Must read Psychology books

[cai]

God Knows His Name: The True Story of John Doe No.24
by David Bakke

Police found John Doe No. 24 in the early morning hours of October 11, 1945, in Jacksonville, Illinois. Unable to communicate, the deaf and mute teenager was labeled “feeble minded” and sentenced by a judge to the nightmarish jumble of the Lincoln State School and Colony in Jacksonville. He remained in the Illinois mental health care system for over thirty years and died at the Sharon Oaks Nursing Home in Peoria on November 28, 1993.

Deaf, mute, and later blind, the young black man survived institutionalized hell: beatings, hunger, overcrowding, and the dehumanizing treatment that characterized state institutions through the 1950s. In spite of his environment, he made friends, took on responsibilities, and developed a sense of humor. People who knew him found him remarkable.

http://www.amazon.com/God-Knows-His-Name-Story/dp/0809323273

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[Therapist4Chnge]

The Working Brain by A. R. Luria

I just picked that up from Borders tonight. (I tried using the 25% educators discount coupon, but they couldn't take it on a special order. ).

Though I already have piles of powerpoints and a number of colorful books that get into much more detail, it seems like an interesting read, particularly for the basics.

 

[thewesternsky]

Can anyone recommend books on cognitive-behavioural therapy that you found particularly helpful or interesting? Recommendations for books with either a general focus or a focus on depression or anxiety are especially appreciated. Bonus points for books that were written/published in the past ten years (i.e., I've already read a lot of Beck's original stuff).

 

[falseimitation]

I was kinda surprised that these books weren't on here with the neuropsych recommendations.

Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers by Robert M. Sapolsky

and

The Trouble with Testosteron and Other Essays on the Biology of the Human Predicament by Robert M. Sapolsky

He's writes about the biology of stress. It is really, really interesting and absolutely hilarious. It's very easy to read as well. I found myself laughing out loud.

 

[Cosmo75]

Can anyone recommend books on cognitive-behavioural therapy that you found particularly helpful or interesting? Recommendations for books with either a general focus or a focus on depression or anxiety are especially appreciated. Bonus points for books that were written/published in the past ten years (i.e., I've already read a lot of Beck's original stuff).

I recommend "Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Applying Empirically Supported Techniques in Your Practice" by O'Donoghue, Fisher & Hayes

If you like REBT, then "The Practice of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy" by Albert Ellis & Windy Dryden.

Judith Beck's book "Cognitive Therapy: Basics and Beyond" is a bit too rigid for my taste, but it gives a good background. The case examples with "Sally" are a bit comical.

Speaking of manuals, Barlow's "Clinical Handbook of Psychological Disorders: A Step-by-step Treatment Manual" is actually pretty good.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

J. Beck's isn't a bad first book, but it really isn't good for anything more than an intro, as it tries to be far too clean cut with cases and treatment.

A good Dx specific book utilizing CBT is Waller's "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders: A Comprehensive Treatment Guide" (0521672481). It is a bit pricey at $65, but it is worthwhile for anyone who works regularly with this population.

 

[thewesternsky]

I recommend "Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Applying Empirically Supported Techniques in Your Practice" by O'Donoghue, Fisher & Hayes

If you like REBT, then "The Practice of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy" by Albert Ellis & Windy Dryden.

Judith Beck's book "Cognitive Therapy: Basics and Beyond" is a bit too rigid for my taste, but it gives a good background. The case examples with "Sally" are a bit comical.

Speaking of manuals, Barlow's "Clinical Handbook of Psychological Disorders: A Step-by-step Treatment Manual" is actually pretty good.

Thanks for the suggestions. I picked up the O'Donahue et al. book and it's fantastic-- exactly what I was looking for. I'll probably check out a few of the others, too.

I'll also rec "Advances in cognitive-behavioral therapy", edited by Dobson and Craig (2nd Edition). It's a little more research-oriented (as opposed to practice-oriented) than O'Donahue, and gives a great overview of some key issues.

 

[Jerklaren]

J. Beck's isn't a bad first book, but it really isn't good for anything more than an intro, as it tries to be far too clean cut with cases and treatment.

Do you have any recommendations on cognitive therapy? I was thinking on getting Becks second book on the matter. Can't recall it's name..."...for complex cases"? Anywho, I agree with you.

Leahy's books are alright.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Do you have any recommendations on cognitive therapy? I was thinking on getting Becks second book on the matter. Can't recall it's name..."...for complex cases"? Anywho, I agree with you.

Leahy's books are alright.

Though I use CBT here and there, it isn't my primary orientation, so I don't have a large collection of books from this area, though I have a couple recommendations for you. The theory books from Aaron Beck and Judith Beck are what I'm most familiar with, though I'm sure there are some newer books on the topic. You can find them at any Uni library, and they are worth at least checking out.

Most of my CBT work is in regard to coping skills....whether it is for anxiety, depression, impulsivity, etc. I tend to use CBT-related tools as a way to put out some of the initial fires, while we work more in depth on why they set them in the first place.

I use resource books like the one from Edmund Bourne referenced below. It is good for individual and group work in regard to dealing with anxiety. It has pretty straight forward exercises in a range of areas, which I've used for patients who have a hard time grasping some of the concepts and/or identifying their thoughts and behaviors.

Another good Dx specific book is by Knaus & Ellis called, "Cognitive Behavioral Workbook For Depression". I don't use it personally, but I've seen other therapists use it effectively.

If you want to use the SDN Amazon link below....feel free.

"The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook" by Edmund Bourne. $15 (157224223X)

(I couldn't find the exact edition I have, though I'm sure this updated one works just as well. I've seen it at Borders, for those who like to flip through books first)

"Cognitive Behavioral Workbook For Depression" by Knaus & Ellis. $15 (1572244739).

 

[Jerklaren]

Helping Jerklaren out

Thanks mate! I'm going to look those books up.


I'll contribute with some books on therapy:

Martell, Addis, and Jacobson - Depression in Context
Behavioral Activation in a Functional Contextual perspective.
Grawe - Neuropsychotherapy
Psychotherapy based on neuropsychological diagnostics. What say ye?

McWilliams - Psychoanalytic Diagnosis (well, therapy-ish)
Vivid depiction of clients with different personality disorders.

Miller & Rollnick - Motivational Interviewing
I think this is it. Motivation is key to initiating behavioral change.

O'Brien & Houston - Integrative Psychotherapy
Beitman & Yue - Learning Psychotherapy
Integrative therapy. What are the stages in most therapies and how do you have to act as a therapist?

Leahy - Cognitive Therapy Techniques
What is sounds like.

 

[PsyTiger]

Does anyone have an opinion on any of John Gottman's books (The Marriage Clinic, 7 Principles for making marriage work,...)? I know many are considered pop psych, but some of his ideas have been recommended to me and I was wondering what your thoughts were on their usefulness in therapy, school or your own experience.

 

[PsyDGrrrl]

Does anyone have an opinion on any of John Gottman's books (The Marriage Clinic, 7 Principles for making marriage work,...)? I know many are considered pop psych, but some of his ideas have been recommended to me and I was wondering what your thoughts were on their usefulness in therapy, school or your own experience.

Gottman is hardly pop psych. His theories about marriage are the only ones with scientific data to back them up. I've used it in therapy and my own marriage.

 

[psybee]

ok, so it's not a book, but the daniel johnston documentary, "the devil and daniel johnston" has been stuck in my head ever since i first saw it a year ago. i've worked with (and been a family member of) many folks with SPMI, and this documentary talks about daniel, his art, shows how beautiful it is, and also shows how mental illness has profoundly affected him. in his art, what role does the illness play? who would he have been if he never got sick? for people like daniel who are very sick yet have a career, what responsibilities do his partners, collaborators, and care takers have? and we also see how spmi impacts a whole family, and the fears of elderly parents for the long term welfare sick individuals who are not in the hospital, yet likely could not function independently without full time care.

 

[psybee]

God Knows His Name: The True Story of John Doe No.24
by David Bakke

Police found John Doe No. 24 in the early morning hours of October 11, 1945, in Jacksonville, Illinois. Unable to communicate, the deaf and mute teenager was labeled “feeble minded” and sentenced by a judge to the nightmarish jumble of the Lincoln State School and Colony in Jacksonville. He remained in the Illinois mental health care system for over thirty years and died at the Sharon Oaks Nursing Home in Peoria on November 28, 1993.

Deaf, mute, and later blind, the young black man survived institutionalized hell: beatings, hunger, overcrowding, and the dehumanizing treatment that characterized state institutions through the 1950s. In spite of his environment, he made friends, took on responsibilities, and developed a sense of humor. People who knew him found him remarkable.

http://www.amazon.com/God-Knows-His-Name-Story/dp/0809323273

perhaps in a similar vein, the website and book
"the lives they left behind":

"When Willard Psychiatric Center in New York's Finger Lakes closed in 1995, workers discovered hundreds of suitcases in the attic of an abandoned building. Many of them appeared untouched since their owners packed them decades earlier before entering the institution.

The suitcases and their contents bear witness to the rich, complex lives their owners lived prior to being committed to Willard. They speak about aspirations, accomplishments, community connections, but also about loss and isolation. From the clothing and personal objects left behind, we can gain some understanding of who these people were before they disappeared behind hospital walls. We can picture their jobs and careers, see them driving cars, playing sports, studying, writing, and traveling the world. We can imagine their families and friends. But we can also see their lives coming apart due to unemployment, the death of a loved one, loneliness, poverty, or some other catastrophic event.

The suitcases and the life stories of the people who owned them raise questions that are difficult to confront. Why were these people committed to this institution, and why did so many stay for so long? How were they treated? What was it like to spend years in a mental institution, shut away from a society that wanted to distance itself from people it considered insane? Why did most of these suitcase owners live out their days at Willard? What about their friends and families? Are the circumstances today any better than they were for psychiatric patients during the first half of the 20th century?

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I remember reading about that awhile back.....really interesting stuff!

 

[islandgirl1]

I don't have a suggestion this time, but I wanted to express my appreciation for this thread. I've actually gotten some of you guys' suggested readings.
This thread's only making my amazon.com wishlist longer

 

[MaddieMay]

I asked for recommendations for a kind of book in the psychiatry forum, got 50 peeks and no replies.

I'm trying to find books, articles, studies, anything to help me understand (and explain to someone else) how withdrawal from opiate addiction, for instance is not the same as Discontinuation Syndrome when tapering off of Paxil, from a brain chemistry POV.

I'm also looking for an unbiased source for information about addiction vs dependence vs habituation and the most up to date unbiased info on Discontinuation Syndrome.

Thanks, guys!

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Journal articles and/or presentations on general dependence and withdrawal issues, as there are different things going on with each. Try doing a keyword search on dependence, withdrawal, opiates, up-regulating, down-regulating, etc. You most likely will need to do the research separate, and then synthesize the differences based on your findings.

 

[biogirl215]

T4C,

One of your areas of research/specialization is AN, right? Have you read Locke and LeGrange's book on ED's? Thoughts?

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

T4C,

One of your areas of research/specialization is AN, right? Have you read Locke and LeGrange's book on ED's? Thoughts?

I haven't read their book, but I've read up quite a bit on the Maudsley Method, which I think in certain circumstances can work very well, but I think it is far from THE approach that many make it out to be for all adolescents. We had a discussion about this awhile ago (it got rather rowdy IIRC). I don't want to side track this thread, but if you want to bump it, I can continue this discussion.

 

[drjean]

How the Mind Works
Steven Pinker

The Lucifer Effect
Understanding how good people turn evil
Philip Zimbardo
I personally believe this book should be required reading for all of society, but especially high school and above!

 

[Rapunzel]

Growing Up Again - Jean Illsley Clarke & Connie Dawson
Raising and Emotionally Intelligent Child - John Gottman
Healing the Child Within - Charles L. Whitfield

These are all life-changing, and could be used by clinicians as well as recommended for clients. I use bits and pieces, or just concepts, out of them with different types of clients.

And for all of my classmates who keep asking why Borderlines act that way, they should be required to read Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder.

I loved everything by Yalom that I have read so far, and also Letters to a Young Therapist. I read Flowers for Algernon and I Never Promised You a Rose Garden long ago. They were part of why I wanted to get into this field. This is a great thread. I like seeing the books that I've already read on the recommended list, but I'm always looking for more. My reading list is so long I'll never finish it. Oh, in addition to Listening to Prozac, Peter D. Kramer is an amazing writer. Should You Leave is the best book written in the second person that I have ever read (maybe the only one).

 

[PsyDGrrrl]

I really liked "Should You Leave?" and I recommended it to a number of clients who were struggling with that issue.

 

[biogirl215]

I just finished reading Madness by Marya Honbacher about her life time of being severely bipolar (Type I, ultra-rapid cycle, is what she refers to it as). While it wasn't the most well-written book, it did provide an interesting insight into how exhausting bipolar disorder must be to deal with. She didn't have the greatest responses to meds (though they improved greatly after her substance d/o was addressed), so she spent years in a nearly constant that of being depressed/manic/hypomanic/mixed, with very few peroids of euthamia... It even felt a bit exhausting to read it!

 

[leopardgirle]

the book that really made me want to be a psychologist was They Cage the Animals at Night Although it is more about social work, it made me really want to reach out to children and help them cope.

 

[Psyduck]

Thanks for this list. I eased my way into studying for the psych GRE by reading some great psychology-related books. Reading primary sources and commercial books is definitely a more fun way to learn history and common themes in psych than going through a textbook.

 

[gradstudentNOS]

Wow. love all the suggestions. Here's a few of my own:

Personality Theories by Albert Ellis and M. Abrams (2008)
Ellis' last work. Its a great reference and is very provacative. Its a textbook but better. you'll see.

Evolution of Desire (1994) by David Buss (engrossing, quick read) or the Evolutionary psychology handbook (big heavy but really good book)also by David Buss.

 

[Bobby Nabeyama]

Yes all the literature from the Koegels are great including Pivotal Response Treatments for Austism... Also, Learning by Charles Catania is great though people might call it a text in natural science or learning theory. We can't forget classic B.F. Skinner in Science and Human Behavior.

 

[sukurux]

The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force by Jeffrey M. Schwartz and Sharon Begley

Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-zinn

Thoughts Without A Thinker: Psychotherapy from a Buddhist Perspective by Mark Epstein

The Observing Self by Arthur J. Deikman

Emotional Intelligence: 10th Anniversary Edition; Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman

ENJOY!

 

[sukurux]

Do you have any recommendations on cognitive therapy? I was thinking on getting Becks second book on the matter. Can't recall it's name..."...for complex cases"? Anywho, I agree with you.

Leahy's books are alright.

I just attended one of Leahy's lectures a few days ago. He's got some interesting thoughts on the role of emotion in the field of cbt.

 

[psychjunkie]

Autopsy of a Suicidal Mind
by Edwin S. Scheidman

Great book about the emergence of suicidology. Incorporates a case study and includes an analyzation of a suicide note. Its an emotional book but includes a lot of relevant information for the field.

 

[psychmama]

The Color of Water, by James McBride

Excellent on issues of racial and cultural identity, as well as family dynamics.

 

[psychmama]

An Unquiet Mind, by Kay Redfield Jamison - author is a psychiatrist living with bipolar disorder. Very interesting book.

Has anyone mentioned this one yet?

The Day the Voices Stopped,(can't recall the author). Written by a man living most of his life in and out of institutions, struggling with auditory hallucinations and psychosis. Very chilling and moving too.

 

[Agrippa2]

I really liked "The Words to Say It" by Marie Cardinal. A look at psychoanalysis from the point of view of the analysand. I found it to be an amazing book about psychoanalysis.

 

[hthorpe21]

I just started this book for a class and I'm not very far into it yet but it's extremely captivating. So if anyone is interested in the effects of chronic pain and fatigue, this book is a personal account of the author's life with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Encounters with the Invisible: Unseen Illness, Controversy, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
By: Dorothy Wall

Most of the book has to do with the controversy of being misdiagnosed and treated as a psych case for a somatic illness that most basic medical tests cannot detect. The professor that is requiring this reading has a personal connection to this type of neglect with her ongoing battle with lyme disease which doctors continue to treat psychologically (especially on the West Coast of the US).

 

[BellaPsyD]

Essential Psychopharmacology: The Prescriber's Guide: Revised and Updated

by Stahl

**good to just know and understand what your patients are on

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Essential Psychopharmacology: The Prescriber's Guide: Revised and Updated

by Stahl

**good to just know and understand what your patients are on

Excellent excellent book. I wouldn't consider it "comprehensive" (particularly in regard to contraindications for general pharmacology), but it is pretty accessible and provides straightforward information in regard to psychotropics.

 

[OlliePsych]

Sexual Fluidity: Understanding Women's Love and Desire
By Lisa Diamond
This is a great book for anyone interested in the lesbian or bisexual population.

 

[cbrons]

Learned Optimism by Dr. Martin Seligman

Is this not the most important book on depression ever written?

 

[RU2007]

Anyone ever read Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John Ratey? I just checked it out from my town library because it looks like an excellent read! Any opinions?

 

[cara susanna]

Excellent excellent book. I wouldn't consider it "comprehensive" (particularly in regard to contraindications for general pharmacology), but it is pretty accessible and provides straightforward information in regard to psychotropics.

We read one of Stahl's books in my psychopharm class. I love his little drawings.

 

[JDF]

I second the recommendations for any book by Nancy McWilliams.

Also, In Our Clients' Shoes by Stephen Finn is a wonderful book about Therapeutic Assessment. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in personality assessment, particularly projective testing.

 

[Cigolon]

I saw a few of these mentioned already, but I just wanted to mention them again because they deserve it. There are a few of these that deserve to be read for historical context and because they're just really good/throught provoking books.

Beyond Freedom & Dignity , Skinner
Walden Two, Skinner (long winded as per skinner's usual, but interesting)
About Behaviorism, Skinner
Future of an Illusion, Freud
Civilization and it's Discontents, Freud
Lucifer Effect: how good people turn evil, Zimbardo
The Story of Psychology, Morton Hunt (great history of psyc read; fun read)
Man's search for meaning, Frankl
Adult psychopathology and Diagnosis, Herson, Turner, & Beidel
Theory and Practice of group psychotherapy, Yalom

a few others but those are off the top of my head.

 

[cara susanna]

We read Hunt's book for my History of Psych class. It was okay.

I did love Man's Search for Meaning, though.

 

[PSYCHOLOGY2008]

I just started reading this again, and figured I'd put in another good word.

-t

hey
iam an masters student and would like to know if in any case you have read"cracking up"by christopher bollace and you must have read Focult kindly plz give the interpretaions for these two books if you have read them or any of your frnd then kindly mail me at [email protected]
i would be deadly thankful

 

[hkandm4s]

I absolutely love Herman's Trauma and Recovery, some others I'd like to add are
When Rabbit Howls - written by a woman with DID...fascinating book, especially for anyone interested in dissociation and trauma.

and I think EVERYONE in our field should have to read:

Science and Pseudoscience in Clinical Psychology by Lilienfeld, Lynn, and Lohr.

 

[psyd wannabe]

Love's Executioner- Yalom
Series of true stories from clinical practice, great read

The Gift of Therapy- Yalom

 

[blindblonde]

I've started reading Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You by Sam Gosling. I've read some of Gosling's articles before starting this book, and I think this book is a good read so far. Basically, if someone came into your room right now, what could they infer about you and your personality? From the organized CD collection to the dirty sneakers--just think about all the stuff we have around us that reflects who we are. This book seems like a good read for those who would be interested in some personality psych reading.

 

[EEL119]

The Fragile Alliance by John Meeks & William Bernet- for those interested in adolescent psychotherapy techniques and approach.

 

[Psychology 76]

I enjoyed the Synaptic Self by Dr. Ledoux. I liked The Lucifer Effect as well even though it was a bit pop psych like.