Good Books on Psychology

[SWM]

What are the best books you have read in the psychology genre?

for me the best book i read was The Farther Reaches of Human Nature by Abraham Maslow. this bookwas one of malsows last works and was a synthesis of his previous theories on motivation and human nature. i bought the book from ebay for about 50 pence and it cost me £3 to ship it, it was battered and torn but i loved it. it was a brilliant insightful and stimualting book.

[corwin137]

"If You Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him!" by Sheldon Kopp.  The subtitle is "The Pilgrimage of Psychotherapy Patients".  Besides the DSM-IV, best book I can think of about psych.  Would dub it, essentially, a book on the philosophy of psychology.  Dude wrote 20ish books, and is unfortunately deceased.  PhD from NY University.  Good egg.

[SWM]

thats sounds good, i'll be looking for that next time i visit the library. the philosophy of psychology? this makes me think of a book i read by RD Laing, i think laing was a trained psychiatrist but a writer of existential psychology.  not sure if RDLaing is he or she but they right well. the book i am thinking of is called "the politics of experience and the bird of paradise"

[corwin137]

On the coattails of the free will (as opposed to "Free Willy", or the more important "Free Big Willy" by Chuck D...) discussion and some stuff Schizo has said, here's another great psychology book, but by a philosopher, much on "free will" and feelings and such:

The Myth of Freedom - Chogyam Trungpa

[Schizo]

The Legacy of B.F. Skinner: Concepts and Perspectives, Controversies and Misunderstandings



I read a little of this book...  it seemed interesting, providing insight into his research...


B.F. Skinner, although regarded as a major influence in behavioral psychology, I feel will one day be amidst the ranks of people like Newton.   


Just the idea we are similar to a programmable system with inputs an outputs, spurred a stream of thoughts in my own mind that makes me happy...  = )

[RobinVeloz]

Im curently reading two books on psychology
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Title:       Violence: Our Deadly Epidemic and Its Causes

Author:    J Gilligan

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Title:         The Boy Who Was Raised As a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook 
                               
Author(s):Bruce D. Perry and Maia Szalavitz

[SWM]

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Title:         The Boy Who Was Raised As a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook 
                               
Author(s):Bruce D. Perry and Maia Szalavitz

this sounds particularly interesting. has this been as good as it sounds?

[RobinVeloz]

Well currently I have only read about half of that book.It gets more amazing with every chapter.In the book Bruce explains what occurs to the sensitive brain of a child when susceptible to extreme stress.

I recommend it to everyone,Its that incredible...

[SWM]

i would enjoy that. i think the mind of a child is so sensitive to the world around it but also very resilient i can imagine how major stress could push a child to become very damaged or to grow into a very powerful individual.

[SWM]

looks a good one, i have not read it yet. i have met the author on a number of occasions as she is a doctor employed by my employer.

Brief Psychological Interventions in Practice by Ann Williamson

this book provides a practical guide to using brief psychological interventions within a short consultation, drawing together techniques from a number of different approaches including CBT, solution focus, brief therapy, nlp and hypnosis. it provides the evidence behind the approaches and guidelines on how to implement techniques in everyday clinical work.

Dr ann williamson has been a GP for more than thirty years and uses brief therapy and hypnosis both formally and informally with many of her clients. she also lectures at manchester, chester and salford universities.  DR williamson has been involved with training health professionals in hypnosis for many years with the british society of clinical and academic hypnosis (BSCAH)

[tevan]

I enjoy Robert J. Sternbergs books.  The Story of Love and Cupid's Arrow.  Very good for anyone who is in a relationship

[Enigma]

The Human Encounter with Death by Stanislav Groff.  Psychedelic therapy fascinates me.