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Life is short: quarantine strategically. Stay home and learn all about power (https://thepowermoves.com/courses/social-power/?tab=tab-curriculum). And once out, you're ready to take over the world (https://thepowerm%20oves.com/courses/social-power/?tab=tab-overview).
Best Psychology Books + Free Summaries 265
THE POWER MOVES
The best psychology books to understand people and human behavior.
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Wow! I was both worried and excited of starting this post as I knew how difficult drafting such a list would be. But a reading list of psychology and human behavior is a fundamental list both for this website and for doing well in your own life. Indeed to get better with people (and to get what you want in life) you first have to understand people and human behavior (including your own). This list of best psychology books focuses on how people think, what makes them tick and what makes them do what they do.
Contents [show (https://thepowermoves.com/best-psychology-books/#)]
18. Evil
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By Roy Baumeister Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/evil-inside-human-violence-and-cruelty/) | Kindle (https://amzn.to/2AKISac) Why do people can act evil? And how do otherwise good people end up acting evil? Can people “get used” to evil and commit more and more of it, as in a slippery slope? These are only a few of the questions that this masterpiece will provide an answer for. If you want to truly understand the dark side of human psychology, look no further. No other title gets even close to Baumeister’s work.
“ People will settle for any vaguely plausible argument when they want badly enough to believe that their hurtful actions are justi ed.
17. Will I Ever Be Good Enough
By Karyl McBride Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/will-i-ever-be-good-enough/) | Audiobook (https://amzn.to/2XJFBFc)
Eye-opening text and potential life-saver. It deals with the effect that narcissistic mothers have on their children -especially daughters-, and it should be mandatory reading for mothers. You will better understand narcissism, mother/child dynamics and the importance of parental love
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and acceptance. Most of all, it focuses how lack of motherly love scars children for life and dooms them to a life of low self-esteem (https://thepowermoves.com/self-esteem-in-relationships/). That low self-esteem in turns leads to a life of addiction and abusive relationship or to a life of perfectionism and over-achievements -yes, as crazy as that might sound, these two apparent opposites stem from the same lack of self-esteem-.
“ This sad, extreme example is more common than you might think. I have known daughters who felt tremendous relief when their narcissistic mothers passed away.
16. Influence
By Robert Cialdini Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/influence-summary/) | Audiobook (https://amzn.to/2XJG36m) The psychology of persuading and selling had never been systematically researched in the world of academic psychology. Until Cialdini burst into the scene with “Influence” in 1984.
It was long overdue for psychology to get scientific into persuasion, influence, and manipulation. And “Influence” became an instant classic -and deservedly so-. Even today 35 years later you’d be hard pressed in finding a better book on influence and persuasion
Even today, 35 years later, you d be hard pressed in finding a better book on influence and persuasion.
“ When we ask someone to do us a favor we will be more successful if we provide a reason. People simply like to have reasons for what they do
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15. Nudge
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By Thaler & Sunstein Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/nudge/) | Audiobook (https://amzn.to/2XfoGew) Not everyone loved Nudge. Nassim Taleb (https://thepowermoves.com/skin-in-the-game/) called Richard Thaler “creepy interventionist”. But as much as I love Taleb, I must disagree there. Not just because, as Thaler himself says, you are going to “nudge” people anyway. And not just because “Nudge” helped bring the field of psychology into policy-making. But because it deals with a topic all psychologists should be interested in: how psychology can help not just the individual, but society at large. A must-read not only for psychologists but also for policymakers.
“ The
rst misconception is that it is possible to avoid in uencing people’s choices.
14. Date-Onomics
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By Jon Birger Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/date-onomics-summary/) | Kindle 123
(https://amzn.to/2Eh6iDr) | Print (https://amzn.to/2GBHA2C)
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Of course: Dating dynamics has been mostly ignored by “proper” science. Which is silly when you think about it. Just ask yourself: what do most people care the most about? Usually, it’s love, sex, emotional attachment and, possibly, children. And that’s what dating is all about: finding a partner to satiate both our basic drives and our higher ideals of love and attachment. Luckily, there is some great material on the psychology of dating as well. Enter Date-onomics, one of the most eye-opening books I have read on dating. Specifically, Date-onomics focuses on how the supply and demand of mates affect people’s behavior. And the effect is huge. The changes in gender ratio have consequences which ripple through into culture and heavily influence seemingly unconnected behavior such as risk-taking, feminist movements and, of course, wars. The academics will not be disappointed: there is lots of numbers and research as well.
“ When sex ratios are balanced (..) males have a strong genetic incentive to stick with their original mates (…). When females are more abundant, the mating game shifts”
13. Thinking Fast And Slow
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by Daniel Kahneman 3
Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/thinking-fast-and-slow-summary/) | Print (https://amzn.to/2vuWPXy) | Audiobook (https://amzn.to/2vskhVk)
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Thinking Fast and Slow explains that most of our decisions happen quickly, without our rational part of the brain ever getting involved. However those decisions are often based simplistic (and often incorrect) heuristics. This was also the first popular book to systematically list our cognitive biases, which will give you a great overview of the limitations and imperfections of our brain. Still, you shouldn’t that lead you to the false belief that our minds are untrustworthy because “riddled with biases and errors”. Like David Buss (https://thepowermoves.com/evolutionary-psychology-by-david-buss/), I think that to better understand our mental heuristics we need to understand evolutionary psychology (https://thepowermoves.com/best-evolutionary-psychology-books/). Then we will realize that our mind uses heuristic because they weren’t so bad at solving the problems that mattered the most for our: mating and survival.
“ “Our comforting conviction that the world makes sense rests on a secure foundation: our almost unlimited ability to ignore our ignorance“
12. Not Just Friends
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by Shirley Glass Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/not-just-friends-book/) | Print (https://amzn.to/2M5BC0P)
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Not Just Friends is about infidelity. 123 139
Some might think this is too narrow of a scope to understand general truths about human beings and psychology. But I don’t think that’s the case. Just think about this: what is infidelity really about? Infidelity goes at the core of what really matters to us:
Sex Intimacy Relationships Security (counting on the people closest to us to support us, not hurt us) Why do even good people sometimes stray, how does it happen and what are the consequences? These are the questions that Not Just Friends will help provide an answer for. It’s a rather long book, but if you’re serious about learning psychology, people and human nature, you can’t skip it.
“ “The unfaithful says they are protecting their partner; they are really protecting themselves to continue their double life”
11. Mindset: Psychology Of Success
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by Carol Dweck Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/mindset-carol-dweck-summary/) | Print (https://amzn.to/2GvNl6b) Mindset was the N.1 of the best self-help books list (https://thepowermoves.com/best-self-helpbooks/). But it’s also a wonderful book to understand all-around human psychology. You will understand why some people always feel the need to make excuses and why they are afraid of trying new things (hint: personal identity and social identity are at stake before you develop a growth mindset (https://thepowermoves.com/develop-growth-mindset/)). Sure, Mindset and Dweck have had their fair share of criticism (https://thepowermoves.com/poppsychology-myths/) during the psychology replication crisis (https://thepowermoves.com/replicationcrisis/), but it remains a foundational text. As for me, I can tell you this: after Mindset human behavior suddenly made much more sense to me. And that’s one of the biggest compliments I can pay to any text.
“ “Talent isn’t passed in the genes; it’s passed in the mindsets“
10. The Prince
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by Niccolo Machiavelli Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/the-prince-by-niccolo-machiavelli/) | Kindle (https://amzn.to/2KDRAtu) | Print (https://amzn.to/2vwGSQL) The Prince, heralded as the first treatise of political philosophy and realpolitik, is a classic. The psychology in “The Prince” is the psychology of manipulation, and manipulation is, for good or for worse, part and parcel of the psychological makeup of all human beings. Machiavelli here focuses on rulers and politicians’ manipulations (https://thepowermoves.com/thepsychology-of-political-persuasion/). The key to political power, says Machiavelli, is to “do what you gotta do to keep and increase power, and then say what you gotta say to look good”. “The Prince” is also one of the most important books for this website. It’s The Power Move’s belief indeed that we desperately need enlightened, ultimately good people who know how to be bad (https://thepowermoves.com/be-bad-to-be-good/) (otherwise the real bad ones will run slipshod).
“ “Everyone sees what you appear to be, but few experience who you really are“
9. Why Does He Do That?
by Lundy Bancroft Summary (https://thepowermoves com/why does he do that/) | Kindle (https://amzn to/2vvI1Ii) | Print
Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/why-does-he-do-that/) | Kindle (https://amzn.to/2vvI1Ii) | Print (https://amzn.to/2MffYX2) | Audiobook (https://amzn.to/2ASXM13) Why Does He Do That focuses on abusive men (https://thepowermoves.com/7-types-of-abusive-mena-psychological-analysis/) and the dynamics of abusive relationship (https://thepowermoves.com/signs-of-an-abusive-relationship/).
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Albeit it might seem a very specific topic, I believe that’s not the case. First of all, I’m afraid that are more men with abusive tendencies than we’d care to admit. And second, abusive relationships are all about power dynamics, which will help you understand power relationships in general. Especially watch out for gaslighting, guilt-tripping, and the daily putdowns abusive men lower their victims’ self-esteem (https://thepowermoves.com/self-esteem-inrelationships/) with.
“ “In reality, to remain neutral is to collude with the abusive man, whether or not that is your goal”
8. The Art Of Seduction
by Robert Greene Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/the-art-of-seduction-summary/) | Kindle (https://amzn.to/2HaDlMG) | Print (https://amzn.to/2JgdcN4) |Audiobook (https://amzn.to/2EjPprJ) Obviously the book cover of The Art of Seduction wants to mimic a vagina. However, “The Art of Seduction” is much more than “just” sexual seduction. This is a deep voyage in the meanders of social seduction, social power and human psychology. Robert Greene is a man who understands human nature and his analysis on charisma (https://thepowermoves.com/how-to-be-charismatic/), charm (https://thepowermoves.com/how-tobe-charming/), and sexual appeal (https://thepowermoves.com/how-to-seduce-a-man/) are some of the best you can find (outside of this website :).
“ “People are more complicated than the mask they wear in society”
7. In Sheep’s Clothing
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Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/in-sheeps-clothing/) | Audiobook (https://amzn.to/2XdJWfI) 123
This is a big darling of The Power Moves.
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Why? Because it provides much backing for this website’s philosophy and mission. George Simon says that people in power have a tendency to be more abusive, more insensitive to others and more dangerous than most people are. And even if you refuse to believe that this book still has truckloads of wisdom to teach. It delves deep into the psychology of manipulators and power-hungry individuals. Finally, it’s a much-needed slap in the face to a really annoying tendency of some psychologists. The tendency to look for the “deep reasons for abusive behavior”, which often seem dangerously close to turning victimizers into victims. No, it’s not always about childhood trauma or deep insecurities. Sometimes an a**hole is just an a**hole. Highly, highly recommended.
“ Power by itself doesn’t have the ability to corrupt a person’s character. It’s the character aws already present in people’s character that lead people to pursue power and abuse it once they have it.
6. Attached
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by Amir Levine Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/attached-book-summary/) | Kindle (https://amzn.to/2M5oXqd) | Print (https://amzn.to/2I01zrO)
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Is it true that some men (and more rarely women) “need” to pull away when relationships get too intimate? And is it true that some people crave intimacy more than others while needing constant reassurance from their partners? And what’s this all this intimacy stuff, do we all even need intimacy?
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The answers are yes, yes and yes for all the three of them. Attached fleshes out both how intimacy allows us to lead more empowered lives and how different personality relate to intimacy. It’s eye opening stuff if you are not already familiar with attachment styles (https://thepowermoves.com/attachment-styles-with-examples/).
“ “To be independent,
nd the right person to be dependent to”
5. The New Psychology Of Leadership
By Alexander Haslam Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/the-new-psychology-of-leadership/) | Amazon (https://amzn.to/2JkbCL8) “The New Psychology of Leadership” is not “just” about the psychology of leadership.
It goes deep into social identities, group dynamics, and inter-group dynamics. All the wisdom it shares is backed by hundreds of studies and researches. And that makes it great both for the average readers who are going to learn more than with any other
And that makes it great both for the average readers who are going to learn more than with any other leadership book, and for the academic who wants to dig deeper in the researches. If you want to learn about social psychology, this is a muster read.
“ Leadership that is grounded in shared identity will always win out over that which is grounded in ego.
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4. Dating Power Dynamics
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Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/the-sexual-marketplace/) | Kindle (https://thepowermoves.com/downloads/dating-power-dynamics/) | Audiobook (https://thepowermoves.com/downloads/dating-power-dynamics/) Dating Power Dynamics is the official dating product of ThePowerMoves.com It combines the:
Best dating books for guys (https://thepowermoves.com/best-dating-books-for-guys/) Best evolutionary psychology books (https://thepowermoves.com/best-evolutionarypsychology-books/) Best books on power dynamics (https://thepowermoves.com/best-books-on-power/) And the author’s experience I believe that if you want to truly understand dating and dating psychology, this is the quickest way to do so, while also being deep and thorough.
“ The lover strategy can confer more power to the man who successfully seduces her. But it’s also riskier for more average men -on the other hand, I’m sure most of the readers think of themselves comfortably above average :)-.
3. I’m OK – You’re OK
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by Thomas Harris Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/im-ok-youre-ok-summary-review/) | Kindle (https://amzn.to/2TRY1Ou)
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I’m forever indebted to Thomas Harris. 123 139
He has probably had the biggest single-handed contribution in helping me understand social dynamics better. And one of the biggest contributions in recognizing the child still present in me, which in turn further helped me stamp it out. Which, in turn, made me more mature, stronger, wiser and confident. I’m OK – You’re OK is a book on transaction analysis, with the most famous book being “Games People Play”. But Thomas Harris provides a (much) better overview. And this is not to say that Games People Play is good, it’s just that “I’m OK – You’re OK” is a masterpiece. It’s not N.1 because the content of the next two books is wider and cover more topics. But it’s the N.1 in my heart :).
“ “Even if the Adult in the individual gets him to the psychiatrist’s o
ce, the Child soon takes over and a Parent-Child situation develops (transference). This unique transaction is fairly common in life, and there are elements of it present in any contact with authority, as, for instance, when one is stopped by a highway patrolman. Psychoanalysts maintain that the patient has improved when he has succeeded in avoiding this kind of transfer of feelings from childhood.
2. The Social Animal
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by Elliot Aronson Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/the-social-animal/) | Print (https://amzn.to/2RLYLVa)
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The Social Animal stands huge among the best psychology books to learn how people work. 3
In between a book and a university textbook indeed, I have rarely seen anything so packed with wisdom, information and eye-opening overview of research literature. 123 139
If you had to pick one book with which to start, I would probably recommend you this one.
“ “People who do crazy things are not necessarily crazy.”
1. Evolutionary Psychology
by David Buss Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/evolutionary-psychology-by-david-buss/) | Print (https://amzn.to/2t3lXHe) All books in this list are fundamental pieces of the human mind puzzle. And no puzzle is complete without all the pieces. But I agree with David Buss that evolutionary psychology is the discipline that serves as the glue that puts all the other pieces together. Steven Pinker, for example, makes the case in “How the Mind Works (https://thepowermoves.com/how-the-mind-works/)” that humans aren’t really irrational. But it’s only when you look at cognitive psychology through evolutionary psychology that you d t d th t h f “i ti liti ” t ll k
understand that how many of our irrationalities” actually make sense. And it’s only when you look at psychology through evolutionary psychology that all the most common human behaviors make sense. I doubt anyone can fully understand dating, relationships and human behavior without first understanding the basics of evolutionary psychology.
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Previously, the #1. spot on this list was held by “The Moral Animal (https://thepowermoves.com/themoral-animal-summary/)“. But now I switched it with “Evolutionary Psychology” because it’s more modern, more scientific, and because it’s the most widespread manual on the subject. Just one note: Evolutionary psychology has been abused to lend (false) credibility to all personal opinions and broscience theories. Always take evolutionary psychology with a grain of salt: as a non-falsifiable (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falsifiability) science it’s often not an actual science.
“ “We are built to be e
ective animals, not happy ones”
Great Psychology Books People are not the simplest creatures and it takes more than one theory, science or book to answer for our behavior. That means that a TOP 16 of best psychology books would not be enough. We need a few more titles to fully understand human psychology and human behavior. So make sure you take a look at these great psychology books as well:
17. Predictably Irrational (https://thepowermoves.com/predictably-irrational-dan-arielysummary/): debunks the “homo economicus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_economicus)” theories, showing how our irrational side often trumps the rational one 18. Games People Play (https://thepowermoves.com/games-people-play-book/): very Freudian, but you will better understand some behavioral patterns of dysfunctional relationships (https://thepowermoves.com/dysfunctional-relationship-dances/) 19. Controlling People (https://thepowermoves.com/controlling-people/): makes a good pair with “Why Does He Do That” and explains the psychology of abusive and controlling men 20. Codependent No More (https://thepowermoves.com/codependent-no-more/): most abusive relationship are co-dependent relationships. And this is an eye-opening voyage into how abusive relationship last far longer than they should
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21. The Mask of Masculinity (https://thepowermoves.com/mask-masculinity-summary/): good for a better grasp of male psychology (and the image they try to portray) 22. No More Mr. Nice Guy (https://thepowermoves.com/no-more-mr-nice-guy/): in spite of some imperfections, it’s a good resource to understand men who repress their feelings trying to be good and “nice” 23. Relentless (https://thepowermoves.com/relentless-summary/): not meant to be a psychology book, but very good to understand the psychology of ultra-achievers and what drives them. Works well with “Can’t Hurt Me (https://thepowermoves.com/cant-hurt-me-david-goggins/)” too. 24. The Man’s Guide to Women (https://thepowermoves.com/the-mans-guide-to-womensummary/): this a great book to gain a better understanding of both women and relationships in one go 25. Fooled by Randomness (https://thepowermoves.com/fooled-by-randomness-summary/): this book will change the way you will look at poor research and fake science. The induction fallacy has become a staple with which a analyze (and criticize) all the books I review (https://thepowermoves.com/book-summaries/) 26. The Brain that Changes Itself (https://thepowermoves.com/the-brain-that-changes-itselfsummary/): the staple of brain plasticity. It explains how our brain can change and develop through effort, repetition and time 27. The Definite Book of Body Language (https://thepowermoves.com/the-definitive-book-ofbody-language/): there is a connection between mind and body. Learning what the body says is also a great way to understand the mind 28. The Selfish Gene (https://thepowermoves.com/the-selfish-gene-summary/): it’s an individualistic view of evolutionary psychology (gene-centered (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene-centered_view_of_evolution)), which is often pitted against “group’s selection (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_selection)” theories. But wherever you stand, this is a landmark of evolutionary psychology and a good primer on the discipline 29. The Origins of Virtue (https://thepowermoves.com/the-origins-of-virtue/): how did we become so collavorative in spite of the selfish gene selection? Matt Ridley answer that question here 30. The Sociopath Next Door (https://thepowermoves.com/the-sociopath-next-door/): one of the best introductory texts on antisocial personality disorders 31. The Laws of Human Nature (https://thepowermoves.com/the-laws-of-human-nature/): in between a self-help book and a psychology text, Greene’s take is always so refreshingly different that it deserves a top stop in any “best psychology books list” 32. The Blank Slate (https://thepowermoves.com/the-blank-slate/): Pinker argues that in the millennia-old battle of “nature VS nurture” our culture has gone too far into “nurture” side. I agree with him and loved the book 33. Incognito (https://thepowermoves.com/incognito-david-eagleman-summary/): how our subconscious controls us more than we think 34. The Highly Sensitive Person (https://thepowermoves.com/highly-sensitive-person-test/): the Bible of high-sensitivity. It helped me understand myself so much better (I’m HSP and you can take an HSP test here (https://thepowermoves.com/highly-sensitive-person-test/)) Q
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35. The Red Queen (https://thepowermoves.com/the-red-queen-book/): monumental work of evolutionary psychology 36. I Hate You Don’t Leave Me (https://thepowermoves.com/i-hate-you-dont-leave-me-book/): the best book on the psychology of BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder). “Stop Walking On Eggshells (https://thepowermoves.com/stop-walking-on-eggshells/)” is more focused on living with a BPD 37. The Psychopath Whisperer (https://thepowermoves.com/the-psychopath-whisperer/): There are many books on psychopaths -they draw a lot of perverse attention from the broad public-. But none can help you understand the nature of criminal psychopaths as well as Kiehl’s work (between us, better than any Robert Hare’s book (https://thepowermoves.com/snakesin-suits/)) 38. Yes! (https://thepowermoves.com/yes-50-scientifically-proven-ways-to-be-persuasive/): the full title is “50 scientifically proven way to be persuasive”. This makes a great pair with “Influence”, and it’s none less good 39. 30 Covert Emotional Manipulation Tactics (https://thepowermoves.com/30-covertemotional-manipulation-tactics/): sadly psychological research hasn’t done much in the fields of abuse and manipulation. And that’s why it’s my pleasure to add this little and short gem to this list of best psychology books 40. The Believing Brain (https://thepowermoves.com/the-believing-brain/): what makes people believe in all sorts of unlikely stuff? This book answers that question. And Shermer writes from the point of view of a self-define skeptic. What’s not to like? 41. The Body Keeps The Score (https://thepowermoves.com/the-body-keeps-the-score/): a landmark work on trauma and trauma-healing 42. Flourish (https://thepowermoves.com/flourish/): albeit I’m not a huge fan, Martin Seligman’s “Flourish” can serve as your entry point into what’s been dubbed “positive psychology” 43. The Antidote (https://thepowermoves.com/the-antidote-summary/): this is a criticism of “pop psychology (https://thepowermoves.com/pop-psychology-myths/)” as often expressed in the self-help literature. To read right after some purported “positive psychology text” (and check out “self-help myths (https://thepowermoves.com/self-help-myths/)” for an updated list) 44. Misbehaving (https://thepowermoves.com/misbehaving/): the story of how psychology fought its way into economics to finally give us a more realistic understanding of the world through the new discipline of behavioral economics. 45. 48 Laws of Power (https://thepowermoves.com/48-laws-of-power-summary/): focus on the darker side of human nature and the games people play (bit over-hyped but good) 46. Quiet (https://thepowermoves.com/quiet-susan-cain/): best book to learn about introversion. And since you’re here also check out ambiverts (https://thepowermoves.com/ambivert/) 47. 12 Rules for Life (https://thepowermoves.com/12-rules-for-life/): helps you understand the issues facing those who bottle up anger and darkest drives (we must channel them positively, not repress them) 48. Emotional Vampires (https://thepowermoves.com/emotional-vampires-book/): if you want to learn personalities disorders (and how to deal with them) in a simple way, this is your book
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49. Drive (https://thepowermoves.com/drive-daniel-pink/): material incentives can be counterproductive to motivate people. Especially when we could instead tap into our deeper drives to help, belong and to do work that matters 50. The Lucifer Effect (https://thepowermoves.com/the-lucifer-effect/): we are capable of good and evil. And often it’s not our personality (dispositional theory), but the conditions around us that will decide. It’s by asserting personal authority and taking full responsibility we can change that (a major theme of this website) 51. Eliminating Passive Aggressiveness (https://thepowermoves.com/8-keys-to-eliminatingpassive-aggressiveness/): Not only there are probably more passive aggressive people than we think, but most of us do behave passive-aggressively at least some of the times. Once you understand passive aggression (https://thepowermoves.com/passive-aggressive/), you will also understand people better. 52. Behave (https://thepowermoves.com/behave/): A monumental work on humans, a great interdisciplinary and scientific overview of why we do what we do 53. Man’s Search for Meaning (https://thepowermoves.com/mans-search-for-meaningsummary/): while not strictly a psychology book, in a way Man’s Search for Meaning says all that there is to know about human beings:
“ Man is that being who invented the gas chambers (..). And also that being who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread.
I always get misty-eyed reading that. Let’s all try to be the change for more of the latter.
A Note On The Best Psychology Books Albeit lists are inherently seductive to the human mind, try not to make too much of the “order”. What adds the most value for you depends on your background and what you already know. But if you are serious about understanding people, then every single psychology books on this reading list is mandatory. Plus lots of personal experience, coupled with copious note-taking.
Related
(https://thepowermoves.com/be st-evolutionary-psychologybooks/)
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Best Evolutionary Psychology Books (+ FREE Summaries) (https://thepowermoves.com/bestevolutionary-psychology-books/)
(https://thepowermoves.com/nu dge/)
(https://thepowermoves.com/in -sheeps-clothing/)
Nudge: Summary & Review (https://thepowermoves.com/nudge/)
In Sheep's Clothing: Summary & Review (https://thepowermoves.com/in-sheepsclothing/)
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Hey! Snag This Book (+1 more) FREE With This Audible Offer 123
(https://amzn.to/2IC0Xgz)
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About the Author: Lucio Buffalmano (https://www.youtube.com/The-Power-Moves) (https://www.facebook.com/ThePowerMoves) (https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-power-moves/) (https://twitter.com/The_Power_Moves) Lucio is a social scientist, member of APA and a perpetual researcher of human nature. He teaches power dynamics because he believes that fundamentally good leaders who know how to be bad will save the world. ThePowerMoves.com is where this new breed of leaders come to train.
(https://thepowermoves.com/courses/social-power/?tab=tab-overview)
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Best Psychology Books + Free Summaries 265
THE POWER MOVES
The best psychology books to understand people and human behavior.
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Wow! I was both worried and excited of starting this post as I knew how difficult drafting such a list would be. But a reading list of psychology and human behavior is a fundamental list both for this website and for doing well in your own life. Indeed to get better with people (and to get what you want in life) you first have to understand people and human behavior (including your own). This list of best psychology books focuses on how people think, what makes them tick and what makes them do what they do.
Contents [show (https://thepowermoves.com/best-psychology-books/#)]
18. Evil
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By Roy Baumeister Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/evil-inside-human-violence-and-cruelty/) | Kindle (https://amzn.to/2AKISac) Why do people can act evil? And how do otherwise good people end up acting evil? Can people “get used” to evil and commit more and more of it, as in a slippery slope? These are only a few of the questions that this masterpiece will provide an answer for. If you want to truly understand the dark side of human psychology, look no further. No other title gets even close to Baumeister’s work.
“ People will settle for any vaguely plausible argument when they want badly enough to believe that their hurtful actions are justi ed.
17. Will I Ever Be Good Enough
By Karyl McBride Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/will-i-ever-be-good-enough/) | Audiobook (https://amzn.to/2XJFBFc)
Eye-opening text and potential life-saver. It deals with the effect that narcissistic mothers have on their children -especially daughters-, and it should be mandatory reading for mothers. You will better understand narcissism, mother/child dynamics and the importance of parental love
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and acceptance. Most of all, it focuses how lack of motherly love scars children for life and dooms them to a life of low self-esteem (https://thepowermoves.com/self-esteem-in-relationships/). That low self-esteem in turns leads to a life of addiction and abusive relationship or to a life of perfectionism and over-achievements -yes, as crazy as that might sound, these two apparent opposites stem from the same lack of self-esteem-.
“ This sad, extreme example is more common than you might think. I have known daughters who felt tremendous relief when their narcissistic mothers passed away.
16. Influence
By Robert Cialdini Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/influence-summary/) | Audiobook (https://amzn.to/2XJG36m) The psychology of persuading and selling had never been systematically researched in the world of academic psychology. Until Cialdini burst into the scene with “Influence” in 1984.
It was long overdue for psychology to get scientific into persuasion, influence, and manipulation. And “Influence” became an instant classic -and deservedly so-. Even today 35 years later you’d be hard pressed in finding a better book on influence and persuasion
Even today, 35 years later, you d be hard pressed in finding a better book on influence and persuasion.
“ When we ask someone to do us a favor we will be more successful if we provide a reason. People simply like to have reasons for what they do
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15. Nudge
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By Thaler & Sunstein Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/nudge/) | Audiobook (https://amzn.to/2XfoGew) Not everyone loved Nudge. Nassim Taleb (https://thepowermoves.com/skin-in-the-game/) called Richard Thaler “creepy interventionist”. But as much as I love Taleb, I must disagree there. Not just because, as Thaler himself says, you are going to “nudge” people anyway. And not just because “Nudge” helped bring the field of psychology into policy-making. But because it deals with a topic all psychologists should be interested in: how psychology can help not just the individual, but society at large. A must-read not only for psychologists but also for policymakers.
“ The
rst misconception is that it is possible to avoid in uencing people’s choices.
14. Date-Onomics
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By Jon Birger Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/date-onomics-summary/) | Kindle 123
(https://amzn.to/2Eh6iDr) | Print (https://amzn.to/2GBHA2C)
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Of course: Dating dynamics has been mostly ignored by “proper” science. Which is silly when you think about it. Just ask yourself: what do most people care the most about? Usually, it’s love, sex, emotional attachment and, possibly, children. And that’s what dating is all about: finding a partner to satiate both our basic drives and our higher ideals of love and attachment. Luckily, there is some great material on the psychology of dating as well. Enter Date-onomics, one of the most eye-opening books I have read on dating. Specifically, Date-onomics focuses on how the supply and demand of mates affect people’s behavior. And the effect is huge. The changes in gender ratio have consequences which ripple through into culture and heavily influence seemingly unconnected behavior such as risk-taking, feminist movements and, of course, wars. The academics will not be disappointed: there is lots of numbers and research as well.
“ When sex ratios are balanced (..) males have a strong genetic incentive to stick with their original mates (…). When females are more abundant, the mating game shifts”
13. Thinking Fast And Slow
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by Daniel Kahneman 3
Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/thinking-fast-and-slow-summary/) | Print (https://amzn.to/2vuWPXy) | Audiobook (https://amzn.to/2vskhVk)
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Thinking Fast and Slow explains that most of our decisions happen quickly, without our rational part of the brain ever getting involved. However those decisions are often based simplistic (and often incorrect) heuristics. This was also the first popular book to systematically list our cognitive biases, which will give you a great overview of the limitations and imperfections of our brain. Still, you shouldn’t that lead you to the false belief that our minds are untrustworthy because “riddled with biases and errors”. Like David Buss (https://thepowermoves.com/evolutionary-psychology-by-david-buss/), I think that to better understand our mental heuristics we need to understand evolutionary psychology (https://thepowermoves.com/best-evolutionary-psychology-books/). Then we will realize that our mind uses heuristic because they weren’t so bad at solving the problems that mattered the most for our: mating and survival.
“ “Our comforting conviction that the world makes sense rests on a secure foundation: our almost unlimited ability to ignore our ignorance“
12. Not Just Friends
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by Shirley Glass Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/not-just-friends-book/) | Print (https://amzn.to/2M5BC0P)
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Not Just Friends is about infidelity. 123 139
Some might think this is too narrow of a scope to understand general truths about human beings and psychology. But I don’t think that’s the case. Just think about this: what is infidelity really about? Infidelity goes at the core of what really matters to us:
Sex Intimacy Relationships Security (counting on the people closest to us to support us, not hurt us) Why do even good people sometimes stray, how does it happen and what are the consequences? These are the questions that Not Just Friends will help provide an answer for. It’s a rather long book, but if you’re serious about learning psychology, people and human nature, you can’t skip it.
“ “The unfaithful says they are protecting their partner; they are really protecting themselves to continue their double life”
11. Mindset: Psychology Of Success
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by Carol Dweck Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/mindset-carol-dweck-summary/) | Print (https://amzn.to/2GvNl6b) Mindset was the N.1 of the best self-help books list (https://thepowermoves.com/best-self-helpbooks/). But it’s also a wonderful book to understand all-around human psychology. You will understand why some people always feel the need to make excuses and why they are afraid of trying new things (hint: personal identity and social identity are at stake before you develop a growth mindset (https://thepowermoves.com/develop-growth-mindset/)). Sure, Mindset and Dweck have had their fair share of criticism (https://thepowermoves.com/poppsychology-myths/) during the psychology replication crisis (https://thepowermoves.com/replicationcrisis/), but it remains a foundational text. As for me, I can tell you this: after Mindset human behavior suddenly made much more sense to me. And that’s one of the biggest compliments I can pay to any text.
“ “Talent isn’t passed in the genes; it’s passed in the mindsets“
10. The Prince
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by Niccolo Machiavelli Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/the-prince-by-niccolo-machiavelli/) | Kindle (https://amzn.to/2KDRAtu) | Print (https://amzn.to/2vwGSQL) The Prince, heralded as the first treatise of political philosophy and realpolitik, is a classic. The psychology in “The Prince” is the psychology of manipulation, and manipulation is, for good or for worse, part and parcel of the psychological makeup of all human beings. Machiavelli here focuses on rulers and politicians’ manipulations (https://thepowermoves.com/thepsychology-of-political-persuasion/). The key to political power, says Machiavelli, is to “do what you gotta do to keep and increase power, and then say what you gotta say to look good”. “The Prince” is also one of the most important books for this website. It’s The Power Move’s belief indeed that we desperately need enlightened, ultimately good people who know how to be bad (https://thepowermoves.com/be-bad-to-be-good/) (otherwise the real bad ones will run slipshod).
“ “Everyone sees what you appear to be, but few experience who you really are“
9. Why Does He Do That?
by Lundy Bancroft Summary (https://thepowermoves com/why does he do that/) | Kindle (https://amzn to/2vvI1Ii) | Print
Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/why-does-he-do-that/) | Kindle (https://amzn.to/2vvI1Ii) | Print (https://amzn.to/2MffYX2) | Audiobook (https://amzn.to/2ASXM13) Why Does He Do That focuses on abusive men (https://thepowermoves.com/7-types-of-abusive-mena-psychological-analysis/) and the dynamics of abusive relationship (https://thepowermoves.com/signs-of-an-abusive-relationship/).
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Albeit it might seem a very specific topic, I believe that’s not the case. First of all, I’m afraid that are more men with abusive tendencies than we’d care to admit. And second, abusive relationships are all about power dynamics, which will help you understand power relationships in general. Especially watch out for gaslighting, guilt-tripping, and the daily putdowns abusive men lower their victims’ self-esteem (https://thepowermoves.com/self-esteem-inrelationships/) with.
“ “In reality, to remain neutral is to collude with the abusive man, whether or not that is your goal”
8. The Art Of Seduction
by Robert Greene Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/the-art-of-seduction-summary/) | Kindle (https://amzn.to/2HaDlMG) | Print (https://amzn.to/2JgdcN4) |Audiobook (https://amzn.to/2EjPprJ) Obviously the book cover of The Art of Seduction wants to mimic a vagina. However, “The Art of Seduction” is much more than “just” sexual seduction. This is a deep voyage in the meanders of social seduction, social power and human psychology. Robert Greene is a man who understands human nature and his analysis on charisma (https://thepowermoves.com/how-to-be-charismatic/), charm (https://thepowermoves.com/how-tobe-charming/), and sexual appeal (https://thepowermoves.com/how-to-seduce-a-man/) are some of the best you can find (outside of this website :).
“ “People are more complicated than the mask they wear in society”
7. In Sheep’s Clothing
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Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/in-sheeps-clothing/) | Audiobook (https://amzn.to/2XdJWfI) 123
This is a big darling of The Power Moves.
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Why? Because it provides much backing for this website’s philosophy and mission. George Simon says that people in power have a tendency to be more abusive, more insensitive to others and more dangerous than most people are. And even if you refuse to believe that this book still has truckloads of wisdom to teach. It delves deep into the psychology of manipulators and power-hungry individuals. Finally, it’s a much-needed slap in the face to a really annoying tendency of some psychologists. The tendency to look for the “deep reasons for abusive behavior”, which often seem dangerously close to turning victimizers into victims. No, it’s not always about childhood trauma or deep insecurities. Sometimes an a**hole is just an a**hole. Highly, highly recommended.
“ Power by itself doesn’t have the ability to corrupt a person’s character. It’s the character aws already present in people’s character that lead people to pursue power and abuse it once they have it.
6. Attached
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by Amir Levine Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/attached-book-summary/) | Kindle (https://amzn.to/2M5oXqd) | Print (https://amzn.to/2I01zrO)
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Is it true that some men (and more rarely women) “need” to pull away when relationships get too intimate? And is it true that some people crave intimacy more than others while needing constant reassurance from their partners? And what’s this all this intimacy stuff, do we all even need intimacy?
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The answers are yes, yes and yes for all the three of them. Attached fleshes out both how intimacy allows us to lead more empowered lives and how different personality relate to intimacy. It’s eye opening stuff if you are not already familiar with attachment styles (https://thepowermoves.com/attachment-styles-with-examples/).
“ “To be independent,
nd the right person to be dependent to”
5. The New Psychology Of Leadership
By Alexander Haslam Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/the-new-psychology-of-leadership/) | Amazon (https://amzn.to/2JkbCL8) “The New Psychology of Leadership” is not “just” about the psychology of leadership.
It goes deep into social identities, group dynamics, and inter-group dynamics. All the wisdom it shares is backed by hundreds of studies and researches. And that makes it great both for the average readers who are going to learn more than with any other
And that makes it great both for the average readers who are going to learn more than with any other leadership book, and for the academic who wants to dig deeper in the researches. If you want to learn about social psychology, this is a muster read.
“ Leadership that is grounded in shared identity will always win out over that which is grounded in ego.
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4. Dating Power Dynamics
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Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/the-sexual-marketplace/) | Kindle (https://thepowermoves.com/downloads/dating-power-dynamics/) | Audiobook (https://thepowermoves.com/downloads/dating-power-dynamics/) Dating Power Dynamics is the official dating product of ThePowerMoves.com It combines the:
Best dating books for guys (https://thepowermoves.com/best-dating-books-for-guys/) Best evolutionary psychology books (https://thepowermoves.com/best-evolutionarypsychology-books/) Best books on power dynamics (https://thepowermoves.com/best-books-on-power/) And the author’s experience I believe that if you want to truly understand dating and dating psychology, this is the quickest way to do so, while also being deep and thorough.
“ The lover strategy can confer more power to the man who successfully seduces her. But it’s also riskier for more average men -on the other hand, I’m sure most of the readers think of themselves comfortably above average :)-.
3. I’m OK – You’re OK
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by Thomas Harris Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/im-ok-youre-ok-summary-review/) | Kindle (https://amzn.to/2TRY1Ou)
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I’m forever indebted to Thomas Harris. 123 139
He has probably had the biggest single-handed contribution in helping me understand social dynamics better. And one of the biggest contributions in recognizing the child still present in me, which in turn further helped me stamp it out. Which, in turn, made me more mature, stronger, wiser and confident. I’m OK – You’re OK is a book on transaction analysis, with the most famous book being “Games People Play”. But Thomas Harris provides a (much) better overview. And this is not to say that Games People Play is good, it’s just that “I’m OK – You’re OK” is a masterpiece. It’s not N.1 because the content of the next two books is wider and cover more topics. But it’s the N.1 in my heart :).
“ “Even if the Adult in the individual gets him to the psychiatrist’s o
ce, the Child soon takes over and a Parent-Child situation develops (transference). This unique transaction is fairly common in life, and there are elements of it present in any contact with authority, as, for instance, when one is stopped by a highway patrolman. Psychoanalysts maintain that the patient has improved when he has succeeded in avoiding this kind of transfer of feelings from childhood.
2. The Social Animal
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by Elliot Aronson Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/the-social-animal/) | Print (https://amzn.to/2RLYLVa)
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The Social Animal stands huge among the best psychology books to learn how people work. 3
In between a book and a university textbook indeed, I have rarely seen anything so packed with wisdom, information and eye-opening overview of research literature. 123 139
If you had to pick one book with which to start, I would probably recommend you this one.
“ “People who do crazy things are not necessarily crazy.”
1. Evolutionary Psychology
by David Buss Summary (https://thepowermoves.com/evolutionary-psychology-by-david-buss/) | Print (https://amzn.to/2t3lXHe) All books in this list are fundamental pieces of the human mind puzzle. And no puzzle is complete without all the pieces. But I agree with David Buss that evolutionary psychology is the discipline that serves as the glue that puts all the other pieces together. Steven Pinker, for example, makes the case in “How the Mind Works (https://thepowermoves.com/how-the-mind-works/)” that humans aren’t really irrational. But it’s only when you look at cognitive psychology through evolutionary psychology that you d t d th t h f “i ti liti ” t ll k
understand that how many of our irrationalities” actually make sense. And it’s only when you look at psychology through evolutionary psychology that all the most common human behaviors make sense. I doubt anyone can fully understand dating, relationships and human behavior without first understanding the basics of evolutionary psychology.
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Previously, the #1. spot on this list was held by “The Moral Animal (https://thepowermoves.com/themoral-animal-summary/)“. But now I switched it with “Evolutionary Psychology” because it’s more modern, more scientific, and because it’s the most widespread manual on the subject. Just one note: Evolutionary psychology has been abused to lend (false) credibility to all personal opinions and broscience theories. Always take evolutionary psychology with a grain of salt: as a non-falsifiable (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falsifiability) science it’s often not an actual science.
“ “We are built to be e
ective animals, not happy ones”
Great Psychology Books People are not the simplest creatures and it takes more than one theory, science or book to answer for our behavior. That means that a TOP 16 of best psychology books would not be enough. We need a few more titles to fully understand human psychology and human behavior. So make sure you take a look at these great psychology books as well:
17. Predictably Irrational (https://thepowermoves.com/predictably-irrational-dan-arielysummary/): debunks the “homo economicus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_economicus)” theories, showing how our irrational side often trumps the rational one 18. Games People Play (https://thepowermoves.com/games-people-play-book/): very Freudian, but you will better understand some behavioral patterns of dysfunctional relationships (https://thepowermoves.com/dysfunctional-relationship-dances/) 19. Controlling People (https://thepowermoves.com/controlling-people/): makes a good pair with “Why Does He Do That” and explains the psychology of abusive and controlling men 20. Codependent No More (https://thepowermoves.com/codependent-no-more/): most abusive relationship are co-dependent relationships. And this is an eye-opening voyage into how abusive relationship last far longer than they should
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21. The Mask of Masculinity (https://thepowermoves.com/mask-masculinity-summary/): good for a better grasp of male psychology (and the image they try to portray) 22. No More Mr. Nice Guy (https://thepowermoves.com/no-more-mr-nice-guy/): in spite of some imperfections, it’s a good resource to understand men who repress their feelings trying to be good and “nice” 23. Relentless (https://thepowermoves.com/relentless-summary/): not meant to be a psychology book, but very good to understand the psychology of ultra-achievers and what drives them. Works well with “Can’t Hurt Me (https://thepowermoves.com/cant-hurt-me-david-goggins/)” too. 24. The Man’s Guide to Women (https://thepowermoves.com/the-mans-guide-to-womensummary/): this a great book to gain a better understanding of both women and relationships in one go 25. Fooled by Randomness (https://thepowermoves.com/fooled-by-randomness-summary/): this book will change the way you will look at poor research and fake science. The induction fallacy has become a staple with which a analyze (and criticize) all the books I review (https://thepowermoves.com/book-summaries/) 26. The Brain that Changes Itself (https://thepowermoves.com/the-brain-that-changes-itselfsummary/): the staple of brain plasticity. It explains how our brain can change and develop through effort, repetition and time 27. The Definite Book of Body Language (https://thepowermoves.com/the-definitive-book-ofbody-language/): there is a connection between mind and body. Learning what the body says is also a great way to understand the mind 28. The Selfish Gene (https://thepowermoves.com/the-selfish-gene-summary/): it’s an individualistic view of evolutionary psychology (gene-centered (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene-centered_view_of_evolution)), which is often pitted against “group’s selection (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_selection)” theories. But wherever you stand, this is a landmark of evolutionary psychology and a good primer on the discipline 29. The Origins of Virtue (https://thepowermoves.com/the-origins-of-virtue/): how did we become so collavorative in spite of the selfish gene selection? Matt Ridley answer that question here 30. The Sociopath Next Door (https://thepowermoves.com/the-sociopath-next-door/): one of the best introductory texts on antisocial personality disorders 31. The Laws of Human Nature (https://thepowermoves.com/the-laws-of-human-nature/): in between a self-help book and a psychology text, Greene’s take is always so refreshingly different that it deserves a top stop in any “best psychology books list” 32. The Blank Slate (https://thepowermoves.com/the-blank-slate/): Pinker argues that in the millennia-old battle of “nature VS nurture” our culture has gone too far into “nurture” side. I agree with him and loved the book 33. Incognito (https://thepowermoves.com/incognito-david-eagleman-summary/): how our subconscious controls us more than we think 34. The Highly Sensitive Person (https://thepowermoves.com/highly-sensitive-person-test/): the Bible of high-sensitivity. It helped me understand myself so much better (I’m HSP and you can take an HSP test here (https://thepowermoves.com/highly-sensitive-person-test/)) Q
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35. The Red Queen (https://thepowermoves.com/the-red-queen-book/): monumental work of evolutionary psychology 36. I Hate You Don’t Leave Me (https://thepowermoves.com/i-hate-you-dont-leave-me-book/): the best book on the psychology of BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder). “Stop Walking On Eggshells (https://thepowermoves.com/stop-walking-on-eggshells/)” is more focused on living with a BPD 37. The Psychopath Whisperer (https://thepowermoves.com/the-psychopath-whisperer/): There are many books on psychopaths -they draw a lot of perverse attention from the broad public-. But none can help you understand the nature of criminal psychopaths as well as Kiehl’s work (between us, better than any Robert Hare’s book (https://thepowermoves.com/snakesin-suits/)) 38. Yes! (https://thepowermoves.com/yes-50-scientifically-proven-ways-to-be-persuasive/): the full title is “50 scientifically proven way to be persuasive”. This makes a great pair with “Influence”, and it’s none less good 39. 30 Covert Emotional Manipulation Tactics (https://thepowermoves.com/30-covertemotional-manipulation-tactics/): sadly psychological research hasn’t done much in the fields of abuse and manipulation. And that’s why it’s my pleasure to add this little and short gem to this list of best psychology books 40. The Believing Brain (https://thepowermoves.com/the-believing-brain/): what makes people believe in all sorts of unlikely stuff? This book answers that question. And Shermer writes from the point of view of a self-define skeptic. What’s not to like? 41. The Body Keeps The Score (https://thepowermoves.com/the-body-keeps-the-score/): a landmark work on trauma and trauma-healing 42. Flourish (https://thepowermoves.com/flourish/): albeit I’m not a huge fan, Martin Seligman’s “Flourish” can serve as your entry point into what’s been dubbed “positive psychology” 43. The Antidote (https://thepowermoves.com/the-antidote-summary/): this is a criticism of “pop psychology (https://thepowermoves.com/pop-psychology-myths/)” as often expressed in the self-help literature. To read right after some purported “positive psychology text” (and check out “self-help myths (https://thepowermoves.com/self-help-myths/)” for an updated list) 44. Misbehaving (https://thepowermoves.com/misbehaving/): the story of how psychology fought its way into economics to finally give us a more realistic understanding of the world through the new discipline of behavioral economics. 45. 48 Laws of Power (https://thepowermoves.com/48-laws-of-power-summary/): focus on the darker side of human nature and the games people play (bit over-hyped but good) 46. Quiet (https://thepowermoves.com/quiet-susan-cain/): best book to learn about introversion. And since you’re here also check out ambiverts (https://thepowermoves.com/ambivert/) 47. 12 Rules for Life (https://thepowermoves.com/12-rules-for-life/): helps you understand the issues facing those who bottle up anger and darkest drives (we must channel them positively, not repress them) 48. Emotional Vampires (https://thepowermoves.com/emotional-vampires-book/): if you want to learn personalities disorders (and how to deal with them) in a simple way, this is your book
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49. Drive (https://thepowermoves.com/drive-daniel-pink/): material incentives can be counterproductive to motivate people. Especially when we could instead tap into our deeper drives to help, belong and to do work that matters 50. The Lucifer Effect (https://thepowermoves.com/the-lucifer-effect/): we are capable of good and evil. And often it’s not our personality (dispositional theory), but the conditions around us that will decide. It’s by asserting personal authority and taking full responsibility we can change that (a major theme of this website) 51. Eliminating Passive Aggressiveness (https://thepowermoves.com/8-keys-to-eliminatingpassive-aggressiveness/): Not only there are probably more passive aggressive people than we think, but most of us do behave passive-aggressively at least some of the times. Once you understand passive aggression (https://thepowermoves.com/passive-aggressive/), you will also understand people better. 52. Behave (https://thepowermoves.com/behave/): A monumental work on humans, a great interdisciplinary and scientific overview of why we do what we do 53. Man’s Search for Meaning (https://thepowermoves.com/mans-search-for-meaningsummary/): while not strictly a psychology book, in a way Man’s Search for Meaning says all that there is to know about human beings:
“ Man is that being who invented the gas chambers (..). And also that being who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread.
I always get misty-eyed reading that. Let’s all try to be the change for more of the latter.
A Note On The Best Psychology Books Albeit lists are inherently seductive to the human mind, try not to make too much of the “order”. What adds the most value for you depends on your background and what you already know. But if you are serious about understanding people, then every single psychology books on this reading list is mandatory. Plus lots of personal experience, coupled with copious note-taking.
Related
(https://thepowermoves.com/be st-evolutionary-psychologybooks/)
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Best Evolutionary Psychology Books (+ FREE Summaries) (https://thepowermoves.com/bestevolutionary-psychology-books/)
(https://thepowermoves.com/nu dge/)
(https://thepowermoves.com/in -sheeps-clothing/)
Nudge: Summary & Review (https://thepowermoves.com/nudge/)
In Sheep's Clothing: Summary & Review (https://thepowermoves.com/in-sheepsclothing/)
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Hey! Snag This Book (+1 more) FREE With This Audible Offer 123
(https://amzn.to/2IC0Xgz)
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About the Author: Lucio Buffalmano (https://www.youtube.com/The-Power-Moves) (https://www.facebook.com/ThePowerMoves) (https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-power-moves/) (https://twitter.com/The_Power_Moves) Lucio is a social scientist, member of APA and a perpetual researcher of human nature. He teaches power dynamics because he believes that fundamentally good leaders who know how to be bad will save the world. ThePowerMoves.com is where this new breed of leaders come to train.
(https://thepowermoves.com/courses/social-power/?tab=tab-overview)
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