Psychology Books

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Since ancient times, human beings have devised ways to better remember, from the 'memory palace' of the ancient Greek poet Simonides in the 5th century BCE to the illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages and graphical memory devices of Giordano Bruno (1548-1600). These days, not so much. Joshua Foer, the 2006 US Memory Champion and author of the bestselling Moonwalking with Einstein, recommends five unforgettable books about the art of remembering.

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.

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 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.

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.'