If you are a psychology student, and you’re looking to master the field of how the human mind works. Or, if you are psychology majors, and you’re looking for ways to improve your knowledge of human behavior. I’m happy to announce my list of the 10 best psychology books for students.
While your class curriculum is surely filled with titles on the human mind that require your attention. There are numerous other books you’re almost required to read if you want not only to pass the exams, but also to upgrade your understanding of how humans behave. And with this set yourself on a path to a successful career where you can swiftly classify the mental disorders in your patients.
When it comes to psychology, there are different nuances in the field. Different hypothesis. Different ideas. Approaches. And that’s normal. After all, our minds are so complex that it takes decades to learn just a tiny part of how our grey matter operates. This type of content cannot be covered by a single book – nor it cannot be covered by a dozen of titles.
The psychology books list below is carefully designed to help you enhance your knowledge in the field. Better prepared for the school year. And also to set you on the right path in the exciting world of psychology – especially if you want to become a practicing psychologist, therapist, or master identifier of our internal mental processes.
The 10 Best Psychology Books for Students:
- 1. Career Paths in Psychology by Robert J. Sternberg
- 2. The Psychology Major’s Handbook by Tara L. Kuther
- 3. Cognitive Psychology and its Implications by John R. Anderson
- 4. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by American Psychological Association
- 5. The Gift of Therapy by Irvin D. Yalom
- 6. Your Memory: A User’s Guide by Alan Baddeley
- 7. The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson
- 8. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn
- 9. Pioneers of Psychology by Raymond E. Fancher
- 10. The Undiscovered Self: With Symbols and the Interpretation of Dreams by Carl Gustav Jung
1. Career Paths in Psychology by Robert J. Sternberg
What’s the book about?
Career Paths in Psychology by Robert J. Sternberg is a helpful guide for every psychology student. The book offers resources that aim to show you the different professional opportunities that you can expect once you graduate with a degree in the field. What are the advantages and disadvantages in the different areas of psychology? What are the typical daily activities? Plus, the range of compensation and the skills you need to get the desired job – something I believe a lot of students will find extremely useful.
Who is it for?
This book is extremely useful for students or people who are thinking of pursuing a career in psychology. Yes, learning about what motivates us and how we behave is useful if you’re a beginner, too. But if you’re serious about pursuing an academic career in the world of psychology. You’d want to know what to expect when you actually get a job in the exciting world of psychology. That’s exactly what this book is all about. Career Paths in Psychology aims to address your daring questions before you even have them.
2. The Psychology Major’s Handbook by Tara L. Kuther
What’s the book about?
Similar to the book above, The Psychology Major’s Handbook, aims to help you understand the possible career opportunities in the field of psychology. The content covers a lot of ground in terms of the skills someone will need to become a respected psychology professional. In short, this title showcases, as stated in the description, “the information you need to make informed decisions about whether to pursue psychology as a major and career.”
Who is it for?
For people who are starting a master’s degree in psychology. This book will show you all the possible options. What type of salary you can expect. What are the different jobs. What skills you need to obtain to be good at your job. In short, this handbook is great for people interested in a career related to the exciting field of psychology.
3. Cognitive Psychology and its Implications by John R. Anderson
What’s the book about?
Written by the famous cognitive psychologist, John R. Anderson, this book offers an easy-to-understand presentation of the mental processes occurring in our heads. Cognitive Psychology and its Implications presents the foundations of cognitive neuroscience. The title is full of concrete examples and experiments that will enhance your understanding of research evolution and the mysterious neurological components.
Who is it for?
For students interested in knowing the science of how the mind is organized to produce intelligent thought and what are the exact processes happening in the brain. Especially useful for graduates who will soon finish school and are curious about neuropsychology and cognitive impairments.
4. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by American Psychological Association
What’s the book about?
This revised edition by American Psychological Association will give you all the needed tools and ideas to understand what are the best practices in scholarly writing and publishing. The goal is to provide clear instructions on how to properly format your paper. How to add citing references and the best techniques to construct a list of references in general.
Who is it for?
While the text will probably test your attention span to the extreme – a lot of boring repeating text that is probably good only for reference. The book is surely something you need to check if you’re a student. This is, of course, if you want to understand how to arrange your papers adequately.
5. The Gift of Therapy by Irvin D. Yalom
What’s the book about?
The author, Irvin D. Yalom, who is a practicing psychiatrist with more than thirty-five years of experience, is sharing his monumental work. This book covers a lot of ground. Subjects like group therapy. The human capacity to attend to difficulties. How to create real relationships with your clients and much more.
Who is it for?
Recommended for practicing therapists or people who are hoping to become one. The easy-to-get text will explain all the nuances related to therapy. Some readers of the book even report that this book can inspire you to become a psychotherapist.
6. Your Memory: A User’s Guide by Alan Baddeley
What’s the book about?
With the book Your Memory, Alan Baddeley wants to improve our capacity of remembering information. The book is a detailed description of how our memory works. Why we tend to forget. Why our memory betrays us, especially during negotiations or arguments. And why dates and names are usually things we don’t hold for longer than 2 seconds. The exercises and the thoughtful practical tasks added inside this cover will make your brain more reliable when facing difficult situations or when facing tough decisions.
Who is it for?
Highly recommended for people interested in the subject of memory. The case studies and the variety of perspectives mentioned in the text will give you a fresh look at how to look at remembering information. Additionally, as a psychology student, you’ll find new, and better ways to hold the material you’re learning for longer in your brain. All of this making you an even better professional.
7. The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson
What’s the book about?
Labeled as a fascinating journey through the minds of madness. The Psychopath Test teaches you how to spot psychopaths from afar. By looking at the barely noticeable verbal and nonverbal clues, you’ll finally realize who is trustworthy and who you should avoid. The author describes ego-driven people. How they behave, why they desire to dominate others, and most importantly, what you can do to protect yourself from these crazy folks.
Who is it for?
By providing us with insightful information about sociopaths and psychopaths, Jon Ronson will help us spot mental disorders in others. As you can imagine, this skill is really powerful if you’re a psychology student aiming to become professional and when you have to prescribe treatment for your patient. Or, simply figure out what type of people you should avoid hanging out with.
8. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn
What’s the book about?
Even people actively learning about how the mind works can find this book difficult to read. Thomas Kuhn introduces us to concepts that can be really hard to understand. Nonetheless, these are things you should definitely check. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions proposes new models of scientific progress. And it also explains why other highly rated models are wrong.
Who is it for?
A fresh new look on important scientific theories related to human behavior and not only. Written like an academic paper, this book is surely not for people new to the field. But students will definitely find the content shared insightful. Kuhn carefully unpacks different theories and adds a sip of history and philosophy and how they apply to this field.
9. Pioneers of Psychology by Raymond E. Fancher
What’s the book about?
In 13 chapters, Raymond Fancher teaches us who are the pioneers in the field of psychology. The book starts with the exploration of the theories by Descartes, Locke, and Leibniz. Later, it moves to another set of highly praised individuals like Kant, Helmholtz, and Skinner. Or in other words, this book can be easily described as a short history of the field of psychology with a philosophical twist.
Who is it for?
Mainly for people who are interested in how psychology emerged and how it became a separate subject for us to study and master. Pioneers of Psychology provides excellent examples and explanations of how philosophy and psychology work together in unison.
10. The Undiscovered Self: With Symbols and the Interpretation of Dreams by Carl Gustav Jung
What’s the book about?
This is actually a combination of two of the best works by Carl Jung. The Undiscovered Self and Symbols and the Interpretation of Dreams. The Swiss psychiatrist who doesn’t need an introduction addresses important questions about us, humans. With the text, he wants to bring self-awareness to the masses and showcase how the masses are damaging the individual. This is a masterful work that will help us decipher dreams and also encourage us to take an individual approach when helping others.
Who is it for?
This is an important text for every psychology student. You will not only understand what type of questions to ask your patients, so you can understand their hidden motives. But also, understand how you have to approach them. To avoid linking the problems shared by people to other cases. To always consider the person in front of you. This will help you spot what this specific individual is experiencing so you can better tailor your treatment.
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Some Closing Thoughts
People often ask this: What books do psychology students read?
The answer? There isn’t one ultimate book that you can read that will help you master the field of psychology and get an amazingly high grade – or promotion if you already have a job.
If you’re serious about becoming a certified therapist or someone who will pursue an academic career in the field of psychology, you need to take a different approach. You need to become a lifelong reader. And yes, you can start with the list of books mentioned above. But remember, these titles won’t be enough. The goal is to use them as a starting point.
This is what every psychology student should know. That reading psychology books is not only an activity you do during your major. It’s something that you embrace and permanently add to your life.
If you’re already familiar with the titles above, I can suggest checking my other list compiling the best psychology books you must read.
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