Damon Ashworth Psychology

Tag: mindfulness

Ten Books for Deep Thinking: Focus, Compassion, and Life’s Big Questions (30-21)
My top 100 non-fiction books countdown explores some of life’s most profound challenges. It addresses how to make a meaningful difference and overcome our mental limitations. It also delves into facing mortality and cultivating wisdom in an increasingly complex world.

For earlier books in the countdown: 100-91, 90-81, 80-71, 70-61, 60-51, 50-41, 40-31.

Here are books 30-21…

30. Doing Good Better: How Effective Altruism Can Help You Make a Difference by William MacAskill

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.19/5

MacAskill introduces effective altruism—using evidence and reason to determine how to do the most good possible. This approach does not rely on intuition or emotion. It evaluates causes and charities based on effectiveness. This helps assess scalability and how neglected causes are to maximise positive impact.

What makes it special: This book transforms charity from an emotional impulse into rigorous science. It shows how small donations can save lives when directed effectively. It challenges conventional wisdom about giving and career choices with data-driven analysis.

Perfect for: People who want to make a meaningful difference in the world, such as donors, philanthropists, and social entrepreneurs. Additionally, anyone curious about rational approaches to ethics and giving.

Key takeaway: Consider cost-effectiveness when giving—some interventions are thousands of times more effective than others. Choose careers based on your ability to have a positive impact. You can do this directly through your work or by “earning to give.”

29. ‘The Brain that Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science’ by Norman Doidge

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.20/5

Doidge reveals the revolutionary discovery of neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to reorganize and form new neural connections throughout life. Through compelling case studies, he shows how people have overcome strokes, learning disabilities, and brain damage by harnessing the brain’s capacity to rewire itself.

What makes it special: This book fundamentally challenged how we understood the brain. Doidge encouraged us to stop thinking of it as a “fixed machine” to a more dynamic, adaptable organ. The real-life stories of recovery and transformation are both scientifically rigorous and deeply inspiring.

Perfect for: People interested in neuroscience, psychology, rehabilitation, and self-improvement. Patients recovering from brain injuries or neurological conditions or their family and friends may be interested. Also, educators and therapists looking for evidence-based approaches.

Key takeaway: “Use it or lose it”—neural circuits strengthen with practice and weaken without use. Mental practice, visualisation, and focused attention can physically reshape your brain, making learning and recovery possible at any age.

28. Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress by Steven Pinker

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.20/5

Pinker presents overwhelming evidence that human progress is real and measurable. Despite negative news cycles, metrics like life expectancy, poverty reduction, literacy rates, and declining violence show dramatic improvements. These improvements are driven by Enlightenment values of reason, science, and humanism.

What makes it special: This meticulously researched book counters pessimism with hard data. It shows that the world is actually getting better by most objective measures. Pinker doesn’t ignore current challenges but provides essential perspective on long-term trends.

Perfect for: Readers interested in history, science, philosophy, and social progress. It also suits skeptics and optimists seeking a data-driven perspective. Educators, policymakers, and advocates of reason and humanism will find it appealing too.

Key takeaway: Progress is fragile and requires active defense through education, critical thinking, and continued application of scientific methods. Optimism should be grounded in evidence, not ideology.

27. Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.20/5

Burkeman argues that traditional productivity advice fails because it ignores our fundamental limitation. We don’t have an infinite amount of time. Therefore, we will always have to prioritise some things and not do others. Instead of trying to optimise everything, we should embrace our finitude, accept uncertainty, and focus deeply on what truly matters.

What makes it special: This book is an antidote to toxic productivity culture. It offers a philosophical approach to time management that prioritises meaning over efficiency. It challenges the entire premise of most time management advice.

Perfect for: Anyone overwhelmed by time pressure or productivity culture. It’s also ideal for people seeking a more meaningful, balanced relationship with time. Additionally, it suits readers interested in philosophy, psychology, and self-help with a realistic approach.

Key takeaway: Stop trying to control everything and instead focus on a few meaningful projects. Embrace the “joy of missing out” and accept that some things will remain unfinished—this reduces pressure and increases presence.

26. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers – Straight Talk on the Challenges of Entrepreneurship by Ben Horowitz

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.21/5

Horowitz provides unvarnished advice for entrepreneurs and leaders facing the brutal realities of building companies. Unlike business school theory, this book focuses on making tough decisions with incomplete information. It emphasises managing during crises and maintaining psychological resilience as a leader.

What makes it special: This is a rare business book. It honestly addresses the emotional and psychological toll of leadership. Horowitz combines practical advice with vulnerable personal stories from his experience as a CEO and venture capitalist.

Perfect for: Startup founders, CEOs, and business leaders. Entrepreneurs navigating uncertainty and growth. Anyone interested in leadership, management, and entrepreneurship.

Key takeaway: There is no recipe for success in real-world business—you must be comfortable making decisions without perfect information. Lead with candor, focus on building strong culture, and develop systems to manage your own psychology during difficult periods.

25. Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice by Shunryu Suzuki

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.22/5

Suzuki introduces the essential Zen concept of “beginner’s mind”—approaching life with openness, eagerness, and freedom from preconceptions. Expert’s mind, filled with fixed ideas, limits perception and learning, while beginner’s mind remains curious and receptive.

What makes it special: This slim, profound book distills centuries of Zen wisdom. It offers accessible insights about mindfulness, acceptance, and presence. It’s both a meditation guide and a philosophy for approaching all of life with greater awareness.

Perfect for: Beginners and seasoned practitioners of meditation and Zen. It is ideal for anyone seeking a mindful, open, and grounded approach to life. It also suits people interested in spirituality, philosophy, and self-awareness.

Key takeaway: Maintain beginner’s mind in all activities—approach each moment with fresh attention rather than assumptions. Practice with full attention while letting go of attachment to specific results.

24. Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of RAIN by Tara Brach

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.22/5

Brach presents the RAIN practice—Recognize, Accept, Investigate, Nurture—as a method for developing radical compassion toward ourselves and others. This mindfulness-based approach transforms difficult emotions and experiences through kind, curious awareness rather than resistance.

What makes it special: This book provides a practical, step-by-step method for developing emotional resilience and compassion. Brach combines Buddhist wisdom with modern psychology, making ancient practices accessible for contemporary healing.

Perfect for: People struggling with self-criticism, anxiety, or emotional pain. It is also suitable for those seeking a practical path to mindfulness and compassion. Therapists, caregivers, and anyone interested in emotional healing might find it beneficial.

Key takeaway: Instead of pushing away discomfort, use RAIN to befriend and understand difficult experiences. Self-compassion creates the foundation for genuine compassion toward others and healing in the world.

23. Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death by Irvin D. Yalom

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.23/5

Yalom, a renowned existential therapist, explores how fear of death underlies much of our anxiety and psychological suffering. He argues that facing mortality directly, rather than avoiding it, actually enhances life appreciation and reduces existential anxiety.

What makes it special: This book tackles the ultimate taboo—death—with therapeutic wisdom and philosophical depth. Yalom combines clinical experience with personal reflection, showing how death awareness can be liberating rather than paralyzing.

Perfect for: People struggling with death anxiety or grief. Therapists and Counsellors working with existential issues; anyone interested in existential psychology and personal growth.

Key takeaway: Awareness of mortality does not create despair. Instead, it motivates us to prioritise what truly matters. It encourages us to live more authentically. Love and connection provide meaning that transcends individual existence.

22. Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention – and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.23/5

Hari investigates the modern attention crisis, revealing how technology companies, work culture, and environmental factors systematically fragment our focus. He argues that reclaiming deep attention requires both personal practices and systemic changes to how society is organized.

What makes it special: This book combines personal narrative with investigative journalism. It reveals how the “attention economy” exploits human psychology for profit. Hari provides both individual solutions and calls for broader societal reform.

Perfect for: Anyone struggling with distraction or seeking better focus. It is also ideal for educators, employers, and policymakers interested in attention and productivity. Additionally, it suits readers concerned about the impact of technology on society.

Key takeaway: Technology companies profit from fragmented attention, deliberately designing platforms to maximize engagement at the cost of deep thinking. Reclaiming focus requires both personal boundaries and systemic changes to protect human attention.

21. The School of Life: An Emotional Education by Alain de Botton

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.24/5

De Botton argues that traditional education fails to teach the most important life skills: understanding emotions, building relationships, handling disappointment, and finding meaning. He presents emotional education as essential curriculum for navigating adult life with wisdom and resilience.

What makes it special: This book fills the gap left by formal education. It teaches practical emotional and social skills through philosophical reflection. De Botton makes psychology and philosophy accessible while addressing universal human challenges.

Perfect for: Anyone seeking practical emotional skills to improve life quality. It suits those interested in personal growth, relationships, and mental well-being. It is also for readers frustrated by traditional education’s lack of emotional focus.

Key takeaway: Self-knowledge is foundational to emotional health—understanding your triggers, fears, and desires enables wiser choices. Balance ambition with contentment, and practice compassion and forgiveness as learnable skills.

The Ultimate Integration

This collection reveals the deepest patterns in human flourishing:
- Face reality directly. Face death anxiety, attention fragmentation, or entrepreneurial challenges head-on. Growth comes from honest confrontation with difficult truths.
- Compassion can help you transform. RAIN practice and Zen acceptance are methods you can use. Approaching ourselves and others with kindness creates the conditions for healing and growth.
- Sometime evidence is more accurate than our intuition. Data-driven approaches often reveal counterintuitive truths. This is true whether in giving effectively or understanding brain plasticity.
- Focus on the present. From Zen mindfulness to mortality awareness, focusing on the here-and-now enhances both peace and effectiveness.
Your Wisdom Practice

Remember: the books that change your life aren’t necessarily the ones that comfort you. They are the ones that expand your understanding of what’s possible. This expansion occurs when you approach yourself, others, and life’s challenges with greater awareness, skill, compassion, and courage.

Stay tuned for the next 10 books…

Dr Damon Ashworth

Clinical Psychologist
October 8, 2025
Top 100 Non-Fiction Books Countdown: Part Five (60-51)
For the earlier books and descriptions in the countdown: 100-91, 90-81, 80-71, 70-61.

Here is part five…

60. How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.09/5

In our distracted world, most people feel unseen and unheard. Brooks reveals that we can be “illuminators” who make others feel valued. Alternatively, we can be “diminishers” who cause people to feel overlooked. The key to deep connection lies not just in hearing words, but in perceiving emotions, body language, and unspoken needs.

What makes it special: Brooks connects interpersonal understanding to democracy and social cohesion. He makes the case that truly seeing others is a personal skill and a civic duty. It’s rare to find a book that links individual empathy to societal healing.

Perfect for: People wanting to improve emotional intelligence. It is also ideal for therapists and coaches, partners and parents. Anyone struggling to bridge differences could benefit. Introverts or awkward conversationalists looking for practical guidance will find it helpful too.

Key takeaway: Small moments of genuine attention—making eye contact, remembering details, asking thoughtful questions—can have profound impact on relationships.

59. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.10/5

Dweck’s groundbreaking research shows that how we think about our abilities shapes our success. Those with a “fixed mindset” believe talents are static. They are less likely to keep putting in effort to get better at something. In contrast, those with a “growth mindset” see abilities as things that can develop through effort and learning.

What makes it special: It is backed by decades of rigorous research across various domains. These include schools, sports, and corporate boardrooms. This isn’t just theory. It is proven science that can be applied everywhere. The simplicity of the concept belies its profound impact.

Perfect for: Students and educators. Parents, caregivers, therapists and coaches will find it useful. Professionals, entrepreneurs, athletes and performers might also find it beneficial. Essentially, it’s for anyone facing change, setbacks, or self-doubt.

Key takeaway: Praise effort and strategy, not intelligence. View failures as learning opportunities rather than proof of inadequacy.

58. The Science of Trust: Emotional Attunement for Couples by John M. Gottman

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.10/5

Trust isn’t built through grand gestures but in everyday “sliding door moments”—small opportunities to connect or turn away. Gottman’s research shows that how couples handle conflict and respond to each other’s bids for connection determines relationship success.

What makes it special: Gottman can predict divorce with over 90% accuracy using mathematical models. This isn’t relationship advice based on opinion—it’s hard science applied to love, filled with measurable metrics and proven interventions.

Perfect for: Couples, especially those in long-term or committed relationships. It’s ideal for therapists and relationship coaches. Individuals recovering from betrayal or disconnection could find it enlightening. Students of psychology or counselling will find it useful. Analytical thinkers interested in emotional dynamics are welcome too.

Key takeaway: Trust is dynamic and evolves with every interaction. Focus on emotional attunement and repair attempts rather than perfection.

57. How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain by Lisa Feldman Barrett

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.10/5

Barrett challenges the traditional view of emotions as hardwired reactions. Instead, she reveals that emotions are constructed by our brains using past experiences to interpret bodily sensations and context.

What makes it special: This book completely overturns everything you thought you knew about emotions. Barrett dismantles decades of psychological orthodoxy with cutting-edge neuroscience. She offers a radical new understanding that emotions are cultural, learned and therefore changeable.

Perfect for: Psychology and neuroscience enthusiasts. Students and academics. Mental health professionals and therapists. Curious readers interested in self-understanding. Anthropologists. People interested in emotional intelligence.

Key takeaway: Since emotions are constructed, they’re malleable. Developing emotional granularity—the ability to distinguish between different emotions—improves mental health and emotional regulation.

56. Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life by Arnold Schwarzenegger

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.11/5

Schwarzenegger distills his life philosophy into practical wisdom. His emphasis is on being useful—contributing meaningfully—rather than just being impressive.

What makes it special: This isn’t typical celebrity memoir fluff. Schwarzenegger’s achievements in three distinct areas offer a rare case study. He excelled as a bodybuilding champion, a Hollywood superstar, and a politician. His story shows reinvention and sustained excellence across different domains.

Perfect for: Anyone feeling stuck or aimless who wants clear and practical life advice. It’s also great for fans of Arnold’s life story who seek motivation mixed with personal responsibility. Young adults or career changers looking for structure and inspiration may benefit too.

Key takeaway: Success demands sacrifice and relentless effort. Use criticism as fuel and turn every failure into feedback for improvement. Have a clear vision. Work relentlessly. Ignore naysayers. Learn from failure. Listen to mentors. Give back.

55. Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam M. Grant

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.11/5

Grant argues that success isn’t about innate ability but about character skills like grit, curiosity, and determination. He emphasises that potential is dynamic—people develop at different rates and what matters is trajectory, not starting point.

What makes it special: Grant challenges meritocracy myths with compelling research. He shows how biased systems hide potential. The right environments can reveal greatness in unexpected places. It’s both inspiring and actionable.

Perfect for: Teachers, coaches, leaders, and parents who want to unlock growth in others. It’s also suitable for anyone who has been underestimated or who underestimates themselves. Additionally, it’s ideal for fans of books like Grit, Mindset, or Atomic Habits who are looking for science-based, optimistic personal development guidance.

Key takeaway: Embrace strategic discomfort as a growth zone. Progress comes from stretching just beyond your current limits, not from repeating what’s easy.

54. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.12/5

Ariely reveals the hidden psychological forces that drive our choices. We compare relatively rather than absolutely, overvalue free things, procrastinate on good intentions, and let emotions hijack rational thought.

What makes it special: Through clever experiments that are both entertaining and enlightening, Ariely makes behavioural economics accessible and fun. The book reads like a detective story, uncovering the surprising patterns behind our seemingly random decisions.

Perfect for: Anyone interested in behavioural economics, psychology, or marketing. This includes people who want to understand why we make irrational choices and how to outsmart our own biases. It is also for fans of Malcolm Gladwell, Thinking, Fast and Slow, or Nudge.

Key takeaway: Awareness of our biases allows us to make better decisions. Plan ahead while in a “cold” emotional state to counter the effects of “hot” emotional decisions.

53. Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People by Vanessa Van Edwards

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.12/5

Van Edwards breaks down social interaction into three levels: first impressions, personalisation, and deep connection. She reveals that the most respected people are both high-warmth (friendly, empathetic) and high-competence (confident, skilled).

What makes it special: Van Edwards combines rigorous research with practical techniques. She turns the art of charisma into a learnable science. Her approach demystifies social skills for introverts and gives even socially confident people specific tools for deeper connections.

Perfect for: Professionals, leaders, and entrepreneurs who want to improve networking and people skills. Introverts who want a science-based approach to social confidence could also benefit. It is for anyone interested in nonverbal communication, charisma, and influence.

Key takeaway: The first few seconds matter enormously. Use intentional body language, ask engaging questions beyond small talk, and focus on making others feel valued.

52. Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.12/5

Through creative tales of possible afterlives, Eagleman explores identity, meaning, and what makes life worth living. These thought experiments reveal our deep desire for purpose and connection.

What makes it special: This isn’t philosophy or religion—it’s imaginative fiction that makes you think deeply about existence. Each micro-story is a philosophical puzzle that reframes how you see life, death, identity, and meaning in completely unexpected ways.

Perfect for: Thinkers, dreamers, and sceptics who enjoy existential fiction or philosophical musing. It’s also for fans of Black Mirror, Jorge Luis Borges, or Ted Chiang. Additionally, it suits anyone interested in death, meaning, consciousness, or what makes a life worth living.

Key takeaway: We are not one fixed person but many versions of ourselves. The limits and struggles of life often give it depth and meaning—perfection isn’t what we think it is.

51. The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.12/5

Chip and Dan Heath identify four elements that make moments memorable. The first is elevation, which means rising above routine. The second is insight, which involves re-framing our understanding. The third is pride, capturing people at their best. The fourth is connection, deepening ties with others.

What makes it special: This book provides a practical blueprint. It helps you engineer peak experiences rather than leaving them to chance. The Heaths research-backed framework applies whether you’re designing customer experiences, teaching students, or creating family memories.

Perfect for: Leaders, educators, therapists, coaches, and customer experience designers who aim to create meaningful, lasting experiences. Anyone who wants to make life more memorable and emotionally resonant for themselves and others could benefit. It is also ideal for fans of Made to Stick or Drive who enjoy actionable insights grounded in psychology.

Key takeaway: People remember peaks and endings more than duration. You can intentionally design meaningful moments rather than waiting for them to happen naturally.

These ten books share several powerful themes:
- Growth is possible at any stage – Whether it’s developing a growth mindset, building emotional intelligence, or recognising hidden potential
- Relationships are central to fulfillment – From deep listening to building trust to creating shared moments
- Self-awareness enables better living – Understanding our biases, emotions, and patterns helps us make better choices
- Small actions compound into significant change – Whether it’s micro-moments of attention or daily efforts toward goals
The path to a more fulfilling life isn’t about perfection. It’s about growth and connection. It requires the courage to keep learning about ourselves and others.

Stay tuned for the next books in the countdown…

Dr Damon Ashworth

Clinical Psychologist
September 15, 2025
Essential Non-Fiction Books for Personal Development: 90-81

Last week, I began my top 100 non-fiction books countdown. Here are books 90-81…

90. Paranoia: A Journey Into Extreme Mistrust and Anxiety by Daniel Freeman

Goodreads.com star rating = 3.81/5

Freeman tries to reduce the stigma around paranoia. He shows that it exists on a spectrum. At the extreme end, paranoia is a sign of schizophrenia or paranoid personality disorder. But people without a mental health disorder experience paranoia too. From everyday suspicion to clinical paranoia, mistrust is often rooted in real experiences like trauma or discrimination.

What makes it special: It connects paranoia to modern pressures like social media and surveillance. It offers both empathy and practical cognitive strategies.

Perfect for: Mental health professionals, anyone experiencing paranoid thoughts, and readers interested in how fear and mistrust shape society.

Key takeaway: Paranoia is not a mysterious or rare condition. It is a common human experience that exists on a continuum. It can be scientifically understood. Most importantly, it can be effectively addressed through proper recognition and empirically supported treatment approaches.

89. The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward by Daniel H. Pink

Goodreads.com star rating = 3.83/5

Pink flips the script on regret. He argues that regret is not weakness, but wisdom in disguise. Based on the World Regret Survey findings, Pink identifies four core types of regret. These are 1. foundation regrets, 2. boldness regrets, 3. moral regrets and connection regrets. He shows how engaging with them constructively leads to better decisions.

What makes it special: It is a refreshing counter to toxic positivity. It treats regret as essential to growth. It comes with practical tools for self-compassion and onward movement.

Perfect for: Anyone reflecting on life choices, therapists and coaches, and fans of evidence-based emotional intelligence.

Key takeaway: Rather than avoiding or suppressing regret, we should embrace it as valuable emotional data. It reveals our deepest values. This data can guide us toward better decisions and a more fulfilling life.

88. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam

Goodreads.com star rating = 3.85/5

Putnam documents the collapse of social capital in the US from its peak in 1964. The decline continued until the book was published in 2000. He shows how we’ve become increasingly isolated in our real lives and less engaged in our communities despite technological connection. It was prescient about today’s loneliness epidemic and institutional distrust.

What makes it special: Rigorous social science that explains modern disconnection while offering hope through examples of community revival.

Perfect for: Community leaders, anyone interested in sociology and civic engagement, and those seeking to understand political polarisation.

Key takeaway: Putnam calls for rebuilding social capital through new forms of civic engagement suited to modern life. He shows that strong communities and democracy need active participation, not just individual achievement. Community connections aren’t just nice to have – they’re fundamental to both individual and societal well-being.

87. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running: A Memoir by Haruki Murakami

Goodreads.com star rating = 3.87/5

Murakami has written some amazing novels. His meditative memoir reflects on running as a metaphor for life, creativity, and getting older. It explores discipline, solitude, and the quiet satisfaction of showing up daily.

What makes it special: Beautiful simplicity that resists hustle culture in favour of sustainable, meaningful practice. It’s about the why, not the how.

Perfect for: Runners, writers, introverts, and anyone seeking insight into creative discipline and ageing gracefully.

Key takeaway: Success is measured in years and decades, not days or weeks. Both running and writing are about building something sustainable over time rather than achieving quick victories. Meaningful work, whether creative or physical, requires a long-term practice approach. It is not just a series of individual performances.

86. The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values by Sam Harris

Goodreads.com star rating = 3.90/5

Harris argues that science can and should inform morality, challenging the traditional divide between facts and values. He centres human well-being as an objective criterion for ethical judgment.

What makes it special: A secular, evidence-based approach to ethics that bridges neuroscience, philosophy, and practical morality.

Perfect for: Philosophy enthusiasts, scientists interested in ethics, and those seeking non-religious foundations for moral reasoning.

Key takeaway: Empirical evidence about what actually promotes human flourishing can help inform our morals. Ethics should be informed by evidence, rather than tradition or ideology. Moral progress requires treating ethics as a domain where objective knowledge is possible. It should not be just a matter of opinion or cultural preference.

85. Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence by Anna Lembke

Goodreads.com star rating = 3.90/5

Lembke explains how modern society’s excess of dopamine triggers—screens, sugar, social media—disrupts our brain’s balance, leading to addictive behaviours. She offers practical wisdom on finding balance in an age of endless temptation.

What makes it special: Combines cutting-edge neuroscience with compassionate clinical stories, providing actionable advice on “dopamine fasting” and mindful moderation.

Perfect for: Anyone struggling with digital overload, addiction, or compulsive behaviours, plus mental health professionals.

Key takeaway: In our pursuit of constant pleasure, we’ve created our own misery. True contentment comes from restoring balance through mindful consumption and occasional voluntary discomfort.

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

Goodreads.com star rating = 3.91/5

Zimbardo is well known in psychology circles for his infamous Stanford Prison Experiment. Some suggest that Zimbardo instructed the guards to commit the “evil” behaviours. This makes the studies on conformity and obedience to authority more interesting to me than his prison experiment. Nonetheless, he strongly believes that ordinary people can commit extraordinary evil under certain conditions. He shows that systems and situations often matter more than individual character.

What makes it special: Zimbardo’s research challenges simple explanations of evil. It raises crucial questions about power, authority, and moral responsibility.

Perfect for: Psychology students, anyone interested in ethics and human nature, and those seeking to understand abuse of power.

Key takeaway: We must understand the psychological mechanisms that enable evil to prevent it. The environment has a bigger impact on who does evil than we realise.

83. How to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical Guide by Peter Boghossian and James Lindsay

Goodreads.com star rating = 3.91/5

This practical guide offers concrete techniques for navigating difficult conversations with curiosity rather than confrontation.

What makes it special: It goes beyond vague advice. It teaches specific skills like Socratic questioning and active listening. It respects all sides while promoting genuine dialogue.

Perfect for: Anyone frustrated by polarised debates or mediators, teachers, leaders, and those interested in critical thinking.

Key takeaway: Even the most “impossible” conversations can become productive. This happens when we shift from trying to win arguments to genuinely seeking understanding. We need to find common ground through specific, learnable techniques.

82. Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain and Body by Daniel Goleman and Richard J. Davidson

Goodreads.com star rating = 3.91/5

Leading Neuroscientist Davidson and emotional intelligence expert Goleman reveal the hard science behind meditation’s effects on the brain. They distinguish between temporary states and lasting “altered traits.”

What makes it special: Rigorous neuroscience that cuts through the hype surrounding meditation. It focuses on how sustained meditation practice can create fundamental changes. These changes are lasting and alter the structure of the brain.

Perfect for: Meditators, sceptics wanting evidence-based insights, mental health professionals, and anyone interested in intentional mental training.

Key takeaway: Meditation can genuinely alter the brain in beneficial ways. But there are only four key benefits of regular and long-term meditation with strong scientific support. These are: 1. altered pain perception and reduced suffering from pain, 2. enhanced attention, 3. reduced stress reactivity, and 4. increased compassion. We should avoid making inflated claims about the benefits of meditation. It is better to just give people realistic expectations based on solid science.

81. Ethics in the Real World: 86 Brief Essays on Things that Matter by Peter Singer

Goodreads.com star rating = 3.93/5

The influential philosopher tackles contemporary ethical dilemmas in 86 brief, clear essays. Using utilitarian principles, Singer challenges readers on animal rights, global poverty, climate change, and how to live ethically today.

What makes it special: Uncompromising moral philosophy is applied to practical decisions. This ranges from what to eat to how to donate. It includes a consistent logical framework.

Perfect for: Philosophy enthusiasts, social justice advocates, anyone interested in applied ethics and utilitarian thinking.

Key takeaway: Ethics isn’t abstract philosophy. It’s practical guidance for making the world better. This is done through reasoned, evidence-based moral decision-making focused on reducing suffering.

Stay tuned for part 3 next week…

Dr Damon Ashworth

Clinical Psychologist

August 21, 2025