{"id":7503,"date":"2020-01-30T22:57:44","date_gmt":"2020-01-31T02:57:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=7503"},"modified":"2022-03-30T15:46:09","modified_gmt":"2022-03-30T19:46:09","slug":"best-psychology-books","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/","title":{"rendered":"The 10 Best Psychology Books for Success in Life and Work"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Want to be more successful, in life and work? Want to better understand yourself and others, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/make-better-decisions\/\">make better decisions<\/a>, and form successful habits? The most life-changing lessons about how to be a better thinker come from the field of psychology, and some of the most innovative researchers have written books that are both profound and practical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s <strong>our carefully researched list of the top 10 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/top-psychology-books\/\">psychology books<\/a> of all time<\/strong>. To compose this list, we used quantitative criteria such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>High-quality recommendations from successful leaders like Charlie Munger, Arianna Huffington, Bill Gates, and Barack Obama<\/li><li>Number of weeks on bestseller lists like the New York Times<\/li><li>Common perception and ratings by common readers, from networks like Amazon and Goodreads<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Don&#8217;t have time to get the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/benefits-of-reading-every-day\/\">benefits of reading<\/a>? That&#8217;s where <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/\">Shortform<\/a> comes in. With Shortform, you can get the key lessons from the best nonfiction books in minutes, not in hours. Our experts condense the key lessons from psychology books like these into an efficient summary. Check out our high-quality summaries of these 10 books to see if you can learn more quickly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class='book-template'>\r\nTITLE: Thinking, Fast and Slow<br>\r\nAUTHOR: Daniel Kahneman<br>\r\nTIME: 66<br>\r\nREADS: 53.8<br>\r\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/thinking_cover.jpg<br>\r\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: thinking-fast-and-slow-summary-daniel-kahneman<br>\r\nAMZN_ID: B00555X8OA<br>\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re so self-confident in our rationality that we think all our decisions are well-considered. In reality, our minds are besieged by deep-rooted evolutionary biases. Where they once enhanced survival, they now lead to poor decision making.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Thinking, Fast and Slow<\/em> is a masterful book on psychology and behavioral economics by Nobel Prize laureate Daniel Kahneman. It presents an overall framework of cognition that explains <strong><em>why<\/em> the biases exist and how they work<\/strong>.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a book to take your time and chew on. You should apply each learning to mistakes you\u2019ve made and decisions you\u2019re mulling over. The rewards are important: you\u2019ll make better decisions and maximize your happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a 2016 interview with <em>Wired<\/em>, former president <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/2016\/10\/president-obama-reading-list\/?mbid=social_twitter\">Barack Obama included <\/a><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/2016\/10\/president-obama-reading-list\/?mbid=social_twitter\">Thinking, Fast and Slow<\/a><\/em> in a list of the ten books that have shaped him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, by Malcolm Gladwell<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class='book-template'>\r\nTITLE: Blink<br>\r\nAUTHOR: Malcolm Gladwell<br>\r\nTIME: 30<br>\r\nREADS: 36.3<br>\r\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/blink-cover.jpg<br>\r\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: blink-summary-malcolm-gladwell<br>\r\nAMZN_ID: B000PAAH3K<br>\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In <em>Blink<\/em>, Malcolm Gladwell explores the decisions we make in the blink of an eye. We\u2019re often taught to view these snap judgments as inferior to decisions based on rational analysis, but Gladwell shows us that decisions made intuitively can be as good as, and sometimes better than, conscious decisions. <em>Blink<\/em> delves into how and why we make the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/gut-decision\/\">gut decisions<\/a> we do, when it\u2019s unsafe to trust our guts, and what we can do to make all our snap judgments smarter, less biased, and more efficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.publishersweekly.com\/978-0-316-17232-5\">Publishers Weekly<\/a><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.publishersweekly.com\/978-0-316-17232-5\"> said<\/a>, &#8220;Gladwell&#8230;has a dazzling ability to find commonality in disparate fields of study&#8230;.in this entertaining and illuminating book on how we make snap judgments.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert B. Cialdini<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class='book-template'>\r\nTITLE: Influence<br>\r\nAUTHOR: Robert B. Cialdini<br>\r\nTIME: 36<br>\r\nREADS: 30<br>\r\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/influence-cover.jpg<br>\r\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: influence-psychology-of-persuasion-summary-robert-cialdini<br>\r\nAMZN_ID: B002BD2UUC<br>\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Have you ever wondered how persuasion works? How are salespeople, fundraisers, and politicians able to lure us into compliance\u2014 without even <em>thinking <\/em>that we\u2019re being manipulated?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>This is what Robert Cialdini\u2019s <em>Influence: The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/influence-the-psychology-of-persuasion\/\">Psychology of Persuasion<\/a><\/em> sets out to answer. The book shows how the persuaders of the world use our basic mental instincts against us, transforming them into tools of compliance. By exploring the origins and common uses of six principles of persuasion\u2014reciprocity, commitment\/consistency, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/social-proof-examples-cialdini\/\">social proof<\/a>, liking, authority, and scarcity\u2014you\u2019ll learn to spot when you\u2019re being hustled and discover how to beat the persuaders at their own game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Said Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Charlie Munger, &#8220;Robert Cialdini has had a greater impact on my thinking on this topic than any other scientist.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>Journal of Marketing Research <\/em>said, &#8220;For marketers, this book is among the most important books written in the last ten years.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, by Charles Duhigg<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class='book-template'>\r\nTITLE: The Power of Habit<br>\r\nAUTHOR: Charles Duhigg<br>\r\nTIME: 22<br>\r\nREADS: 42.8<br>\r\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/powerofhabit_cover.jpg<br>\r\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: the-power-of-habit-summary-charles-duhigg<br>\r\nAMZN_ID: B0055PGUYU<br>\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you have any bad habits you want to break?&nbsp;Or do you want to start a new habit, like healthier eating, exercise, or reading more?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;re not alone.&nbsp;<strong>People try and fail to change their habits all the time.<\/strong>&nbsp;But they often fail because they believe it&#8217;s simply about willpower &#8211; stopping the habit brute force &#8211; without understanding the nature of the habit and how to most effectively change it.<em> The Power of Habit<\/em>&nbsp;gives you an incredibly useful framework for understanding your habits and for changing them. In short,&nbsp;<strong>you must set up a routine that gives you fast positive feedback, and keep doing it until it becomes a fully-formed habit<\/strong>. Learn the strategies for developing a lasting habit here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jim Collins, author of business bestsellers like <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/key-takeaways-from-good-to-great\/\">Good to Great<\/a><\/em>, called <em>The Power of Habit <\/em>&#8220;sharp, provocative, and useful.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can&#8217;t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class='book-template'>\r\nTITLE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-power-of-introverts-book\/\">Quiet: The Power of Introverts<\/a><br>\r\nAUTHOR: Susan Cain<br>\r\nTIME: 37<br>\r\nREADS: 23.8<br>\r\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/quiet-cover.jpg<br>\r\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: quiet-power-of-introverts-summary-susan-cain<br>\r\nAMZN_ID: B004J4WNL2<br>\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A third to a half of Americans are introverts, according to author Susan Cain, but they\u2019re often marginalized. In <em>Quiet<\/em>, Cain contends that Western society is designed around an \u201cextrovert ideal\u201d that celebrates those who are bold and charismatic. However, unbridled extroversion can lead to disasters, such as the fall of Enron and the 2008 financial crisis. By overvaluing extroverts and treating introverts as misfits, society loses out on introverts\u2019 unique strengths\u2014for instance, they\u2019re highly creative, astute observers, and adept at solving <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/complex-problem\/\">complex problems<\/a>. Cain argues for a balance in society, school, and work that lets introverts be true to themselves and where the two personality types complement each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/SB10001424052970204257504577154740992993720\">Wall Street Journal <\/a><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/SB10001424052970204257504577154740992993720\">called <\/a><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/SB10001424052970204257504577154740992993720\">Quiet<\/a><\/em> &#8220;rich, intelligent&#8230;enlightening.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, by Daniel Goleman<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class='book-template'>\r\nTITLE: Emotional Intelligence<br>\r\nAUTHOR: Daniel Goleman<br>\r\nTIME: 52<br>\r\nREADS: 50.6<br>\r\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/emotionalintelligence_cover.jpg<br>\r\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: emotional-intelligence-summary-daniel-goleman<br>\r\nAMZN_ID: B000JMKVCG<br>\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you constantly get swept away by your emotions? Would you like to learn how to control your emotional reactions at home or at work? Or maybe you\u2019re uncomfortable with emotions, and don\u2019t understand why you or anyone else feels them? <em>Emotional Intelligence <\/em>by Daniel Goleman is a comprehensive look at what emotions are and why we have them, how we can get better at managing them, and why the well-being of humanity might depend on us doing so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Said the <em>New York Times<\/em> of <em>Emotional Intelligence<\/em>, &#8220;Anyone interested in leadership&#8230;should get a copy of this book.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, by Angela Duckworth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class='book-template'>\r\nTITLE: Grit<br>\r\nAUTHOR: Angela Duckworth<br>\r\nTIME: 21<br>\r\nREADS: 63.8<br>\r\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/grit_cover.jpg<br>\r\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: grit-summary-angela-duckworth<br>\r\nAMZN_ID: 1501111116<br>\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you have problems finishing things? Do new ideas distract you from previous ones? Do you get derailed by setbacks more often than you would like?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then you could use more grit. In <em>Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance<\/em>, Angela Duckworth shows how grit \u2013 the combination of passion and perseverance \u2013 distinguishes high achievers, and why talent isn\u2019t as important as most people think. Learn the 4 major <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/characteristics-of-grit\/\">components of grit<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/growing-grit\/\">how to develop grit<\/a> in yourself, your kids, and your teammates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/angeladuckworth.com\/reviews\/\">Arianna Huffington called <\/a><em><a href=\"https:\/\/angeladuckworth.com\/reviews\/\">Grit<\/a> <\/em>&#8220;masterful&#8230;<em>Grit <\/em>offers a truly sane perspective: that true success comes when we devote ourselves to endeavors that give us joy and purpose.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class='book-template'>\r\nTITLE: Outliers<br>\r\nAUTHOR: Malcolm Gladwell<br>\r\nTIME: 31<br>\r\nREADS: 30.5<br>\r\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/outliers_cover.jpg<br>\r\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: outliers-summary-malcolm-gladwell<br>\r\nAMZN_ID: B001ANYDAO<br>\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is a tendency, in Western culture, to assume that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/failure-is-a-part-of-success\/\">success and failure<\/a> result primarily from individual factors such as passion, talent, intellect and hard work.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In <em>Outliers<\/em>, Gladwell argues that <strong>success (or failure) may depend more heavily upon external factors than we think<\/strong>. These include where and when you were born, what kind of family you were born into, how you were parented, and whether or not you experienced financial security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2008\/11\/30\/books\/review\/Leonhardt-t.html\">New York Times Book Review<\/a><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2008\/11\/30\/books\/review\/Leonhardt-t.html\"> said of Gladwell<\/a>, &#8220;[he&#8217;s] as close to a singular talent as exists today&#8230;<em>Outliers<\/em> is a pleasure to read and leaves you mulling over its inventive theories for days afterward.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol Dweck<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class='book-template'>\r\nTITLE: Mindset<br>\r\nAUTHOR: Carol S. Dweck<br>\r\nTIME: 42<br>\r\nREADS: 33.1<br>\r\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/mindset-cover.jpg<br>\r\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: mindset-the-new-psychology-of-success-summary-carol-dweck<br>\r\nAMZN_ID: B000FCKPHG<br>\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You have powerful beliefs that affect <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-figure-out-what-you-want-in-life-2\/\">what you want in life<\/a> and whether you get it. In <em>Mindset<\/em>, psychologist and researcher Carol S. Dweck argues that your mindset can determine the course of much of your life, starting as early as your preschool years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You learn one of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/two-mindsets\/\">two mindsets<\/a> from your parents, teachers, and coaches: that personal qualities such as intelligence and ability are innate and unchangeable (the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/fixed-mindset-examples\/\">fixed mindset<\/a>) or that you and others can change and grow (the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/growth-mindset-characteristics\/\">growth mindset<\/a>). This view shapes your personality and helps or hinders you from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/reach-your-potential\/\">reaching your potential<\/a>. Understanding and adjusting your mindset can change your career, relationships, the way you raise your children, and your overall satisfaction in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gatesnotes.com\/Books\/Mindset-The-New-Psychology-of-Success\">Bill Gates said of <\/a><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gatesnotes.com\/Books\/Mindset-The-New-Psychology-of-Success\">Mindset<\/a><\/em>, &#8220;One of the reasons I loved <em>Mindset <\/em>is because it&#8217;s solutions-oriented&#8230;.The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-greatest-virtue\/\">greatest virtue<\/a> of the book is that you can&#8217;t help but ask yourself things like, &#8216;Which areas have I always looked at through a fixed-mindset lens?'&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10. Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don&#8217;t Know, by Malcolm Gladwell<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class='book-template'>\r\nTITLE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-break-the-ice\/\">Talking to Strangers<\/a><br>\r\nAUTHOR: Malcolm Gladwell<br>\r\nTIME: 41<br>\r\nREADS: 25.3<br>\r\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/talking-to-strangers-cover.jpg<br>\r\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: talking-to-strangers-summary-malcolm-gladwell<br>\r\nAMZN_ID: B07NDKVWZW<br>\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Talking to Strangers <\/em>is an eye-opening book about the impossibility of truly understanding a stranger. By breaking down some of the most famous events in recent human history, best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell shows us the strategies we often use when dealing with people we don\u2019t know\u2014and how deeply flawed those strategies are.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this book, you\u2019ll learn:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>How Hitler fooled so many prominent world leaders<\/li><li>Why the financial industry failed to stop Bernie Madoff for so long<\/li><li>What really happened to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-happened-to-sandra-bland\/\">Sandra Bland<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oprahmag.com\/entertainment\/a28568751\/oprah-talks-to-malcolm-gladwell\/\">Oprah said<\/a>, &#8220;<em>Talking to Strangers<\/em> is a must-read&#8230;I love this book&#8230;Reading it will actually change not just how you see strangers, but how you look at yourself, the news&#8211;the world&#8230;Reading this book changed me.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Want to be more successful, in life and work? Want to better understand yourself and others, make better decisions, and form successful habits? The most life-changing lessons about how to be a better thinker come from the field of psychology, and some of the most innovative researchers have written books that are both profound and practical. Here&#8217;s our carefully researched list of the top 10 psychology books of all time. To compose this list, we used quantitative criteria such as: High-quality recommendations from successful leaders like Charlie Munger, Arianna Huffington, Bill Gates, and Barack Obama Number of weeks on bestseller<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7561,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[71],"class_list":["post-7503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","tag-book-list","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The 10 Best Psychology Books for Success in Life and Work - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The best psychology books, recommended by Bill Gates, Oprah, Obama, and more. Learn how to be a better thinker from these innovative, insightful picks.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The 10 Best Psychology Books for Success in Life and Work\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The best psychology books, recommended by Bill Gates, Oprah, Obama, and more. Learn how to be a better thinker from these innovative, insightful picks.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-01-31T02:57:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-03-30T19:46:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/best-psychology-books.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"959\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"603\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Amanda Penn\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Amanda Penn\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Amanda Penn\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/01b0e4c9ddb993e51d03808839d538b0\"},\"headline\":\"The 10 Best Psychology Books for Success in Life and Work\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-01-31T02:57:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-03-30T19:46:09+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/\"},\"wordCount\":1641,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/best-psychology-books.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Book List\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Books\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/\",\"name\":\"The 10 Best Psychology Books for Success in Life and Work - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/best-psychology-books.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-01-31T02:57:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-03-30T19:46:09+00:00\",\"description\":\"The best psychology books, recommended by Bill Gates, Oprah, Obama, and more. Learn how to be a better thinker from these innovative, insightful picks.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/best-psychology-books.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/best-psychology-books.jpg\",\"width\":959,\"height\":603},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The 10 Best Psychology Books for Success in Life and Work\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"description\":\"The World&#039;s Best Book Summaries\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":74,\"caption\":\"Shortform Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/01b0e4c9ddb993e51d03808839d538b0\",\"name\":\"Amanda Penn\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/64793342-83f4ea00-d540-11e9-9bfc-cb9ecaf5e55d.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/64793342-83f4ea00-d540-11e9-9bfc-cb9ecaf5e55d.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Amanda Penn\"},\"description\":\"Amanda Penn is a writer and reading specialist. She\u2019s published dozens of articles and book reviews spanning a wide range of topics, including health, relationships, psychology, science, and much more. Amanda was a Fulbright Scholar and has taught in schools in the US and South Africa. Amanda received her Master's Degree in Education from the University of Pennsylvania.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/amanda\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The 10 Best Psychology Books for Success in Life and Work - Shortform Books","description":"The best psychology books, recommended by Bill Gates, Oprah, Obama, and more. Learn how to be a better thinker from these innovative, insightful picks.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The 10 Best Psychology Books for Success in Life and Work","og_description":"The best psychology books, recommended by Bill Gates, Oprah, Obama, and more. Learn how to be a better thinker from these innovative, insightful picks.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/","og_site_name":"Shortform Books","article_published_time":"2020-01-31T02:57:44+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-03-30T19:46:09+00:00","og_image":[{"width":959,"height":603,"url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/best-psychology-books.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Amanda Penn","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Amanda Penn","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/"},"author":{"name":"Amanda Penn","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/01b0e4c9ddb993e51d03808839d538b0"},"headline":"The 10 Best Psychology Books for Success in Life and Work","datePublished":"2020-01-31T02:57:44+00:00","dateModified":"2022-03-30T19:46:09+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/"},"wordCount":1641,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/best-psychology-books.jpg","keywords":["Book List"],"articleSection":["Books"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/","name":"The 10 Best Psychology Books for Success in Life and Work - Shortform Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/best-psychology-books.jpg","datePublished":"2020-01-31T02:57:44+00:00","dateModified":"2022-03-30T19:46:09+00:00","description":"The best psychology books, recommended by Bill Gates, Oprah, Obama, and more. Learn how to be a better thinker from these innovative, insightful picks.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/best-psychology-books.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/best-psychology-books.jpg","width":959,"height":603},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-psychology-books\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The 10 Best Psychology Books for Success in Life and Work"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","name":"Shortform Books","description":"The World&#039;s Best Book Summaries","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Shortform Books","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","width":500,"height":74,"caption":"Shortform Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/01b0e4c9ddb993e51d03808839d538b0","name":"Amanda Penn","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/64793342-83f4ea00-d540-11e9-9bfc-cb9ecaf5e55d.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/64793342-83f4ea00-d540-11e9-9bfc-cb9ecaf5e55d.jpg","caption":"Amanda Penn"},"description":"Amanda Penn is a writer and reading specialist. She\u2019s published dozens of articles and book reviews spanning a wide range of topics, including health, relationships, psychology, science, and much more. Amanda was a Fulbright Scholar and has taught in schools in the US and South Africa. Amanda received her Master's Degree in Education from the University of Pennsylvania.","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/amanda\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/best-psychology-books.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7503","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7503"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7503\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7713,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7503\/revisions\/7713"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7561"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7503"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7503"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7503"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}