Psychology

Our Psychology Collection features a diverse group of study guides, from pioneering texts by Sigmund Freud and B.F. Skinner to self-help books and contemporary nonfiction about human nature, the mind, and social psychology. If you’re an educator looking to round out a college-level syllabus, or a book club organizer with a penchant for curiosity and dynamic discussion, this collection could help you find just what you're looking for.

Publication year 1961

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Colonialism

Tags Race / Racism, Existentialism, Afro-Caribbean Literature, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, History: European, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

The Wretched of the Earth (1961) is a nonfiction book by Frantz Fanon, a French West Indian psychiatrist and philosopher. Together with such texts as Edward Said’s Orientalism (1978), Gayatri Spivak’s “Can the Subaltern Speak?” (1988), and Homi Bhabha’s The Location of Culture (1994), The Wretched of the Earth is a founding text of modern postcolonial studies. It is also Frantz Fanon’s most internationally acclaimed book, translated into more than 25 languages, though he is... Read The Wretched of the Earth Summary


Publication year 1984

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Education, Education, Psychology, Psychology, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Biography

They Cage the Animals at Night is an autobiographical work by Jennings Michael Burch, published by Berkley in 1984. The bestselling memoir follows a period in the childhood of Jennings Michael Burch in which he passed in and out of the American foster care system. Jennings is forced to cope with abusive and negligent foster homes as well as a family that is constantly on the verge of collapsing. Over the course of these years... Read They Cage the Animals at Night Summary


Publication year 2005

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags Grief / Death, Psychology, Psychology, Classic Fiction, Biography

Joan Didion’s memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking, explores her experiences mourning the death of her husband and the severe illness of her daughter in 2003. Didion, an American journalist and essayist, first gained popularity during the 1960s and 70s covering counterculture and Hollywood, but in The Year of Magical Thinking she turns to more intimate material. Didion’s husband John Gregory Dunne died of a heart attack while he and Didion were caring for their... Read The Year of Magical Thinking Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Community

Tags Business / Economics, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help


Publication year 1937

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Teams, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Self Help, Finance / Money / Wealth, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Originally published in 1937, Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich is widely acknowledged as a foundational text in the field of self-help literature. The book mainly revolves around the themes of The Mystical Power of Positive Thinking, Setting Goals and Persistence, and Desire and Motivation in Personal and Financial Growth. Through anecdotes and practical strategies that Hill claims came from his intimate knowledge of business luminaries such as Andrew Carnegie, Hill promises to catalyze personal... Read Think and Grow Rich Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Psychology, Science / Nature, Self Help, Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Thinking, Fast and Slow (2011), written by Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman, examines how people exercise judgment and make decisions. It draws from Kahneman’s long career—particularly his collaboration with fellow psychologist Amos Tversky beginning in 1969—identifying the mechanisms, biases, and perspectives that constitute human decision-making. Its 38 chapters provide detailed information affecting disciplines ranging from mathematics to law. The book was named one of the best books of 2011 by The New York Times and The... Read Thinking, Fast and Slow Summary


Publication year 1995

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Disability

Tags Disability, Animals, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Biography

Thinking in Pictures: My Life With Autism (1995) is a scientific memoir by author Temple Grandin. Grandin is a Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University, where she fomented her specialized career as one of only a handful of livestock-handling equipment designers in the world. Thinking in Pictures narrates Grandin’s experiences as a world-renowned cattle handler, a professor, and a woman living with autism. Grandin fills each chapter with anecdotal stories and empirical research.Thinking... Read Thinking in Pictures Summary


Publication year 1991

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Business / Economics, Self Help, Science / Nature, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Psychology, Politics / Government


Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Self Help, Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Think Like a Freak is a nonfiction book published in 2014 by Steven D. Levitt, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, and Stephen J. Dubner, a journalist based in New York City. It is a follow-up to the authors’ successful books Freakonomics (2005) and SuperFreakonomics (2009), and ties in with their blog and podcast, which can be found at freakonomics.com. A fourth book in the series, When to Rob a Bank, was... Read Think Like a Freak Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Self Help, Philosophy, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology, Philosophy, Mental Illness


Publication year 2009

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Fate

Tags Philosophy, American Literature, Self Help, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Identity: Indigenous, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Science / Nature, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Agriculture, Anthropology, Business / Economics, History: European, History: U.S., Politics / Government, History: World, Journalism, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology, Food


Publication year 1905

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth

Tags Psychology, Science / Nature, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Philosophy

Sigmund Freud’s Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality was first published in 1905. Freud expanded it several times in later editions, and it reached its final form in 1924. The book occupies a major place in Freud’s body of work, but it was controversial when it first appeared. Freud pointedly blurs the line between perversions and normal sexual behaviors, and he develops a radically new and surprising theory of human sexuality—in particular, of childhood... Read Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality Summary


Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Self Discovery, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Psychology, Biography


Publication year 1883

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None is a work of fiction written by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Published between 1883 and 1885, the allegorical novel also known as Thus Spake Zarathustra is a collection of speeches by a character named Zarathustra to the villagers of The Motley Cow. Nietzsche uses many literary devices such as personification, allegory, and allusion. The philosophical points referenced in Thus Spoke Zarathustra include the death of... Read Thus Spoke Zarathustra Summary


Publication year 1974

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Class, Military / War, Politics / Government, Psychology, British Literature, Classic Fiction

Book DetailsTinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1974) is a thriller written by John Le Carré. It is the first entry in a series of books called the Karla trilogy, followed by The Honourable Schoolboy (1977) and Smiley's People (1979). The trilogy features an aging spy named George Smiley and has been adapted into television and radio shows as well as a feature film. Author DetailsJohn Le Carré is the pen name of David John Moore Cornwell, a... Read Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Summary


Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Tags Self Help, Relationships, Psychology, Psychology, Biography


Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Self Help, Psychology, Business / Economics, Health / Medicine, Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature, Psychology


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: Family, Society: Community

Tags Psychology, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Relationships, Sociology, Science / Nature, Psychology, Mental Illness


Publication year 2020

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Fame

Tags Politics / Government, Psychology, History: U.S., History: World, Psychology, Biography