10 Exciting Psychology Books for Your Summer Reading List

The school year is over, and it is time to rest and reinvigorate!  Below is a list fascinating books for psychology teachers this summer which will have you prepared and excited for new students this fall.

The Hope Circuit: A Psychologist’s Journey from Helplessness to Optimism (Hachette, 2018) by Martin E.P. Seligman

ISBN-13:  9781610398732
The Hope Circuit is the autobiography of former APA President and founder of positive psychology, Martin Seligman which traces not only his notable career (learned helplessness, learned optimism, positive psychology) but also the twists and turns of the field of psychology from the vantage point of someone who was at the forefront of change.  In addition to his personal story, the book covers the past present and future of many other critical findings including Wolpe’s systematic desensitization and Garcia’s preparedness.

 

Behave: the Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst

(Penguin, 2017) by Robert Sapolsky
ISBN-13: 978-0143110910
Dr. Sapolsky, a professor of biology, neurology, and neurosurgery at Stanford University, provides a tour of neurobiology and discusses many of the recent discoveries from evolutionary psychology relating to the role of emotion in decision making, aggression, altruism, free will, how genes and culture influence each other, and unconscious bias.

 

Rock-Breaks-Scissors:  A Practical Guide to Outwitting Almost Everybody

(Little, Brown and Company, 2014) by William Poundstone
ISBN:  978-0316371490
William Poundstone’s book about beating the odds in the stock market, on tests, in tennis, and in many other competitive situations provides strategies for overcoming the odds.  For those who are intent on winning the next office Superbowl pool or improving their score on the GRE, this book is an excellent reference.  Those who have read Predictably Irrational about determining the odds and finding patterns in seemingly random information may also enjoy Rock-Breaks-Scissors.

 

The Lost Boys:  Inside Muzafer Sherif’s Robbers Cave Experiment  

(Scribe Publications, 2018) By Gina Perry
From the author of Behind the Shock Machine, which detailed Stanley Milgram’s infamous shock study on obedience, Gina Perry is back with a detailed description of the happenings in Robber’s Cave Park in the summer of 1954.  From the development of the in-groups and out-groups of the Eagles and Rattlers and the development of stereotypes and scapegoating, this book is a riveting narrative about one of psychology’s most infamous studies.  Some of Sherif`s recordings of the evil acts towards to groups are startling and provide insight into the development and potential ability to overcome stereotypes.

 

Beat Boredom: Engaging Tuned-Out Teenagers

(Stenhouse, 2017) by Martha Rush
ISBN-13: 978-1625311498
Expert teacher Martha Rush presents a series of instructional strategies that encourage student investment in learning, including methods designed to help students drive meaningful conversations, struggle with real-life problems, use thoughtful role plays, and participate in meaningful work beyond the classroom. Each section includes student feedback, assessment methods, and specific tips for teachers that relate to high school psychology, economics, and government classes.

 

Evicted:  Poverty and Profit in the American City

(Penguin Random House LLC, 2016) by Matthew Desmond
ISBN:  978-0-553-44745-3
This book makes Barack Obama`s list for favorite books of the year as Matthew Desmond tracks the life of eight Milwaukee households who have faced eviction.  Desmond contends that the lack of affordable housing in American cities especially in poor areas leads to a lack of stability and increased crime.  Also, this leaves those who have been evicted without the ability to apply for public housing.  With few other options, those who have often been evicted end up paying too much for substandard housing and are taken advantage of by landlords, who realize their tenants will not move as they have few alternative options.  Desmond personalizes this problem by living with these families in Milwaukee for a year to understand the challenges and day-to-day problems the face.  While this book extends beyond psychology, it is a riveting look behind the scenes of those trying to make a life for themselves after eviction.

 

Lab Girl:  A Story of Trees, Science, and Love

(Penguin Random House LLC, 2016)  By Hope Jahren
ISBN: 978-1-101-87372-4
With the #metoo movement and increased attention in the past year on the rights of women in the workplace, Lab Girl brings details the love of scientific research but also the many challenges in funding and the increased challenge of being a woman in a field dominated and often run by men. Jahren describes her love for discoveries in and out of the lab and stresses the importance of working with people who have the same passion for the subject.  She describes the emphasis on publishing and funding one`s lab as constant struggles which distract her from the work she loves.  She addresses the challenges of running a lab while trying to maintain a healthy family life with light-hearted and amusing anecdotes.  Jahren provides a peek into the life of a research scientist who is continually on the hunt for new answers to unending scientific questions.

 

Against Empathy:  The Case for Rational Compassion

(Harper Collins, 2016) By Paul Bloom
ISBN:  978-0-06-233933-1
Most psychologists will bristle at the title of Paul Bloom`s latest book.  Psychologists have long promoted empathy as a means of creating a sense of better understanding amongst people, and schools have worked on increasing emotion in children, in all empathy is often associated with many positive emotions and behaviors. Bloom argues that what we today call empathy may often be compassion or sympathy.  By first parsing out cognitive versus emotional empathy, he then goes onto explain why more empathy is not always good.  If we know someone who is terminally ill and in excruciating pain, we can imagine what it is like for the person`s family to witness this.  If we had the opportunity to move this person up on a list of transplant patients we likely would, but Bloom argues that this does more bad than good because presumably, it bumps someone who was more deserving from the waitlist.  While Bloom`s argument might seem misguided at first, it is worth considering over a long summer on the lake.

 

The Memory Illusion: Remembering, Forgetting, and the Science of False Memory

(Random House Books, 2016) by Julia Shaw
ISBN-13: 9781847947628
The Memory Illusion, by Julia Shaw, a forensic psychologist in the Department of Law and Social Sciences at London South Bank University, studies the creation of false memories and is a consultant on memory issues for the legal system, the military, and businesses. Dr. Shaw demonstrates how important memory is in a variety of contexts including the law, interpersonal communication, social media, personality and identity and the many ways in which our memory can be deceptive. By highlighting the latest research, the book demonstrates how understanding problems with memory can provide insight into ways in which memory can be improved.

 

Psych Experiments:  From Pavlov’s Dogs to Rorschach’s Inkblots, Put Psychology’s Most Fascinating Studies to the Test

(Simon and Schuster, 2017) by Michael Britt
978144059707
Psych Experiments, the much-anticipated book by psychologist Michael Britt, known to psychology teachers and students as the host of The Psych Files podcast is an excellent source for studies that can be used in the classroom or as student projects.  The book contains 50 different studies that are all based on psychological research ranging from classic studies to more current research.  Each of the 50 studies includes background information, related psychological concepts, a summary of how the original research was conducted, and step-by-step instructions for replicating either the original research design or a modified version.

If you are interested in other books related to Psychology, check the Books for Psychology Class Blog which presents reviews of books that would be useful in an introductory psychology class.  Each post includes a brief description of the book, an original classroom activity and resources (videos, articles, podcasts) related to the topics in the book.  The Psychology Teacher Network (PTN) Newsletter from TOPSS also includes regular book reviews.

Do you have other psychology books you recommend for summer reading? Please feel free to list suggested books in the comments below.