Recommendations based on The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patientsby Irvin D. Yalom

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Love's Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy

    by Irvin D. Yalom
    Exploration of psychotherapy and the human condition, through stories of therapy sessions.

    The collection of ten absorbing tales by master psychotherapist Irvin D. Yalom uncovers the mysteries, frustrations, pathos, and humor at the heart of the therapeutic encounter. In recounting his ... (Goodreads)

  2. On Becoming a Person: A Therapist's View of Psychotherapy

    by Carl R. Rogers
    A comprehensive guide to the art of psychotherapy, exploring the science and philosophy behind it.

    The late Carl Rogers, founder of the humanistic psychology movement, revolutionized psychotherapy with his concept of "client-centered therapy." His influence has spanned decades, but that influence ... (Goodreads)

  3. On Death and Dying

    by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
    A look into the stages of grief, exploring the emotion and physical impacts of death.

    One of the most important psychological studies of the late twentieth century, On Death and Dying grew out of Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's famous interdisciplinary seminar on death, life, and ... (Goodreads)

  4. Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence - From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror

    by Judith Lewis Herman
    An in-depth exploration of trauma and its effects on individuals and society, and strategies for recovery.

    When Trauma and Recovery was first published in 1992, it was hailed as a groundbreaking work. In the intervening years, Herman’s volume has changed the way we think about and treat traumatic events ... (Goodreads)

  5. Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls

    by Mary Pipher
    Examination of the psychological struggles faced by adolescent girls and how to help them.

    As a therapist, Mary Pipher was becoming frustrated with the growing problems among adolescent girls. Why were so many of them turning to therapy in the first place? Why had these lovely and ... (Goodreads)

  6. Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness

    by Jon Kabat-Zinn
    Comprehensive guide to using mindfulness meditation to manage stress, pain, and illness.

    2005 15th anniversary edition reprint Kabat-Zinn, founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, is perhaps the best-known proponent of using meditation to ... (Goodreads)

  7. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR

    by American Psychiatric Association
    Comprehensive guide to understanding and classifying mental disorders.

    This Text Revision incorporates information culled from a comprehensive literature review of research about mental disorders published since the DSM-IV(R) of 1994. Updated information is included ... (Goodreads)

  8. The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook

    by Bruce D. Perry
    Insightful case studies of children dealing with extreme trauma, and their resilience.

    In this instant classic of developmental psychology, a renowned psychiatrist examines the effect that trauma can have on a child, reveals how PTSD impacts the developing mind, and outlines the path ... (Barnes & Noble)

  9. Dibs in Search of Self

    by Virginia M. Axline
    An exploration of the inner world of a troubled child, seeking self-worth and acceptance.

    The portrait of a little boy achieving, under therapy, a successful struggle for identity. ... (Goodreads)

  10. Stumbling on Happiness

    by Daniel Todd Gilbert
    A scientific exploration of why we often fail to predict what will make us happy and how we can find happiness in unexpected ways.

    • Why are lovers quicker to forgive their partners for infidelity than for leaving dirty dishes in the sink? • Why will sighted people pay more to avoid going blind than blind people will pay to ... (Goodreads)

  11. My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey

    by Jill Bolte Taylor
    Neuroscientist's journey of recovery from a stroke, learning to rewire her brain and appreciate life.

    Jill Taylor was a 37-year-old Harvard-trained brain scientist when a blood vessel exploded in her brain. Through the eyes of a curious scientist, she watched her mind deteriorate whereby she could ... (Goodreads)

  12. Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind

    by V.S. Ramachandran
    An exploration of the human brain, examining its functions and mysteries.

    Neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran is internationally renowned for uncovering answers to the deep and quirky questions of human nature that few scientists have dared to address. His bold insights about ... (Goodreads)

  13. The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self

    by Alice Miller
    A psychoanalytic study of childhood trauma and its impact on adult life, exploring the search for the true self.

    The bestselling book on childhood trauma and the enduring effects of repressed anger and pain Why are many of the most successful people plagued by feelings of emptiness and alienation? This wise and ... (Goodreads)

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

    by Bessel van der Kolk
    Examining the physical, psychological and emotional effects of trauma, and how to heal.

    A pioneering researcher and one of the world’s foremost experts on traumatic stress offers a bold new paradigm for healing. Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful ... (Goodreads)

  15. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

    by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
    An exploration of the concept of 'flow' and how it can be used to enhance optimal experience.

    Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's investigations of "optimal experience" have revealed that what makes an experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness called flow. During flow, ... (Goodreads)

  16. Modern Man in Search of a Soul

    by C.G. Jung
    A collection of essays exploring the human psyche, spirituality, and the search for meaning in modern life.

    A provocative and enlightening look at spiritual unease and its contribution to the void in modern civilization Considered by many to be one of the most important books in the field of psychology, ... (Goodreads)

  17. When Bad Things Happen to Good People

    by Harold S. Kushner
    Reflections on how to cope with life's tragedies, with guidance from religious faith.

    When Harold Kushner’s three-year-old son was diagnosed with a degenerative disease and that he would only live until his early teens, he was faced with one of life’s most difficult questions: Why, ... (Goodreads)

  18. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

    by Miguel Ruiz
    A guide to transforming one's life by adopting four simple agreements.

    In The Four Agreements , don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the Four Agreements offer a ... (Goodreads)

  19. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales

    by Oliver Sacks
    A collection of case studies, illustrating extraordinary neurological phenomena.

    If a man has lost a leg or an eye, he knows he has lost a leg or an eye; but if he has lost a self—himself—he cannot know it, because he is no longer there to know it. Dr. Oliver Sacks recounts the ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

    by Eckhart Tolle
    A journey of self-transformation, learning to live in the present moment and liberate oneself.

    Eckhart Tolle's message is simple: living in the now is the truest path to happiness and enlightenment. And while this message may not seem stunningly original or fresh, Tolle's clear writing, ... (Goodreads)

  21. A Tale of Love and Darkness

    by Amos Oz
    A tale of love, loss, and identity set against the backdrop of the tumultuous history of Israel.

    Tragic, comic, and utterly honest, A Tale of Love and Darkness is at once a family saga and a magical self-portrait of a writer who witnessed the birth of a nation and lived through its turbulent ... (Goodreads)

  22. Be Here Now

    by Ram Dass
    A spiritual journey exploring the power of mindfulness and how to make the most of life.

    Describes one man's transformation upon his acceptance of the principles of Yoga & gives a modern restatement of the importance of the spiritual side of human nature. Illustrated. The book is divided ... (Goodreads)

  23. Tao Te Ching

    by Lao Tzu
    A collection of wise sayings and reflections on the nature of existence.

    A lucid translation of the well-known Taoist classic by a leading scholar-now in a Shambhala Pocket Library edition. Written more than two thousand years ago, the Tao Teh Ching , or -The Classic of ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Autobiography of Malcolm X

    by Malcolm X
    A gripping account of one man's transformation from criminal to civil rights leader.

    Alternate cover for ISBN 9780345350688 Through a life of passion and struggle, Malcolm X became one of the most influential figures of the 20th Century. In this riveting account, he tells of his ... (Goodreads)

  25. Toxic Parents: Overcoming Their Hurtful Legacy and Reclaiming Your Life

    by Susan Forward
    An exploration of how toxic parents shape a person's life and how to break the cycle of abuse.

    All parents fall short from time to time. But Susan Forward pulls no punches when it comes to those whose deficiencies cripple their children emotionally. Her brisk, unreserved guide to overcoming ... (Goodreads)

  26. The World's Religions

    by Huston Smith
    Examination of the major religious traditions of the world, exploring their origins, beliefs, and practices.

    The World’s Religions, by beloved author and pioneering professor Huston Smith ( Tales of Wonder ), is the definitive classic for introducing the essential elements and teachings of the world's ... (Barnes & Noble)

  27. An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales

    by Oliver Sacks
    Study of human behavior, exploring the complexities of neurological conditions.

    Paradoxical portraits of seven neurological patients, including a surgeon consumed by the compulsive tics of Tourette's syndrome unless he is operating; an artist who loses all sense of color in a ... (Goodreads)

  28. The Headspace Guide to Meditation & Mindfulness

    by Andy Puddicombe
    A practical guide to meditation and mindfulness, offering techniques to calm the mind and improve overall well-being.

    Quiet the mind, feel less stressed, less tired, and achieve a new level of calm and fulfillment in just ten minutes a day Andy Puddicombe, a former Buddhist monk, the Voice of Headspace, and the UK’s ... (Barnes & Noble)

  29. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

    by Michelle Alexander
    Exploring the roots and reality of systemic racism in the U.S. criminal justice system.

    "Jarvious Cotton's great-great-grandfather could not vote as a slave. His great-grandfather was beaten to death by the Klu Klux Klan for attempting to vote. His grandfather was prevented from voting ... (Goodreads)

  30. The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil

    by Philip G. Zimbardo
    An inquiry into the psychological forces that drive individuals to act immorally.

    Renowned social psychologist and creator of the "Stanford Prison Experiment," Philip Zimbardo explores the mechanisms that make good people do bad things, how moral people can be seduced into acting ... (Goodreads)