It's nearly the end of 2021 and it's been a good one for new psychology books, covering happiness and suffering, consciousness, conflict and even time management. We've selected those that have come to our attention below.
When Brains Dream is a really interesting account of what to make of your dreams, based on the latest scientific research rather than what Freud wrote a century ago. (If you're interested in sleep the authors, both sleep research scientists—one at the University of Montreal and the other at Harvard Medical School—also recommend Why We Sleep, the bestselling 2017 book by Professor Matthew Walker, a neuroscientist and psychologist at UC Berkeley).
Some books—like Daniel Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow—have a big impact because of the quirks of the human brain they reveal that make us think about our own thinking. Neuroscientist Stephen Fleming's book on metacognition (thinking about thinking), and Anil Seth's book on consciousness may be in that genre.
We are also lucky to live in an age when talking about mental health struggles is no longer taboo, and a book by Horatio Clare, a wonderful British travel writer is all about his struggle with manic depression. It's called Heavy Light: A Journey Through Madness, Mania and Healing. Also worth reading is a book from late last year by American philosopher John Kaag. It's about pioneering psychologist William James and his struggle to find meaning in life.
The Sweet Spot
by Paul Bloom
We were excited to see that psychologist Paul Bloom has a new book out, called The Sweet Spot. It's about happiness in the broadest sense (what might be called 'eudaimonia') and the part pain and suffering plays in it. This book is such a treasure. The backdrop is that this is by a psychologist who is constantly doing experiments and reading about experiments that others are doing on issues of happiness, morality, pleasure, pain etc. He then throws in quotes and views from literature—Shakespeare, the Epic of Gilgamesh, Brave New World), songs, Twitter. Even the acknowledgements are funny: "Daniel Gilbert deserves special mention for nearly persuading me that the whole idea of this book is deeply confused. (He did this once I had finished writing it—thanks, Dan!)"
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
by Oliver Burkeman
Oliver Burkeman, the Guardian self-help columnist and author of the The Antidote, draws on the insights of ancient and contemporary philosophers and spiritual teachers in this entertaining and gently profound book that calls on the reader to accept that life is inherently short, and that we must learn to prioritise what is most important to us.
Oliver Burkeman previously spoke to Five Books about the best self-help books of 2020 and 2019.
Being You: A New Science of Consciousness
by Anil Seth
In Being You: A New Science of Consciousness, Anil Seth, Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex, brings the findings of neuroscience to bear on one of the hardest problems of philosophy: how we experience consciousness and perceive our own reality. This is likely to be one of the most important books of 2021, so keep an eye out of it: it's due to be published in the UK at the beginning of September and the US at the beginning of October.
Conflicted: How Productive Disagreements Lead to Better Outcomes
by Ian Leslie
Conflicted by British journalist Ian Leslie is a thought-provoking look at what recent research says about arguments, mostly at a personal level, though public personalities and events are brought in to illustrate some of the main points. Disagreements, it turns out, make for better relationships, more accurate Wikipedia pages, and even helped in the discovery of DNA. The key, then, is to get better at having them. Leslie lays out some practical tips of how to achieve that, including the example of Nelson Mandela, who won over a sworn enemy by inviting him to tea.
7½ Lessons About the Brain
by Lisa Feldman Barrett
7½ Lessons About the Brain falls into that most wonderful of modern book genres, the 'neuroscience beach read.' Published in the US in 2020, the beautiful UK edition came out in March, 2021. Lisa Feldman Barrett, a leading psychologist and neuroscientist, spoke to us about books about emotions. If you'd like to hear her voice, she narrates the audiobook of 7½ Lessons About the Brain herself.
Hard to Break: Why Our Brains Make Habits Stick
by Russell Poldrack
In Hard to Break: Why Our Brains Make Habits Stick, Stanford psychologist Russell Poldrack explains the science that makes us unable to give up bad habits even when we really want to. He also offers some possible solutions.
Heavy Light: A Journey Through Madness, Mania and Healing
by Horatio Clare
Memoirist and bestselling travel writer Horatio Clare tells his story of what it was like to go mad, in what looks to be a heartbreaking, funny and invaluable look at what it's like to live with manic depression.
When Brains Dream: Exploring the Science and Mystery of Sleep
by Antonio Zadra & Robert Stickgold
In When Brains Dream Tony Zadra, a professor at the University of Montreal, and Bob Stickgold, a professor at Harvard Medical School, bring us up to date on what the latest scientific research says about dream and dreaming. It's written in a very friendly style—almost as if you had met them at a drinks party and they were telling you all about their research—and it's a real eyeopener.
Sick Souls, Healthy Minds: How William James Can Save Your Life
by John Kaag
William James, one of the founders of pragmatism and empirical psychology, struggled with the question of what made life worth living. In this book, philosopher John Kaag—who spoke to us about the best books of American philosophy—explains how James's ideas can help those of us who struggle with the same question.
Know Thyself: The Science of Self-Awareness
by Stephen Fleming
Know Thyself: The Science of Self-Awareness by cognitive neuroscientist Stephen Fleming looks set to be one of the must-reads of 2021. Scientific, philosophical, and practical, it sheds lights on 'metacognition'—our thoughts about thoughts and the importance of self-awareness to almost anything we embark on.
