PsicoGDL

[Part 1]

 

Some of the most fascinating, appealing and insightful books that have been written about human psychology since the earlier days of the study of this mesmerizing subject are given below. These books have something important to say about one aspect of human psychology or the other. Most of these books are available at any good bookstore or can be ordered online from Amazon and other websites. This is the first part of a long series.  Other noteworthy books will be subsequently released in the other parts of the series.

 

 

1. Men talk: How men really feel about women, sex, relationships, and themselves.

By A. Baraff.

Focuses on male psychology.

 

2. Crisis dreaming: Using your dreams to solve your problems.

By L. Lamberg and R. Cartwright.

All about dreams. Case studies, information on dream processes, interpreting dream

 

content and much more.

 

3. The clock of competence.

By R. B. Edgerton

Study of people with mental retardation. Talks about their fears, lives, hopes and the

 

effect of stigma. In addition a follow up of their lives after 30 years.

 

4. Driven to distraction: Recognizing and coping with attention deficit disorder from

 

childhood through adulthood.

By J. J. Ratey & E. M. Hallowell.

All about attention deficit disorder.

 

5. The romance of American psychology: Politics and culture in the age of experts.

By E. Herman.

Discussions about psychology’s role as the most effective philosophy in America.

 

6. Should psychology be a science: Pros and cons.

By J, Abra.

Answers as to should science be the most apt way of knowing about human beings

 

themselves.

 

7. Patterns in the mind: Language and human behavior.

By R. Jackendorf

Study of the role of language in shaping human behavior.

 

8. Learned optimism.

By M.E.P. Seligman.

Wide range of topics based on research and theory in cognitive psychology.

 

9. You and your adolescent: A parent’s guide for ages 10-20.

By A. Levine and L. Steinberg.

Self-help book on adolescence.

 

10. Don’t panic: Taking control of anxiety attacks.

By R. R. Wilson.

Self-help book on anxiety attacks.

 

http://www.humanpsychology.org/2010/05/human-psychology-books.html

Starred Review. Unabashedly inspired by Malcolm Gladwell’s bestselling The Tipping Point, the brothers Heath—Chip a professor at Stanford’s business school, Dan a teacher and textbook publisher—offer an entertaining, practical guide to effective communication. Drawing extensively on psychosocial studies on memory, emotion and motivation, their study is couched in terms of “stickiness”—that is, the art of making ideas unforgettable. They start by relating the gruesome urban legend about a man who succumbs to a barroom flirtation only to wake up in a tub of ice, victim of an organ-harvesting ring. What makes such stories memorable and ensures their spread around the globe? The authors credit six key principles: simplicity, unexpectedness, concreteness, credibility, emotions and stories. (The initial letters spell out “success”—well, almost.)

They illustrate these principles with a host of stories, some familiar (Kennedy’s stirring call to “land a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth” within a decade) and others very funny (Nora Ephron’s anecdote of how her high school journalism teacher used a simple, embarrassing trick to teach her how not to “bury the lead”). Throughout the book, sidebars show how bland messages can be made intriguing. Fun to read and solidly researched, this book deserves a wide readership. (Jan. 16)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

“I only wish I’d never before used the words ‘breakthrough’ or ‘breathtaking’ or ‘magisterial’ or ‘stunning achievement’ or ‘your world will never be the same after you read this book.’ Then I could be using them for the first and only time as I describe my reaction to Daniel Coyle’s The Talent Code. I am even willing to ‘guarantee’ that you will not read a more important and useful book in 2009, or pretty much any other year. And if all that’s not enough, it’s also ‘a helluva good read.’”—Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence

“This is a remarkable—even inspiring—book. Daniel Coyle has woven observations from brain research, behavioral research, and real-world training into a conceptual tapestry of genuine importance. What emerges is both a testament to the remarkable potential we all have to learn and perform and an indictment of any idea that our individual capacities and limitations are fixed at birth.”—Dr. Robert Bjork, Distinguished Professor and Chair of Psychology, UCLA

I only wish I’d never before used the words ‘breakthrough’ or ‘breathtaking’ or ‘magisterial’ or ‘stunning achievement’ or ‘your world will never be the same after you read this book.’ Then I could be using them for the first and only time as I describe my reaction to Daniel Coyle’s The Talent Code. I am even willing to guarantee that you will not read a more important and useful book in 2009, or any other year. And if all that’s not enough, it’s also a helluva good read.” —Tom Peters, coauthor of In Search of Excellence and author of Re-imagine!

“Daniel Coyle digs deep into the core of the insatiable desire to become ‘better.’ An amazing read with many practical applications for everyday life.” —Apolo Anton Ohno, Olympic gold medalist

Orloff (Second Sight) offers a superbly written series of psychological strategies for maximizing positive emotions and minimizing toxic ones. A practicing psychiatrist, the author straddles the worlds of mainstream medicine and alternative healing; she regards emotions as a training ground for the soul, and views every victory over fear, anxiety, and resentment as a way to develop your spiritual muscles. As the self is the foundation for emotional freedom, the author discusses how readers can find their emotional type—intellectual, empathic, rock or gusher—and suggests how to find balance. Her tips include avoiding emotional vampires or consulting dreams, which she divides into three types: psychological (where fears and neuroses express themselves), predictive and guidance. The second half of the book tackles the most difficult life challenges: depression, loneliness, anxiety, frustration, rejection, grief, envy and bitterness. Orloff addresses each fully and frankly, using anecdotes from her own life and practice—the death of her mother, her own crippling envy. This insightful and positive book will assist anyone who is suffering in mapping a path out of pain. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Touted as a “handbook on the most subtle and effective form of power” and “an indispensable primer on how to take what you want from whomever you want,” this book is more than a little creepy. Following on the heels of his 48 Laws of Power, this book continues Greene’s gross exploration of social power, this time in the realm of sexual politics. In Part 1, Greene, again paired with “packager” Joost Elffers (Play with Your Food), offers a straight-faced description of the nine types of seductive character, from the “Ideal Lover” to the “Rake.” Elffers’s contribution comes in the form of numerous quotes by famous contemporary and historical figures tucked into the side margins. Part 2 examines the process of seduction, subdivided into four phases, with chapter headings such as “Master the Art of Insinuation” and “Isolate the Victim.” This book will have real appeal for power mongers, gold diggers, and heartless manipulators everywhere. Books such as Beverley East’s Finding Mr. Write (LJ 5/1/00) and Jama Clark’s What the Hell Do Women Really Want? (Island Flower, 1997) offer advice on the same subject without the distasteful exploitative emphasis. David Valencia, King Cty. Lib. Syst., WA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Adult/High School—This book illustrates which nonverbal clues telegraph untrustworthiness and deception and which radiate sincerity and compassion. In this fascinating take on body language and the ability to decipher it for use in everyday life, Navarro emphasizes that while knowing the reasons for certain behaviors—like touching one’s neck—can be useful in “reading” people, they are not foolproof barometers of deception. A former FBI agent who commonly used these techniques to help crack cases, the author cautions about jumping to conclusions and encourages using clusters of nonverbal patterns to help discover whether a person is lying or just under stress. One chapter is devoted to the brain and its limbic system, which controls those involuntary quirks of behavior. Black-and-white photos illustrate different points throughout. This book is a worthy research tool, and a good addition to larger collections.—Charli Osborne, Oxford Public Library, MI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

“A masterful work on nonverbal body language by an exceptional observer. Joe Navarro’s work has been field-tested in the crucible of law enforcement at the highest levels within the FBI. I cannot praise the book enough.” (–David Givens, Ph.D., author of Crime Signals and Love Signals )