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Books about Human Behavior
Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper
by Diablo Cody
A funny, poignant memoir of a young journalist's year spent working in a strip club.
Decreed by David Letterman (tongue in cheek) on CBS TV’s The Late Show to be the pick of “Dave’s Book Club 2006,” Candy Girl is the story of a young writer who dared to bare it all as a stripper. At ... (Goodreads)
What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures
by Malcolm Gladwell
Collection of essays about the surprising connections between seemingly unrelated topics.
What is the difference between choking and panicking? Why are there dozens of varieties of mustard but only one variety of ketchup? What do football players teach us about how to hire teachers? What ... (Goodreads)
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
by Robert B. Cialdini
An analysis of the psychology of persuasion and how to use it to influence people.
Influence, the classic book on persuasion, explains the psychology of why people say "yes"—and how to apply these understandings. Dr. Robert Cialdini is the seminal expert in the rapidly expanding ... (Goodreads)
The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry
by Jon Ronson
Exploration of the psychiatric industry, examining the definition and diagnosis of psychopathy.
In this madcap journey, a bestselling journalist investigates psychopaths and the industry of doctors, scientists, and everyone else who studies them. The Psychopath Test is a fascinating journey ... (Goodreads)
The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains
by Nicholas Carr
Examination of how technology is impacting the way we think and process information.
“Is Google making us stupid?” When Nicholas Carr posed that question, in a celebrated Atlantic Monthly cover story, he tapped into a well of anxiety about how the Internet is changing us. He also ... (Goodreads)
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
by Daniel H. Pink
A thought-provoking analysis of what truly motivates people, challenging traditional notions of rewards and punishments.
The, New York Times, bestseller that gives readers a paradigm-shattering new way to think about motivation Most people believe that the best way to motivate is with rewards like money—the ... (Goodreads)
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
by Steven D. Levitt
An unconventional study of economics, uncovering the hidden truths of everyday life.
Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common? Why do drug dealers still live with their moms? How much do parents really matter? What ... (Goodreads)
Contagious: Why Things Catch On
by Jonah Berger
Exploring the science behind why some products and ideas become popular.
New York Times bestseller and named Best Marketing Book of 2014 by the American Marketing Association What makes things popular? Why do people talk about certain products and ideas more than others? ... (Goodreads)
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ
by Daniel Goleman
Examines the importance of emotional intelligence and how it affects success.
#1 BESTSELLER • The groundbreaking book that redefines what it means to be smart, with a new introduction by the author “A thoughtfully written, persuasive account explaining emotional intelligence ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales
by Oliver Sacks
A collection of case studies, illustrating extraordinary neurological phenomena.
If a man has lost a leg or an eye, he knows he has lost a leg or an eye; but if he has lost a self—himself—he cannot know it, because he is no longer there to know it. Dr. Oliver Sacks recounts the ... (Goodreads)
Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School
by John Medina
A comprehensive look at the science of brain development, exploring how to maximize its potential.
Most of us have no idea what’s really going on inside our heads. Yet brain scientists have uncovered details every business leader, parent, and teacher should know—like the need for physical activity ... (Goodreads)
Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst
by Robert M. Sapolsky
An exploration of biology, behavior, and human nature, uncovering why we act the way we do.
Why do we do the things we do? More than a decade in the making, this game-changing book is Robert Sapolsky's genre-shattering attempt to answer that question as fully as perhaps only he could, ... (Goodreads)
Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
by Jared Diamond
Study of past societies' successes and failures in terms of environmental, economic, and political decisions.
Brilliant, illuminating, and immensely absorbing, Collapse is destined to take its place as one of the essential books of our time, raising the urgent question: How can our world best avoid ... (Goodreads)
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
by Malcolm Gladwell
Examining how small changes can produce dramatic effects and how ideas spread through society.
An alternate cover edition exists, here,. The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick ... (Goodreads)
Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are
by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
An exploration of how digital data can uncover the truth about humanity.
Foreword by Steven Pinker Blending the informed analysis of The Signal and the Noise with the instructive iconoclasm of Think Like a Freak, a fascinating, illuminating, and witty look at what the ... (Goodreads)
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
by Dan Ariely
An exploration of why humans make irrational decisions, and how to overcome them.
Why do our headaches persist after taking a one-cent aspirin but disappear when we take a 50-cent aspirin? Why does recalling the Ten Commandments reduce our tendency to lie, even when we couldn't ... (Goodreads)
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
by Malcolm Gladwell
Examining the power of intuition and how our unconscious decisions shape our lives.
Drawing on cutting-edge neuroscience and psychology and displaying all of the brilliance that made The Tipping Point a classic, Blink changes the way you'll understand every decision you make. Never ... (Goodreads)
An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales
by Oliver Sacks
Study of human behavior, exploring the complexities of neurological conditions.
Paradoxical portraits of seven neurological patients, including a surgeon consumed by the compulsive tics of Tourette's syndrome unless he is operating; an artist who loses all sense of color in a ... (Goodreads)
Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls
by David Sedaris
A collection of humorous essays and stories, exploring the absurdities of everyday life through the lens of the author's unique perspective.
A guy walks into a bar car and... From here the story could take many turns. When this guy is David Sedaris, the possibilities are endless, but the result is always the same: he will both delight you ... (Goodreads)
SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes And Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance
by Steven D. Levitt
An exploration of human behavior and economics, challenging accepted social norms and traditional wisdom.
The New York Times best-selling Freakonomics was a worldwide sensation, selling over four million copies in thirty-five languages and changing the way we look at the world. Now, Steven D. Levitt and ... (Goodreads)
A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future
by Daniel H. Pink
Exploring the rise of right-brain thinking and how creativity and emotion are shaping our world.
The future belongs to a different kind of person with a different kind of mind: artists, inventors, storytellers-creative and holistic "right-brain" thinkers whose abilities mark the fault line ... (Goodreads)
Getting Even
by Woody Allen
A collection of humorous essays and stories that satirize various aspects of modern life and culture.
After three decades of prodigious film work & some unfortunate tabloid adventures, it's easy to forget that Woody Allen began his career as one heck of a great comedy writer. Getting Even, a ... (Goodreads)
Love's Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy
by Irvin D. Yalom
Exploration of psychotherapy and the human condition, through stories of therapy sessions.
The collection of ten absorbing tales by master psychotherapist Irvin D. Yalom uncovers the mysteries, frustrations, pathos, and humor at the heart of the therapeutic encounter. In recounting his ... (Goodreads)
The Mezzanine
by Nicholson Baker
A man's thoughts and observations during his lunch break escalator ride. Mundane objects and experiences are examined in detail.
The Mezzanine is essentially plotless, a stream-of-consciousness fiction that examines in detail the lunch-hour activities of young office worker Howie, whose simple lunch (popcorn, hot dog, cookie ... (Wikipedia)
Raven Black
by Ann Cleeves
A murder mystery set on the Shetland Islands, unraveling secrets embedded in the local community.
Winner of Britain’s coveted Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award, Ann Cleeves introduces a dazzling new suspense series to mystery readers.,Raven Black, begins on New Year’s Eve with a lonely outcast named ... (Goodreads)
Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex
by Mary Roach
A humorous exploration of the science and research behind sex and human sexuality.
In Bonk, the best-selling author of Stiff turns her outrageous curiosity and insight on the most alluring scientific subject of all: sex. Can a person think herself to orgasm? Why doesn't Viagra help ... (Goodreads)
What Was She Thinking? [Notes on a Scandal]
by Zoë Heller
An intriguing tale of a manipulative teacher and a forbidden affair, told through a colleague's perspective.
Barbara, a veteran history teacher at a comprehensive school in London , is a lonely, unmarried woman in her early sixties, and she is eager to find a close friend. However, she reveals that she has ... (Wikipedia)
The Sociopath Next Door
by Martha Stout
An exploration of sociopathic behaviour and how to identify it in individuals.
Who is the devil you know? Is it your lying, cheating ex-husband? Your sadistic high school gym teacher? Your boss who loves to humiliate people in meetings? The colleague who stole your idea and ... (Goodreads)
The Upside of Irrationality: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home
by Dan Ariely
Examines how irrational behavior affects our decisions and yields surprising outcomes.
Lẽ phải của phi lý trí không phải là một cuốn sách hàn lâm khô khan chỉ toàn lý thuyết, mà nó được sử dụng dữ liệu từ những thí nghiệm thú vị và độc đáo dẫn đến những kết luận hấp dẫn về cách thức – ... (Goodreads)
Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics
by Richard H. Thaler
An exploration of the principles of behavioral economics and its implications for society.
Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, Get ready to change the way you think about economics., Nobel laureate Richard H. Thaler has spent his career studying the radical notion that the central ... (Barnes & Noble)
Mistakes Were Made
by Carol Tavris
Examining the psychological process of self-justification, and the implications of our behavior.
Why do people dodge responsibility when things fall apart? Why the parade of public figures unable to own up when they screw up? Why the endless marital quarrels over who is right? Why can we see ... (Goodreads)
Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do and What It Says About Us
by Tom Vanderbilt
An exploration of the psychology and culture of driving, revealing the hidden forces that shape our behavior on the road.
Would you be surprised that road rage can be good for society? Or that most crashes happen on sunny, dry days? That our minds can trick us into thinking the next lane is moving faster? Or that you ... (Goodreads)
The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better
by Gretchen Rubin
A framework to better understand yourself and others, and the best way to get along with different personalities.
In this groundbreaking analysis of personality type, bestselling author of, Better Than Before, and, The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin reveals the one simple question that will transform what you ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact
by Chip Heath
Examining the key elements that make moments extraordinary and powerful.
The, New York Times, bestselling authors of, Switch, and, Made to Stick, explore why certain brief experiences can jolt us and elevate us and change us—and how we can learn to, create, such ... (Goodreads)
If You Really Loved Me
by Ann Rule
A true crime story of a young woman's murder and the investigation that followed, revealing the dark secrets of her family.
There was only one way to please her father: Murder his wife.... , David Brown was the consummate entrepreneur: a computer wizard and millionaire by age thirty-two. When his beautiful young wife was ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Mind's Eye
by Oliver Sacks
An exploration of the mysteries of vision and perception, and the neurological basis of visual experience.
In Musicophilia, Oliver Sacks explored music and the brain; now, in The Mind's Eye, he writes about the myriad ways in which we experience the visual world: how we see in three dimensions; how we ... (Goodreads)
Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping
by Paco Underhill
An exploration of consumer behavior, uncovering the psychology behind shopping decisions.
Is there a method to our madness when it comes to shopping? Hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as "a Sherlock Holmes for retailers," author and research company CEO Paco Underhill answers with a ... (Goodreads)
Unraveling Oliver
by Liz Nugent
A man's violent act shocks his community, and as his past is revealed, the reasons behind his actions become clearer.
“Searing, searching, finally scorching. Think, Making a Murderer, via Patricia Highsmith: an elegant kaleidoscope novel that refines and combines multiple perspectives until its subject is brought ... (Barnes & Noble)
You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself
by David McRaney
A humorous exploration of cognitive biases, irrational behavior and why humans deceive themselves.
An entertaining illumination of the stupid beliefs that make us feel wise. Whether you’re deciding which smart phone to purchase or which politician to believe, you think you are a rational being ... (Goodreads)
Bellwether
by Connie Willis
A humorous and light-hearted tale of a scientist's quest to uncover the secrets behind a mysterious phenomenon.
Connie Willis has won more Hugo and Nebula awards than any other science fiction author. Now, with her trademark wit and inventiveness, she explores the intimate relationship between science, pop ... (Goodreads)
The Honest Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone - Especially Ourselves
by Dan Ariely
Examines why people lie and how dishonesty affects our lives.
Het wetenschappelijk bewijs liegt er niet om: zelfs de meest eerlijke mensen nemen meerdere keren per dag een loopje met de waarheid. Hóé (on)eerlijk we zijn blijkt verrassend genoeg afhankelijk van ... (Goodreads)
The Undercover Economist
by Tim Harford
A journey through economics, exploring the hidden forces that shape our lives.
An economist's version of The Way Things Work , this engaging volume is part field guide to economics and part expose of the economic principles lurking behind daily events, explaining everything ... (Goodreads)
I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual
by Luvvie Ajayi Jones
A humorous and insightful guide to navigating modern life, calling out bad behavior and encouraging readers to do better.
"A truth-riot of a book!" — Shonda Rhimes, New York Times, Bestseller #1, Washington Post, Bestseller, Redbook ,“20 Books By Women You Must Read this Fall”, GoodHousekeeping.com, “17 New Best New ... (Barnes & Noble)
Heart and Brain: An Awkward Yeti Collection
by Nick Seluk
A collection of comics featuring the internal struggle between the logical Brain and the impulsive Heart, hilariously depicting everyday situations.
New York Times best seller, Heart and Brain: An Awkward Yeti Collection illustrates the relationship between the sensible Brain and its emotionally driven counterpart, the Heart. Boasting more than ... (Barnes & Noble)
Happy: Why More or Less Everything is Absolutely Fine
by Derren Brown
A philosophical exploration of happiness, challenging common beliefs and offering practical advice on how to live a happier life.
Everyone says they want to be happy. But that's much more easily said than done. What does being happy actually mean? And how do you even know when you feel it? Across the millennia, philosophers ... (Goodreads)
Black Box Thinking: Why Some People Never Learn from Their Mistakes - But Some Do
by Matthew Syed
Examines the importance of learning from failure and how it can lead to success in various fields.
Nobody wants to fail. But in highly complex organizations, success can happen only when we confront our mistakes, learn from our own version of a black box, and create a climate where it’s safe to ... (Barnes & Noble)
London Fields
by Martin Amis
A female artist's exploration of life and death, told through the lens of an apocalyptic setting.
London Fields is set in London in 1999 against a backdrop of environmental, social and moral degradation, and the looming threat of world instability and nuclear war (referred to as "The Crisis"). ... (Wikipedia)
To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others
by Daniel H. Pink
A comprehensive look at the art of selling, exploring the ways in which we move others to action.
From the bestselling author of Drive and A Whole New Mind comes a surprising–and surprisingly useful--new book that explores the power of selling in our lives. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor ... (Goodreads)
The Men Who Stare at Goats
by Jon Ronson
An exploration of strange military experiments, exposing the hidden world of military intelligence.
From the bestselling author of The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry and So You've Been Publicly Shamed . In 1979 a secret unit was established by the most gifted minds within ... (Goodreads)
The Story of Mr Sommer
by Patrick Süskind
A boy spends his summer observing a mysterious man and his strange habits, leading to a surprising revelation.
A boy's village childhood with all the traditional attributes - father, mother, brother, sister, a house on a lake, tree-climbing, going to the races, music lessons, a bicycle, a crush on a girl in ... (Goodreads)
One by One
by Chris Carter
A serial killer is on the loose, and detective Robert Hunter must race against time to catch them before they strike again.
'I need your help, Detective. Fire or water?' Detective Robert Hunter of the LAPD's Homicide Special Section receives an anonymous call asking him to go to a specific web address - a private ... (Goodreads)
Lost At Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries
by Jon Ronson
A journalist's adventures as he investigates some of the world's most bizarre stories.
Ronson has spent his life investigating crazy events, following fascinating people and unearthing unusual stories. Collected here from various sources (including the Guardian and GQ America) are the ... (Goodreads)
The Darwin Awards: Evolution in Action
by Wendy Northcutt
A collection of stories about people who died in ridiculous ways, highlighting the importance of common sense and caution.
"Only two things are infinite-the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not so sure about the universe." -Albert Einstein Named in honor of Charles Darwin, the father of evolution,, The Darwin ... (Goodreads)
Games People Play
by Eric Berne
A psychological exploration of the ways people interact, creating meaningful relationships.
We think we’re relating to other people–but actually we’re all playing games. Forty years ago, Games People Play revolutionized our understanding of what really goes on during our most basic social ... (Goodreads)
The Examined Life
by Stephen Grosz
A psychoanalyst shares stories of his patients, exploring the human condition and the ways we navigate life's challenges.
Echoing Socrates' time-honoured statement that the unexamined life is not worth living, psychoanalyst Stephen Grosz draws short, vivid stories from his 25-five-year practice in order to track the ... (Goodreads)
The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature
by Matt Ridley
Examines how evolutionary biology shapes human behavior and sexuality.
Referring to Lewis Carroll's Red Queen from Through the Looking-Glass , a character who has to keep running to stay in the same place, Matt Ridley demonstrates why sex is humanity's best strategy for ... (Goodreads)
Black Coffee
by Charles Osborne
A murder mystery play featuring the famous detective Hercule Poirot, set in an English country house.
Hercule Poirot and his friend Hastings are called upon to visit the home of the famous physicist Sir Claud Amory, who has devised the formula for a new type of explosive; but they learn that he has ... (Wikipedia)
The Fever
by Megan Abbott
A mysterious illness spreads through a small town, causing panic and paranoia among its residents.
Deenie Nash is a diligent student with a close-knit family: her brother, Eli, is a hockey star and her father is a popular teacher. But when Deenie's best friend is struck by a terrifying, ... (Wikipedia)
What Every Body is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Speed-Reading People
by Joe Navarro
A guide on interpreting body language to understand people's thoughts and intentions.
Joe Navarro, a former FBI counterintelligence officer and a recognized expert on nonverbal behavior, explains how to "speed-read" people: decode sentiments and behaviors, avoid hidden pitfalls, and ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Definitive Book of Body Language
by Allan Pease
Comprehensive guide to understanding nonverbal communication and its implications.
Available for the first time in the United States, this international bestseller reveals the secrets of nonverbal communication to give you confidence and control in any face-to-face encounter–from ... (Goodreads)
Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid
by Denis Leary
A humorous take on American culture, politics, and society, with a focus on self-deprecating humor and satire.
A hilarious blast of scathing irreverence from the award-winning actor and comedian . "A pissed off Leary is the best Leary," says one critic of the writer and comic. In Why We Suck , Dr. Denis Leary ... (Goodreads)
Cakes and Ale
by W. Somerset Maugham
A satirical novel about the life of a successful writer, his scandalous past, and the literary world of the early 20th century.
The story is told by a first-person narrator and well-to-do author, William Ashenden, who, at the beginning of the novel is suddenly and unexpectedly contacted by Alroy Kear, a busybody literary ... (Wikipedia)
Rubbernecker
by Belinda Bauer
A medical student with Asperger's syndrome becomes obsessed with cadavers and stumbles upon a murder mystery.
“Breathtaking. I read this and wished I’d written it.”—Val McDermid Winner of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, an Amazon Best Book of the Month, and one of the Guardian ’s ... (Barnes & Noble)
Dataclysm: Who We Are
by Christian Rudder
Exploring the hidden truths revealed by big data and how this data paints a picture of humanity.
A, New York Times, Bestseller,An audacious, irreverent investigation of human behavior—and a first look at a revolution in the making Our personal data has been used to spy on us, hire and fire us, ... (Goodreads)
Confessions of a Sociopath: A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight
by M.E. Thomas
A chilling memoir of a successful lawyer who is also a sociopath, revealing the inner workings of a mind devoid of empathy and emotions.
The first memoir of its kind, Confessions of a Sociopath is an engrossing, highly captivating narrative of the author's life as a diagnosed sociopath. She is a charismatic charmer, an ambitious ... (Goodreads)
Quirkology: How We Discover the Big Truths in Small Things
by Richard Wiseman
A fun and fascinating exploration of the science behind everyday quirks and behaviors.
For over twenty years, psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman has examined the quirky science of everyday life. In Quirkology , he navigates the backwaters of human behavior, discovering the ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity
by Carlo M. Cipolla
A humorous yet insightful analysis of human stupidity, its impact on society, and how to deal with it.
"A masterly book" –Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of, The Black Swan,"A classic" --Simon Kuper,, Financial Times, In the spirit of On Bullshit and Assholes: A Theory , an economist explores the five ... (Goodreads)
Please Understand Me: Character and Temperament Types
by David Keirsey
A guide to understanding personality types and how they affect communication and relationships.
Professor Keirsey is a long time clinical psychologist of the gestalt-field systems school. After 30 years of treating hundreds of teaching, parenting, marriage, and management problems, Dr. Keirsey ... (Goodreads)
Look at the Birdie: Unpublished Short Fiction
by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
A collection of unpublished short stories by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. that explores the human condition with his signature wit and satire.
Look at the Birdie is a collection of fourteen previously unpublished short stories from one of the most original writers in all of American fiction. In this series of perfectly rendered vignettes, ... (Goodreads)
Personality Plus: How to Understand Others by Understanding Yourself
by Florence Littauer
A guide to understanding personality types and how to interact with them effectively.
في هذا الكتاب تمنحك فلورنس ليتور أفكاراً قيمة لتقدير شخصيتك الفريدة من نوعها التي وهبها الله لك. وهي تدرج اختبارا لأنماط الشخصية والذي يكشف عن مجموعة السمات المخفية التي ت}ثر على مشاعرك وأدائك في ... (Goodreads)
100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know about People
by Susan M. Weinschenk
A guide to understanding the psychology behind human behavior and how it can be applied to design.
WE DESIGN TO ELICIT RESPONSES from people. We want them to buy something, read more, or take action of some kind. Designing without understanding what makes people act the way they do is like ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Logic of Life: The Rational Economics of an Irrational World
by Tim Harford
A fascinating exploration of how economics shapes our daily lives, from dating to crime, and how we can make better decisions.
In this deftly reasoned book, a columnist for The Financial Times and Slate argues that, despite the everyday insanity, life is logical after all, and he explores the surprisingly rational choices ... (Goodreads)
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