In a journey that spans 50 books, hundreds of ideas and over a century in time, 50 Psychology Classics looks at some of the most intriguing questions relating to what motivates us, what makes us feel and act in certain ways, how our brains work, and how we create a sense of self.

50 Psychology Classics explores writings from some iconic figures such as Freud, Adler, Jung, skinner, James, Piaget and Pavolv, but also highlights the work of contemporary thinkers such as Gardner, Gilbert, Goleman and Seligman.

We all need a personal theory of what makes people tick. To survive and thrive, we have to know who and what we are, and to be canny about the motivations of others. The common route to this knowledge is life experience, but we can advance our appreciation of the subject more quickly through reading.From the author of the bestselling 50 Self-Help Classics, 50 Success Classics and 50 Spiritual Classics, which have sold over 100,000 in the English language and have been translated into 17 languages, 50 Psychology Classics will further your understanding of human nature and yourself.

50 Psychology Classics

1. Alfred Adler Understanding Human Nature (1927)

2. Gavin de Becker The Gift of Fear (1997)

3. Eric Berne Games People Play (1964)

4. Edward de Bono Lateral Thinking (1970)

7. Robert Bolton People Skills (1979)

6. Nathaniel Branden The Psychology of Self-Esteem (1969)

7. Isabel Briggs-Myers Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type (1980)

8. Louann Brizendine The Female Brain (2006)

9. David D Burns Feeling Good: the New Mood Therapy (1980)

10.  Robert Cialdini Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (1984)

11.  Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Creativity (1997)

12. Albert Ellis & Robert Harper A Guide To Rational Living (1961)

13.  Milton Erickson My Voice Will Go With You (1982) by Sidney Rosen

14.  Erik Erikson Young Man Luther (1958)

15.  Hans Eysenck Dimensions of Personality (1947)

16.  Susan Forward Emotional Blackmail (1997)

17.  Viktor Frankl The Will to Meaning (1969)

18.  Anna Freud The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense (1936)

19.  Sigmund Freud The Interpretation of Dreams (1902)

20.  Howard Gardner Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences (1983)

21.  Daniel Gilbert Stumbling on Happiness (2006)

22.  Malcolm Gladwell Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking (2005)

23.  Daniel Goleman Emotional Intelligence at Work (1998)

24.  John M Gottman The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work (1999)

25.  Harry Harlow The Nature of Love (1958)

26.  Thomas A Harris I’m OK – You’re OK (1967)

27.  Eric Hoffer The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements (1951)

28.  Karen Horney Our Inner Conflicts (1945)

29.  William James Principles of Psychology (1890)

30.  Carl Jung The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious (1953)

31.  Alfred Kinsey Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1953)

32.  Melanie Klein Envy and Gratitude (1975)

33.  RD Laing The Divided Self (1959)

34.  Abraham Maslow The Farther Reaches of Human Nature (1970)

35.  Stanley Milgram Obedience To Authority (1974)

36.  Anne Moir & David Jessel Brainsex: The Real Difference Between Men and Women (1989)

37.  IP Pavlov Conditioned Reflexes (1927)

38.  Fritz Perls Gestalt Therapy: Excitement and Growth in the Human Personality (1951)

39.  Jean Piaget The Language and Thought of the Child (1966)

40.  Steven Pinker The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature (2002)

41.  VS Ramachandran Phantoms in the Brain (1998)

42.  Carl Rogers On Becoming a Person (1961)

43.  Oliver Sacks The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (1970)

44.  Barry Schwartz The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less (2004)

45.  Martin Seligman Authentic Happiness (2002)

46.  Gail Sheehy Passages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life (1974)

47.  BF Skinner Beyond Freedom & Dignity (1953)

48.  Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton & Sheila Heen Difficult Conversations (2000)

49.  William Styron Darkness Visible (1990)

50.  Robert E Thayer The Origin of Everyday Moods (1996)

“At long last a chance for those outside the profession to discover that there is so much more to psychology than just Freud and Jung. 50 Psychology Classics offer a unique opportunity to become acquainted with a dazzling array of the key works in psychological literature almost overnight”.

Dr Raj Persaud,

Consultant Psychiatrist, The Maudsley Hospital London, Gresham Professor for Public Understanding of Psychiatry

“This delightful book provides thoughtful and entertaining summaries of 50 of the most influential books in psychology. Its a “must read” for students contemplating a career in psychology”.

VS Ramachandran MD PhD,

Professor and Director, Center for Brain and Cognition, University of California, San Diego

“A brilliant synthesis. The author makes complex ideas accessible and practical, without dumbing down the material. I found myself over and over thinking, ‘Oh, that’s what that guy meant’.

Douglas Stone,

Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School, author of Difficult Conversations

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