Must read Psychology books

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
The Must Read for every student, who does not want to approach college like a numb skull !

Describes the rip-off , broken education system in this country:(
Members don't see this ad.
 
Mistakes Were Made (But not by me) by Carol Tavris & Elliot Aronson

"Why we justify foolish beliefs, bad decisions, and hurtful acts"
 
I Know This Much Is True -Wally Lamb
Its fictional, and yes, its 900 pgs, but I just finished it last night and I'm telling you- it's awesome!! MC's identical twin brother is schizophrenic, begins his own journey of exploration in therapy... I can't really explain it. The therapist is awesome, the characters are so real and their struggles are so thought-provoking. Okay-I'm officially the worst reviewer ever-just read it:p

The Golden Cage- Brusch
old book about the treatment of ED, but still worth the read.

The Drama of the Gifted Child
Not that empirical, but interesting and a good read.

Wasted- Marya Horbacher
Memoire of AN and BN, again not scientific, but a gives the reader a good understanding of ED's. She throws some interesting theories out there. There is also quite a bit of insider knowledge (on pt's side)that would be helpful to any treatment provider. WARNING: DO NOT recommend this book to anyone in treatment (or in need of it) eventhough they will probably read it at some point. Not helpful to anyone struggling with it, may even be slightly triggering for those who have no ED.

Many of my favorites have been listed already. These are more "fun" reads that are psych related.

PS: On the subject of fictional psyc-related books: how many of you are not fans of The Bell Jar? I love SP as a poet but can't stand that book! I can't tell you how many people have mentioned it when I told them I was in psyc. - anyway just wanted to know the general sentiments on it. :rolleyes:
 
Members don't see this ad :)
psychcavy said:
I Know This Much Is True -Wally Lamb
Its fictional, and yes, its 900 pgs, but I just finished it last night and I'm telling you- it's awesome!! MC's identical twin brother is schizophrenic, begins his own journey of exploration in therapy... I can't really explain it. The therapist is awesome, the characters are so real and their struggles are so thought-provoking. Okay-I'm officially the worst reviewer ever-just read it:p
Click to expand...

This is an AMAZING book, I couldn't put it down. It's hard to explain without giving things away...so your review was perfect! :)

If you haven't checked it out already, his new book, The Hour I First Believed, is a great read too. It's not as psych-oriented, but it's about Columbine and the longterm effects it has on the main character and his wife.
 
tatum2128 said:
This is an AMAZING book, I couldn't put it down. It's hard to explain without giving things away...so your review was perfect! :)

If you haven't checked it out already, his new book, The Hour I First Believed, is a great read too. It's not as psych-oriented, but it's about Columbine and the longterm effects it has on the main character and his wife.
Click to expand...

ooo... I'll have to check that out! Thanks!:D
 
falseimitation said:
I was kinda surprised that these books weren't on here with the neuropsych recommendations.

Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers by Robert M. Sapolsky
Click to expand...



I love that book! Great suggestion. Also, The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz is just a great read IMO. It deals more with social psyc than with anything else.

edit: sorry for the double first post!! :)
 
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferris

DSM-IV Made Easy: The Clinician's Guide to Diagnosis by James Morrison

For Autism and TBI

Let Me Hear Your Voice: A Family's Triumph over Autism by Catherine Maurice

Where is the Mango Princess? by Cathy Crimmins

These are excellent books. You will find that you will refer back to them again and again

Anything by Stephen Pinker, Erving Goffman, and Brandt F Steele's books on child abuse.

On a personal level, I thought Malcolm X and Dantes Inferno were excellent books.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Can anyone recommend good stats and/or testing and measurement books?
 
i'm looking for a good book on psychodynamic case conceptualization myself!
 
Brain Weiss - Many Lives, Many Masters

Tao Te Ching - translated by Stephen Mitchell

101 Zen Stories - Senzaki. I did not follow most of the stories, but the ones I did were deep.

I just finished reading Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. It has already been mentioned on this forum and is an excellent read.
 
psybee said:
i'm looking for a good book on psychodynamic case conceptualization myself!
Click to expand...

Are you familiar with Nancy McWilliams' books? She has three -- one on diagnosis (a classic), one on formulation, and one on psychotherapy. All are good reads and very accessible for all levels of training.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Becoming Attached
First Relationships and How They Shape Our Capacity to Love
by Dr. Robert Karen
 
The Conscious Mind - David Chalmers (more of a philosophy of mind book but amazing nonetheless)
 
psychmama said:
Are you familiar with Nancy McWilliams' books? She has three -- one on diagnosis (a classic), one on formulation, and one on psychotherapy. All are good reads and very accessible for all levels of training.
Click to expand...

thanks!
 
sukurux said:
The Conscious Mind - David Chalmers (more of a philosophy of mind book but amazing nonetheless)
Click to expand...

Ahh, we studied him in my Intro to Cognitive Science class! Interesting stuff.
 
If anyone is interested in Alzheimers, Still Alice by Lisa Genova is a very touching book. It's a quick read, and while it might not offer the most complex or intellectual explanations, it is a very heartfelt and realistic look into the disease.
 
I really enjoyed a book called The Transforming Power of Affect by Diana Fosha. She is a leader in the development of evidence-based shorter term psychodynamic therapy. Her work draws heavily on recent advances in neuroscience as well as attachment theory.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Wherever-You-...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221623828&sr=1-1
sukurux said:
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-zinn

ENJOY!
Click to expand...

Agreed. LOVE love Kabat-Zinn. I use the language from this book nearly everyday in working with anxiety & depression.

I'll also add, The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris (foreword by Steven Hayes) for us ACT folks.

Also look for Buddha's Brain: The New Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom by Rick Hanson (coming out November 2009) I've seen the author speak & read the first chapter, and it's awesome stuff.
 
still alice was an excellent book.. well agreed
sbiggrin.gif
 
hopefulpsych said:
If anyone is interested in Alzheimers, Still Alice by Lisa Genova is a very touching book. It's a quick read, and while it might not offer the most complex or intellectual explanations, it is a very heartfelt and realistic look into the disease.
Click to expand...
I read Still Alice over the weekend, and it was great! I highly recommend it for any professional doing family work and/or neuro assessments....though I think everyone can get something from it. It is far from "technical", but it gives enough information for the reader to understand the implications of the disease.
 
"The Seat of the Soul" Gary Zukav
It is strongly spiritual and if you are so inclined, an excellent read.
 
Any recommendations on adolescent/teen psych books? Ones that are written more for psychologists than for parents, unless you know some good ones written for parents!

My recommendation is Phantoms In The Brain. Did a research project based off the chapter on Capgras, fascinating!
 
I love the reference for Sullivan that someone made (Bringing back some olds school stuff).

When I was in my internship I read Tatics of Change and Resource Focused Therapy constantly. Very helpful for practical knowledge.

If you want to blow back your hair a bit with theory and philosophy read Sacred Unity by Gregory Bateson or The Politics of Experience by R. D. Laing.

If your interested in a newer title Bradford Keeney's new book Creative Therapy will be out next month. He sent me a draft to read. Its great. Lots of interesting cases.

There you have it.

MindForTherapy
http://www.mindfortherapy.com
 
Last edited:
I can imagine that a trip to Dachau would be pretty intense, yeah.
 
Because I'm especially interested in SI, I have to list these:

Cutting by: Steven Levenkron
Women Who Hurt Themselves by: Dusty Miller
A Bright Red Scream by: Marilee Strong (EXCELLENT book!)
Skin Game: a memoir by: Caroline Kettlewell. (This is honestly my favorite book on SI. Her writing style and straightforwardness is so great! It reads more like a novel than a nonfiction book.)
 
This may be required for all of you, but I would recommend Disorders of Personality: DSM-IV and Beyond by Millon, which I am currently reading. He's such an intelligent guy that it takes a while to get through it, but it is really helping to increase my understanding of personality disorders and assessment.
 
PsyDGrrrl said:
I read that on the bus on the way to Dachau. Made for a very intense visit.
Click to expand...

I'm traveling to Germany following this school year, and this is somewhere I hadn't thought of visiting. Would you recommend the trip?
 
loveoforganic said:
I'm traveling to Germany following this school year, and this is somewhere I hadn't thought of visiting. Would you recommend the trip?
Click to expand...

Definitely. Be forewarned, it is a very powerful experience. For me as a Jew I felt like it was kind of my duty to go see that piece of history, partly since the reason I am here as a American was due to my ancestors fleeing eastern Europe to escape persecution, but plenty of non-Jewish Americans were there weeping too.
 
cara susanna said:
This may be required for all of you, but I would recommend Disorders of Personality: DSM-IV and Beyond by Millon, which I am currently reading. He's such an intelligent guy that it takes a while to get through it, but it is really helping to increase my understanding of personality disorders and assessment.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the rec! My abnormal psych instructor didn't do that much with PDs (she didn't "believe in them"... I can, however, tell you lots about schizophrenia, positive psych, OCD, and EDs), so I'll probably need to do some catching up in that area if I get into grad school.
 
I love reading books and most of them if not related to any psychology books are from the author Paulo Coelho.

Most of his books have different meanings that will help a person understand some things that they find difficult to understand.

I suggest his book titled: "Veronika Decides to Die". It's about a girl who committed suicide by over dosing herself of sleeping pills and woke up to find that she survived and is now on a place for people with psychological problems. The story has a twist on it and it's a must read.

Paulo Coelho has numbers of books to choose from and I suggest you guys read them.

Hope I shared a bok that may help you guys.

Thanks. :)
 
Has anyone read:

Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber?

Pretty interesting, to say the least.
 
That's the book that made me want to be a psychologist. Haha. I didn't find out about the controversy until after I had chosen my major.

Edit: I should add that by then I had found other things that made me want to pursue psych, so it wasn't a big deal, though I did feel somewhat betrayed.
 
Last edited:
^ cool!

It's also the book that made me interested in psychology at a young age and I also didn't find out about the controversy until later on.

I've never seen the movie ... have you?
 
No, I haven't. I saw one scene from the recent remake, but that's it.
 
I love this novel by Paulo Coelho, titled "The Devil and Miss Prym". It is a good book, we can all learn a lot from it.

I also finished one novel from him, "The Witch of Portobello", also a good book to spend time with.
 
I just read "The Sociopath Next Door" and found it pretty interesting. It isn't really an academic book but it provides good symptom pictures for violent as well as non violent sociopaths. I recommend it for anyone interested in profiling.
 
"Why people die by suicide" by Thomas Joiner

- Excellent description of a compelling theory of suicidal behavior. The first chapter discusses Dr.Joiner's father's death by suicide, which makes the book all the more impressive.

"The worry cure" by Bob Leahy

- Leahy is a hysterical guy and one of the best at integrating research and clinical practice. I have recommended this to numerous clients.

"Overcoming binge eating" by Christopher Fairburn

- Step-by-step guide through CBT for binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa.

"Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression" by Segal, Williams, and Teasdale

- A little dense at times, but an interesting look at the integration of mindfulness and CBT skills.

I also second the recommendations of "Motivational Interviewing" and "Feeling Good."
 
"The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the power of mental force" by dr. jeffrey schwartz

I just finished this one, great for anyone interested in neuropsychology and how the mind changes the brain :)

Any other suggestions for good neuropsychology books?
 
All the books here sound very interesting!

Hello: I am a new member here. I am a grad-student in clinical psychology with a concentration on children and adolescents. I lucked up on this blog and I'm glad to have found it :)

I'm pretty sure no one mentioned: The Dilemma of Psychology: a psychologists look at his troubled profession by Lawrence LeShan. The book is pretty difficult to get because it has been removed from the shelves for some reason. However, you can certainly request it from your library or ILL services (interlibrary loan).

I would recommend this book for anyone interested in hearing a psychologist complain about his field.

Good luck!

...................................................................

Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all____Aristotle.
 
There's another "gripe about the profession" book called Eleven Blunders That Crippled Psychotherapy in America. It was pretty good.
 
Thanks! I will check into that one :)

If anyone is interested in autism and learning more about the debates and sifting through the confusion, I would encourage you to read... Autism: explaining the enigma by Uta Frith (2003). I had this book for a course on autism and it was great! I think it's one of the most easy academically written books there is to read. In other words, it's an easy read.

Another book is: Biblical stories for psychotherapy and counseling (2004) by Matthew B. Schwartz and Kalman J Kaplan. This book takes biblical principles/stories and applies them to psychotherapy and counseling to help the reader see just how real those stories are. They also draw a line between man's life today and man's life in those biblical times. Great book for someone who is interested in existentialism or spirituality in counseling.

Counseling Across Cultures 6th ed. (2008) by Pedersen, Draguns, Loner, and Trimble is also another good one. This book explains to the reader just how significant culture is in counseling and psychotherapy and how the world of psychology exhibiting a possible paradigm shift. You can get it from the library through interlibrary loan if it's too much to purchase!

If you aren't sure whether you want to be a counselor or psychologist, check out Introduction to Counseling: an art and science perspective (2006) 3rd ed. by Michael S. Nystul. I had this during my first semester of a Masters of Counseling program and it helped me to determine my true career interests.


Lastly, Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl was one of the best books I think I've ever read!! It's truly meaningful and can sort of add meaning to your life just from reading it. It's great. That reminds me of a book by B.F. Skinner called Walden Two. It's fictional, however, the fiction can become very real once you open your mind to what he is proposing for our world.
 
hkandm4s said:
I absolutely love Herman's Trauma and Recovery, some others I'd like to add are
When Rabbit Howls - written by a woman with DID...fascinating book, especially for anyone interested in dissociation and trauma.

and I think EVERYONE in our field should have to read:

Science and Pseudoscience in Clinical Psychology by Lilienfeld, Lynn, and Lohr.
Click to expand...

Seconded on When Rabbit Howls ... spectacularly written.
 
Therapist4Chnge said:
I read Still Alice over the weekend, and it was great! I highly recommend it for any professional doing family work and/or neuro assessments....though I think everyone can get something from it. It is far from "technical", but it gives enough information for the reader to understand the implications of the disease.
Click to expand...

It's a good reminder that something is still going on inside that brain, inside that person, before it's completely gone!
 
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson)
- Mindfulness based techniques. This is the "theory" book. Hayes also has a few workbooks available.

How to Talk So Kids will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk (Faber & Mazlish)
- Great resource when working with parenting issues.

The Neuropsychiatry of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (Jeffrey Cummings)
- Detailed description of different neuropsychological and neurobehavioral profiles of different conditions.

http://www.amazon.com/Neuropsychiat...r_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257223154&sr=1-12These three are not psychology books per se, but they've been recommended by clients and coworkers.
Awakenings (Oliver Sacks)
- Detailed case study of Parkinson's disease.

Stroke of Insight (Jill Bolte Taylor)
- A neuroanatomist's autobiographical account, tracing her stroke and recovery.

When Bad Things Happen to Good People (Harold Kushner)
- Pretty helpful if you are working with relatively religious clients.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

PsychSupreme
YouTube and psychology
Replies
24
Views
1K
PsychSupreme
PsychSupreme
The Cinnabon
Counseling Psychology EPPP rates
Replies
42
Views
2K
WisNeuro
WisNeuro
TrackCPD
Do you subscribe to and/or read any psychology related publications?
Replies
8
Views
577
Sanman
Sanman
D
City college PhD clinical psychology
Replies
0
Views
638
Dan1721
D
B
Counseling Psychology faculty
Replies
3
Views
901
Justanothergrad
J
Top