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 1976

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Globalization, Society: Community

Tags Anthropology, Arts / Culture, Sociology, Anthropology, Science / Nature, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy


Publication year 1971

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Psychology, Philosophy, Science / Nature, Education, Education, Social Science, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Beyond Freedom and Dignity (1971) is a scientific philosophical text written by B. F. Skinner. Skinner (1904-1990) was a psychologist from the United States who is widely recognized for his contributions to behaviorism, the psychological theory that human behavior is determined or based on antecedent and external circumstances. Beyond Freedom and Dignity has been highly criticized for its repudiation of free will and its underlying Victorian ideals; however, this heavy criticism resulted in the popularization... Read Beyond Freedom and Dignity Summary


Publication year 1886

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

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

Beyond Good and Evil: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future is a classic philosophical text composed by one of modernity’s greatest thinkers, Friedrich Nietzsche, and first published in 1886, just a few years after the arguably more infamous Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Published first in Nietzsche’s native German, the book was translated into English 20 years later in 1906, making the work even more widely known to an international audience. A more polemical text than... Read Beyond Good And Evil Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Community

Tags Psychology, Race / Racism, Sociology, Social Justice, Science / Nature, Psychology, Politics / Government


Publication year 2020

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Race, Self Discovery, Society: Community

Tags Self Help, Gender / Feminism, Relationships, Psychology, Psychology


Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Language, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude

Tags Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology, Arts / Culture, Inspirational, Psychology

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear (2015) is a self-help guide by author and journalist Elizabeth Gilbert. This New York Times bestseller outlines six elements of creativity: courage, permission, enchantment, persistence, trust, and divinity. Gilbert uses anecdotes from her life and writing career, as well as the work of others, to explain these concepts, and presents her views and philosophical musings about creativity and inspiration. The work explores themes such as The Importance of Play... Read Big Magic Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health

Tags Psychology, Self Help


Publication year 1952

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race

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

Frantz Fanon's Black Skin, White Masks is a psychological study of colonialism. According to Fanon, the encounter between white European colonizers and black slaves and their descendants creates a unique social and psychological situation with a characteristic set of psychopathologies. Black Skin, White Masks analyzes these psychopathologies, traces their roots in the colonial encounter, and suggests how healing might become possible.Fanon works within a broadly existentialist and phenomenological framework, his project is psychoanalytic, and he... Read Black Skin, White Masks Summary


Publication year 2013

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: Gender

Tags Psychology, Race / Racism, Science / Nature, Social Justice, Sociology, Education, Education, Business / Economics, Psychology, Self Help


Publication year 2006

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Disability, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Disability, Psychology, LGBTQ, Science / Nature, Psychology, Mental Illness, Biography

Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant is Daniel Tammet’s memoir and his first published book. In it, he recalls his childhood, adolescence, and adulthood leading up to the point in his life when he became independent with a partner and a career. Born on a Blue Day was a New York Times best seller following its publication in 2006.Tammet is, as identified in the subtitle, an autistic savant... Read Born on a Blue Day Summary


Publication year 1992

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family

Tags Christian literature, Self Help, Psychology, Psychology, Relationships, Mental Illness, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2000

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Sociology, Politics / Government, Social Science, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Arts / Culture

In Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, Robert D. Putnam chronicles the decline of civic engagement and social connectedness in the late 20th-century United States and highlights the importance of renewing these forms of social capital for the sake of individual, societal, and democratic health. Putnam, a political science professor and former dean, has the expertise to contribute this work to the academic literature in social science. Originally published in 2000, the... Read Bowling Alone Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender

Tags Parenting, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help, Health / Medicine


Publication year 2012

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Music

Tags Psychology, Mental Illness, Science / Nature, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Biography

Brain on Fire (2012) is a memoir by New York Post writer Susannah Cahalan that details her struggle with a rare autoimmune disease, anti-NMDA-receptor autoimmune encephalitis. Cahalan recollects the journey through illness that took her from a normal, 24-year-old journalist to a misdiagnosed psychotic patient, and back again. In 2018, Netflix released a film based on Cahalan’s story, produced by Cahalan and Charlize Theron.Plot SummaryCahalan wakes in a hospital with no understanding of how she... Read Brain On Fire Summary


Publication year 2008

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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


Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Self Help, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Religion / Spirituality

Published in 2017, Brené Brown’s Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone presents insights and strategies for finding what Brown refers to as true belonging in a time of increasing cultural polarization in America. Based on Brown’s grounded theory research, true belonging is a practice that involves believing in and belonging to oneself so fully that one can share one’s innermost, authentic self with the rest of the... Read Braving the Wilderness Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Health / Medicine, Self Help, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, by James Nestor, is a comprehensive treatise on breathing. It combines a journalistic approach with studies in anthropology, biochemistry, human physiology, psychology, and pulmonology to unpack the different techniques of inhaling and exhaling throughout human history and in different societies. With its first publication in 2020, Breath was a bestseller in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, and Sunday London Times and will... Read Breath Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gender / Feminism, History: U.S., Incarceration, Internet Culture / Social Media, Journalism, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Politics / Government, Psychology, Relationships, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Crime / Legal, History: World


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self Discovery, Society: Community

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