My favourite Psychology related books of 2020 📚

Today I talk about my favourite psychology books over the past year. Let me know in the comments if you've read any life changing psychology/philosophy books this year, so I grow my all-star list!

☆ Mentioned ☆

☆ About Me ☆
My name's Aika, I'm 23, Hong Kong Chinese & I'm a Trainee Clinical Psychologist at Oxford. I am starting my first year of the doctorate degree and hoping to document this 3 (+) year journey. I hope to de-mystify the clinical psychology route in the UK, increase the representation of diversity in the field and make Clin Psy and Oxbridge feel just a little bit more accessible if I can.

☆ Disclaimer ☆
Views expressed do not represent the views of the University of Oxford or Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. My videos are for informational and educational purposes only.

☆ OTHER INFO ☆

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[keneisenuokhezhie]

Just the way she talks is so therapeutic daaamn💞💞💞

[YourfavouriteDoctor]

Your approach defines “calm and collected.”

[athaliaallen]

another great book is "the body keeps score"!!

[lizyroy]

"men's search for the meaning of life" is a really good recommendation, I have complete reading it and it's a really nice book

[binuamy]

As someone who's suffering from anxiety disorders since age 13, I am more interested about psychology. Currently I'm doing a business degree though. But I really wish one day I'll accomplish my goal as a clinical psychologist too. Taking CBT from my psychologist and she's such an inspiration for me. Thank you for your videos it is really beneficial for me. ❤️🙏

[kazzkerr]

I am so grateful for this. I struggled as a teenager in school because everybody in my advanced courses absolutely loved to read while I could not be bothered. Fiction was not something I had any interest in, and my teachers would always remind me that I could never be successful in my career goals unless I developed a love for reading, or at least a habit of doing so. I love this type of book, however, and will definitely be purchasing a few of them!

[sunflowergeek]

i thought i was weird for only reading nonfiction!! omg yay im glad i found this video

[cassie]

Meg Jay is a really amazing psychologist and I'd really recommend her first book, Supernormals. It changed my life and is the reason why im interested in psychology <3

[vladislavbarbarii]

Please continue reading and giving us great book recommendations 😁

[asiansocrates]

Great to see these selections coming from you! :)

Personally, The Defining Decade would be the first book I'd pick up soon because, as it coincides with one reason I've started following your channel, I have sacrificed all my decade since 16 for academic pursuits, intellectual development, and professional growth; and there must be things I should have done but haven't, with excuses that I'd engage in them later on, which I am sure you can sympathise with! At the same time, I feel it can be a treasure for strengthening my own identity and educational advice for young people.

I really wish your channel reaches more more more people and convinces you of the values your tremendous sacrifices have made possible! 🤗

[srishtigupta]

It is so therapeutic to hear her talk❤️

[Fletchster]

Man’s search for meaning is a beautifully horrifying book imo, crazy to imagine how Frankl managed to come up with that masterpiece whilst going through the terror of a concentration camp. Cool video idea too btw, it would be great to do these every year and review the books you’ve read haha!

Two books I would highly recommend are:
The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker
On becoming a person by Carl Rogers

The denial of death is a heavy book but also provides insights into; why the idea of “forming a legacy” is of a concern to people and how this develops, covering the existential work around death and focuses heavily on the work of Otto Rank (A psychotherapist who trained under Freud and has published a number of his own books too).
I am currently reading the Carl Rogers book now as I wanted to read something more positive and forward thinking. Considering Carl Rogers laid the groundwork for the humanistic/person-centres therapy models, reading how he came to these foundations is a delightful delve into psychology’s history and will probably help you as a clinician! Reflecting on my own practice and what is mentioned in the book I feel more assured in my approach when I start my new job as an assistant psych!

[beeheart]

The Stoics have helped me control my anxiety. I highly recommend Epictetus especially.

[meenapervez]

Love this!! I also like to explore the intersection between philosophy and psychology as I am trained in philosophy and counselling. I have put a few of these in my amazon basket as I was missing them from my book collection.

[Wellsie]

Thanks for the list, going to start to work through some. As you mentioned Carl Jung, you should deffo read his 'modern man in search of a soul' I would highly recommend. Most digestible of his writing to get started. As far as clinical insights go he just seems to understand humans existentially to a level I've never seen before, the sort of writing where your eyes are stretched wide the whole time haha.

[Jesusfacts]

I’m doing a masters in psychology and I agree with you that the real psychologists of the past were the ancients. And I don’t enjoy the factor analysis and quantitative number side of things but it’s a necessary part of discovering human behaviour. I would highly recommend reading crime and punishment and Albert Camus the plague and also leonardo da Vinci’s biography by Walter issacson. I read them all this year and they are life changing. Keep up the good work. Also if you want to expand you’re knowledge of the human brain, ADHD 2.0 that came out recently. 30 percent of people in jail have adhd and the neuroscience behind it is fascinating and if you follow my channel I try to explain it. 4-6 percent of people suffer with it so it’s not trivial and it’s misunderstood. Great work with your channel. Also YOU HAVENT READ HARRY POTTER?!!! The psychology in those books are incredible!!!

[samuelglenn]

Yes Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl. Incredible moving book.

One of my favourite psychology books ever is Flow by Mihalyi Csikzentmihalyi

For me Jung is the greatest psychologist as well. But we can learn much from them all.

[markasp]

Here are some great books I've read on philosophy and psychology.
1.- The Enlightenment: And Why It Still Matters - Anthony Pagden (genre: philosophy)
2.- How to win every argument - Madsen Pirie (genre: philosophy, real life)
3.- Ecology, Ideology and Power - Donald Gibson (genre: philosophy, environmentalism)
4.- Scarcity: The New Science of Having Less and How It Defines Our Lives - Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir (genre: psychology, real life)

'The Enlightenment' (1630s - 1789) is a defining aspect of Western history. Many ideas today are reactions against The Enlightenment. Pagden thinks its critics misunderstood 'The Enlightenment', such that the reactions against it is really reactions against a caricature of The Enlightenment.

'How to win every argument' is a book about debate, explaining how debates are twisted by rhetoric, bad argument, etc. Done in a funny way - from the POV of how you too can twist debates by employing logical fallacies. By actually enumerating and giving examples of logical fallacies it helps you avoid falling for them.

'Ecology, Ideology and Power' is a critique of environmentalism from a 'progressive' point of view. Today, you probably understand 'progressivism' as the politics and ideas advanced by 'progressives'. In fact, many of the ideas of modern 'progressives' are not actually progressive! They are regressive. Gibson explains his philosophy as a version of progressivism which is hated, despised, and gaslit by today's 'progressives'.

Scarcity - is about the psychology of scarcity. It explains how thoughts and actions are dominated by scarcity when people suffer from it. The authors don't point to an exit from this scarcity cul de sac. There may be none. But if you're trying to understand how and why people act how they do, this does a good job.

[sneezingyogurt]

I’m so so grateful to have found your channel :D You’re a wonderful inspiration to many of us here and we really appreciate the videos! I am 17 this year and your content keeps me going to pursue a psychology-related degree in the future :) ☺️✨ stay safe and healthy!

[geniiicaaa]

Thank you for the list! It will help me transition from business and management books to psychology books. I think I'll start with Crazy Like Us by Ethan Watters. I'm studying Psychology in Australia but I was born and raised in the Philippines. The concepts in Psychology are eurocentric but their is now awareness of the impact of culture on health. We have mandatory electives to further explore mental health and psychology through a multi-cultutal lens. Can I request for a video on how to write a research paper? Tips and all? Thank you and good luck on your doctorate! ^_^