Psychology is quite a fascinating subject; some may find it hard to remember but it is a wide-reaching field that covers everything from social attachments to disorders of the brain and much more. Whether you are a psychology student or not, these seven books are a must-read.

1. The Little Book of Psychology by Emily Ralls and Caroline Riggs

This is one amazing book to read if you want to have a basic overview of psychology, this book also helps its readers to learn about the key theories. This book gives an insight into famous psychologists, themes, psychological studies and theories. It is a great book if you are just a beginner and want to learn the basics of psychology.

2. The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson

This book is interesting as the author, Ronson, goes on a quest to determine whether it is true that many CEOs and politicians are psychopaths. In this book, he describes the story of his visits to multiple psychiatrists and psychologists who study psychopaths. He explores all the characteristics that lie behind psychopathy. It is a fantastic book and a must read.

3. Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahenman

In this book, psychologist Daniel Kahenman discusses two different modes of thoughts that we have, one being impulsive and intuitive and the second one is thoughtful, calculating and deliberate. Kahenman goes on to advise its readers about how and how not to trust their instincts. It is an insightful and interesting read.

4. Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely

This book focuses on a series of very interesting experiments that show all the invisible factors that affect our decisions. From our expectations to emotions to the social norms. The author, Ariely, claims how our bad decisions are not made randomly which goes on to show how humans are so predictably irrational.

5. The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt

This book is written by Jonathan Haidt who is an award-winning psychologist. In this book, Haidt discusses behavioral biases, religions, beliefs and morality using published psychological studies to dissect them. He shares the ancient wisdom that people thought was necessary to follow to have a meaningful and happy life. He then goes on to test these methodologies under the modern science today and then uses the results of these tests to apply them in everyday life of the 21st century. This book is perfect for you if you enjoy a mix of psychology and philosophy.

6. Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson

The book is written by two social psychologists, and it deals with cognitive biases, and confirmation biases, explaining as to why when people make mistakes, they try convincing themselves they are right to spare themselves from the embarrassment. The two authors explore how we believe stories we tell other people and ourselves and what it has meant throughout history. This book is the perfect read for psychology and political readers.

7. The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil by Philip Zimbardo

The Lucifer Effect is a detailed book about Professor Philip Zimbardo’s infamous Stanford Prison Experiment and the conclusions he took from it. The books explore the facts why good people can be convinced to act evil and where the line is to be drawn between the good and the bad. Zimbardo goes on to examine the psychological cause behind the surprising results of the Stanford Prison Experiment and shows its readers the horrifying reality of human nature. A must-read book.

Other than seven essential books on Psychology, you can also read Fun facts for psychology students