A few folks have asked me for book recommendations in the field of behavioral science. I tend to lean toward behavioral literature and research for practical application in socioeconomic development, and also toward behavioral (or cognitive) neuroscience. Here’s a short list of sources I’ve found relevant and useful over the years. I’ll keep this list updated as new sources come across my desk. Last updated: 11/29/24
Behavioral Science for Development (Luis Artavia-Mora, 2023)
This book offers practical applications of behavioral science to address global development challenges, providing tools to drive impactful change in various sectors.
Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There (Tali Sharot & Cass R. Sunstein, 2023)
Sharot and Sunstein emphasize the importance of reexamining overlooked details and questioning assumptions to foster creativity, innovation, and better decision-making.
Your Future Self: How to Make Tomorrow Better Today (Hal Hershfield, 2023)
Hershfield explores how connecting with our future selves can motivate better decisions in the present, blending psychological insights with practical advice.
Mixed Signals: How Incentives Really Work (Uri Gneezy, 2023)
Gneezy analyzes how incentives shape behavior, revealing common pitfalls in incentive design and strategies for aligning incentives with desired outcomes.
Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment (Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony & Cass Sunstein, 2021)
The authors explore “noise,” or unwanted variability in decision-making, and provide strategies for reducing its impact across various fields.
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know (Adam Grant, 2021)
Grant advocates for intellectual humility and the value of rethinking beliefs, offering practical tools for fostering adaptability and lifelong learning.
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World (Cal Newport, 2019)
Newport presents a philosophy for reducing digital clutter, advocating for intentional technology use to enhance focus, productivity, and well-being.
The Coddling of the American Mind (Greg Lukianoff & Jonathan Haidt, 2018)
This book critiques cultural and educational trends that prioritize emotional comfort, arguing they contribute to fragility and anxiety in younger generations.
How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain (Lisa Feldman Barrett, 2017)
Barrett challenges traditional views of emotions, arguing that they are constructed by the brain rather than prewired, blending neuroscience and psychology.
Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst (Robert Sapolsky, 2017)
Sapolsky explores the biological and environmental factors influencing human behavior, weaving together neuroscience, psychology, and anthropology.
Dark Horse: Achieving Success Through the Pursuit of Fulfillment (Todd Rose & Ogi Ogas, 2018)
Rose and Ogas challenge the one-size-fits-all approach to success, illustrating how people can achieve fulfillment by pursuing their unique paths and passions.
The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds (Michael Lewis, 2016)
Lewis recounts the collaboration between Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, whose groundbreaking research revolutionized our understanding of decision-making.
Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics (Richard Thaler, 2015)
Thaler chronicles the rise of behavioral economics, illustrating how insights into human behavior challenge traditional economic theories.
The Why Axis: Hidden Motives and the Undiscovered Economics of Everyday Life (Uri Gneezy & John List, 2013)
Using field experiments, Gneezy and List uncover hidden motives driving human behavior, offering practical insights into incentives and decision-making.
Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much (Sendhil Mullainathan & Eldar Shafir, 2013)
This book examines how scarcity of resources—such as time, money, or attention—affects decision-making and perpetuates cycles of stress and poverty.
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion (Jonathan Haidt, 2012)
Haidt explores the moral foundations of human behavior, explaining how differing values create deep divisions in politics and religion.
Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior (Leonard Mlodinow, 2012)
Mlodinow uncovers the hidden workings of the unconscious mind, revealing how it shapes perceptions, actions, and relationships.
Thinking, Fast and Slow (Daniel Kahneman, 2011)
Kahneman explains the dual systems of thought—fast, intuitive thinking versus slow, analytical reasoning—and their impact on judgment and decision-making.
Switch (Chip Heath & Dan Heath, 2010)
The Heath brothers provide strategies for driving lasting change by aligning rational and emotional motivations, supported by engaging stories and research.
Outliers: The Story of Success (Malcolm Gladwell, 2008)
Gladwell examines the factors contributing to extraordinary success, highlighting the roles of culture, opportunity, and deliberate practice.
Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness (Richard Thaler & Cass Sunstein, 2008)
Thaler and Sunstein introduce the concept of “nudging,” small interventions that help people make better choices without restricting freedom.
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable (Nassim Nicholas Taleb, 2007)
Taleb discusses the outsized role of rare, unpredictable events in shaping history and how to build resilience against their impact.
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (Carol S. Dweck, 2006)
Dweck introduces the concept of fixed versus growth mindsets, showing how beliefs about abilities influence success across various domains.
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything (Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner, 2005)
Levitt and Dubner reveal surprising insights about human behavior through the lens of economic principles, uncovering unexpected connections between diverse phenomena.
The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom (Jonathan Haidt, 2006)
Haidt explores philosophical and psychological ideas about happiness, blending ancient wisdom with modern science to understand what makes life meaningful.
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference (Malcolm Gladwell, 2000)
Gladwell examines how small, seemingly insignificant factors can create tipping points that trigger widespread social or cultural change.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Robert Cialdini, 1984)
Cialdini explores six universal principles of persuasion, offering practical insights into how people can be influenced in predictable and ethical ways.
How to Win Friends and Influence People (Dale Carnegie, 1936)
A timeless guide to building strong relationships and influencing others, focusing on empathy, communication, and principles for personal and professional success.