76 Best Books on Psychology

  • Peak

    Anders Ericsson

    A survey of the psychology of expertise, providing techniques for developing mastery of any skill, drawn from the authors' extensive, pathfinding research

    Book 11 Across nearly all measures of human performance, very few innate limits have been found on the upper bound that cannot be overcome with improvements to training practices https://t.co/6X2ROn6IzK

  • Suicidal

    Jesse Bering

    For much of his thirties, Jesse Bering thought he was probably going to kill himself. He was a successful psychologist and writer, with books to his name and bylines in major magazines. But none of that mattered. The impulse to take his own life remained. At times it felt all but inescapable. Bering survived. And in addition to relief, the fading of his suicidal thoughts brought curiosity. Where had they come from? Would they return? Is the suicidal impulse found in other animals? Or is our vulnerability to suicide a uniquely human evolutionary development? In Suicidal, Bering answers all these questions and more, taking us through the science and psychology of suicide, revealing its cognitive secrets and the subtle tricks our minds play on us when we’re easy emotional prey. Scientific studies, personal stories, and remarkable cross-species comparisons come together to help readers critically analyze their own doomsday thoughts while gaining broad insight into a problem that, tragically, will most likely touch all of us at some point in our lives. But while the subject is certainly a heavy one, Bering’s touch is light. Having been through this himself, he knows that sometimes the most effective response to our darkest moments is a gentle humor, one that, while not denying the seriousness of suffering, at the same time acknowledges our complicated, flawed, and yet precious existence. Authoritative, accessible, personal, profound—there’s never been a book on suicide like this. It will help you understand yourself and your loved ones, and it will change the way you think about this most vexing of human problems.

    I am reading an excellent book on mental health and the psychology of adversities and this may be one of the best quotes I’ve seen: Sometimes it’s better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness.

  • Presents a controversial history of violence which argues that today's world is the most peaceful time in human existence, drawing on psychological insights into intrinsic values that are causing people to condemn violence as an acceptable measure.

    Few things you can read to better understand this: 1. https://t.co/OQxTqtawL7 2. https://t.co/kWcXkOvzFv 3. Book: https://t.co/dDTNGOLi7g

  • A narration of a summer motorcycle trip undertaken by a father and his son, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance becomes a personal and philosophical odyssey into fundamental questions on how to live. The narrator's relationship with his son leads to a powerful self-reckoning; the craft of motorcycle maintenance leads to an austerely beautiful process for reconciling science, religion, and humanism. Resonant with the confusions of existence, this classic is a touching and transcendent book of life. This new edition contains an interview with Pirsig and letters and documents detailing how this extraordinary book came to be. This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

    @noahlt Instinct, a sense that the book had some strength I'd missed the first time. Some of my favourite books I very nearly missed: I was bored by them, but sensed some strength I wasn't quite grasping. True of "Zen and the Art", for instance, or "Cyteen". And many others.

  • Flow

    Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

    The author introduces and explains the flow psychological theory. He demonstrates how it is possible to improve the quality of life by controlling the information that enters the consciousness.

    2/ Scaling to lead a product dev organization of a couple thousand (dev, pm, design, test, marketing) led me to the idea of "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience" by Csikszentmihalyi. Walking the halls, async communication, few meetings, minimal formal process. https://t.co/U1TxGyj92O

  • A narration of a summer motorcycle trip undertaken by a father and his son, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance becomes a personal and philosophical odyssey into fundamental questions on how to live. The narrator's relationship with his son leads to a powerful self-reckoning; the craft of motorcycle maintenance leads to an austerely beautiful process for reconciling science, religion, and humanism. Resonant with the confusions of existence, this classic is a touching and transcendent book of life. This new edition contains an interview with Pirsig and letters and documents detailing how this extraordinary book came to be. This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

    @dogukanect Fountainhead. If you can’t bring yourself to read Ayn Rand, then Harry Potter And The Methods Of Rationality. If you can’t bring yourself to read fan fiction, Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a clear winner for this list.

  • A leading M.I.T. social scientist and consultant examines five professions—engineering, architecture, management, psychotherapy, and town planning—to show how professionals really go about solving problems.

    @DougCollinsUX The Nature of Technology, W. Brian Arthur Where Good Ideas Come From, Steven Johnson The Reflective Practitioner, Donald Schön What Things Do, Peter-Paul Verbeek Metaphors We Live By, by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson

  • The Japanese phenomenon that teaches us the simple yet profound lessons required to liberate our real selves and find lasting happiness. The Courage to be Disliked shows you how to unlock the power within yourself to become your best and truest self, change your future and find lasting happiness. Using the theories of Alfred Adler, one of the three giants of 19th century psychology alongside Freud and Jung, the authors explain how we are all free to determine our own future free of the shackles of past experiences, doubts and the expectations of others. It's a philosophy that's profoundly liberating, allowing us to develop the courage to change, and to ignore the limitations that we and those around us can place on ourselves. The result is a book that is both highly accessible and profound in its importance. Millions have already read and benefited from its wisdom. Now that The Courage to be Disliked has been published for the first time in English, so can you.

    @amitsomani So glad you liked it. It has a terrible title, but is such a wonderful book of wisdom.

  • The Molecule of More

    Daniel Z. Lieberman

    Why are we obsessed with the things we want only to be bored when we get them? Why is addiction perfectly logical to an addict? Why does love change so quickly from passion to indifference? Why are some people die-hard liberals and others hardcore conservatives? Why are we always hopeful for solutions even in the darkest times--and so good at figuring them out? The answer is found in a single chemical in your brain: dopamine. Dopamine ensured the survival of early man. Thousands of years later, it is the source of our most basic behaviors and cultural ideas--and progress itself. Dopamine is the chemical of desire that always asks for more--more stuff, more stimulation, and more surprises. In pursuit of these things, it is undeterred by emotion, fear, or morality. Dopamine is the source of our every urge, that little bit of biology that makes an ambitious business professional sacrifice everything in pursuit of success, or that drives a satisfied spouse to risk it all for the thrill of someone new. Simply put, it is why we seek and succeed; it is why we discover and prosper. Yet, at the same time, it's why we gamble and squander. From dopamine's point of view, it's not the having that matters. It's getting something--anything--that's new. From this understanding--the difference between possessing something versus anticipating it--we can understand in a revolutionary new way why we behave as we do in love, business, addiction, politics, religion--and we can even predict those behaviors in ourselves and others. In The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity--and will Determine the Fate of the Human Race, George Washington University professor and psychiatrist Daniel Z. Lieberman, MD, and Georgetown University lecturer Michael E. Long present a potentially life-changing proposal: Much of human life has an unconsidered component that explains an array of behaviors previously thought to be unrelated, including why winners cheat, why geniuses often suffer with mental illness, why nearly all diets fail, and why the brains of liberals and conservatives really are different.

    Book 20 Lesson: Endless motivation tends to come with endless dissatisfaction https://t.co/LVqqp3lmB7

  • A guide to establishing new personal ideals of heroism, strength, and potency for a fuller life examines the stereotypes, myths, and evolving roles of contemporary men, presenting an alternative vision of virtue and virility. Reprint. 100,000 first printing.

    @MasculineTheory 9 books before your son turns 19: https://t.co/2e53rbJGGz

  • The Extended Mind

    Annie Murphy Paul

    A bold new book reveals how we can tap the intelligence that exists beyond our brains--in our bodies, our surroundings, and our relationships Use your head. That's what we tell ourselves when facing a tricky problem or a difficult project. But a growing body of research indicates that we've got it exactly backwards. What we need to do, says acclaimed science writer Annie Murphy Paul, is think outside the brain. A host of "extra-neural" resources--the feelings and movements of our bodies, the physical spaces in which we learn and work, and the minds of those around us-- can help us focus more intently, comprehend more deeply, and create more imaginatively. The Extended Mind outlines the research behind this exciting new vision of human ability, exploring the findings of neuroscientists, cognitive scientists, psychologists, and examining the practices of educators, managers, and leaders who are already reaping the benefits of thinking outside the brain. She excavates the untold history of how artists, scientists, and authors--from Jackson Pollock to Jonas Salk to Robert Caro--have used mental extensions to solve problems, make discoveries, and create new works. In the tradition of Howard Gardner's Frames of Mind or Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence, The Extended Mind offers a dramatic new view of how our minds work, full of practical advice on how we can all think better.

    @_zeketorres Read the book.

  • The War of Art

    Steven Pressfield

    "In this powerful, straight-from-the-hip examination of the internal obstacles to success, bestselling author Steven Pressfield shows readers how to identify, defeat, and unlock the inner barriers to creativity. The War of Art is an inspirational, funny, well-aimed kick in the pants guaranteed to galvanize every would-be artist, visionary, or entrepreneur." --from back cover.

    @nickhoward That's gotta be one of the best books ever written about the creative process. I also recommend "Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*T"

  • NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2018 BY Esquire • PopSugar • The Huffington Post • Buzzfeed • Publishers Weekly A unique new guide to creativity from Questlove—inspirations, stories, and lessons on how to live your best creative life Questlove—musician, bandleader, designer, producer, culinary entrepreneur, professor, and all-around cultural omnivore—shares his wisdom on the topics of inspiration and originality in a one-of-a-kind guide to living your best creative life. In Creative Quest, Questlove synthesizes all the creative philosophies, lessons, and stories he’s heard from the many creators and collaborators in his life, and reflects on his own experience, to advise readers and fans on how to consider creativity and where to find it. He addresses many topics—what it means to be creative, how to find a mentor and serve as an apprentice, the wisdom of maintaining a creative network, coping with critics and the foibles of success, and the specific pitfalls of contemporary culture—all in the service of guiding admirers who have followed his career and newcomers not yet acquainted with his story. Whether discussing his own life or channeling the lessons he’s learned from forefathers such as George Clinton, collaborators like D’Angelo, or like-minded artists including Ava DuVernay, David Byrne, Björk, and others, Questlove speaks with the candor and enthusiasm that fans have come to expect. Creative Quest is many things—above all, a wise and wide-ranging conversation around the eternal mystery of creativity.

    Here are some more recent-ish reads that I liked or found valuable off the top of my head: - Creative Quest- Empires of Light - Think Again - Tiger Woods - Boom Town - Liftoff - A Promised Land - No Filter - Becoming - That Will Never Work - The Ride of a Lifetime

  • My new book #WhatHappenedToYou, co-authored with Dr. @BDPerry, is for anyone with a mother, father, partner, or child who may have experienced trauma. The earlier the trauma, the harder it is to heal. https://t.co/BLUNrTnQ7W

  • This fictional outline of a modern utopia has been a center of controversy ever since its publication in 1948. Set in the United States, it pictures a society in which human problems are solved by a scientific technology of human conduct. It is now widely recognized that great changes must be made in the American way of life. Not only can we not face the rest of the world while consuming and polluting as we do, we cannot for long face ourselves while acknowledging the violence and chaos in which we live.The choice is clear: either we do nothing and allow a miserable and probably catastrophic future to overtake us, or we use our knowledge about human behavior to create a social environment in which we shall live productive and creative lives and do so without jeopardizing the chances that those who follow us will be able to do the same. -Back cover.

    Unpopular Opinion: the biggest mistake the field of psychology made was replacing Skinner’s Radical Behaviorism with Chomsky’s Cognitive Revolution. Behaviorism works, but Big Tech revived it to make everyone functional addicts instead of freeing them. https://t.co/71LXr5nV5v

  • Spark

    John J. Ratey MD

    Did you know you can beat stress, lift your mood, fight memory loss, sharpen your intellect, and function better than ever simply by elevating your heart rate and breaking a sweat? The evidence is incontrovertible: aerobic exercise physically remodels our brains for peak performance. In SPARK, John Ratey, MD embarks upon a fascinating journey through the mind-body connection, illustrating that exercise is truly our best defense against everything from depression to ADD to addiction to menopause to Alzheimer's. Filled with amazing case studies (such as the revolutionary fitness program in Naperville, Illinois, that has put the local school district of 19,000 kids first in the world of science test scores), SPARK is the first book to explore comprehensively the connection between exercise and the brain. It will change forever the way you think about your morning run.

    @UnleashTheKnow_ Love that book

  • Mastermind

    Maria Konnikova

    Draws on neuroscience and psychology studies while analyzing the deductive strategies used by the character of Sherlock Holmes to suggest how to promote mental strength, clearer observation, and effective problem-solving.

    From the @NYTimes review, “An entertaining blend of Holmesiana and modern-day neuroscience.” 8/8 https://t.co/KyY47cNdPl

  • The fortieth anniversary edition of the groundbreaking best seller examines the interpersonal defenses which individuals construct to avoid dealing with reality in everyday situations in a volume that features a new prologue , as well as commentary by Kurt Vonnegut from his original 1965 LIFE magazine review. Reissue. 20,000 first printing.

    Aug 2020 book recommendations for product people: 1. Are Your Lights On? 2. Peopleware 3. The Systems Bible 4. Games People Play This month’s books are a nod to the Lindy Effect: these books are fairly old & we might reasonably expect them to stay relevant for a while longer https://t.co/kXtUqwJWk5

  • Have you ever . . . Invested time in something that, in hindsight, just wasn't worth it? Paid too much in an eBay auction? Continued to do something you knew was bad for you? Sold stocks too late, or too early? Taken credit for success, but blamed failure on external circumstances? Backed the wrong horse? These are examples of what the author calls cognitive biases, simple errors all of us make in day-to-day thinking. But by knowing what they are and how to identify them, we can avoid them and make better choices: whether in dealing with personal problems or business negotiations, trying to save money or earn profits, or merely working out what we really want in life—and strategizing the best way to get it. Already an international bestseller, The Art of Thinking Clearly distills cutting-edge research from behavioral economics, psychology, and neuroscience into a clever, practical guide for anyone who's ever wanted to be wiser and make better decisions. A novelist, thinker, and entrepreneur, Rolf Dobelli deftly shows that in order to lead happier, more prosperous lives, we don't need extra cunning, new ideas, shiny gadgets, or more frantic hyperactivity—all we need is less irrationality. Simple, clear, and always surprising, this indispensable book will change the way you think and transform your decision making—at work, at home, every day. From why you shouldn't accept a free drink to why you should walk out of a movie you don't like, from why it's so hard to predict the future to why you shouldn't watch the news, The Art of Thinking Clearly helps solve the puzzle of human reasoning.

    @shekyboy Trying to post them here on Twitter bit by bit. Besides that, learning about mental models and cognitive biases helps. The Art of Thinking Clearly and Super Thinking are good books in this area.

  • Risk Savvy

    Gerd Gigerenzer

    "First published in United States of America by Viking Penguin, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, 2014."--Title page verso.

    From his book Risk Savvy: https://t.co/BpWkTZunqD

  • The War of Art

    Steven Pressfield

    "In this powerful, straight-from-the-hip examination of the internal obstacles to success, bestselling author Steven Pressfield shows readers how to identify, defeat, and unlock the inner barriers to creativity. The War of Art is an inspirational, funny, well-aimed kick in the pants guaranteed to galvanize every would-be artist, visionary, or entrepreneur." --from back cover.

    July 2020 Product Management book recommendations: 1. Super Thinking 2. The War of Art 3. 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People 4. Alchemy 5. The Cartoon Guide to Statistics 6. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People https://t.co/38LYLjPdu3

  • "From the author of The Psychopath Test and Lost at Sea, an exploration of shame, one of our world's most overlooked forces. Public shaming as a form of social control, such a big part of our lives it feels weird when there isn't anyone to be furious about. Whole careers are being ruined by one mistake. Our collective outrage at it has the force of a hurricane. Then we all quickly forget about it and move on to the next one, and it doesn't cross our minds to wonder if the shamed person is okay or in ruins. What's it doing to them? An examination of human nature and its flaws"--Publisher's website.

    @JewishWonk Jon Ronson wrote a pretty definitive book back in the early days of the phenomenon. It now reads almost as quaint, the shock at something that's now commonplace. But I think he captures the dynamics well. https://t.co/vkNoeGjEnj

  • Presents a controversial history of violence which argues that today's world is the most peaceful time in human existence, drawing on psychological insights into intrinsic values that are causing people to condemn violence as an acceptable measure.

    @cryptonero Great book

  • A narration of a summer motorcycle trip undertaken by a father and his son, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance becomes a personal and philosophical odyssey into fundamental questions on how to live. The narrator's relationship with his son leads to a powerful self-reckoning; the craft of motorcycle maintenance leads to an austerely beautiful process for reconciling science, religion, and humanism. Resonant with the confusions of existence, this classic is a touching and transcendent book of life. This new edition contains an interview with Pirsig and letters and documents detailing how this extraordinary book came to be. This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

    @BooksChatterBot This is a cool idea! Please add all the books found at the following link. These are the best of the best - the top 5% of what is now over 600 books read and summarized https://t.co/SP0CSgfSzT

  • One of the world’s most respected voices on erotic intelligence, Esther Perel offers a bold, provocative new take on intimacy and sex. Mating in Captivity invites us to explore the paradoxical union of domesticity and sexual desire, and explains what it takes to bring lust home. Drawing on more than twenty years of experience as a couples therapist, Perel examines the complexities of sustaining desire. Through case studies and lively discussion, Perel demonstrates how more exciting, playful, and even poetic sex is possible in long-term relationships. Wise, witty, and as revelatory as it is straightforward, Mating in Captivity is a sensational book that will transform the way you live and love.

    This book has changed my mind about like 15 things already and it is so beautiful I also cry around 15 times a day because of it. Definitely a contact sport... Please read it, good people of Twitter. https://t.co/qJ4qIxqtM0

  • The phenomenal international bestseller - 2 million copies sold - that will change the way you make decisions 'A lifetime's worth of wisdom' Steven D. Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics 'There have been many good books on human rationality and irrationality, but only one masterpiece. That masterpiece is Thinking, Fast and Slow' Financial Times Why is there more chance we'll believe something if it's in a bold type face? Why are judges more likely to deny parole before lunch? Why do we assume a good-looking person will be more competent? The answer lies in the two ways we make choices: fast, intuitive thinking, and slow, rational thinking. This book reveals how our minds are tripped up by error and prejudice (even when we think we are being logical), and gives you practical techniques for slower, smarter thinking. It will enable to you make better decisions at work, at home, and in everything you do.

    Put another way, it’s not that reading Thinking Fast and Slow or Zero to One have no value (both great books!) — rather, I think happiness and competence derive from originality and heterogeneity, and that takes exploring.

  • Molecules of Emotion

    Candace B. Pert

    Explains the science behind the brain's opiate receptors and other evidence of the intimate connections between mind and body, and their meaning for the future of Western medicine

    @EvrybodynthrMom Amazing you mention that book! I randomly read it after college and it inspired me to pursue PsychoNeuroImmunology as my research focus during my doctorate. I published my dissertation on how life satisfaction predicts inflammation in cancer patients undergoing chemo/radiation.

  • Nudge

    Richard H. Thaler

    Every day we make decisions: about the things that we buy or the meals we eat; about the investments we make or our children's health and education; even the causes that we champion or the planet itself. Unfortunately, we often choose poorly. We are all susceptible to biases that can lead us to make bad decisions that make us poorer, less healthy and less happy. And, as Thaler and Sunstein show, no choice is ever presented to us in a neutral way. By knowing how people think, we can make it easier for them to choose what is best for them, their families and society. Using dozens of eye-opening examples the authors demonstrate how to nudge us in the right directions, without restricting our freedom of choice. Nudge offers a unique new way of looking at the world for individuals and governments alike.This is one of the most engaging, provocative and important books you will ever read.

    @Sanjay__Bakshi Investors should take a cue from Richard Thaler's Nudge & make good behavior a default choice. Sharing an advice from my book - "Reinvesting your dividends through a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP) is a great way to take maximum advantage of the power of long-term compounding."

  • "This book exposes our unconscious selfish motives, those we're reluctant to discuss or even think about. These motives drive our body language, laughter, and conversation, as well as venerated institutions like art, school, charity, medicine, politics, and religion"--

    @marty Books: Why Buddhism is true The elephant in the brain

  • Enlightenment Now

    Steven Pinker

    INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2018 ONE OF THE ECONOMIST'S BOOKS OF THE YEAR AND A PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT "My new favorite book of all time." --Bill Gates If you think the world is coming to an end, think again: people are living longer, healthier, freer, and happier lives, and while our problems are formidable, the solutions lie in the Enlightenment ideal of using reason and science. Is the world really falling apart? Is the ideal of progress obsolete? In this elegant assessment of the human condition in the third millennium, cognitive scientist and public intellectual Steven Pinker urges us to step back from the gory headlines and prophecies of doom, which play to our psychological biases. Instead, follow the data: In seventy-five jaw-dropping graphs, Pinker shows that life, health, prosperity, safety, peace, knowledge, and happiness are on the rise, not just in the West, but worldwide. This progress is not the result of some cosmic force. It is a gift of the Enlightenment: the conviction that reason and science can enhance human flourishing. Far from being a naïve hope, the Enlightenment, we now know, has worked. But more than ever, it needs a vigorous defense. The Enlightenment project swims against currents of human nature--tribalism, authoritarianism, demonization, magical thinking--which demagogues are all too willing to exploit. Many commentators, committed to political, religious, or romantic ideologies, fight a rearguard action against it. The result is a corrosive fatalism and a willingness to wreck the precious institutions of liberal democracy and global cooperation. With intellectual depth and literary flair, Enlightenment Now makes the case for reason, science, and humanism: the ideals we need to confront our problems and continue our progress.

    @zachperret Enlightenment Now On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous Story of your life

  • The War of Art

    Steven Pressfield

    "In this powerful, straight-from-the-hip examination of the internal obstacles to success, bestselling author Steven Pressfield shows readers how to identify, defeat, and unlock the inner barriers to creativity. The War of Art is an inspirational, funny, well-aimed kick in the pants guaranteed to galvanize every would-be artist, visionary, or entrepreneur." --from back cover.

    @delk To your original question, I think The War of Art was out for years before blowing up. Also, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up exploded out of the gate but it had zero hype. (I think she only did one interview in English due to the language barrier.)

  • Presents a controversial history of violence which argues that today's world is the most peaceful time in human existence, drawing on psychological insights into intrinsic values that are causing people to condemn violence as an acceptable measure.

    @SuperMugatu Rational Optimist + Better Angels of Our Nature

  • The Japanese phenomenon that teaches us the simple yet profound lessons required to liberate our real selves and find lasting happiness. The Courage to be Disliked shows you how to unlock the power within yourself to become your best and truest self, change your future and find lasting happiness. Using the theories of Alfred Adler, one of the three giants of 19th century psychology alongside Freud and Jung, the authors explain how we are all free to determine our own future free of the shackles of past experiences, doubts and the expectations of others. It's a philosophy that's profoundly liberating, allowing us to develop the courage to change, and to ignore the limitations that we and those around us can place on ourselves. The result is a book that is both highly accessible and profound in its importance. Millions have already read and benefited from its wisdom. Now that The Courage to be Disliked has been published for the first time in English, so can you.

    Just finished The Courage to be Disliked, a thought-provoking read and challenge to some of my world views. 🤔

  • A Guide to the Good Life

    William B. Irvine

    One of the great fears many of us face is that despite all our effort and striving, we will discover at the end that we have wasted our life. In A Guide to the Good Life, William B. Irvine plumbs the wisdom of Stoic philosophy, one of the most popular and successful schools of thought in ancient Rome, and shows how its insight and advice are still remarkably applicable to modern lives. In A Guide to the Good Life, Irvine offers a refreshing presentation of Stoicism, showing how this ancient philosophy can still direct us toward a better life. Using the psychological insights and the practical techniques of the Stoics, Irvine offers a roadmap for anyone seeking to avoid the feelings of chronic dissatisfaction that plague so many of us. Irvine looks at various Stoic techniques for attaining tranquility and shows how to put these techniques to work in our own life. As he does so, he describes his own experiences practicing Stoicism and offers valuable first-hand advice for anyone wishing to live better by following in the footsteps of these ancient philosophers. Readers learn how to minimize worry, how to let go of the past and focus our efforts on the things we can control, and how to deal with insults, grief, old age, and the distracting temptations of fame and fortune. We learn from Marcus Aurelius the importance of prizing only things of true value, and from Epictetus we learn how to be more content with what we have. Finally, A Guide to the Good Life shows readers how to become thoughtful observers of their own lives. If we watch ourselves as we go about our daily business and later reflect on what we saw, we can better identify the sources of distress and eventually avoid that pain in our life. By doing this, the Stoics thought, we can hope to attain a truly joyful life.

    @paulg @rivatez A Guide to the Good Life by William Irvine It's a good intro to stoicism & helped me internalize the value of: being content with what I have instead of always wanting more, being indifferent to the approval of others, and being less anxious about things I have no control over.

  • "From the author of The Psychopath Test and Lost at Sea, an exploration of shame, one of our world's most overlooked forces. Public shaming as a form of social control, such a big part of our lives it feels weird when there isn't anyone to be furious about. Whole careers are being ruined by one mistake. Our collective outrage at it has the force of a hurricane. Then we all quickly forget about it and move on to the next one, and it doesn't cross our minds to wonder if the shamed person is okay or in ruins. What's it doing to them? An examination of human nature and its flaws"--Publisher's website.

    @DivineOps oh there's a whole book based on that article https://t.co/zaitFlJpAR it is good but already out of date sadly

  • "This book exposes our unconscious selfish motives, those we're reluctant to discuss or even think about. These motives drive our body language, laughter, and conversation, as well as venerated institutions like art, school, charity, medicine, politics, and religion"--

    Inspired by this phenomenal book. Written by @KevinSimler and @robinhanson https://t.co/jX2V6EbBZu

  • Enlightenment Now

    Steven Pinker

    INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2018 ONE OF THE ECONOMIST'S BOOKS OF THE YEAR AND A PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT "My new favorite book of all time." --Bill Gates If you think the world is coming to an end, think again: people are living longer, healthier, freer, and happier lives, and while our problems are formidable, the solutions lie in the Enlightenment ideal of using reason and science. Is the world really falling apart? Is the ideal of progress obsolete? In this elegant assessment of the human condition in the third millennium, cognitive scientist and public intellectual Steven Pinker urges us to step back from the gory headlines and prophecies of doom, which play to our psychological biases. Instead, follow the data: In seventy-five jaw-dropping graphs, Pinker shows that life, health, prosperity, safety, peace, knowledge, and happiness are on the rise, not just in the West, but worldwide. This progress is not the result of some cosmic force. It is a gift of the Enlightenment: the conviction that reason and science can enhance human flourishing. Far from being a naïve hope, the Enlightenment, we now know, has worked. But more than ever, it needs a vigorous defense. The Enlightenment project swims against currents of human nature--tribalism, authoritarianism, demonization, magical thinking--which demagogues are all too willing to exploit. Many commentators, committed to political, religious, or romantic ideologies, fight a rearguard action against it. The result is a corrosive fatalism and a willingness to wreck the precious institutions of liberal democracy and global cooperation. With intellectual depth and literary flair, Enlightenment Now makes the case for reason, science, and humanism: the ideals we need to confront our problems and continue our progress.

    @Austen - A Gentleman in Moscow Runners-up: - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - My Name Is Asher Lev - The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay - Enlightenment Now - A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy - To Kill a Mockingbird - The Reluctant Fundamentalist

  • The War of Art

    Steven Pressfield

    "In this powerful, straight-from-the-hip examination of the internal obstacles to success, bestselling author Steven Pressfield shows readers how to identify, defeat, and unlock the inner barriers to creativity. The War of Art is an inspirational, funny, well-aimed kick in the pants guaranteed to galvanize every would-be artist, visionary, or entrepreneur." --from back cover.

    If any creative needs a tough-love pep talk, or any aspiring creative needs a reality check around what being a 'professional' means, I recommend Pressfield's 'The War of Art'. It's the harsh lesson (or reminder) you need. https://t.co/Z1gbyA5QxZ

  • "From the author of The Psychopath Test and Lost at Sea, an exploration of shame, one of our world's most overlooked forces. Public shaming as a form of social control, such a big part of our lives it feels weird when there isn't anyone to be furious about. Whole careers are being ruined by one mistake. Our collective outrage at it has the force of a hurricane. Then we all quickly forget about it and move on to the next one, and it doesn't cross our minds to wonder if the shamed person is okay or in ruins. What's it doing to them? An examination of human nature and its flaws"--Publisher's website.

    This book (recommended to me by @cwodtke) is quite good but it feels like the state of the art in public social media stoning has advanced so fast that it is already out of date https://t.co/8Y8cimE2Yn

  • "From the author of The Psychopath Test and Lost at Sea, an exploration of shame, one of our world's most overlooked forces. Public shaming as a form of social control, such a big part of our lives it feels weird when there isn't anyone to be furious about. Whole careers are being ruined by one mistake. Our collective outrage at it has the force of a hurricane. Then we all quickly forget about it and move on to the next one, and it doesn't cross our minds to wonder if the shamed person is okay or in ruins. What's it doing to them? An examination of human nature and its flaws"--Publisher's website.

    Just finished "So You've Been Publicly Shamed" by @jonronson. For the past three years, Jon has traveled the world meeting recipients of high-profile public shamings. It's a fresh perspective on today's outrage culture. https://t.co/ObLWu4V44Q

  • Creativity

    Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

    The classic study of the creative process from the national bestselling author of Flow creativity is about capturing those moments that make life worth living. Legendary psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi reveals what leads to these moments—be it the excitement of the artist at the easel or the scientist in the lab—so that this knowledge can be used to enrich people's lives. Drawing on nearly one hundred interviews with exceptional people, from biologists and physicists, to politicians and business leaders, to poets and artists, as well as his thirty years of research on the subject, Csikszentmihalyi uses his famous flow theory to explore the creative process. He discusses such ideas as why creative individuals are often seen as selfish and arrogant, and why the "tortured genius" is largely a myth. Most important, he explains why creativity needs to be cultivated and is necessary for the future of our country, if not the world.

    Favorite book in this topic is Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Love this passage and the idea of “the field.” Cultivating the field is critical. https://t.co/hU2Y3SYpAa

  • "This book exposes our unconscious selfish motives, those we're reluctant to discuss or even think about. These motives drive our body language, laughter, and conversation, as well as venerated institutions like art, school, charity, medicine, politics, and religion"--

    Who’s read/is reading The Elephant in the Brain? I want to get a book club together for it

  • The Upside of Stress

    Kelly McGonigal

    What if everything you thought you knew about stress was wrong? Over the years we've grown to see stress as Public Enemy No.1, responsible for countless health problems, relationship troubles, unhappiness and anxiety, and to be avoided at all costs. But what if changing your mindset about stress could actually make you healthier, happier and better able to reach your goals? In this new book, health psychologist Dr Kelly McGonigal reveals the new science of stress, showing that by embracing stress and changing your thinking, your stress response could become your most powerful ally. Drawing on the latest research and practical brain-training techniques, The Upside of Stress shows you how to do stress better, to improve your health and resilience, focus your energy, build relationships and boost courage. Rethink stress, and watch your life change for the better.

    @drgurner @BrianRoemmele Wrong. Read Upside of Stress. Refutes this stupidity. And vacations typically distort sleep which is the worst thing you can do.

  • Clinical psychologist and author of The Defining Decade, Meg Jay takes us into the world of the supernormal: those who soar to unexpected heights after childhood adversity. Whether it is the loss of a parent to death or divorce; bullying; alcoholism or drug abuse in the home; mental illness in a parent or a sibling; neglect; emotional, physical or sexual abuse; having a parent in jail; or growing up alongside domestic violence, nearly 75% of us experience adversity by the age of 20. But these experiences are often kept secret, as are our courageous battles to overcome them. Drawing on nearly two decades of work with clients and students, Jay tells the tale of ordinary people made extraordinary by these all-too-common experiences, everyday superheroes who have made a life out of dodging bullets and leaping over obstacles, even as they hide in plain sight as doctors, artists, entrepreneurs, lawyers, parents, activists, teachers, students and readers. She gives a voice to the supernormals among us as they reveal not only "How do they do it?" but also "How does it feel?" These powerful stories, and those of public figures from Andre Agassi to Jay Z, will show supernormals they are not alone but are, in fact, in good company. Marvelously researched and compassionately written, this exceptional book narrates the continuing saga that is resilience as it challenges us to consider whether -- and how -- the good wins out in the end.

    @pdxmph @lkanies Yeah I feel that. Have you read Supernormal? Might be helpful, it was a revelation for me.

  • Cognitive Gadgets

    Cecilia Heyes

    How did human minds become so different from those of other animals? What accounts for our capacity to understand the way the physical world works, to think ourselves into the minds of others, to gossip, read, tell stories about the past, and imagine the future? These questions are not new: they have been debated by philosophers, psychologists, anthropologists, evolutionists, and neurobiologists over the course of centuries. One explanation widely accepted today is that humans have special cognitive instincts. Unlike other living animal species, we are born with complicated mechanisms for reasoning about causation, reading the minds of others, copying behaviors, and using language. Cecilia Heyes agrees that adult humans have impressive pieces of cognitive equipment. In her framing, however, these cognitive gadgets are not instincts programmed in the genes but are constructed in the course of childhood through social interaction. Cognitive gadgets are products of cultural evolution, rather than genetic evolution. At birth, the minds of human babies are only subtly different from the minds of newborn chimpanzees. We are friendlier, our attention is drawn to different things, and we have a capacity to learn and remember that outstrips the abilities of newborn chimpanzees. Yet when these subtle differences are exposed to culture-soaked human environments, they have enormous effects. They enable us to upload distinctively human ways of thinking from the social world around us. As Cognitive Gadgets makes clear, from birth our malleable human minds can learn through culture not only what to think but how to think it.

    @BoatShuman If you like Nudge, you should read Thinking Fast and Slow (Kahneman), Phishing for Phools (Akerlof and Shiller), The Rule of Nobody (Howard) and Cognitive Gadgets: The Cultural Evolution of Thinking (Hayes)!

  • Mindset

    Carol S. Dweck

    Reveals how established attitudes affect all aspects of one's life, explains the differences between fixed and growth mindsets, and stresses the need to be open to change in order to achieve fulfillment and success.

    Mindset: The New Psychology of Success https://t.co/KI0Yc4mrCv https://t.co/T1k20wfFtq

  • Why do people have so much difficulty achieving their goals, making big changes, and becoming the people they want to be? If we can imagine it, why can t we achieve it? Transformational NLP: A New Psychology offers a new understanding of how the brain really works and how we can use this knowledge for personal change and growth. Describing the evolution of the brain, Carl Buchheit explains how humans are conditioned by creature-level neurological programming which, while working hard to make sure we survive, also keeps us from expressing ourselves fully in the realms of love and our personal purpose in life. When we want to change our thought and behavior patterns, we find that we are limited by our deeply ingrained habits, our unconscious beliefs, and our self-defined identities. We try a variety of therapies and techniques to overcome limitations, but this rarely works. This book is about who we really are and how our brains really operate. When we understand how our brains work, we can quickly learn to work with and not against ourselves, and change becomes possible. While Transformational NLP has its basis in NLP, and uses many tools of NLP, it has evolved into a very different paradigm. The book investigates the history of NLP, from its intellectual antecedents in the science and philosophies of Alfred Korzybski and Noam Chomsky to the ground-breaking work of John Grinder and Richard Bandler and their brilliant student Robert Dilts, and shows how this direct, powerful, and elegant means for personal growth has developed and changed over its more than forty years of evolution. When a clinical psychologist, Jonathan Rice, started using these potent NLP tools in his own practice, and taught his methods to Carl Buchheit, this started a new branch of both psychology and NLP. Transformational NLP incorporates material drawn from, or inspired by, the holographic model of the universe as explained by physicist David Bohm, the basic premises and implications of twentieth and twenty-first century quantum mechanics, Bert Hellinger s trans-generational, systemic constellation work, and the metaphysics of the perennial philosophy such as described by Aldous Huxley. It offers breakthrough insights and unique methods neuro-linguistic and otherwise that Buchheit has developed over the course of more than three decades, working with thousands of clients. Buchheit explains that the key to change is to have more rapport with self by understanding the positive intentions in our unconscious that motivated our thoughts and behavior in the past. He shows how it is possible to alter the meaning of the past so it leads to the future we desire, and he uses the principles of quantum physics to assist the client to manifest an alternative reality. He demonstrates that we can become free of our unconscious addiction to the patterns of loss and pain that were set in motion by the suffering of our ancestors, generations before we were born. Most importantly, he describes new approaches and methods that empower people to have more choice in their lives, and to achieve their dreams by becoming more and more of who they really are, and who they want to be. This book will be of great interest to all students of NLP as well as to psychologists, social workers, mental health workers, teachers, historians, and philosophers. It will especially appeal to many people who are interested in personal transformation and gaining entirely new perspectives about understanding and changing our human experience."

    Transformational NLP: A New Psychology https://t.co/Oou9e7DM7Q https://t.co/5KvWc3bRA8

  • "This book exposes our unconscious selfish motives, those we're reluctant to discuss or even think about. These motives drive our body language, laughter, and conversation, as well as venerated institutions like art, school, charity, medicine, politics, and religion"--

    "The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life" - one of many fun books this year on human behavior. https://t.co/A5FtmiNMO4

  • "From the author of The Psychopath Test and Lost at Sea, an exploration of shame, one of our world's most overlooked forces. Public shaming as a form of social control, such a big part of our lives it feels weird when there isn't anyone to be furious about. Whole careers are being ruined by one mistake. Our collective outrage at it has the force of a hurricane. Then we all quickly forget about it and move on to the next one, and it doesn't cross our minds to wonder if the shamed person is okay or in ruins. What's it doing to them? An examination of human nature and its flaws"--Publisher's website.

    So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed (https://t.co/rpBX7LnFhk) is 💯. https://t.co/90RiAO2ifd

  • An award-winning professor of psychology examines the divergent ways in which eastern and western cultures view the world, offering suggestions about how today's interdependent global cultures may be bridged. Reprint. 15,000 first printing.

    @naywilliams I think the problem with focusing on success is that it can be (and often is) defined in isolation, whereas value is often defined in relation to others. Reminds me of east-vs-west differences in Geography of Thought https://t.co/wkbyXbhFJH

  • Satisfaction

    Gregory Berns

    Draws on such fields as neuoscience, economics, and evolutionary psychology to address the question of how to find a more satisfying way to live, arguing that the key to satisfaction lies in the complexity and challenge in one's life.

    @mikemetral https://t.co/SZgsQVyXgg

  • Living the 7 Habits

    Stephen R. Covey

    In the ten years since its publication, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has become a worldwide phenomenon, with more than twelve million readers in thirty-two languages. Living the 7 Habits: Stories of Courage and Inspiration captures the essence of people's real-life experiences, applying proven principles to help them solve their problems and overcome challenges. In this uplifting and riveting collection of stories, readers will find wonderful examples of hope and encouragement as they are touched by the words of real people and their experiences of change-change that got them through difficult times; change that solved family crises; change that mended broken relationships; change that turned their businesses around; change that influenced entire communities.

    Stephen Covey’s concept of your circle of influence remains the earliest form of meditation I started practicing in middle school after reading 7 Habits https://t.co/r66rDyWFwY

  • How Emotions Are Made

    Lisa Feldman Barrett

    'Fascinating . . . a thought-provoking journey into emotion science' The Wall Street Journal When you feel anxious, angry, happy, or surprised, what's really going on inside of you? Many scientists believe that emotions come from a specific part of the brain, triggered by the world around us. The thrill of seeing an old friend, the fear of losing someone we love - each of these sensations seems to arise automatically and uncontrollably from within us, finding expression on our faces and in our behaviour, carrying us away with the experience. This understanding of emotion has been around since Plato. But what if it is wrong? In How Emotions Are Made, pioneering psychologist and neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett draws on the latest scientific evidence to reveal that our common-sense ideas about emotions are dramatically, even dangerously, out of date - and that we have been paying the price. Emotions aren't universally pre-programmed in our brains and bodies; rather they are psychological experiences that each of us constructs based on our unique personal history, physiology and environment. This new view of emotions has serious implications: when judges issue lesser sentences for crimes of passion, when police officers fire at threatening suspects, or when doctors choose between one diagnosis and another, they're all, in some way, relying on the ancient assumption that emotions are hardwired into our brains and bodies. Revising that conception of emotion isn't just good science, Barrett shows; it's vital to our well-being and the health of society itself.

    @ginafiedel I'm reading this interesting book right now that details how we actually construct emotions rather than simply experience them: How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain https://t.co/jcWMdZGMAg

  • "This book exposes our unconscious selfish motives, those we're reluctant to discuss or even think about. These motives drive our body language, laughter, and conversation, as well as venerated institutions like art, school, charity, medicine, politics, and religion"--

    Reading Elephant in the Brain but really it's reading me https://t.co/R1wlTQc9pc

  • Enlightenment Now

    Steven Pinker

    INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2018 ONE OF THE ECONOMIST'S BOOKS OF THE YEAR AND A PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT "My new favorite book of all time." --Bill Gates If you think the world is coming to an end, think again: people are living longer, healthier, freer, and happier lives, and while our problems are formidable, the solutions lie in the Enlightenment ideal of using reason and science. Is the world really falling apart? Is the ideal of progress obsolete? In this elegant assessment of the human condition in the third millennium, cognitive scientist and public intellectual Steven Pinker urges us to step back from the gory headlines and prophecies of doom, which play to our psychological biases. Instead, follow the data: In seventy-five jaw-dropping graphs, Pinker shows that life, health, prosperity, safety, peace, knowledge, and happiness are on the rise, not just in the West, but worldwide. This progress is not the result of some cosmic force. It is a gift of the Enlightenment: the conviction that reason and science can enhance human flourishing. Far from being a naïve hope, the Enlightenment, we now know, has worked. But more than ever, it needs a vigorous defense. The Enlightenment project swims against currents of human nature--tribalism, authoritarianism, demonization, magical thinking--which demagogues are all too willing to exploit. Many commentators, committed to political, religious, or romantic ideologies, fight a rearguard action against it. The result is a corrosive fatalism and a willingness to wreck the precious institutions of liberal democracy and global cooperation. With intellectual depth and literary flair, Enlightenment Now makes the case for reason, science, and humanism: the ideals we need to confront our problems and continue our progress.

    Calling it early: @sapinker’s “Enlightenment Now” is probably the best book I’ll read in 2018. I’m with Bill Gates — my new favorite book.

  • Changing Minds

    Howard Gardner

    Think about the last time you tried to change someone’s mind about something important: a voter’s political beliefs; a customer’s favorite brand; a spouse’s decorating taste. Chances are you weren’t successful in shifting that person’s beliefs in any way. In his book, Changing Minds, Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner explains what happens during the course of changing a mind – and offers ways to influence that process. Remember that we don’t change our minds overnight, it happens in gradual stages that can be powerfully influenced along the way. This book provides insights that can broaden our horizons and shape our lives.

    @SarahMummah @BEworksInc @danariely @CassSunstein @ideas42 @bjfogg @cduhigg @nireyal @HPatrick_PhD @B_I_Tweets @behscientist @chandraosborn Changing Minds is worth adding to the list, both the website and the book https://t.co/wJLlYVvS3R. I think they might find it interesting.

  • Enlightenment Now

    Steven Pinker

    INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2018 ONE OF THE ECONOMIST'S BOOKS OF THE YEAR AND A PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT "My new favorite book of all time." --Bill Gates If you think the world is coming to an end, think again: people are living longer, healthier, freer, and happier lives, and while our problems are formidable, the solutions lie in the Enlightenment ideal of using reason and science. Is the world really falling apart? Is the ideal of progress obsolete? In this elegant assessment of the human condition in the third millennium, cognitive scientist and public intellectual Steven Pinker urges us to step back from the gory headlines and prophecies of doom, which play to our psychological biases. Instead, follow the data: In seventy-five jaw-dropping graphs, Pinker shows that life, health, prosperity, safety, peace, knowledge, and happiness are on the rise, not just in the West, but worldwide. This progress is not the result of some cosmic force. It is a gift of the Enlightenment: the conviction that reason and science can enhance human flourishing. Far from being a naïve hope, the Enlightenment, we now know, has worked. But more than ever, it needs a vigorous defense. The Enlightenment project swims against currents of human nature--tribalism, authoritarianism, demonization, magical thinking--which demagogues are all too willing to exploit. Many commentators, committed to political, religious, or romantic ideologies, fight a rearguard action against it. The result is a corrosive fatalism and a willingness to wreck the precious institutions of liberal democracy and global cooperation. With intellectual depth and literary flair, Enlightenment Now makes the case for reason, science, and humanism: the ideals we need to confront our problems and continue our progress.

    Steve's book isn't even out yet, and it's already making waves... @sapinker https://t.co/u3LSorzmLk

  • "This book exposes our unconscious selfish motives, those we're reluctant to discuss or even think about. These motives drive our body language, laughter, and conversation, as well as venerated institutions like art, school, charity, medicine, politics, and religion"--

    All in all, I highly recommended The Dictator's Handbook. It does what too many works of social science utterly fail to do, i.e., TAKE INCENTIVES SERIOUSLY. It also pairs nicely with The Elephant in the Brain 😉 (esp. the chapter on politics). Now some quotes and takeaways...

  • "This book exposes our unconscious selfish motives, those we're reluctant to discuss or even think about. These motives drive our body language, laughter, and conversation, as well as venerated institutions like art, school, charity, medicine, politics, and religion"--

    The book officially launches today, and to mark the occasion I give you a listicle: 10 Reasons to Read "The Elephant in the Brain" (cc: @robinhanson) https://t.co/mQ4gfCyDjs

  • Cognition in the Wild

    Edwin Hutchins

    After comparing modern Western navigation with the method practiced in Micronesia, Hutchins explores the computational and cognitive properties of systems that involve multiple individuals. He then turns to an analysis of learning or change in the organization of cognitive systems at several scales.

    @sjors Your essay is really good. The @dourish book is a great foundation. This focus on place in design is captured in the notion of Ubiety (vs Ubiquity). Look also at Ed Hutchins' Cognition in the Wild & Frank Wilson's, The Hand. https://t.co/7aNHlUYioI

  • "This book exposes our unconscious selfish motives, those we're reluctant to discuss or even think about. These motives drive our body language, laughter, and conversation, as well as venerated institutions like art, school, charity, medicine, politics, and religion"--

    Apparently my book with @robinhanson, "The Elephant in the Brain," is now available on Kindle! https://t.co/zTTsKKgcK0 Hardcover doesn't come out until January. Attached: some things I like about this book (that you might like too). https://t.co/bi4pIRXrpq

  • Rest

    Alex Pang

    One of Silicon Valley’s sharpest strategists shows that success doesn’t demand longer, harder hours, it demands that you work less

    @rabois Is it really true that you give all new OpenDoor employees a copy of this?? https://t.co/By5Ne5twMj

  • Risk Savvy

    Gerd Gigerenzer

    "First published in United States of America by Viking Penguin, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, 2014."--Title page verso.

    "Risk Savvy: How to Make Good Decisions" is a phenomenal book. https://t.co/l5Qoa0Ku6X https://t.co/gUhGsIvtAh

  • Focus

    Daniel Goleman

    The author of the international bestseller Emotional Intelligence returns with a groundbreaking look at today's scarcest resource and the secret to high performance and fulfillment: attention. For more than two decades, psychologist and journalist Daniel Goleman has been scouting the leading edge of the human sciences for what's new, surprising, and important. In Focus, he delves into the science of attention in all its varieties, presenting a long-overdue discussion of this little-noticed and underrated mental asset that matters enormously for how we navigate life. Attention works much like a muscle: use it poorly and it can wither; work it well and it grows. In an era of unstoppable distractions, Goleman persuasively argues that now more than ever we must learn to sharpen focus if we are to contend with, let alone thrive in, a complex world. Goleman analyzes attention research as a threesome: inner, other, and outer focus. A well-lived life demands that we be nimble at each. Goleman shows why high-performers need all three kinds of focus, as demonstrated by rich case studies from fields as diverse as competitive sports, education, the arts, and business. Those who excel rely on what Goleman calls smart practice—such as mindfulness meditation, focused preparation and recovery from setbacks, continued attention to the learning curve, and positive emotions and connections—that help them improve habits, add new skills, and sustain excellence. Combining cutting-edge research with practical findings, Focus reveals what distinguishes experts from amateurs and stars from average performers. Ultimately, Focus calls upon readers not only to pay attention to what matters most to them personally, but also to turn their attention to the pressing problems of the wider world, to the powerless and the poor, and to the future, not just to the seductively simple demands of the here and now.

    From Dan Goleman's book Focus. This applies to so many fields. https://t.co/EPTxaCsGdG

  • The War of Art

    Steven Pressfield

    "In this powerful, straight-from-the-hip examination of the internal obstacles to success, bestselling author Steven Pressfield shows readers how to identify, defeat, and unlock the inner barriers to creativity. The War of Art is an inspirational, funny, well-aimed kick in the pants guaranteed to galvanize every would-be artist, visionary, or entrepreneur." --from back cover.

    @bizspencer Doesn't really matter, but might as well do chronological: War of Art, Do the Work, Turning Pro.

  • Turning Pro

    Steven Pressfield

    The follow-up to his bestseller The War of Art, Turning Pro navigates the passage from the amateur life to a professional practice. "You don't need to take a course or buy a product. All you have to do is change your mind." --Steven Pressfield TURNING PRO IS FREE, BUT IT'S NOT EASY. When we turn pro, we give up a life that we may have become extremely comfortable with. We give up a self that we have come to identify with and to call our own. TURNING PRO IS FREE, BUT IT DEMANDS SACRIFICE. The passage from amateur to professional is often achieved via an interior odyssey whose trials are survived only at great cost, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. We pass through a membrane when we turn pro. It's messy and it's scary. We tread in blood when we turn pro. WHAT WE GET WHEN WE TURN PRO. What we get when we turn pro is we find our power. We find our will and our voice and we find our self-respect. We become who we always were but had, until then, been afraid to embrace and live out.

    @bizspencer Doesn't really matter, but might as well do chronological: War of Art, Do the Work, Turning Pro.

  • Cognition in the Wild

    Edwin Hutchins

    After comparing modern Western navigation with the method practiced in Micronesia, Hutchins explores the computational and cognitive properties of systems that involve multiple individuals. He then turns to an analysis of learning or change in the organization of cognitive systems at several scales.

    @TrueHarlequin "Thinking" is the misleading word, unless it is taken - atypically - as Edwin Hutchins frames it in http://t.co/iI5QpFhLxX

  • Cognition in the Wild

    Edwin Hutchins

    After comparing modern Western navigation with the method practiced in Micronesia, Hutchins explores the computational and cognitive properties of systems that involve multiple individuals. He then turns to an analysis of learning or change in the organization of cognitive systems at several scales.

    @sbisson Nice! Leads right into why Ed Hutchins Cognition in the Wild http://t.co/4yahnVDd0Q is so important, especially w.r.t. UbiComp

  • The phenomenal international bestseller - 2 million copies sold - that will change the way you make decisions 'A lifetime's worth of wisdom' Steven D. Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics 'There have been many good books on human rationality and irrationality, but only one masterpiece. That masterpiece is Thinking, Fast and Slow' Financial Times Why is there more chance we'll believe something if it's in a bold type face? Why are judges more likely to deny parole before lunch? Why do we assume a good-looking person will be more competent? The answer lies in the two ways we make choices: fast, intuitive thinking, and slow, rational thinking. This book reveals how our minds are tripped up by error and prejudice (even when we think we are being logical), and gives you practical techniques for slower, smarter thinking. It will enable to you make better decisions at work, at home, and in everything you do.

    @instalox Psychology is a whole can of worms on its own, and there are lots of bad “theories". Have you read “Thinking Fast and Slow?"

  • David and Goliath

    Malcolm Gladwell

    Malcolm Gladwell's provocative new #1 bestseller -- now in paperback. Three thousand years ago on a battlefield in ancient Palestine, a shepherd boy felled a mighty warrior with nothing more than a pebble and a sling-and ever since, the names of David and Goliath have stood for battles between underdogs and giants. David's victory was improbable and miraculous. He shouldn't have won. Or should he? In DAVID AND GOLIATH, Malcolm Gladwell challenges how we think about obstacles and disadvantages, offering a new interpretation of what it means to be discriminated against, suffer from a disability, lose a parent, attend a mediocre school, or endure any number of other apparent setbacks. In the tradition of Gladwell's previous bestsellers-The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers and What the Dog Saw-DAVID AND GOLIATH draws upon history, psychology and powerful story-telling to reshape the way we think of the world around us.

    David and Goliath book tour part two! Ann Arbor tonite. Atlanta Wednesday, Minneapolis Thursday, Milwaukee Friday, Dallas next Monday. Come!

  • David and Goliath

    Malcolm Gladwell

    Malcolm Gladwell's provocative new #1 bestseller -- now in paperback. Three thousand years ago on a battlefield in ancient Palestine, a shepherd boy felled a mighty warrior with nothing more than a pebble and a sling-and ever since, the names of David and Goliath have stood for battles between underdogs and giants. David's victory was improbable and miraculous. He shouldn't have won. Or should he? In DAVID AND GOLIATH, Malcolm Gladwell challenges how we think about obstacles and disadvantages, offering a new interpretation of what it means to be discriminated against, suffer from a disability, lose a parent, attend a mediocre school, or endure any number of other apparent setbacks. In the tradition of Gladwell's previous bestsellers-The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers and What the Dog Saw-DAVID AND GOLIATH draws upon history, psychology and powerful story-telling to reshape the way we think of the world around us.

    The Moth's collection of "true" stories hits the New York Times bestseller list! Congrats. http://t.co/iFDa6v5SYq

  • David and Goliath

    Malcolm Gladwell

    @AustenAllred Gladwell's new book is out and should be awesome. Though the audio might be pricey. http://t.co/7evIJiZ6AP

  • Motivated by the remarkable fluidity of memory the way in which items are pulled spontaneously and effortlessly from our memory by vague similarities to what is currently occupying our attention Sparse Distributed Memory presents a mathematically elegant theory of human long term memory. The book, which is self contained, begins with background material from mathematics, computers, and neurophysiology; this is followed by a step by step development of the memory model. The concluding chapter describes an autonomous system that builds from experience an internal model of the world and bases its operation on that internal model. Close attention is paid to the engineering of the memory, including comparisons to ordinary computer memories. Sparse Distributed Memory provides an overall perspective on neural systems. The model it describes can aid in understanding human memory and learning, and a system based on it sheds light on outstanding problems in philosophy and artificial intelligence. Applications of the memory are expected to be found in the creation of adaptive systems for signal processing, speech, vision, motor control, and (in general) robots. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the memory, in its implications for research in neural networks, is that its realization with neuronlike components resembles the cortex of the cerebellum. Pentti Kanerva is a scientist at the Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science at the NASA Ames Research Center and a visiting scholar at the Stanford Center for the Study of Language and Information. A Bradford Book.

    I just bought a copy of "Sparse Distributed Memory", looking forward to reading it! http://t.co/vXReCe4j #ai

  • Presents a controversial history of violence which argues that today's world is the most peaceful time in human existence, drawing on psychological insights into intrinsic values that are causing people to condemn violence as an acceptable measure.

    .@sapinker Thanks for your book recommendations. I've been telling everyone that "Better Angels" is a MUST read. http://t.co/B5xKLyPd

  • Cognition in the Wild

    Edwin Hutchins

    After comparing modern Western navigation with the method practiced in Micronesia, Hutchins explores the computational and cognitive properties of systems that involve multiple individuals. He then turns to an analysis of learning or change in the organization of cognitive systems at several scales.

    @mprove Cool. Have U also read Hutchins', "Cognition in the Wild"? Nice thesis on how tools, and eco-system help shape thought & behaviour.

  • An “entertaining” look at the psychology and neuroscience behind the act of influencing others (Kirkus Reviews). People try to persuade us every day. From the news to the Internet to coworkers and family, everyone and everything wants to influence our thoughts in some way. And in turn, we hope to persuade others. Understanding the dynamics of persuasion can help us to achieve our own goals—and resist being manipulated by those who don’t necessarily have our best interests at heart. Psychologist Kevin Dutton has identified a powerful strain of immediate, instinctual persuasion, a method of influence that allows people to disarm skepticism, win arguments, and close deals. With a combination of astute methods and in-depth research in the fields of psychology and neuroscience, Dutton’s fascinating and provocative book: Introduces the natural super-persuaders in our midst: Buddhist monks, magicians, advertisers, con men, hostage negotiators, and even psychopaths. Reveals which hidden pathways in the brain lead us to believe something even when we know it’s not true. Explains how group dynamics can make us more tolerant or deepen our extremism. Illuminates the five elements of SPICE (simplicity, perceived self-interest, incongruity, confidence, and empathy) for instantly effective persuasion. “[Split-Second Persuasion] offers some powerful insights into the art and science of getting people to do what you want.” —New Scientist

    @drkevindutton I just finished reading your book "Split-Second Persuasion", very informative read, I'm looking forward to applying SPICE!