50 Psychology Classics

50 Psychology Classics

Who we are, how we think, what we do
Insight and inspiration from 50 key books

Tom Butler-Bowdon

First published by
Nicholas Brealey Publishing in 2007

http://www.nicholasbrealey.com
http://www.butler-bowdon.com

© Tom Butler-Bowdon 2007
The right of Tom Butler-Bowdon to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

ISBN-13: 978-1-85788-386-2
ISBN-10: 1-85788-386-1

Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

Butler-Bowdon, Tom, 1967–

50 psychology classics.

p. cm.

ISBN-13: 978-1-85788-386-2
ISBN-10: 1-85788-386-1

    1. Psychological literature. I. Title. II. Title: Fifty psychology classics.

BF76.8.B88 2007
150--dc22

2006026586

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording and/or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers. This book may not be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in any form, binding or cover other than that in which it is published, without the prior consent of the publishers.

Printed in Finland by WS Bookwell.

For Cherry

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1
Alfred Adler
Understanding Human Nature
(1927)

2
Gavin de Becker
The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals that Protect Us from Violence
(1997)

3
Eric Berne
Games People Play: The Psychology of Human Relationships
(1964)

4
Robert Bolton
People Skills: How to Assert Yourself, Listen to Others, and Resolve Conflicts
(1979)

5
Edward de Bono
Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step by Step
(1970)

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: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention
(1996)

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

13
Milton Erickson
(by Sidney Rosen)
My Voice Will Go With You: The Teaching Tales of Milton H. Erickson, M.D
. (1982)

14
Erik Erikson
Young Man Luther: A Study in Psychoanalysis and History
(1958)

15
Hans Eysenck
Dimensions of Personality
(1947)

16
Susan Forward
Emotional Blackmail: When the People in Your Life Use Fear, Obligation, and Guilt to Manipulate You
(1997)

17
Viktor Frankl
The Will to Meaning: Foundations and Applications of Logotherapy
(1969)

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

19
Sigmund Freud
The Interpretation of Dreams
(1900)

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
Working with Emotional Intelligence
(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: A Constructive Theory of Neurosis
(1945)

29
William James
The Principles of Psychology
(1890)

30
Carl Jung
The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious
(1968)

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

32
Melanie Klein
Envy and Gratitude
(1957)

33
R. D. Laing
The Divided Self: A Study of Sanity and Madness
(1960)

34
Abraham Maslow
The Farther Reaches of Human Nature
(1971)

35
Stanley Milgram
Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View
(1974)

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

37
Ivan Pavlov
Conditioned Reflexes: An Investigation of the Physiological Activity of the Cerebral Cortex
(1927)

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

39
Jean Piaget
The Language and Thought of the Child
(1923)

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

41
V. S. Ramachandran
Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind
(1998)

42
Carl Rogers
On Becoming a Person: A Therapist's View of Psychotherapy
(1961)

43
Oliver Sacks
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: And Other Clinical Tales
(1970)

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

45
Martin Seligman
Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfilment
(2002)

46
Gail Sheehy
Passages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life
(1976)

47
B. F. Skinner
Beyond Freedom and Dignity
(1971)

48
Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, & Sheila Heen
Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most
(1999)

49
William Styron
Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness
(1990)

50
Robert E. Thayer
The Origin of Everyday Moods: Managing Energy, Tension, and Stress
(1996)

50 More Classics

Chronological list of titles

Credits

Each book in the
50 Classics
series has been a major effort, involving thousands of hours of research, reading, and writing. Beyond this core work, the series is made successful thanks to the team at Nicholas Brealey Publishing.

I'm very grateful for the editorial input of Nicholas Brealey and Sally Lansdell in NB's London office, which has made
50 Psychology Classics
a better book. Thanks also for the efforts with international rights to ensure that the book will be read by as many people as possible around the world.

Many thanks also to Patricia O'Hare and Chuck Dresner in the Boston office for their commitment to this book and to the
50 Classics
series, and for increasing its profile in the United States.

Finally, this book could obviously not have been written without the wealth of remarkable ideas and concepts expressed in the classic books covered. Thank you to all the living authors for your contributions to the field.

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. Deeper awareness in these areas can lead us to self-knowledge, a better understanding of human nature, improved relationships, and increased effectiveness—in short, to make a real difference to your life.

50 Psychology Classics
explores writings from such iconic figures as Freud, Adler, Jung, Skinner, James, Piaget, and Pavlov, and also highlights the work of contemporary thinkers such as Gardner, Gilbert, Goleman, and Seligman. There is a commentary devoted to each book, revealing the key points and providing a context of the ideas, people, and movements surrounding it. The blend of old and new titles gives you an idea of writings that you should at least know about even if you are not going to read them, and newer, really practical titles that take account of the latest scientific findings.

The focus is on “psychology for nonpsychologists,” books everyone can read and be enlightened by, or that were expressly written for a general audience. In addition to psychologists, the list includes titles by neurologists, psychiatrists, biologists, communications experts, and journalists, not to mention a dockworker, an expert in violence, and a novelist. As the secrets of human behavior are too important to be defined by a single discipline or point of view, we need to hear from such an eclectic collection of voices.

The book does not focus primarily on psychiatry, although works by psychiatrists such as Oliver Sacks, Erik Erikson, R. D. Laing, and Viktor Frankl are included, plus some by famous therapists including Carl Rogers, Fritz Perls, and Milton Erickson.
50 Psychology Classics
is less about fixes to problems than supplying general insights into why people think or act as they do.

Despite the inclusion of some titles relating to the unconscious mind, the emphasis is also not on depth psychology, or concepts of the psyche or soul. Some of the best popular writers in this area, including James Hillman (
The Soul's Code
), Thomas Moore (
Care of the Soul
), Carol Pearson (
The Hero Within
), and Joseph Campbell (
The Power of Myth
), have been covered in
50 Self-Help Classics
and
50 Spiritual Classics
, which explore books on the more transformational and spiritual sides of psychology.

The list of 50 psychology classics does not claim to be definitive, just to range over some of the major names and writings. Every collection of this type will be to some extent idiosyncratic, and no claims are made to cover the
various fields and subfields in psychology comprehensively. Here we are seeking basic insights into some of the most intriguing psychological questions and concepts, and a greater knowledge of human nature.