Must read Psychology books

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did you say ecopsychology? i can recommend a few articles, as well as a couple of books. is that what you are referring to? will you post to my thread on ecopsych, and we can have a conversation? cool!
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dgmorris said:
"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.
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That What the Bleep Do We Know movie is a horrible, terrible, waste of time. It has so many errors, pseudo-science claims. It's terrible. My guess is, anyone who has any critical thinking skills would feel the same way.
 
The Chemistry of Mind-Altering Drugs: History, Pharmacology, and Cultural Context, by Daniel M. Perrine

Hermaphrodites and the Medical Invention of Sex, by Alice Domurat Dreger
 
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Tales from a Traveling Couch - Robert U. Akeret

This book is simply amazing... Dr. Akeret tracks down patients 20 some years after their therapy to see if his work with them affected their lives at all. Its informative, VERY entertaining, and also very interesting (one guy is sexually attracted to polar bears).


The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

Very quick and entertaining read, especially if you are interested in Autism. Its written from the perspective of a 15 year old autisic child.
 
Julietcf14 said:
(one guy is sexually attracted to polar bears).
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That's a new one. Seen work done on all kinds of fetishes, etc. but have yet to see polar bears before. Doubt there's any empirical work on that specific subject out there.

I think encouraging him to act out that sexual attraction might be one route to go. I have a feeling this might be a self-correcting disorder;)



Am I a bad person for even having such thoughts? Maybe its for the best I don't want to go into practice...
 
I just picked up "Tales from a traveling couch".....the book keeps popping up on my radar, so I finally pulled the trigger. It actually started another book buying spree from amazon (Darn you Amazon Prime!).

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Someone just recommended this book to me, and it seems to be quite good, so I figured I'd add it to the list. It just came out in May, so I'm not sure how many people know about it yet.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders: A Comprehensive Treatment Guide. by: Waller et. al
  • ISBN-10: 0521672481
  • ISBN-13: 978-0521672481
CBT is not my preference, but it is definitely helpful to deal with some of the Sx's while trying to work on the underlying issues.
 
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School Psychology: Past, Present, and Future by Fagan and Wise
This is a great book for people who know nothing about the field, are thinking of going into the field, or are new to the field. It's published by Nasp and is a pretty easy read.

Animals in Translation and Thinking in Pictures both by Temple Grandin
Grandin has her Ph.D in animal behavior and she also has autism. Basically, Grandin is a testament that we should never place limits on individuals because they have a disability. Animals in Translation is the more "science-y" of the two, but both are extremely insightful and eye-opening.
 
I am about halfway through a book called:
Psychodynamic Theory for Clinicians by David Bienenfeld.

I check it out through my university library to for a good reference to current psychodynamic theory and it's a very good guide. It's clearly written, and explains the major theories of psychodynamic psychology and psychiatry in terms that don't require a separate degree in history.

It also has a nice feature of presenting three case histories in the beginning and referring to them throughout the rest of the book so the theoretical concepts are more tangible.

I'm an undergrad right now, so maybe this would be to basic to many on here, but I consider myself very well read, and this book is a must for learning about psychodynamic theories.
 
Crazy all the Time: On the Psych Ward of Bellevue Hospital by Frederick Covan

Great book, about some psychology interns at Bellevue and the most unusual patients they've had to deal with. It's a quick read just cuz it's so interesting!
 
Challenging reading, by most standards:

- Evolve Your Brain: The Science of Changing Your Mind by Joseph Dispenza, PhD

- [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Against Therapy: Emotional Tyranny and the Myth of Psychological Healing. by J. Moussaieff Masson, PhD

In my personal opinion, the latter ought to be read by any serious psychotherapist. It is hard to come by, though. I found it at alibris.com.
 
One of my professors strongly suggested to read

A Primer of Drug Action: A Concise, Non-Technical Guide to the Actions, Uses, and Side Effects of Psychoactive Drugs (Paperback)
by Robert M. Julien

I haven't personally been through it all yet, but from what I've heard from him and some of my friends that has used it for research, its a very well written book and easily accessible.

It doesn't focus solely on psychopharm treatments however, as it covers numerous psychoactive drugs.

Ah and what about The Road Less Traveled by Scott Peck - I loved it when I read it a few years ago and go back to it every now and then.
 
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:thumbup:Also, check out
How To Think Straight About Psychology (8th Edition) (Paperback)
by Keith Stanovich

This is an excellent book emphasizes the empiricism within Psychology and teaches students how to critically assess research and avoid "pseudoscience".

Its not Shakespere, but none the less quite good. :thumbup:
 
NH14 said:
One of my professors strongly suggested to read

A Primer of Drug Action: A Concise, Non-Technical Guide to the Actions, Uses, and Side Effects of Psychoactive Drugs (Paperback)
by Robert M. Julien
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Julien is a great resource for topics related to substance abuse.
 
Self-Directed Behavior: Self-Modification for Personal Adjustment
by David L. Watson and Roland G. Tharp


Clear, simple methods for creating a behavior modification plan. Good read, and very valuable for making those "adjustments" in our lives that we all want to make ;)
 
The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World by Marti Olsen Laney

This book, written for the layperson, is especially pertinent to those who are introverts, but it provides, I think, a nice overview of a personality feature we may not spend much time on in school. It discusses how introverts, who are a minority (25%) are often evaluated negatively, even by therapists, assumed to be odd, aloof, or even schizoid. It provides a basic explination on the various information processing differences between extroverts and introverts, and may be helpful for introverted clients to consider their introversion positively and to use it to their benefit rather than feeling the odd duck. It does have a front-cover endorsement from prev apa pres Zimbardo. An interesting and easy read.
 
scienceisbeauty said:
That What the Bleep Do We Know movie is a horrible, terrible, waste of time. It has so many errors, pseudo-science claims. It's terrible. My guess is, anyone who has any critical thinking skills would feel the same way.
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You might want to work on your tact. :(
 
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Come Back: A Mother and Daughter's Journey Through Hell and Back (Paperback)
by Claire Fontaine, Mia Fontaine

It is probably in my Top 5 favorite books of all time. I think I read it in 2-3 days.

Here is my review:

"Come Back" is an honest look at the devastation of drug abuse, and the powerful bond between a mother and daughter. The book tells the story of a drug addicted daughter and her mother who is struggling to hold on. The back and forth narrative is really insightful, and is brutally honest. It is raw and at times gut-wrenching, but it is the best portrayal of the complexities of familiar relationships involving an addict that I've ever read. The real strength of the book is showing the journey for both the mother and daughter. It should be reading for all mental health professionals and substance abuse specialists. Set aside a weekend to read it, because once you start, you will not want to put it down.
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Just as a reminder.......there is an amazon search box at the bottom of the forum, and any books purchased through there helps support SDN.
 
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Me & Emma by Elizabeth Flock
The title characters in Me & Emma are very nearly photographic opposites--8-year-old Carrie, the raven-haired narrator, is timid and introverted, while her little sister Emma is a tow-headed powerhouse with no sense of fear. The girls live in a terrible situation: they depend on an unstable mother that has never recovered from her husband’s murder, their stepfather beats them regularly, and they must forage on their own for food. Stop here and you have a story told many times before, as fiction and nonfiction in tales like Ellen Foster, or I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings --stories in which a young girl reveals the horrors of her childhood. Me & Emma differentiates itself with a spectacular finish, shocking the reader and turning the entire story on its head. Through several twists and turns the reader learns that things are not quite the way our narrator led us to believe and everything crescendos in a way that (like all good thrillers) immediately makes you want to go back and read the whole book again from the start.
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Anyone interested in child abuse and the effects of trauma should read this.
 
are ebooks available for download?

why don't you put ownload links for hese rare books?
 
Stumbling on Happiness
Daniel Gilbert, Ph.D.

A User's Guide to the Brain: Perception, Attention and the Four Theaters of the Brain
John J. Ratey, M.D.
 
If anybody is interested in autism... :thumbup::thumbup:

Overcoming Autism by Lynn Kern Koegel and Claire LaZebnik

is a great practical guide for anybody interested in learning to treat autism.


Pivotal Response Treatments for Autism by Robert L. Koegel and Lynn Kern Koegel

A more in depth analysis of the interventions and the research that supports them.
 
ROAD LESS TRAVELED
M.Scott Peck
 
On Becoming a Person, Carl Rogers
(The classic of client-centered therapy)

Love's Executioner, Irvin Yalom
(Yalom's stories about some of his most unforgettable clients)

Letters to a Young Therapist, Mary Pipher
(An easy read)

Making Contact: Uses of Language in Psychotherapy, Leston Havens
(Insightful musings from a Harvard psychiatrist)
 
empathiosis said:
On Becoming a Person, Carl Rogers
(The classic of client-centered therapy)

Love's Executioner, Irvin Yalom
(Yalom's stories about some of his most unforgettable clients)

Letters to a Young Therapist, Mary Pipher
(An easy read)

Making Contact: Uses of Language in Psychotherapy, Leston Havens
(Insightful musings from a Harvard psychiatrist)
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Awesome suggestions! I'm familiar with all but the last one....which I may have to pick up.

-t
 
Some of my favorites:

The Trauma Model: A Solution to the Problem of Comorbidity in Psychiatry by Colin A. Ross

The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment by Babette Rothschild

Waking the Tiger : Healing Trauma : The Innate Capacity to Transform Overwhelming Experiences by Peter Levine
 
For anyone that is interested in abuse and childhood sexual abuse this book is amazing. It recounts various emotional and psychological devastations that these young girls have gone through.

Stolen Tomorrows: Steven Levenkron
 
Rapid Relief from Emotional Distress"" by Emery and Campbell "The Second Force" by Emery and Emery Gary Emery, Ph D is one of Aaron Beck's collaborators on the original CBT stuff. These are books for the public. They give a different CBT approach that is life changing, and can inform everything you do with the people you help.
 
Dr Arana's small book published by Little Brown is the best psychopharm book ever written for psychiatrists. Period. Stahl is not good. He will have you believing in chemical imbalances. Humbug.
 
The Eden Express, Mark Vonnegut. Not a 'science' book, but a really engaging story/autobiography about what it feels like to have schizophrenia. An excellent read for a cozy, rainy day.
 
Switching Time: A Doctor's Harrowing Story of Treating a Woman with 17 Personalities
by Dr Richard Baer

"Psychotherapist Baer's compelling and engaging memoir traces his journey through the treatment of a patient's extraordinary case of multiple personality disorder. When Karen Overhill seeks out Baer's help for her depression, she soon divulges lost hours and past abuse. Baer soon receives a letter from seven-year-old Claire who "lives inside Karen," and discovers there are more personalities, or "alters," living within adults, teenagers, children, boys and girls. Realizing that all he knows about multiple personalities he's gleaned from journals and textbooks rather than clinical experience, Baer uses hypnosis to communicate with the alters, discovering the horrendous abuse that led to the creation of each personality. By nurturing them-especially the children-over several years and with the aid of Holdon and Katherine, the alters who function as parent/guardians to the rest, Baer guides them to accept integration. Meanwhile, Baer's marriage dissolves and budget cuts force him to release all his patients except Karen, for whom he comes to care deeply. In this moving and informative memoir, Baer gives readers fascinating insights not only into a rare disease, but also the journey of two individuals determined to understand and overcome all the odds. "
 
Julietcf14 said:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

Very quick and entertaining read, especially if you are interested in Autism. Its written from the perspective of a 15 year old autisic child.
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This book is really a fast and fun read. It gives you great insight into the thought processes within a person with autism.
 
Too Scared to Cry: Psychic Trauma in Childhood
by Lenore Terr (Author)

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
When children witness or experience sudden, shocking events, how do they assimilate the horror? Terr found they don't simply forget and grow up unscathed. Evidence proves the trauma is recorded and repeatedly replayed by the mind. That these recurring images manifest themselves in different guises is especially intriguing in light of her speculation about repressed trauma in the work of Hitchcock, Stephen King and others. The stories here will break your heart, but Terr's advice for aiding traumatized children can help counter the blows of a violent world.
 
I would recommend The Mindful Brain by Daniel Siegel. His knowledge from a physiological perspective combined with his own experience with mindfulness meditation make the book very rich.

For those who love golf and sports psychology, Fearless Golf by Dr. Gio Valiante is a good read.
 
scienceisbeauty said:
That What the Bleep Do We Know movie is a horrible, terrible, waste of time. It has so many errors, pseudo-science claims. It's terrible. My guess is, anyone who has any critical thinking skills would feel the same way.
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Definitely - I consider myself a fairly spiritual person, but that movie was left-field, unfocused, new-age garbage :thumbdown:
 
some favorites:

"Love and Will" - Rollo May

"Walden 2" - B.F. Skinner

"Mental Illness and Psychology" - Michel Foucault

"Heterosexuality" - Masters, Johnson & Kolodny

"The Myth of Mental Illness" - Szasz
 
Some of my favorites were already mentioned so here are some others:

*The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog - Bruce Perry (Childhood trauma)
*The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness - Elyn Saks (Autobiographical account of mental illness)
* Interpersonal Process in Psychotherapy: A Relational Approach - Edward Teyber (Therapist Client relationships)
*The Gift of Therapy - Yalom (Stories from psychotherapy)
*Adult Children of Alcoholics - Janet Woititz (Great for clients)
 
"The Center Cannot Hold" by Elyn Saks
Oliver Saks has it exactly right: "The most lucid and hopeful memoir of living with schizophrenia I have ever read"

Gotta mention "Surviving Schizophrenia" by E. Fuller Torrey, just because it has helped clear up a lot of misconceptions about schizophrenia and I've talked to many families who've found it enormously helpful.
 
Endangered Minds: Why Children Don't Think and What We Can Do About It by Jane M. Healy, PhD
I just started reading this, but it is really interesting (albeit worrisome). Especially if you teach, you may want to check this out. Hopefully it's good all the way through...
 
With brain imaging via fMRI and the 256 channel EEG being widely used, this relatively old book could be brought up to date.
(Available at Amazon dot com for 4 to 20 dollars a used copy).
The five hour "first read" is time well spent.
 
The Working Brain by A. R. Luria

This one here is proving the plasticity of my own brain! Get it now!
 
NYCPsych said:
Flowers for Algernon! Daniel Keyes
and I also can't believe no one mentioned I Never Promised You A Rose Garden, Hannah Green
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I never Promised You a Rose Garden is the book that orginally got me interested in the topic of psychology. I LOVE that book!
 
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