Topic
Psychology book summaries
The best psychology book summaries — cognitive biases, decision-making, and human nature, distilled into a few minutes each.

The 48 Laws of Power

The Psychology of Money

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Thinking, Fast and Slow

The Laws of Human Nature

How to Talk to Anyone

12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos

The Diary of a Young Girl

Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

Surrounded by Idiots

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

The Courage to Be Disliked

Trading in the Zone: Master the Market with Confidence, Discipline, and a Winning Attitude

Games People Play: The Psychology of Human Relationships

Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences

Outliers: The Story of Success

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

The Art of Thinking Clearly

The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone

Psycho-Cybernetics: A New Way to Get More Living Out of Life

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?

Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

Man's Search for Meaning

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Attached

How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

The Gifts of Imperfection

Into the Wild

Behave

The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem

One Up on Wall Street: How to Use What You Already Know to Make Money in the Market

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning

The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable

Daring Greatly

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster

Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In

What Happened To You?

Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World

Boundaries

No More Mr. Nice Guy: A Proven Plan for Getting What You Want in Love, Sex, and Life

Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress

Dopamine Nation

The Art of Happiness

The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism

Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.

The 5 Second Rule: Transform Your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage

Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness

A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing

Stolen Focus

Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know

Principles: Life and Work

Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You

The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter—And How to Make the Most of Them Now

Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy

Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life

The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products

The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion

The Seat of the Soul

The Anxious Generation

The Happiness Hypothesis

Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience

The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind

If You Tell

Awaken the Giant Within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny

The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity—and Will Determine the Fate of the Human Race

The Happiness Project

The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

Stumbling on Happiness

Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts

How to Change Your Mind

Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence

The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less

The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature

Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping

Win Every Argument: The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking

The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups

The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure

How to Know a Person

Peak

The Gap and the Gain: The High Achievers' Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and Success

Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection

The Mom Test: How to Talk to Customers and Learn if Your Business Is a Good Idea When Everyone Is Lying to You

The Interpretation of Dreams

The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

How to Do the Work

Stop Letting Everything Affect You

ADHD 2.0: New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction

The Art of Seduction

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: And Other Clinical Tales

The Screwtape Letters
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Psychology books?
Among the most widely read psychology titles summarized on SummaryShelf are The 48 Laws of Power, The Psychology of Money, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Thinking, Fast and Slow, and The Laws of Human Nature — ordered here by how many readers have shelved them.
Where should I start with Psychology?
The 48 Laws of Power is the most-read pick in this topic and a solid place to begin. Each summary is a 4–5 minute read, so you can sample a few before deciding what to read in full.
How many Psychology book summaries are on SummaryShelf?
111, and growing — each distilled to its core ideas in a few minutes.