There is a lot of great psychology literature out in the world today, from classics, to modern and pop-psych. Reading psychology books has helped me grasp a good understanding of psychology in clinical practice, talk therapy and an overall look at the brain and personality. This is a brief list of some of my favorite psychology books, in no particular order:
1. On Becoming a Person, by Carl R. Rogers, 1961. This book was gifted to me by my girlfriend about two years ago. It has left a lasting impression on me and gives a lot of great insight on the humanistic approach to therapy.
2. Letters to a Young Therapist, by Mary Pipher, 2003. This book is written in an informal manner. It was a quick and easy read that got me excited about my future career goals of going into private practice. The book is a series of letters (as indicated by the title) from the author to her favorite grad student.
3. The Story of Psychology, by Morton Hunt, 1993. This book is by far one of the driest books I have ever read, however, it is chock full of valuable information on the history of psychology, from the beginning days of philosophers asking questions of the soul, to primitive ideas like Descartes and his theory of animal spirits traveling through hollow nerves in humans and finally more modern day theorists.
4. Imp of The Mind, by Lee Baer, Ph.D., 2001. This was one of the first psychology books that I ever read. Its primary focus is on OCD and it discusses research and the author's personal experience in treatment. This book played a large role in what got me hooked on psychology.
5. 50 Psychology Classics, by Tom Butler-Bowdon, 2007. This book is comprised of 50 excerpts from great psychology books of history. This book has a short preview of each excerpt written by the author explaining what the excerpt consists of as well as some other background information, after the preview the actual excerpt usually conveys the main idea of the book. This book will give you a broad understanding of a lot of schools of psychology and theorists. After this book is read the reader can then branch out and read the full-length version of the book or books that peaked some interest.
6. Cognitive Therapy and The Emotional Disorders, by Aaron T. Beck, M.D., 1979. When reading this book I honestly had a hard time understanding some of the concepts and I had to reread quite a few sections to gain a better understanding. With that being said it contains a lot of useful information that I think has a lot of practical uses in therapy. I would like to reread this book now because I read it a year or two ago, and I feel I have a better understanding of cognitive therapy and I think I could gain a lot more information from it.
