recommended books

(alphabetical by author's last name except first book)
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z


		The Betrayal of the Self / Arno Gruen BOOK OF THE MONTH Gruen is a Swiss-German Jungian analyst who has written a very good book on how most of us are brought up to choose power over love. And in making that choice, the life-long pursuit of power blocks us from experiencing an authentic inner life and corrupts our relationships into ones bases on hierarchy and domination. The net result of this push for invincibility is, paradoxically, that we are unable to develop true autonomy because we end up denying our feelings, especially feelings of vulnerability and fear. We come to depend upon those that we dominate to express those feelings instead, and society suffers as a result.


		Influence: Science and Practice / Robert Cialdini Packed with psychological insight backed up with documented research, Cialdini has produced a book that every marketer dreams about, and one which everyone who does not want to be manipulated by marketers should read. If you are interested in the psychology behind much of modern life, then this book is essential reading.

		The Power of Focusing / Ann Weiser Cornell The subtitle of this book is "A Practical Guide to Emotional Self-Healing" and that is exactly what this book can do for you. Cornell is one of the best instructors for Gene Gendlin's psychological technique (very NLP-like) called Focusing, which was developed from studies to see why some patients benefited from therapy and some didn't. Basically, the book shows us how to enter into a relationship and dialogue with our own bodies. You will find the essence of this technique in many New Age and personal development books, but this book probably is the best encapsulation that we have seen.

		The Way of the Superior Man / David Deida Some might see this book as stereotypical diatribe towards traditional gender roles, but Deida's book is welcome relieve against the current ideology of equality which satisfies the mind but not the body/emotions. He even uses the phrase "your woman" throughout the book which is both annoying and refreshing. This is certainly a book for men who want some understanding of women (Deida's message is simply that you can't understand them so just love them). If you are a feminist, don't bother reading it.

		Going to Pieces / Mark Epstein This book could be put in the "mind" section of this site, but it seems to have such a spiritual focus that it has ended up here. Epstein is a Buddhist psychologist who shows that the standard practice of modern psychology of trying to build or strengthen the ego or sense of self is actually counterproductive, and that letting go and relinquishing control is actually the only true way to happiness and fulfillment.


		Blink / Malcolm Gladwell After the enormous success of his book, The Tipping Point, Gladwell has written a fascinating book on how we make split-second decisions. He shows us that these sorts of rapid gut-instinct type decisions can be advantageous: for example, rapid gut-instict evaluations made by art experts often turn out more accurate than protracted scientific examination made by a team of experts. These sorts of fast and unconscious decisions, however, can also reveal unconscious prejudices: for example, a policeman in a predominantly white society shoots an unarmed black man because he is believes that he is likely to have a gun. Overall, the book is an interesting one.


		We / Robert A. Johnson Based around the myth of Tristin and Ishalt, this book is about understanding the psychology of romantic love. If you have ever wondered why romantic love is so painful and short-lived, then you will find some of the answers beautifully written in this short book. Johnson is a Jungian psychologist and so the book is written from great depth and understanding. This is not a self-help book by any means.

		The Age of Manipulation / Wilson Bryan Key Key is the world's leading authority on subliminal media strategies and in this highly recommended book he exposes the methods used by advertisers and governments to manipulate the people without their conscious awareness. Subliminal messages, he argues, are one of the causes of many of societies ills. But this is no ordinary psychological tour. Key has a sublime understanding of reality and our relationship to it, and how much of our naivety stems from our assumption that we all live in a single objective world. Startlingly thought-provoking.

		Mindfulness / Ellen Langer A very interesting book which shows the power of the mind over the body and the brain. Engage the mind, and the whole physiology of the body changes; really believe that you are younger and your body will be younger. The book also shows how mindfulness can transform every aspect of life, including the work place. New age drivel? Ellen Langer is Professor of Psychology at Harvard University! A must read for everyone, especially those resigned to loosing their faculties as they grow older.

		Thinking Beyond the Brain / David Lorimer (editor) Compiled by David Lorimer, an ex-director and consultant to the Scientific and Medical Network, this book is a collection of essays from lectures by different scientists and scholars given at the "Beyond the Brain" conferences here in the UK. The basic theme of the book is that, to include certain anomalous phenomena (psychic etc.) into a consistent scientific paradigm, the mind cannot be an epiphenomenon of the brain but independent to it. The book leads us in the direction of the brain being a physical tool that interacts with or captures "mind".


		Shadow Dance / David Richo Subtitled "Liberating The Power & Creativity of Your Dark Side", this is book is a real inspiration to those wanting to face their shadow — that part of ourselves that we disown because it does not fit with who we think we are. Written by an experienced psychotherapist who regularly leads workshops at the Esalen Institute, this book is about the acceptance of self, the whole self, and the healing and liberation that this brings. Richo shows us the steps we need to take us back to wholeness. This book could very well have been in the spiritual section of this site.

		The Men Who Stare At Goats / Jon Ronson Only Jon Ronson is able to present heavy conspiracy topics in a well-written and entertaining manner. Perhaps too entertaining, for his excellent story-telling skills often mask the book's dark subject — the use of psychic powers for military purposes. He outlines how the PsyOps, a divison of the US army, has and continues to use a multiple of psychic techniques and disciplines to enhance the US military effectiveness as a killing and dominating machine. One is never sure whether Ronson has crossed from fact into disinformation and myth, but he never makes the mistake of taking it all, or himself, too seriously.

		Beyond Fear / Dorothy Rowe Few psychologists have the insight and clarity of Dorothy Rowe, and it is surprising that her books are not more widely read. In this book, Rowe journeys to the very heart of fear where she finds the fear of annihilation. Of course, that fear is experienced differently by different people. If the fear is great enough, we compensate with mental disorders. Rowe also shows us how, by becoming conscious of our inner mechanisms, we can learn to embrace life. You will not find a more insightful and lucid book on this subject.

		Guide To Life / Dorothy Rowe This book is only 200 pages thick, and yet it really does live up to its title. If you read one self-help book in your life then this should be it. Rowe cuts through all the BS that is around and presents a very clear and compassionate encapsulation of life and how to life it well. A very practical book. My only bugbear is that Rowe is a staunch materialist. There is nothing transcendent in her books except basic humanity. Whilst that is inspiring in itself, it might be a little off-putting to some more spiritually orientated individuals.

		The Successful Self / Dorothy Rowe How we define and experience success depends on whether we are an extravert or an introvert. Whilst this theme of "two-types" runs through most of Rowe's books, it is most elucidated in this one. The result might be a little surprising… those who have automatically assumed they were introverts might actually be shy extraverts, and those who are extravert, might well be social introverts. These points are very important if you are to understand the mechanism by which you approach life and by which you define your success. Great book.

		Beyond Therapy, Beyond Science / Anne Wilson Schaef Psychologist, Anne Wilson Schaef, gives us new models for transforming our selves, our relationships, our organizations and our societies. Using her experience of the 12 step program for addiction, and her experience in the feminist movement, Schaef questions what many of us have taken for granted. Anyone interested in going deeper in themselves should read this book, although it is quite intellectual as well.

		Learned Optimism / Martin Seligman The importance of Seligman's book is that it builds a case, based on research, how our conscious thinking is responsible for much of our psychological problems such as depression and helplessness. This is not your usual self-help book because it doesn't insult the intelligence of the reader and instead takes him or her on a journey through the actual research and how cognitive therapy has come to displace the BS of "philosophical" psychological theories such as Freudianism and Behaviourism. The only downside of the book is that some of the experiments involved cruelty to animals.

		One Continuous Mistake / Gail Sher This book is a little deceptive because at first glance it is a book about how to write well. But Sher doesn't give us the usual pat formulae for this task. Instead, she shows us how to be honest, how to be creative, how to be spontaneous and how to be human. This is as much a spiritual book of enlightenment, as a manual to encourage the would-be writer to write. Highly recommended.

		Cults In Our Midst / Margaret Singer We are all susceptible to brain washing. But the more we know about it, as practiced by modern cults, the less likely we will allow ourselves to be in a situation where it can happen. Singer, an experienced clinical psychologist and professor at Berkeley, has interviewed more than 3000 current and former cult members and their relatives and friends to come up with this fantastic book on the dangers of cults and the techniques of brain washing they use. For her efforts, she got a lawsuit slapped on her by one particular cult. This is essential reading for mindful self-defence.

		Why Therapy Doesn't Work / David Smail Smail champions the ordinary individual in this book (actually an amalgamation of two books) by showing that neurotic afflictions in our society are actually a natural response to living in a dysfunctional society. Showing how the roots of much of our suffering is the objectification of the individual, Smail goes on to suggest how we can avoid therapy by nurturing and caring for others.

		The Argument Culture / Deborah Tannen This is a very timely message about the manner in which aggressive argument and polarized opinion is destroying useful debate and preventing the solution of compromise. Tannen shows how debate is descending more and more into mud slinging matches because it sells more copy or attracts larger audiences in the media. We have lost the ability to listen to and respect other people's ideas in our haste to defend, often at all costs, our own precarious position. Very highly recommended.

		A Oneness of Mind / Andy Thomas There is mounting evidence that our thoughts can literally affect the material world in the form of experiments using random number generators at Princeton's PEAR laboratory. In this book, subtitled The Power of Collective Thought and Signs of Our Times, Andy Thomas gives a lively and bold romp into the subject of the collective power of our thoughts and how, if they really do affect the world that we live which the scientific evidence suggests, they hold the key to how we move from these desperate times into a future of world peace, prosperity and ecological integrity. With this level of mind power, he argues, we have a responsibility to be aware of what we think and what we choose to watch on TV.


		Crossing the Unknown Sea / David Whyte A beautifully written book about work and how it shapes our identity. Whyte's book could just as well have been in the spiritual section of this site as it takes us on a journey into ourselves and teaches us ways in which to bring forth more that is within through the work that we do. As the Seattle Times perfectly summed it up: "Whyte has elevated the self-help and leadership book genre to the status of literature." Once you have read this book, work will never be the same again.

		Prometheus Rising / Robert Anton Wilson Wilson describes how the individual can break free from "reality tunnels" and gives exercises at the end of each chapter to help the process. He bases his model of psychology on Leary's eight neurological circuits, and presents a future vision of what humanity can be. As usual his books have enormous scope, readability and humour. If you have never read Robert Anton Wilson, you are missing out on one of the most insightful, original and erudite writers or the 20th century, and if read just one of Robert Anton Wilson's books, this should be the one.

		Quantum Psychology / Robert Anton Wilson There is not much I can say about Mr. Wilson because most of it has been said already. Read any of his books and you will be overawed by his scope, his logic, his simplicity and his… genius. In Quantum Psychology he presents a quantum mechanical update to the Newtonian, materialistic paradigm that pervades our culture. Very thought provoking.

		Meeting the Shadow / Edited by Connie Zweig & Jeremiah Abrams This is an invaluable collection of 65 articles form some of the most insightful writers and psychologists (including C.G. Jung) on the workings of the dark side of human nature and how, when it is expressed responsibly, it can paradoxically hold the key to our "enlightenment". The shadow, however, by its very nature is difficult to recognize in ourselves, but this book gives us the information we need to identify and integrate it, and in the process find that it was actually, as Jung describes, "pure gold". This books is an antidote to those two-dimensional "light and love" do-gooders that, in their drive to deny their "negative" aspects, end up acting far more cruelly and destructively.


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