Robert Greene's magnum opus. An absolute must for people who want an accessible entry into what makes people act the way they do — and you might learn something about yourself too!
- You want to understand why people act like they do
- You want a book that will add a lot of further reading to your reading list
A majestic account of human behavior by renowned Stanford professor Robert Sapolsky. Highly complex and nuanced but equally rewarding read.
- You want to understand human behavior
- You don't shy back from challenging books
The Righteous Mind brings some challenging ideas to the table about morality, religion and politics. It shines a light on the miracle that humans actually can cooperate with each other — and why we so often fail to do so.
- You want to understand why politics divides us
- You want to explore the moral landscape
- You want to find out the evolutionary advantage of religion
A history of humankind from the Stone Age up to the twenty-first century. A great starting point for new readers to get a perspective on where we came from and how we got where we are.
- You are a novice reader and want an accessible account of the history of humankind
Viktor Frankl's classic account of his experience in the Nazi death camps. A book that explains why meaning trumps pleasure as the primary human drive.
- You want a short and gripping book that will shake you to your core
- You want to understand how you can stay human in inhuman conditions
We know we will eventually die. What kind of psychological effect does this terrible truth have on us? This is the topic explored in Ernest Becker's Pulitzer Prize winning book.
- You want to trigger an existential crisis
- You like to explore big questions
- You are not afraid of adding tons of books to your reading list
This lays out the landmark, and Nobel prize awarded, work of Kahneman. A must read book and modern classic.
- You think you are a rational being
- You want to understand human heuristics and cognitive biases
Eric Hoffer explores the temptation of submission to totalitarian regimes in this landmark book.
- You want to understand why people want to escape from freedom
- You want to understand the pull of totalitarianism
This book took me by surprise. Again I'm reminded that classics are classics for a reason. This book is more deeply psychological than my psychology books. If you have any interest at all in understanding human nature, then this book should jump to the top of your reading list.
- You want to read a Russian classic that is NOT 1000 pages long
- You long for a book that makes you think
- You want to explore human nature
The classic guide to understanding the psychology behind why people say yes. Cialdini breaks down the six universal principles of persuasion that drive human behavior — essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how we're wired to be influenced.
- You want to understand why you buy things you don't need
- You want to protect yourself from manipulation
- You're fascinated by the hidden forces behind human decisions