Biology & Psychology

Books

Biology

Phantoms in the Brain by V.S Ramachandran

A popular 1998 science book written by neuroscientist V.S Ramachandran, Phantoms in the Brain can relate the complex topics of neurophysiology and neuropsychology to the discussion of real, documented case studies.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

In 1951, cancerous cells from Henrietta Lacks led to microbiological breakthroughs that changed the face of medicine forever, but she is not even aware of the difference she made. This 2010 book explores the racial suffering that she had to experience as a black women, as well as the scientific discoveries that were achieved.

Gene Machine by Venki Ramakrishnan

In this book, written by Venki Ramakrishnan who received the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering the structure of the ribosome, you’ll learn how this discovery could advance our knowledge of all life and lead to the development of better antibiotics to treat life-threatening diseases.

Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain by Mark F Bear, Barry W Connors and Michael A Paradiso

Widely acclaimed for its student-friendly style and remarkable illustrations, it is a leading undergraduate textbook and provides coverage on topics such as circadian rhythms, brain development, developmental disorders, new research discoveries, and much more.

The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins

Published in 1976, The Selfish Gene is a book on evolution that proposes the theory of the “selfish gene”: an evolutionary biology principle that takes a gene-centred view on survival, extinction, and all things in-between.

 

The Gene: an Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee

This book offers an in-depth history of our genes while combining elements of science, social history, and personal narrative to tell us the story of one of the most important discoveries of modern times.

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks

In this book, Dr Oliver Sacks, a renowned British neurologist, offers a discussion on some of the most interesting clinical cases he’s seen in his career of being a physician.

A Crack in Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution by Jennifer Doudna and Samuel Sternberg

Jennifer Doudna, the co-founder of CRISPR gene-editing technology, explains her discovery, describes its power to reshape the future of all life and warns of its use.

The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge

This book offers an interesting discussion on neuroplasticity, or the ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections based on experience. We look at this revolutionary concept in neuroscience through examining stories from Dr Norman Doidge’s own patients.

The $1000 Genome: The Revolution in DNA Sequencing and The New Era of Personalized Medicine by Kevin Davies

Dr Kevin Davies details what the future of medicine and society might look like with the future of cheap genome sequencing available to the masses. Will your privacy be protected? Will you be pressured by insurance companies to get your genome sequenced? What happens when you discover that you will end up with a disease like Alzheimer’s? Read on to find out!

 

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert

Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker writer, provides the readers with an interesting insight into the drastic ways that humankind has altered life on the planet in ways that no species has done before. She covers the five mass extinctions in our world’s past and the fascinating creatures that were lost to them, along with the next devastating extinction where we are its victims.

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee

A magnificent book, following the story of cancer from its first documented appearances to the way we perceive it today. Siddhartha Mukherjee, an award-winning science writer, examines cancer in an exceptionally unique way, resulting in a book that offers a fascinating history of the deadly disease and a glimpse into the future of cancer treatment.

The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin

One of the many books written by Charles Darwin, a biologist best known for his contributions to the science of evolution, covers Darwin’s theory of natural selection. It educates its readers about the complex relations between animal and plant life, as well as the many factors that shaped our physical environment. Originally written in 1859, this book is one of the founding documents of our modern world.

Campbell Biology by Jane B. Reece

Campbell biology is considered extremely important for mainstream biological education. It is also referred to as the ‘Bible of Biology’ because of its extensive help in preparation for Biology Olympiads and other exams. This book is a must-read if you wish to gain a wholesome knowledge of biology.

Psychology

The Brain: The Story of You by David Eagleman

 

Written by Dr David Eagleman, a professor of neuroscience at Stanford University, the book describes how the story of your life shapes the complicated organizational structure of your brain while simultaneously delving into topics such as criminal justice, genocide, brain surgery, robotics, and the search for immortality.

The Science of Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Mood by Stephen Braun

From interviews with scientists at the forefront of research and the compelling personal stories of many individuals, Dr Stephen Braun examines deep questions about happiness and the implications that new, mood-boosting drugs will have on people and society as a whole.

Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman

From the frontier of psychology and neuroscience, Daniel Goleman brings an important, new insight on our “two minds”—the rational and the emotional—and how they together shape our destiny.

Working with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman

Everyone knows that the secret to success is not just IQ, but until Working with Emotional Intelligence, we could only guess why. In this book, you’ll learn how the single most important factor in job performance and advancement is emotional intelligence.

Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst by Robert Sapolsky

Using a story-telling style, this book gives a comprehensive look at human behaviour that stems from this root question: why do we do the things we do?

Making Up the Mind: How the Brain Creates Our Mental World by Chris Frith

Written by a world-renowned scientist, this book provides commentary on experimental studies that show how the brain creates its’ own mental world that’s different from reality without us being consciously aware.

 

How the Mind Works by Steven Pinker

In this book, cognitive scientist Steven Pinker explores some of the brains poorly understood functions in terms of evolutionary biology and offers important insight into many of our mind’s untapped regions.

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Throughout this book, Daniel Kahneman follows the many systems in the mind, creating engaging conversations about human intuition and capabilities. He offers important insight into how the choices we make influence and impact our lives.

The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less by Barry Schwartz

Our society’s obsession with choice led Barry Schwartz to write this book, discussing the impacts that choice can have on our psychological and emotional well-being. He further shows the way our modern culture can foster many prevalent issues, such as anxiety and depression. Additionally, Schwartz also offers advice on how to focus on the right choices to improve our quality of life.

12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson

Dr Jordan B. Peterson, a renowned psychologist, discusses some of the most difficult questions, providing its readers with hard truths, while also using scientific research to back up his points. Dr Peterson uses this book to discuss topics such as discipline, freedom, adventure, and responsibility, creating “12 rules for life” along the way. 

The Lucifer Effect by Philip Zimbardo

The Lucifer Effect explains how—and the myriad reasons why—we are all susceptible to the lure of “the dark side.” Drawing on examples from history as well as his own trailblazing research, Zimbardo details how situational forces and group dynamics can work in concert to make monsters out of decent men and women. 

 

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, impeccably researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by Jenny Zhang

Do you like or want to learn about behavioural psychology? Or are you maybe interested in learning the cause to habits? Atomic Habits by James Clear is a book that explores the framework of how habits are formed through an experts point of view. No matter how big or small your goals are, Atomic Habits explains how to form good habits and break bad ones.