When I first got into behavioral science, I was all about the work of Tversky and Kahneman or Thaler and Sunstein—guys whose names come up in any serious conversation about decision-making and human behavior. But if I’m honest, it was my deep dive into psychology and neuroscience that really kicked things off for me. One of the most eye-opening books in that journey was Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior by Leonard Mlodinow.
In Subliminal, Mlodinow pulls back the curtain on how much of our behavior happens beneath the surface, shaped by forces we barely recognize. The book unpacks the research showing that while we like to think we’re in control of our choices, our unconscious mind often has the final say. From the people we trust, to the things we buy, and even our moral judgments, our brains are running on autopilot more often than we realize. And the kicker? We have almost no idea it’s happening.
Mlodinow backs it all up with scientific studies and real-world examples, making it a must-read if you’re interested in the way the mind works. It’s one of those books that changes the way you think about thinking. If you’ve ever wondered why you keep making the same mistakes—or why you’re drawn to certain people, products, or ideas—Subliminal gives you a glimpse into the machinery that runs in the background. It was one of my first real introductions to how the unconscious drives behavior, and it set me on the path to digging deeper into the science of decision-making.
Check out Subliminal here.