Must read Psychology books

[Logic Prevails]

I'd like to once again start a 'book recommendation' thread. Hopefully we can get more people particiating this time round and have it made into a 'sticky' as in the Psychiatry forum (some books may consequently overlap).

Please only include only those books you thought were above the grade and were helpful to you as a student, while doing a practicum, or while practicing in the field.

I'll start:

The Developing Mind (1999) by Daniel J. Siegel

This book provides an excellent neurobiological (non-reductionist) framework for understanding the mind. It talks a lot about attachment theory and how early relationships affect the brain. If you are interested in learning about the brain but are unsure of how this knowledge can enlighten therapy/assessment work, then you should give this a good read.

Man's Search for Meaning (1946) by Victor E. Frankl

An 'oldie' but a 'goodie.' I'm sure most people have already read this book - if not, then what are you waiting for! The first half of the book describes Dr. Frankl's first-hand account of 'life' in a Nazi Germany concentration camp. The second part of this book outlines his 'Logotherapy' (an existential approach to therapy). This book gives the reader a different way of looking at some tough situations and you may even find yourself quoting Frankl in your own therapy or in your own life experiences.

When Nietzsche Wept (1992) by Irvin D. Yalom

This is more of a fictional read but is one of the better books I have ever read. It is based on the quasi-possibility of the reknown psychologist Dr. Joseph Breuer crossing paths with philosopher Friedrich Nietzche. Yalom interweves Nietzche's dialogue with his philosophical works, and one can see how philosophy can help or at times hinder the therapy process. I'd recommend this especially to students who would like to read an enjoyable work of fiction, but feel too guilty to not be reading psychology.

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[Psyclops]

The Interpersonal Theory of Psychiatry (1953) by Harry Stack Sullivan.

In this seminal work, H. S. Sullivan breaks from the psychoanalytical zeitgeist to contend that our interpersonal relations are largely responsible and influenced by our psychology.

 

[PsychEval]

Prescriptive Authority for Psychologists, A History and Guide.
Edited by

Sammons, Levannt, and Paige.


Note: I posted this one in the Psychiatry Forum under must read books, but the mod deleted it.

 

[Psyclops]

I want to preface this by saying that I think everyone should expose themselves to the opposition argument.

I reccomend the book:

House of Cards by Robyn Dawes.

It starts out as a harsh indictment of the clinical psychology field, but eventually turns into a plea for us to get our collectve act together. It makes some great points, and although there might be some ire ispired at first you'll soon get over it.

 

[psychgeek]

Here are the four that come to mind.

Schizoid Phenomena, Object Relations and the Self by Harry Guntrip.
This is a great and rarely read book on object relations that has not received the attention it deserves. It has been particularly helpful in conceptualizing and treating severe personality disorders. Like Fairbairn, Guntrip distances his theory from classical drive models to favor a relational model of psychology. Unlike Fairbairn, his technique does not involve a myopically exclusive focus on interpreting the therapeutic relationship.

Psychoanalytic Diagnosis and Psychoanalytic Case Formulation by Nancy McWilliams.
These are the best practical guides for psychodynamic therapy I have ever read. They are basic enough for beginners and sophisticated enough that I found myself referring to them throughout my practica and internship.

The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy by Yalom
Not only is it an instructive guide to conducting group therapy, but it is also fun to read.

 

[PsychEval]

Models of Collaboration

A Guide for Mental Health Professionals Working with Health Care Practitioners

by Seaburn, Lorenz, Gunn, Gawinski, and Mauksch.

and

Integrated Primary Care

The Future of Medical and Mental Health Collaboration

by Blout

 

[Quynh2007]

I enjoyed Love at Goon Park which is about Harry Harlow and his life and research. It made me think a lot more about animal research, and although some of the things he's done I would consider unethical, it is still fascinating. Very good read and easy to get through.

edit - oops, i didn't realize this was to help with practicum and stuff. I thought it was a rec of any psych book

 

[MeghanHF]

Psychodynamic Psychiatry in Clinical Practice (3rd Ed)
Glen Gabbard

Offers a scholarly and clear description of the central role of psychodynamic theory in every aspect of psychiatric practice. Covers the range of psychiatric disorders and clinical situations, and provides every clinician with the opportunity to understand patients more deeply and treat them more effectively.

Psychologists’ Desk Reference
Koocher, Norcross, & Hill

Covers the entire spectrum of practice issues – from diagnostic codes, practice guidelines, treatment principles, and report checklists, to insight and advice from today’s most respected clinicians.

Trauma and Recovery
Judith Herman, M.D.

Herman presents a compelling analysis of trauma and the process of healing, bridging the worlds of war veterans, prisoners of war, battered women and incest victims.

Black Sun: Depression and Melancholia
Julia Kristeva

**WARNING may not be for everyone…written by a French Feminist Psychoanalyst**
In the context of art, literature, philosophy, the history of religion and culture, as well as psychoanalysis, Kristeva takes the view that depression is a discourse with a language to be learned, rather than strictly a pathology to be treated.

Other must read feminist texts: In a Different Voice Carol Gilligan & Psychoanalysis and Feminism Juliet Mitchell.

 

[MeghanHF]

Handbook of Psychological Assessment
Gary Groth-Marnat

A step-by-step guide on how to conduct a comprehensive psychological evaluation. It provides a complete review of the most commonly used assessment instruments and the most efficient methods for selecting and administering tests, evaluating data, and integrating results into a coherent, problem-solving report.

 

[PsychEval]

Getting Real: Lessons in Life, Marriage, and Family

by Dr. Phil McGraw

JK

 

[KeyT]

Hope And Help For Your Nerves by Dr. Claire Weekes . One of the best books about anxiety

 

[Neuro-Dr]

Clinical Assessment of Malingering & Deception - Richard Rogers (Everyone)
A Compedium of Neuropsychological Tests (NP students)

 

[Pterion]

Psychoanalysis, Behavior Therapy and the Relational World by Paul Wachtel.

This is a dense book, but it really opened my eyes to the inter-relatedness of seemingly disparate schools of thought. I think its a must read for any student seriously considering psychotherapy as the bulk of their eventual practice.

The Feeling of What Happens by Antonio D'Amasio

I'm a huge fan of D'Amasio and also recommend Descartes' Error. For those of you seeking a connection between psychodynamics, "talk therapy" and neurobiology, these two books are your answers. Anyone who still thinks that psychotherapy is not a biological intervention is simply not up to date on the research.

 

[ksargen4]

Why God Won't Go Away: Brain Science & The Biology of Belief, Andrew Newberg, Eugene D'Aduili, Vince Rause

This is an interesting neurobiological defense for the existance of a "higher being", research based.

 

[chaos]

The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat - Oliver Sacks. I can't believe no one has suggested this one yet! It's more neurology than psychology, but definitely worth a read.

 

[Quix]

An Unquiet Mind

I Hate You, Don't Leave Me

Neuroscience for the Mental Health Clinician

The Way We Think: Conceptual Blending and the Mind's Hidden Complexities

Heuristics and Biases: The Psychology of Intuitive Judgment

The Automaticity of Everyday Life

Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Autobiography of a Schizophrenic Girl

The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression

The Chemistry of Conscious States: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain and the Mind

The Volitional Brain : Towards a Neuroscience of Free Will

and

Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind

all come to mind.

 

[50960]

"The role of the father in child development"; "The biochemistry of memory".

 

[zenman]

Anything by Carl Whitaker and Frank Farrelly.

 

[LatinGuitarrist]

The Feeling Good Book

Mind Over Mood

Brain Lock

Ed

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Trauma and REcovery (noted above) is one of my all-time favorite books. I second the H. Stack Sullivan book above, in addition to a few Yalom books.

 

[PsychIntegrator]

Rollnick, S., Mason, P., & Butler, C. (1999). Health Behavior Change: A Guide for Practitioners

This is the ultimate read for anyone working in behavioral health/ behavioral medicine.

 

[amstelgirl]

The Mismeasure of Man by S. J. Gould-about the poor ways psychology has attempted to measure psychological constructs

Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Tatum-great read regarding the ethnic identity development of African American children and other children of color

Dissertation and Theses from Start to Finish by Cone and Foster-must read, it has been very helpful for me during the process

 

[dgmorris]

"Why God Won't Go Away" is a wonderful book, and the author takes part in the movie "What the bleep do we know?" if anyone's interested. Cool movie.

 

[dgmorris]

Reality Therapy - William Glasser

Any and all of the "Cognitive Therapy" series by Aaron Beck

Toward a Psychology of Being - Abraham Maslow

 

[PsychevalIII]

Make Your Life Tax Deductible

easy techniques to reduce your taxes and start building wealth immediately

by

David Meier

Professors will not teach you this stuff, you have to learn it on your own.

$ 17 bucks well spent,

PS the book is a tax deduction.

 

[octavio]

"Gestalt therapy : excitement and growth in the human personality" by Frederick Perls.

If you like cognitive conflict and confontation with your fears, thoughts, feelings- that the right book. You feel attracted and impvolved in a live dialog with the authors.So far I haven's understood what is gestalt therapy , but i have changed much in my life after reading this book.
The language is quite complicated as for me english is a foreign language, but it is a beautiful english. i found many new words.

the first part of the book consists of experiments you have to make with yourself, the second is an explanation of gestaly theory. Enjoy it! i promiss you'll either hate it or want to read it again!

 

[Lunita65]

Assessing and Treating Culturally Diverse Clients: A Practical Guide (Multicultural Aspects of Counseling And Psychotherapy) (Paperback)
by Freddy A. Paniagua

Review from Amazon.com
Book Description
A best-seller in its first edition, the long-awaited second edition of Assessing and Treating Culturally Diverse Clients is here. Author Freddy Paniagua has expanded and updated his original work, offering effective, practical guidelines in dealing with issues that arise when dealing with culturally diverse clients. In this landmark volume, Paniagua addresses important questions, including: + Is it a good idea to conduct your first meeting with an African American client differently than with an Asian American one? + Should you treat an American Indian client with the same therapeutic approach you would use to treat a Hispanic client? He also provides clinical suggestions for working with African American, Hispanic, American Indian, and Asian clients. Some of the topics covered include a description of cultural variables that may affect assessment and treatment across groups; explanations of epidemiological mental health data across groups; a discussion on how to apply data from culturally specific, biased measures; and a description of many of the important factors to consider during the delivery of treatment. This practical volume also offers guidelines for the prevention of attrition. New to this edition is a chapter that deals with a summary of cultural variables in the DSM-IV, which will make this volume even more valuable to professionals and educators across the fields of clinical/counseling psychology, psychotherapy, psychiatric nursing, social work, multicultural counseling, ethnic studies, and behavioral psychology.

 

[Fejj316]

A Bright Red Scream: Self-Mutilation and the Language of Pain
by Marilee Strong

and

Opening Skinner's Box: Great Psychological Experiments of the Twentieth Century
by Lauren Slater

 

[blindblonde]

Passing for Normal by Amy Wilensky

This book is about a woman who deals with Tourette's and OCD. She is an excellent writer and it is a great read. If you want an objective view of her writing, she went to grad school at Columbia for creative writing. It's just a great book.

Girl Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

The book is quite different from the movie, but just as good. I highly recommend this one.

 

[Quynh2007]

Hamlet by Shakespeare

 

[Manning]

Trials of the Visionary Mind:
Spiritual Emergency & The Renewal Process
John Weir Perry



"...85% of our clients (all diagnosed as severely schizophrenic) at the Diabasis center not only improved, with no medications, but most went on growing after leaving us."

- John Weir Perry



"This is an excellent and comprehensive summary of John Weir Perry's ground-breaking work in the area of alternative approaches to psychosis that represents a theoretical and practical breakthrough. John Weir Perry is a true pioneer in this very important area. His ideas, when accepted, could revolutionize the approach to psychosis. The book is a very useful guide for therapists, clients, and lay persons in the lives of psychotic patients."

-- Stanislav Grof, author of The Cosmic Game: Explorations of the Frontiers of Human Consciousness


Summary:
Stress may cause highly activated mythic images to erupt from the psyche's deepest levels in the form of turbulent visionary experience. Depending on whether the interactions between the individual and the immediate surroundings lean toward affirmation or invalidation, comprehension of these visions can turn the visionary experience into a step in growth or into a disorder, as an acute psychosis. Based on his clinical and scholarly investigations, John Weir Perry has found and formulated a mental syndrome which, though customarily regarded as acute psychosis, is in actuality a more natural effort of the psyche to mend its imbalances. If the upset is received in the spirit of empathy and understanding, and allowed to run its course, an acute episode can be found to reveal a self-organizing process that has self-healing potential.

This book examines what the acute "psychotic" experience stirs up in the psyche and how to empathetically respond. Understanding the function of mythic themes is reached through the author's investigation into myth and ritual of antiquity and also the visionary experience undergone by prophets and social reformers in various ages and parts of the world.


John Weir Perry is Former Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Francisco. He is the author of The Heart of History: Individuality in Evolution, published by SUNY Press; The Self in Psychotic Process: Its Symbolization in Schizophrenia; Lord of the Four Quarters: Myths of the Royal Father; The Far Side of Madness; and Roots of Renewal in Myth and Madness.


Source: SUNY Press



Also of interest:

• Mental Breakdown as Healing: An Interview With Dr. John Weir Perry
• The Far Side of Madness: Psychosis as Purposive

 

[psycholytic]

"Man's Search for Meaning", Victor Frankl

This is what human life is about, and how people are capable of dealing with the worst traumatic situations in life.

Existentialism

Victor Frankl
His book Man's Search for Meaning (first published in 1946) chronicles his experiences as a concentration camp inmate and describes his psychotherapeutic method of finding meaning in all forms of existence, even the most sordid ones, and thus a reason to continue living. He was one of the key figures in existential therapy

 

[Logic Prevails]

"Man's Search for Meaning", Victor Frankl

This is what human life is about, and how people are capable of dealing with the worst traumatic situations in life.

Existentialism

Victor Frankl
His book Man's Search for Meaning (first published in 1946) chronicles his experiences as a concentration camp inmate and describes his psychotherapeutic method of finding meaning in all forms of existence, even the most sordid ones, and thus a reason to continue living. He was one of the key figures in existential therapy

Dude, I already recommended that book - recommend your own

 

[psycholytic]

Dude, I already recommended that book - recommend your own

You did, lol?

I should have read the original , lol.
I honestly did not see that. Well, we have something in common, I guess.

And, its actually duda.

 

[Baloo]

"Man's Search for Meaning", Victor Frankl

This is what human life is about, and how people are capable of dealing with the worst traumatic situations in life.

Existentialism

Victor Frankl
His book Man's Search for Meaning (first published in 1946) chronicles his experiences as a concentration camp inmate and describes his psychotherapeutic method of finding meaning in all forms of existence, even the most sordid ones, and thus a reason to continue living. He was one of the key figures in existential therapy

Thanks for the advice! I just bought the book today and couldn't put it down, I'm nearly half way through! Good stuff...

 

[psycholytic]

Thanks for the advice! I just bought the book today and couldn't put it down, I'm nearly half way through! Good stuff...

Isn't it great? I know, it's hard to put down. Logic Prevails recommendet that book too in the initial thread, I just did not see it.

I am happy, you like it. I think it's an outstanding life story, psychologically very motivating, yet very tough at times to go on due to the horrific events that took place in his life.

Very educating, historically and psychologically.

 

[Larry1975]

Free your Breath, Free your Life by Dennis Lewis
Stay Alive all your Life by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

 

[Larry1975]

Free your Breath, Free your Life by Dennis Lewis
Stay Alive All Your Life by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

 

[NYCPsych]

Flowers for Algernon! Daniel Keyes
and I also can't believe no one mentioned I Never Promised You A Rose Garden, Hannah Greenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Keyes

 

[Baloo]

It's not text bk material, but Michael Crichton's Sphere is GREAT!!! However, the movie is not even comparable!!! ugggh...

 

[NeuroPsyStudent]

I know several of you medicating psychologists. Would anyone recommend a book on pediatric psychopharmacology for non chemists? Also, a general psychopharm book for dummies would be great too.

 

[Baloo]

I will be starting my doctorate this fall in neuropsychology. I am particularly intersted in neuroplasticity and neural networking; I like the whole rehabilitation aspect. Anyway, I am reading this INCREDIBLE book called, "The Brain that Changes Itself," by Norman Doidge. This book is such a great read for neuropsych students and EVERYONE ELSE. I can't put it down because it is so dang interesting. Its an easy read that discusses the miracles of the brain. YOU HAVE TO READ IT!!! It is not like a text book, which makes it even better. Check it out:

http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=9780670038305

 

[PsychevalIII]

Essential Psychopharmacology: The Prescriber's Guide

by Stephen M. Stahl, M.D., Ph.D.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Essential Psychopharmacology: The Prescriber's Guide

by Stephen M. Stahl, M.D., Ph.D.

I couldn't agree more. It is worth its weight in gold.

 

[Ollie123]

Can't believe no one has suggested this yet.
Listening to Prozac is a great book. Its written more for the general public so it isn't quite as detailed as I'd have liked, but still a very interesting read.

Has anyone read Zimbardo's new book yet? I'll be ordering it in the near future.

 

[nononora]

I absolutely loved this book. Definitely not scholarly by any means From powells.com

Crazy: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness
by Pete Earley

About This Book

• Synopses & Reviews
• Comment on this title and you could win free books!
• More Books by Pete Earley

ISBN13: 9780399153136
ISBN10: 0399153136
All Product Details


Available at:Beaverton, Chalmers Warehouse, Quimby Warehouse Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Pete Earley had no idea. He'd been a journalist for over thirty years, and the author of several award-winning-even bestselling-nonfiction books about crime and punishment and society. Yet he'd always been on the outside looking in. He had no idea what it was like to be on the inside looking out until his son, Mike, was declared mentally ill, and Earley was thrown headlong into the maze of contradictions, disparities, and catch-22s that is America's mental health system. The more Earley dug, the more he uncovered the bigger picture: Our nation's prisons have become our new mental hospitals. Crazy tells two stories. The first is his son's. The second describes what Earley learned during a yearlong investigation inside the Miami-Dade County jail, where he was given complete, unrestricted access. There, and in the surrounding community, he shadowed inmates and patients; interviewed correctional officers, public defenders, prosecutors, judges, mental-health professionals, and the police; talked with parents, siblings, and spouses; consulted historians, civil rights lawyers, and legislators.
The result is both a remarkable piece of investigative journalism, and a wake-up call-a portrait that could serve as a snapshot of any community in America

Review:

"Suffering delusions from bipolar disorder, Mike Earley broke into a stranger's home to take a bubble bath and significantly damaged the premises. That Mike's act was viewed as a crime rather than a psychotic episode spurred his father, veteran journalist Pete Earley (Family of Spies), to investigate the 'criminalization of the mentally ill.' Earley gains access to the Miami-Dade County jail where guards admit that they routinely beat prisoners. He learns that Deidra Sanbourne, whose 1988 deinstitutionalization was a landmark civil rights case, died after being neglected in a boarding house. A public defender describes how he — not always happily — helps mentally ill clients avoid hospitalization. Throughout this grim work, Earley uneasily straddles the line between father and journalist. He compromises his objectivity when for most of his son's ordeal — Mike gets probation — he refuses to entertain the possibility that the terrified woman whose home Mike trashed also is a victim. And when, torn between opposing obligations, he decides not to reveal to a source's mother that her daughter has gone off her medications, he endangers the daughter's life and betrays her mother. Although this is mostly a sprawling retread of more significant work by psychologist Fuller Torrey and others, parents of the mentally ill should find solace and food for thought in its pages." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
Book News Annotation:

Earley (a former reporter with The Washington Post) folds the narrative of his son's mental illness and related encounters with the criminal justice system in with the larger story of the nexus between mental illness and criminal justice in the US. This larger condemnatory story is based on a yearlong investigation inside the Miami-Dade County Jail in Florida, in which he followed the stories of mentally ill prisoners as their cases wound thorough the courts and as they lived in their communities, as well as interviews with correctional officers, public defenders, prosecutors, judges, mental health care professionals, police, family members, civil rights lawyers, legislators, and historians of the mentally ill.
Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Synopsis:

Thrown headlong into the maze of contradictions and disparities that comprise America's mental health system when his son was declared mentally ill, Earley presents a remarkable piece of investigative journalism that demonstrates that America's jails have become mental health hospitals.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

The Interpersonal Theory of Psychiatry (1953) by Harry Stack Sullivan.

In this seminal work, H. S. Sullivan breaks from the psychoanalytical zeitgeist to contend that our interpersonal relations are largely responsible and influenced by our psychology.

I just started reading this again, and figured I'd put in another good word.

 

[Anon15]

Mount Misery
By Samuel Shem

From the Laws of Mount Misery

There are no laws in psychiatry.

Your colleagues will hurt you more than your patients.

Psychiatrists specialize in their defects.

In psychiatry, first comes treatment, then comes diagnosis.



Anyone who has read Samuel Shem's previous novel, The House of God, will be familiar with Dr. Roy Basch, the protagonist of Mount Misery. When last seen, Dr. Basch was completing a grueling residency; Mount Misery (aka McLean Hospital) finds him beginning his psychiatric training at an upscale New England mental hospital. His introduction to the myriad forms of therapy available today--everything from Freudian psychoanalysis to psychopharmacology--provides Mr. Shem with plenty of blackly humorous grist for his mill. In this hospital, apparently, you need a score card to tell the doctors from the patients.

Shem (the pseudonym of psychiatrist and playwright Dr. Stephen Bergman) delights in broad parody. He creates, for example, characters such as Dr. Heiler (aka John Gunderson) who is the world expert on borderlines (a diagnosis that applies to just about everybody) or Dr. A. K. Lowell, whose devotion to Freudian analysis is so extreme that she refuses to speak to patients at all.

 

[PsyKardinal]

Play Therapy and Dibs in Search of Self by Virginia Axline


Adolescent Therapy That Really Works: Helping Kids Who Never Asked for Help in the First Place by Janet Sasson Edgette

Jeff

 

[trukLekniwnesor]

I've been reading "On Intelligence" by Jeff Hawkins when I'm not at work for the last week or so. From what I've read so far, it's a neat book because the author is writing about intelligence (specifically how the neocortex works and how he thinks the neocortex might use an universal algorithm to process all types of sensory information) from the perspective of a software engineer (Hawkins created the palm pilot) who has a firm grounding in neuroscience.

Could anybody recommend some books on ecological psychology or self-organization applied to psychology?