Psychology Resources - what's valuable?

[Jaimie Richards]

Hey guys,

Just a quick question - what are the books* focused on psychology (not necessarily pick-up related, anything good will do) which you could recommend?

(*I'd rather read books than websites, but if you know something good in psychology outside of GC on the Net, please do tell.)

The background behind the question: I'd like to get to know more about this interesting field of knowledge for both self-growth and fun. Also, I guess it would be a good idea to read something which is not either a great fiction novel or career-related stuff.

I know that there're many knowledgeable people in this area here, so I think it's a good way to start with something recommended from a worthy source rather than just do a lucky shot on Goodreads.

Many thanks in advance,
J.

 

[Lotus]

Hey Jaimie,

I have a couple for you to consider.

Predictably Irrational: The hidden forces that shape our decisions by Dan Ariely
- he is technically a behavioral economist, but he has a PHD in both Cognitive Psychology and Business Administration. The book focuses on the studies he has done on our buying decisions and irrationality of them. It's one of my favorite books.

Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us by Dan Pink
-He argues that motivation is more or less intrinsic, influenced by ourselves rather then money or incentives in the workplace. He also has 4 other books depending on what you would like to focus on.

Both of these guys have really famous TED talks as well.

Yesterday I just bought, How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie on recommendation from a friend who is studying for his MBA and my sales book(haha), so I'll have to get back to you on that one.

I hope this is enough to at least get you started, and I'm sure others will have recommendations.

-brum

 

[Richard]

Mannnn.... too many books to count. I've read/plan to read well over 30 and they all either are about psychology, relate to psychology, or are about motivation/growth. Here's the list I made at the beginning of my school year - I bought a new eBook every week.

• Introducing CBT: A Practical Guide
• The Charge
• Achieve Your Potential
• Learned Optimism
• Authentic Happiness
• Flourish, A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being
• The Alchemist
• As a Man Thinketh
• Getting Everything You Can Out Of All You've Got
• Pain Free: A Revolutionary New Method...
• Man's Search For Meaning
• Spark
• Berne and Levy Psychology
• The Tell-Tale Brain
• Human: The Science Behind What Makes Us Unique
• Switch
• Rewire
• Incognito
• The Road to Character
• Buddha's Brain
• Neuropsychology: From Theory to Practice
• Neuropsychology
• Developmental Neuropsychology
• Fractured Minds
• The Art of Counseling
• The Gift of Therapy
• Cognitive Therapy Techniques
• The New Handbook of Cognitive Therapy Techniques
• Gestalt Therapy (100 Key Points and Techniques)
• The Gestalt Therapy Book
• The Slim on Motivation

My quest has been to really understand what happens to the brain and in the brain while things are going on. I haven't read every book on this list, but I've bought all of these and it's in my plans to flip through all of these.

 

[Chase]

It's not a book, but https://www.psychologytoday.com/ is an amazing online resource, and it's also pretty aligned with the kinds of things we talk about here. It's patently NOT politically correct, which makes it a refreshing read, and explores all kinds of fascinating topics. EDIT: just went and re-read some of the articles on here from the site's home page. While there are still some that are "just facts" and not minding political correctness, there's a lot that's clearly agenda'd with a "Here's what's good and right, and here are the disappointing results studies show us" slant, or a "We need to overcome human nature" slant. So I guess still take this place with a grain of salt.

As for books, Cialdini's Influence is sort of the 800-pound gorilla in the psychology department. The Father of Spin, which is all about Edward Bernays and how the modern PR industry came to be and how it influenced social change, is an eye-opening read about a topic most people aren't remotely conscious of. And Denial of Death is the one I constantly recommend to people who want a top-to-bottom grip on human psychology.

Chase