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Popular Books on Psychology
Biopsychological Domain
Ackerman, D. (1990). A natural history of the senses. New York: Random House.
- This book offers a compelling explanation about the evolution of different sensory systems.
Ackerman, D. (2004). An alchemy of mind: The marvel and mystery of the brain. New York: Scribner.
- Ackerman examines memory, emotion, dreams, and language acquisition, and also reports on the latest discoveries in neuroscience.
Bloom, F. E., Lazerson, A., & Hofstadter, L. (2005). Brain, mind, and behavior (3 rd ed.). New York: Freeman.
- This is a beautifully illustrated and highly readable account of advances in understanding of the relationship between the brain and behavior.
Burrell, B. (2004). Postcards from the brain museum: The improbable search for meaning in the matter of famous minds. New York: Broadway Books.
- This book examines the history of scientific attempts to locate the sources of both genius and depravity in the physical anatomy of the human brain.
Cytowic, R. E. (1993). The man who tasted shapes. New York: Warner Books.
- A collection of fascinating stories of synesthesia (experiencing colors as sounds, tastes as shapes, etc.). This book includes a discussion of how these strange phenomena might arise and draws implications for our understanding of reason, emotion, and perception.
Dennett, D. (1991). Consciousness explained. Boston: Little Brown.
- The author explores how conscious experience can best be understood by drawing on psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and artificial intelligence.
Dowling, J. E. (1998). Creating mind: How the brain works. New York: Norton.
- This book addresses the field of neuroscience, the progress neuroscientists are making in understanding how the brain works and some of the strategies for studying brain function.
Ekman, P. (2003). Emotions revealed: Recognizing faces and feelings to improve communication and emotional life. New York: Times Books.
- This is a comprehensive look at human emotional life and how we interpret and experience emotions.
Elfenbein, D. (Ed.). (1995). Living with Prozac and other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs): Personal accounts of life on antidepressants. San Francisco: Harper.
- This book addresses what it’s like to be on Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil as told from the perspective of the patient. It includes material on pros and cons of personality changes as well as other effects.
Gazzaniga, M. S. (1985). The social brain. New York: Basic Books.
- Gazzaniga provides a physical and psychological approach to understanding the brain while debunking many of the misinterpretations of the right-brain/left-brain studies.
Gazzaniga, M.S., Ivry, R. B., & Mangun, G. R. (2002). Cognitive neuroscience: The biology of the mind (2 nd ed.). New York: Norton.
- This text combines the study of cognitive science and behavioral neuroscience for an interdisciplinary approach to understanding how the human mind works. A glossary is provided.
Greenfield , S. A. (1997). The human brain: A guided tour. New York: Basic Books.
- This book provides the reader with a survey of the brain. Greenfield examines how various brain functions might be localized, describes how neurons communicate, and discusses the development of the human brain from conception to birth.
Gregory, R. L. (1994). Even odder perceptions. London: Routledge.
- This collection of essays on perception provides extensive resources.
Gregory, R. L. (1997). Eye and brain: The psychology of seeing (5th ed.). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
- In this essential introduction to the basic phenomena of visual perception, Gregory offers clear explanations of how we see brightness, movement, color, and objects. He also explores the phenomena of visual illusions.
Hamer, D., & Copeland, P. (1998). Living with our genes: Why they matter more than you think. New York: Doubleday.
- This text examines how much of our behavior is influenced by our genes The authors decode the genetics of various traits, based on scientific findings.
Hilts, P. J. (1988). Memory’s ghost: The strange tale of Mr. M. and the nature of memory. New York: Simon & Schuster.
- This book presents the fascinating case of Henry M., who underwent experimental brain surgery in 1953 and has since lived only in the present. (Note: Technically, his hippocampus was removed and he lost his episodic memory.) He can talk, read, and write but has no memory for what has just happened—every minute is a new experience for him. The author uses this case effectively to discuss the nature of memory.
Hunt, M. (1994). The natural history of love (Rev. ed.). New York: Anchor.
- This classic best seller examines love, sex, marriage, and male-female relationships throughout history.
Johnson, S. (2004). Mind wide open: Your brain and the neuroscience of everyday life. New York: Scribner.
- This book describes how the brain works and how brain activities connect to the day-to-day realities of our lives.
Klivington, K. (1989). The science of mind. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
- Klivington examines what we know about the mind, the brain, and mind-brain connections through a series of fascinating discoveries that have resulted from neuroscience research. This book includes hundreds of illustrations.
Konner, M. (1990). Why the reckless survive…and other secrets of human nature. New York: Penguin Books.
- A physician/anthropologist offers intriguing essays on the biological aspects of human nature, in the process touching on creativity and mental illness, twin studies, the biology of mood, sexuality, and gender, among other topics.
Lazarus, R. S. (1991). Emotion and adaptation. New York: Oxford University Press.
- This is a comprehensive and readable discussion of the cognitive appraisal model of emotion and motivation by one of its most eminent researchers.
Livingstone, M. (2002). Vision and art: The biology of seeing. New York: Abrams.
- Harvard neurobiologist Livingstone demonstrates that how we see art depends ultimately on the cells in our eyes and our brains. This text provides a comprehensive account of the biology of vision as well as the science underlying various phenomena in art.
Logue, A. W. (2004). The psychology of eating and drinking (3 rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Brunner-Routledge.
- This provides an overview of food preferences, hunger and thirst, and eating and drinking disorders.
Myers, D. G. (1993). The pursuit of happiness: Discovering the pathway to fulfillment, well-being, and enduring personal joy. New York: Avon.
- This book presents a research-based discussion of what is known about human happiness and includes practical suggestions for increasing happiness.
Ornstein, R. (1991). The evolution of consciousness: The origins of the way we think. New York: Simon & Schuster.
- This book presents an entertaining and challenging discussion of the evolution of the mind, including fundamental questions about the mind and how it works.
Regan, C. (2001). Intoxicating minds: How drugs work. New York: Columbia University Press.
- Regan provides a wide-ranging account of how drugs affect human biology.
Restak, R. M. (1993). Receptors. New York: Bantam Books.
- This book presents a thorough and readable exploration of synapses and neurotransmitters and their links to drugs, moods, behavior, personality, and mental illness.
Sacks, O. (1999). Migraine (Rev. ed.). New York: Knopf Publishing.
- This best-selling book is of case studies of people coping with various neurological disorders.
Sacks, O. (1970). The man who mistook his wife for a hat and other clinical tales. New York: HarperCollins.
- A neurologist explores compelling case studies about consequences of organic brain damage.
Seligman, M. E. P., (1998). Learned optimism (2 nd ed.). New York: Pocket Books.
- Seligman focuses on optimism, pessimism, and positive thinking. Based on research and theory in cognitive psychology, the author’s position is that optimism and pessimism are learned explanatory styles and that these styles can be changed. It includes self-tests and practical advice.
Shepard, R. N. (1990). Mind sights: Original visual illusions, ambiguities, and other anomalies, with a commentary on the play of mind in perception and art. New York: Freeman.
- Original drawings by this outstanding researcher are used to shed light on the relationship of mind (cognition), perception, and art. It includes a brief autobiography that is unusually entertaining.
Springer, S. P., & Deutsch, G. (1997). Left brain right brain: Perspectives from cognitive neuroscience (5 th ed.). New York: W.H. Freeman.
- This is the fifth edition of the classic text on the topic of hemispheric brain asymmetries.
Stafford , T., & Webb, M. (2005). Mind hacks: Tips & tools for using your brain. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media.
- This book provides a collection of 100 experiments, tips, and tricks for understanding how the brain functions.
Tavris, C. (1989). Anger: The misunderstood emotion. (Rev. ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster.
- This engaging, authoritative work covers all aspects of anger and includes recommendations for dealing with anger.
Tavris, C. (1992). The mismeasure of woman. New York: Touchstone.
- This explores gender differences and examines stereotypes about women.
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