Learning about the power of psychology is an eye-opening experience for most of us.
It helps you to understand yourself, others, and the world around you differently. And you can use this information to improve the quality of your life.
And it’s now easier than ever to get your hands on the best psychology books ever written.
For a couple of cups of coffee, you can get insights from the best psychologists. These experts devoted their life to studying human behavior and influence.
When you read their stuff, you learn that humans are very predictable. Everyone acts and behaves in patterns.
And if you understand those patterns, you can use this to live an exceptional life.
What’s the cost of not learning this stuff?
Not reading the best psychology books makes us fall pretty to many biases. You will find it more challenging to manage your thoughts, emotions, and behavior. And you’re more likely to fall prey to marketing tactics and sleazy salespeople.
Learning about psychology will never hurt you. Instead, you can make the life of you and the people around you much better.
Let’s dive into the best books on psychology so that you can better understand yourself and others.
P.S. Read my Audible review if you prefer audiobooks.
#1: Thinking Fast and Slow
This book is one of the best books ever written on psychology. The reason? The various yet insightful experiments in combination with practical results that you can use in your everyday life.
Though this book contains so much information, it’s written for the common people, like you and me.
The book lays down the simple concept of how you have two brains.
One fast-thinking part and the other more slowly. Each has a different influence on the choices you make. And if you learn how to use this simple concept, you will make better decisions.
Here are some reasons to pick up this book:
- Complete and useful information
- In-depth research yet easy to read
- Practical in everyday life
#2: Influence: the Psychology of Persuasion
Influence is another good psychology book. In this book, Cialdini dives into the following six simple yet powerful principles of persuasion and influence:
- Reciprocity
- Scarcity
- Authority
- Consistency
- Likeability
- Consensus
There is nowhere in this world where these principles do not apply.
And for as long as you are human, these principles will influence you.
After reading this book, you begin to see those principles everywhere in your day-to-day life. You will understand the reasons why people buy stuff. And it might also clarify why you made some purchases recently.
What I find surprising is that these principles bombard us every day. It influences so many of the decisions we make. Yet, no one taught you this stuff.
So do you finally want to understand how others influence you?
#3: Flow: the Psychology of Optimal Experience
This is one of the best psychology books because it touches on the most important subject:
Happiness.
And how you can use the principles of flow to enjoy more happiness in your life.
But what is flow exactly?
Do you know when professional athletes say they’re in “the zone”?
You’ve probably experienced this too. Perhaps in sports. But you can experience it in anything you do, like work, hobbies, or sex.
Think about a moment where you forgot about time. And when you looked up, it was suddenly hours later than you imagined.
That’s flow.
It happens when something is challenging enough, yet still within your skill level. And you can notice it when you experience bliss or joy and lose a sense of time.
Want to learn how you can use flow to enjoy more happiness?
#4: Man’s Search for Meaning
This book is a classic and sold over 12 million copies worldwide. It shows the power of psychology amid desperation: the Holocaust.
In 1942, the Nazis captured the neurologist Viktor Franklin 1942. He was separated from his wife and children and put to work in the concentration camps. One of the most dehumanizing experiences a man can go through.
Yet, Viktor Frankl stayed sane.
Instead of giving up hope like most others in the camp, he became a master of his psychology. He used his time there to study the difference between those who stayed hopeful and those who give up.
And from this experience, he learned how to find meaning in his suffering.
On this website, I often refer to this book. It’s very empowering and will have a big impact on how you perceive life.
#5: Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
Like the other books in this list, this one helps you to understand why we act the way we do. It explains why we act irrationally on a frequent interval. And how this doesn’t happen at random but is very predictable indeed.
What makes this book slightly different is that it focuses on behavioral economics.
This includes the concept of how “free” stuff impacts us for example. Or think about how money affects relationships, the power of expectation, and the influence of ownership.
This is a book that anyone will enjoy but especially those who love business or marketing too.
Though this book is filled with experiments, it’s never a boring read. Plus, the stories are very relatable.
Look no further if you want an easy book to read that’s both insightful and fun.
Soudns like something for you?
#6: The Social Animal
Do you want to understand why groups of people behave the way they do?
Why even until this modern-day we struggle with prejudice, racism, and sexism?
These are the answers that this book dives into.
And it does so in a way that makes complex concepts easy to understand with simple examples. These examples focus on everyday stuff, making this another very relatable book.
If you’re curious to learn what drives people and understand social dynamics, then this is the best psychology book for you. Though a bit more to the expensive side, it’s worth a read.
#7: The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
The problem with bad habits is not that you don’t know that it’s bad. Most of us are very aware of our bad habits.
Despite knowing that, we often stick to our bad habits anyway, right?
What is the cause of this phenomenon?
That’s exactly what this book is all about.
Charles dives into the psychology of habits and lays down its simple building blocks.
He helps you to understand the triggers that cause the habitual action. And he also hands you the tools so that you can transform your bad habits into good ones.
So are you looking to change bad habits?
Do you want to get rid of smoking or drinking? Or perhaps you want to stop watching your screen everyday right before going to bed?
This is the best psychology book for you if you finally want to change some bad habits.
#8: Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
This book is different from the others in this list because it’s almost a business and marketing book. But that doesn’t mean that this book is less interesting for someone who dislikes those areas.
In the book, Dan and Chip investigate why some stories and ideas stick while others do not.
Is it a better idea?
Is it a better story?
Or does the secret lie in the core message?
In other words, what’s the psychology behind an idea that sticks?
This is one of the best psychology books if you want to develop more creativity in your work or business.
Do you like books on creativity?
#9: The Paradox of Choice: Why Less is More
How many choices did you already make today?
That’s a pretty hard question to answer since many choices are made unconsciously. On the flip side, you can probably think about the last big choice you had to make.
Was it a difficult one?
And if so, what made the choice so difficult?
In this book, Barry Schwartz dives into the world of choices. He shows how freedom of choice is an important factor in well-being.
Yet, the amount of choices you face in the world today has quite the opposite effect.
Barry further dives into how choices affect our happiness. And also gives some great solutions to improve the quality of your life.
#10: How to Win Friends and Influence People
If you haven’t got this book yet, you must pick it up straight away.
This book is one of the classics that stood the test of time. And though it was published almost a hundred years ago, it’s now more relevant than ever.
Why?
Because effective communication is more difficult now. Technology allows us to easily connect but also increases the noise in communication. And this has only become accelerated with the working from home policies due to the coronavirus.
What makes this book brilliant is that it’s simple and practical.
Though it doesn’t dive into the theory of psychology, I still consider it one of the best psychology books. Especially if you’re looking for better relationships and more effective communication.
What’s next?
The best books on psychology and human behavior broaden your perspective on yourself and the world around you. And each of these books is worth its price in gold.
If you prefer to listen on the go, you can get your 30-day free trial with Audible here.
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