The best psychology books explore your mind and your brain, how they behave, operate, and interact with others. Without a doubt, the best books about psychology enlighten and entertain, pulling back the mysteries of our minds and the way they operate. This article consists of an epic list of the best books about human psychology. If you’re looking for the best psychology books of all time, you’ll surely find them here… from the classic best books to read about psychology like Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams to modern essentials like Quiet, this roundup covers the breadth and diversity of the field of psychology. Which one appeals to you the most?
By the way, you might want to check out other psychology book lists here on the blog if you’re interested in mental health…
- The 20 Best Books about Bipolar Disorder
- The 20 Best Books about Schizophrenia
- 10 Great Graphic Novel about Mental Illness
And now for an epic list of the 30 best psychology books of all time…
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
Ever wonder how you can convert an irregular, desired activity into a lasting habit? In Atomic Habits, our first entry on this list of the best psychology books, James Clear demystifies the behavior that will turn an action into a permanent habit. Clear helps you acclimate to making a positive habit and ridding yourself of negative ones. The result is a more healthful mental outlook, increased productivity, and maximum effectiveness.
How to read it: Purchase Atomic Habits on Amazon
Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment by Martin E. P. Seligman
This groundbreaking book by Martin E.P. Seligman, a visionary psychologist who transformed the field, introduces Seligman’s foundational principles of Positive Psychology. You’ll learn all the necessary mental tweaks and mindset shifts needed to break through negativity, stop dwelling on the bad, and achieve, well, as the title suggests, a more authentic happiness. Authentic Happiness is definitely up there with the other best books about psychology.
How to read it: Purchase Authentic Happiness on Amazon
Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst by Robert M. Sapolsky
Ever wonder why we do the things we do? It might seem like a big mystery, but in Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst, behavioral psychologist Robert M. Sapolsky reveals the foundations of our human behavior, both the good and negative alike. As much a seminar in psychology, Behave is accessible and engaging and ranks up there among the best psychology books about human behavior.
How to read it: Purchase Behave on Amazon
The Body Keeps the Score: Mind, Brain and Body in the Transformation of Trauma by Bessel Van Der Kolk
Any list of the best psychology books of all time surely has to include Bessel Van der kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score. This revelatory book has done more to bring trauma to the forefront of the psychological discussion than any other. In The Body Keeps the Score, van der Kolk unmasks the condition of trauma and offers healing hopes for people suffering from trauma, PTSD, and C-PTSD. This new understanding of trauma has big implications for the field of psychiatry and the practice of therapy.
How to read it: Purchase The Body Keeps the Score on Amazon
Consciousness Explained by Daniel C. Dennett
If you’re looking for the best psychology books, you’ll want to check out Daniel C. Dennett’s Consciousness Explained. This compelling book explores the intersection of neurology and psychology, seeking to illuminate the wonders of the human brain and the unanswerable questions we still have about it. Far from a textbook, Consciousness Explained is a seminar in how the brain dances with the mind and one of the best books on brain psychology.
How to read it: Purchase Consciousness Explained on Amazon
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown
Certainly among the most influential psychologists, Brené Brown is known for writing highly readable books that distill psychological research into actionable takeaways. Nowhere is this more apparent than in her widely popular book, Daring Greatly, definitely among the best books about psychology. In this fascinating read, Brown sings the virtues of vulnerability as a hidden strength. You’ll read all about how to best approach finding the courage to be vulnerable and the benefits of taking a chance on being honest and candid in hopes of being seen.
How to read it: Purchase Daring Greatly on Amazon
Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness by William Styron
Today, mental health memoirs are no new thing, but in 1990 when novelist William Styron published Darkness Visible, it ushered in a new era with less stigma. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Sophie’s Choice, one of my all-time favorite novels, Styron here details a depressive episode he had that almost consumed his life. A quick read at roughly 85 pages, Darkness Visible is a short book that’s made a major contribution to psychology and helped paved the way for other mental health memoirs. It’s for sure one of the best books to read about psychology.
How to read it: Purchase Darkness Visible on Amazon
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman
You’ve heard of an Intelligence Quotient (IQ), but have you heard of Emotional Intelligence or EQ? While society prizes IQs, what we really need more on a daily level is Emotional Intelligence. And that’s exactly the concept Daniel Goleman features in Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, a foundational book and one of the best psychology books of all time. This book highlights the benefits of tuning up your EQ skills for better interactions with other people, at home, at work, and in love.
How to read it: Purchase Emotional Intelligence on Amazon
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
You know when you’re just totally in the groove, firing on all cylinders like you’re plugged into a higher, more creative, more aware, and more productive state? That’s what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s called “flow.” In this book, Csikszentmihalyi teaches readers how to harness this mode and make it work for you. Csikszentmihalyi’s book helps you achieve flow and turn it on, making for a more sustainable state of mind. Flow for sure deserves to be considered one of best books about human psychology.
How to read it: Purchase Flow on Amazon
Games People Play: The Psychology of Human Relationships by Eric Berne
Looking for the best psychology books about human behavior? Pick up Games People Play. Five million copies sold later, Eric Berne’s classic Games People Play is just as insightful and relevant as the day it was published in 1964. In Games People Play, Berne helps take the mystery out of interpersonal behavior and social psychology with a focus the “games” people will try to pull on one another. Reading Games People Play will bring you closer to a better grasp on how to interact with other humans.
How to read it: Purchase Games People Play on Amazon
Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
First published in 1993, Susanna Kaysen’s Girl, Interrupted was just as influential as William Styron’s Darkness Visible we highlighted earlier. In this mental. health memoirs, Kaysen details the nearly two years she spent on the unit for teenage girls at McLean, the famous psychiatric hospital where Sylvia Plath, Robert Lowell, and other notable people sought treatment. Girl, Interrupted is a powerful and eye-opening look at the inpatient psychiatry experience and deserved of being on this list of the best psychology books of all time.
How to read it: Purchase Girl, Interrupted on Amazon
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
Puzzled about why some people have more resilience than others? That’s the quality of “Grit” that. psychologist Angela Duckworth features in this essential psychology book. Duckworth has done extensive research on the “power of passion and perseverance” that allows some people to bounce back and work through setbacks. In Grit, you’ll discover how to adapt some of Duckworth’s findings to bring more grit into your daily life. Grit has become a contemporary classic and one of the best books on psychology for beginners.
How to read it: Purchase Grit on Amazon
Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life by Christie Tate
I have done group therapy two times, and I can attest to how powerful the benefits can be. Somehow you find yourself opening up to strangers about your deepest, darkest fears, passions, and feelings. It’s exactly that dynamic that Christie Tate introduces in Group, one of the best new books about psychology. Tate recounts the several years she spent in group working through her mental and relationship obstacles under the guidance of an expert therapist. I hope more people find the same strength I did from group therapy, and Tate’s book will surely help that to happen.
How to read it: Purchase Group on Amazon
The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom by Jonathan Haidt
Looking for tips on being happier? Seeking the best books to read about psychology? Try Jonathan Haidt’s The Happiness Hypothesis. This book is divided into 10 chapters of “Great Ideas” like “The Pursuit of Happiness,” “The Uses of Adversity,” and “The Felicity of Virtue” that turn into familiar maxims like “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Haidt then incorporates timeless wisdom from classic philosophy into contemporary psychological approaches. The result is a refreshing take on modern psychology through connections with ancient ideas. Read this book, and you’ll be on the path to happiness.
How to read it: Purchase The Happiness Hypothesis on Amazon
How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us about Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan
In How to Change Your Mind, acclaimed science reporter Michael Pollan turns his attention to psychedelic psychiatry, focusing on highlighting the surprising benefits of LSD and psilocybin (the active ingredient in “magic” mushrooms). Pollan reports on how these substances can form the basis of a new-old psychiatric therapy, effecting a more balanced, less stressed, and more clear-thinking mind. Pollan’s persuasive argument shows how these taking these substances in a controlled way under expert care can help overcome conditions like depression and anxiety. Pollan’s book is also a look at how the brain works by responding to these antidotes and, as a newer title, on any list of the best new books about psychology.
How to read it: Purchase How to Change Your Mind on Amazon
The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud
This list of the best psychology books of all time surely includes Sigmund Freud’s classic text, The Interpretation of Dreams. Though it was published in 1899, this enormously impactful book is also relevant for our modern era. Freud is a patient teacher who instructs on how to tap into our subconscious and understand how our minds work with sleep to create meaningful dreams that reveal hidden truths, feelings, and urges. It is the quintessential psychology book and one of the best books on psychology for beginners.
How to read it: Purchase The Interpretation of Dreams on Amazon
The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language by Steven Pinker
When you think about, languages are as amazing as it gets. Using a small number of letters, each language builds into a robust vocabulary for communication. And in The Language Instinct, Steven Pinker gives us a deep dive into the psychology of language: what it is, how we are evolutionary disposed to think and express ourselves with language, and how our minds process and communicate by using languages. The result is a book that will change the way you think about our common tongue. Don’t take it from me alone: this book won a prize from the American Psychological Association. It’s no surprise, then, that The Language Instinct has earned a spot on this selective list of the best psychology books.
How to read it: Purchase The Language Instinct on Amazon
The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil by Philip G. Zimbardo
It’s no secret I’m fascinated by forensic psychology—check out my list of “The 30 Best Criminology Books” here on the blog—so of course I’m going to include The Lucifer Effect in this roundup of the best psychology books of all time. If you’ve ever been intrigued by how humans “break bad” and turn from a “good” person into an “evil” one, Philip G. Zimbardo’s The Lucifer Effect is a book you’ll want to add to your To-Be-Read (TBR) list. This book was authored by the leader of the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment, one of the most consequential psychology studies of all time, and in The Lucifer Effect Zimbardo extracts the key takeaways from that research and formulates his own findings to address why and how morally “good” ordinary humans turn “evil.” It’s a chilling book that’s as influential as it was when it was first published 25 years ago.
How to read it: Purchase The Lucifer Effect on Amazon
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks
If you’re not already familiar with him, Oliver Sacks was a famous neurologist who helped make his field more accessible by publishing popular books about the mysteries and complications of what can happen to our minds and brains. Start with The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales, which details case studies from people Sacks encountered and treated. It’s amazing to read some of these stories and travel to the far frontier of where abnormal psychology and neurology intersect in new horizons. Immensely readable, always fascinating, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat forms the core of any list of the best psychology books of all time.
How to read it: Purchase The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales on Amazon
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
In Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, psychologist and writer Lori Gottlieb celebrates the practice of therapy, both as a patient and a practitioner. When Gottlieb found herself in the midsts of a personal and professional crisis, she turned to another therapist for extra help. Gottlieb’s book is funny and tender-hearted at the same time, a gritty yet passionate look at the healing power of the therapeutic process. A more recent title, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone qualifies as among the best new books about psychology.
How to read it: Purchase Maybe You Should Talk to Someone on Amazon
Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson
Let’s be honest… everyone does something wrong sometimes. Maybe you’re thinking something you know is foolish, but you can’t let go. Or perhaps you’re trying to weasel your way out of the consequences that come from bad decisions and harmful actions. The bottom line is: not everyone has a guilty conscious, and at times we double down even when we know we’re wrong. It’s exactly that kind of mildly deviant behavior—and our resistance to holding ourselves responsible for our mistakes—that Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson explore in Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me). Among the best books about psychology, this study of “self-deception” brings a crucial perspective to mind science, helping to explain why people do bad things and don’t own up to them. Nobody’s perfect, and everyone can see a part of themselves in this engrossing book, which will help you become a better person and citizen of this world.
How to read it: Purchase Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) on Amazon
The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less by Barry Schwartz
I bet it’s happened to you sometime lately: you become overwhelmed by making a simple and straightforward decision and feel stressed with anxiety. If this sounds like you—and probably most of us—you need to pick up psychologist Barry Schwartz’s The Paradox of Choice. Definitely one of the best psychology books, The Paradox of Choice describes the way more options make it harder to make basic choices. Schwartz illuminates how we can fight back against endless options and think with purity, singularity, and objectivity. This book helps liberate people from cloudy and panicked judgments and helps them be more self-assure of their decision-making abilities.
How to read it: Purchase The Paradox of Choice on Amazon
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely
It happens often: you make an irrational decision even though you know it’s irrational. Why is it so hard to pull back from making bad choices when we know they’re bad? In Predictably Irrational, one of the best psychology books of all time, Dan Airely explores this conundrum, revealing the ways that irrational urges can overpower our judgments. The good news is Airely offers a way out of this trap, imparting actional advice that everyone can benefit from learning.
How to read it: Purchase Predictably Irrational on Amazon
The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry by Jon Ronson
Jon Ronson’s The Psychopath Test is one of my all-time favorite books and the book that single-handedly converted me to reading nonfiction. Why is it so good? Because Ronson is an expert storyteller. In this captivating book, Ronson dives into the world of psychopaths: not just psychopaths themselves but also the people who treat and profit off them. What I love about this book is how Ronson introduces himself as part of the story. Along the way, his opinions and beliefs change the more he researches psychopathology, and you might find yours change, too. It’s also so true that psychology is an industry with lobbyists, million-dollar paychecks, and expensive medications and treatment many cannot afford. Ronson pulls back the curtain on this hidden business side of psychology in this must-read.
How to read it: Purchase The Psychopath Test on Amazon
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
I’m really fond of books about personality (see my list of the 30 best personality books on this blog). And Susan Cain’s Quiet is a crucial book in the study of personality and one of the best books about human psychology. What Cain does for introverts in Quiet is sing the song of the power of the “I” types, broadcasting their positive qualities and making the case that introverts are just as capable, strong, and consequential as our extrovert counterparts. An introvert myself, I find Quiet to be just what the world needs to appreciate those whose psychology tends towards introversion.
How to read it: Purchase Quiet on Amazon
Strangers to Ourselves: Unsettled Minds and the Stories That Make Us by Rachel Aviv
Although Rachel Aviv’s Strangers to Ourselves is the newest book in this list of the best psychology books, it’s no less a masterpiece than some of the classics featured here. In Strangers to Ourselves, Aviv concerns herself with “insight,” the term used to describe how self-aware people with mental illnesses about their condition. For far too many people, doctors, psychologists, and the psychiatric industry tell the stories of mental health patients. Aviv highlights how each unique person has a unique story to tell, often ones whose cultural, gender, and age factors are misunderstood. Once you get the power of creating your own personal narrative, you can take action towards rescuing yourself. It’s a bold idea that Aviv champions brilliantly in Strangers to Ourselves, deserving of its status as among the best new books about psychology.
How to read it: Purchase Strangers to Ourselves on Amazon
Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip Heath & Dan Heath
I’ll be the first to admit it: I don’t like change. Like most of us, I’m often resistant to change even when it might benefit me. In Switch, brother-authors Chip and Dan Heath argue that the conflict between our emotional mind and our rational mind keeps us from making essential changes in our personal and professional lives. By mastering the dynamic between these two minds, we can allow change into our lives. Switch, which definitely earning its spot on this list of the best psychology books, will help you find the balance you need to make life-altering changes—and the little ones, too.
How to read it: Purchase Switch on Amazon
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Gladwell is one of the most famous pop psychology writers, and I believe his best work is Talking to Strangers. In this instructive, if not a little dark, book, Gladwell goes over the social psychology that governs our interactions with strangers. I myself felt like there were so many takeaways from this book, and I genuinely think I became a better person after reading it. Plus it’s downright fascinating, with an eclectic mix of case studies from across culture and history.
How to read it: Purchase Talking to Strangers on Amazon
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant
Our society values intelligence, but intelligence can backfire, causing us to calcify our thoughts, opinions, and emotions rather than test them. In Think Again, Wharton business professor and organizational psychologist Adam Grant shares the power of unlearning and rethinking. By unlearning and rethinking, we open ourselves up to personal emotional and intellectual growth through engaging with others who have different beliefs. Grant profiles people who have successfully changed others’ minds by unlearning and rethinking, not least including Grant, who convinced Yankees fans to root for the Red Socks (if he can accomplish that, he can change anyone’s mind). This hopeful read, one of the best psychology books, is what we need for the divided time we’re in right now.
How to read it: Purchase Think Again on Amazon
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
We close this list of the 30 best psychology books of all time with one of the greatest: Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow. This important book details Kahneman’s model where there are two modes of thinking that our brains engage with at any time: there’s System 1, which is fast, emotional, and intuitive, and System 2, which is slower, more logical, and more deliberative. Both of these systems are used in our daily judgments and decisions. In Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman shows how best to harness each system for maximum psychological benefit. Easy to grasp yet profound, Kahenman’s theory explains the way we think in meaningful, impactful terms.
