Books I Like . . . and why you should read themPsychology / Cognitive Science / Behavioral Science
Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
An excellent book on how big data is being used to answer questions new and old about human behavior with unprecedented accuracy. 
Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts by Carol Tavris & Elliot Aronson
This book on cognitive dissonance by social psychologists vastly changed my understanding of how we think, decide & behave. 
The Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good by David J. Linden
A neuroscience-heavy book (think rats, dopamine, & brain regions) on temptation, behaviour & addiction. He blogs too. 
Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain by David Eagleman
A neuroscience book on how much our brain is on autopilot or 'zombie mode', dating, drugs, beauty, visual illusions & more. This book touches on much the same topics as Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. 
Paranormality: Why We See What Isn't There by Richard Wiseman
A guide on how people are fooled into believing in the supernatural. Every psychic fair you attend thereafter will be a game of 'spot the techniques'. 
Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals about Our Everyday Deceptions by Stephen L. Macknik (neuroscientist), Susana Martinez-Conde (neuroscientist, psychologist, opthamologist) and Sandra Blakeslee.
Scientists and magicians explain various phenomena, with an expert from each field giving the name their field calls it, and how they use. History
The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood by James Gleick
The history of information and communication, from phonetic writing to African talking drums, telegrams & the computer age. This book gave me an appreciation for developments in communication society and their effects on society. 
God's Lunatics: Lost Souls, False Prophets, Martyred Saints, Murderous Cults, Demonic Nuns, & Other Victims of Man's Eternal Search for the Divine by Michael Largo
An A-Z of cults & their leaders over the millennia. The patterns of human and organisational behavior are fascinating. Fiction
The Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells
From it's first chapter I was struck by how well-written this is. An absolute joyous piece of prose to read, plenty of world-building, and a good story. This sci-fi gem about a selfish cyborg in a cruel, hyper-capitalist universe is peppered with dark humour and the odd question about ethics. It's a short very short, fun read. 
Bobiverse series by Dennis E Taylor
A really interesting, really modern, enjoyable sci fi read unlike anything else I have read. It's about a human being turned into a self-replicating spacecraft (aka a von Veumann probe) in a big universe. A little like Andy Weir (of The Martian fame) with similar humor too. 
The Final Architecture series by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Sci fi at its very best. A story about a tightly knit crew of very different people and species facing off against baddies, big and small. Excellent character building, world-building, truly alien aliens, plenty of struggles on interpersonal and massive scales, and truly horrifying baddies. 
Tuf Voyaging by George R.R. Martin
Yes, by the same author as Game Of Thrones / A Song of Ice and Fire. This article explains why Tuf Voyaging will restore your faith in human nature. Themes: honesty, religion, and over-population. Just as relevant as when it was written in 1986! 
The Expanse series by James Corey
The original book series the hit TV show is based off. This series is wildly popular for a reason. A crew who salvaged a small war frigate who get in the way of politics, war, and mass murder. 
Jennifer Government by Max Barry
Set in a dystopian hyper-capitalist world run by marketing, a government employee must stop a conspiracy by John Nike before it's too late. Reads like a Hollywood blockbuster & explores issues I'm very interested in. 
Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Eliezer Yudkowsky
A fanfic (yep) where Harry's aunt marries an Oxford professor who teaches him science, which he then applies to the magical world. Seriously, you'll learn a thing or two about science and human behavior. 
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
A beautifully eloquent book and movie about the life of a man in 18th century France who goes from the slum to apprenticeship to professional (and obsessed) perfumer. Somehow this book (and movie) strike me as the most beautiful prose I have ever read, made all the more surprising considering it was originally written in German. |
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Wishlist - books I would love a physical copy of.You can also see my much bigger Goodreads To Read shelf
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