by Iddo Landau
The best books on Time Management, recommended by Oliver Burkeman
The best books on Time Management, recommended by Oliver Burkeman
Feeling stressed and overwhelmed? You are not alone. Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks, selects some of the best books on time management—including two classic how-to guides, plus several texts focused on helping you decide how you really want to spend your finite time on this planet.
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.
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Frenemies: How Social Media Polarizes America
by Jaime Settle -
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The Hype Machine: How Social Media Disrupts Our Elections, Our Economy, and Our Health—and How We Must Adapt
by Sinan Aral -
3
The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life
by Erving Goffman -
4
Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity
by Lilliana Mason -
5
Bit by Bit: Social Research in the Digital Age
by Matthew Salganik
The Best Books on Social Media and Political Polarization, recommended by Chris Bail
The Best Books on Social Media and Political Polarization, recommended by Chris Bail
Convenient as it is to blame our political woes on the polarizing effect of social media, echo chambers, interference by foreign powers or other shadowy operators, the truth is that human nature and our search for identity and status are more likely culprits. Sociologist Chris Bail, a professor at Duke University and director of its ‘Polarization Lab’, talks us through what social science has to say about the connection between social media and political polarization.
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
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.
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Forensic Psychology for Dummies
by David Canter -
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The Criminal
by Havelock Ellis -
3
Inside the Criminal Mind
by Stanton Samenow -
4
The Psychology of Criminal Conduct: Theory, Research and Practice
by Ronald Blackburn -
5
Introduction to Forensic Psychology: Research and Application
Curtis & Anne Bartol
The best books on Forensic Psychology, recommended by David Canter
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.
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Consciousness Explained
by Daniel Dennett -
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Principles of Psychology
by William James -
3
The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind
by Julian Jaynes -
4
The Mind's I: Fantasies And Reflections On Self & Soul
by Daniel Dennett & Douglas Hofstadter -
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 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.
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A Lab of One’s Own: Science and Suffrage in the First World War
by Patricia Fara -
2
Eve to Evolution: Darwin, Science, and Women's Rights in Gilded Age America
by Kimberly Hamlin -
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Wally Funk's Race for Space: The Extraordinary Story of a Female Aviation Pioneer
by Sue Nelson -
4
The Woman That Never Evolved
by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy -
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
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
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.
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The Hungry Soul: Eating and the Perfecting of Our Nature
by Leon R Kass -
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The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
by Michael Pollan -
3
The Food Police: A Well-Fed Manifesto About the Politics of Your Plate
by Jayson Lusk -
4
The Primal Cheeseburger: A Generous Helping of Food History Served On a Bun
by Elizabeth Rozin -
5
Taste Matters: Why We Like the Foods We Do
by John Prescott
The best books on Food Psychology, recommended by Paul Rozin
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
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.
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Studies in Hysteria
by Josef Breuer & Sigmund Freud -
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Medical Muses: Hysteria in Nineteenth-Century Paris
by Asti Hustvedt -
3
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
by Oliver Sacks -
4
Into the Silent Land: Travels in Neuropsychology
by Paul Broks -
5
The Examined Life: How We Lose and Find Ourselves
by Stephen Grosz
The best books on Psychosomatic Illness, recommended by Suzanne O'Sullivan
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
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 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 Memory, recommended by Joshua Foer
The best-selling author and 2006 US Memory Champion, Joshua Foer, picks five unforgettable books about the art of remembering.
The best books on Empathy, recommended by Simon Baron-Cohen
Autism expert Simon Baron Cohen tells us about the links between empathy and language, and says our acts of cruelty to one another have at their root a failure to empathise.
The best books on Psychoanalysis, recommended by David Bell
The well-known psychoanalyst explains which books he believes deserve to be the most read on psychoanalysis. His choices include books by Freud, Klein, Bion, Arendt and explanations of why they must be included.
The best books on Child Psychology and Mental Health, recommended by Tanya Byron
Clinical psychologist, author and broadcaster discusses the stigmas attached to mental health problems, and asks whether, as a society, we are really doing what’s best for our children
The best books on Optimism, recommended by Elaine Fox
The psychologist and professor of cognitive neuroscience, Elaine Fox, reveals the benefits of positive thinking—if grounded in realism. Some of us may be genetically predisposed towards pessimism, but can overcome it.
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Introducing Consciousness: A Graphic Guide
by David Papineau & Howard Selina -
2
Detecting Awareness in the Vegetative State
by Adam Owen et al -
3
Selective Attention Test
by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons -
4
Failure to Detect Mismatches Between Intention and Outcome in a Simple Decision Task
by Petter Johansson et al -
5
Synecdoche, New York
by Charlie Kaufman
Consciousness for Beginners: the best book, articles and one movie, recommended by David Carmel
Consciousness for Beginners: the best book, articles and one movie, recommended by David Carmel
What is consciousness? Can we measure it? Cognitive neuroscientist David Carmel introduces some of the philosophical and scientific complexities of identifying what was formerly known as the ‘soul.’