5 books to give a psychologist for Christmas (2014 Edition)

A list of five book titles perfect for giving a psychologist.

Christmas is coming and with it the time to buy and give gifts out of commitment. We know that the need to give gifts is there because there is an industry that has placed these dates in our calendar, we also know that we have the rest of the year to give gifts and we realize that not all gifts have to be purchased... And yet, our gift-giving behavior always ends up being disappointingly predictable.....

Books on psychology for gift giving

As in almost every situation, there is a lesser evil. In this case this lesser evil can be, for example, giving (or giving yourself) a book as a gift.. Books are always a good gift, and what better way to combine the material and the spiritual than to get hold of a product from which knowledge can be extracted?

Thinking of those heroes of the vindictive Christmas who run the risk of going out at the last minute to buy any book, dragged by remorse and consumerist impulses, we present a list of five titles perfect for those interested in psychology.

1. Proust and Neuroscience: A Unique View of Eight Fundamental Artists of Modernity, by Jonah Lehrer

Eight parallels drawn between artistic processes and the discoveries science makes about our minds. The fun is not so much in seeing how some artists were in some way ahead of the scientists (recognizing the advances made by the imagination in scientific matters is still very subjective) but in learning certain fundamentals of brain functioning through their comparison with the notion of memory held by Marcel Proustthe formation of the structure of language in the works of Gertrude Steinthe recognition of the mind-body connection by Walt Whitman, the Walt Whitmanetc.

In all these topics a very accessible explanation is offered about the scientific proposals of these eight cases and their artistic expression by the authors. More information here.

2. Brain and Freedom, by Joaquín M. Fuster

Interesting point of union between science and humanities. Based on the materiality of the brain and the body, Joaquín M. Fuster delves into philosophical arenas to question the idea that the brain dominates our behavior just as a software software dominates the functioning of a computer.

The issue of human freedom and free decision making is confronted here based on data provided by scientific research. More information here.

3. The Book of Psychology, various authors

Following the same stylistic line of the rest of titles The Book of... from the AKAL publishing house, this book is actually a review of the history of psychology (with its rights and wrongs) from Galen to the end of the twentieth century. It also offers a visual solidity and a type of graphics that make it perfect for quick consultations about authors, psychological principles, theories, etc.

A very good option for people who are beginning in the study of this discipline. More information here.

4. The Universe of Consciousness. How Matter Becomes Imagination, by Gerald M. Edelman and Giulio Tononi

In a similar way to Fuster's book, this very interesting book sets out to grasp a particularly abstract concept. In this case, the consciousnesssomething private and infinitely subjective. It will explain the physical mechanisms that take place in our body so that it appears to us, almost magically, an experiential scene that only belongs to us and that seems to have continuity in time.

It requires, however, an attentive and reflective reading, especially in its last third. More information here.

5. Think Fast, Think Slow, by Daniel Kahneman

Two ways of thinking: system 1, intuitive, emotional and fast, and system 2, logical, rational and slow. Behind this simple explanatory scheme, one of the very few Nobel Prize-winning psychologists offers us a tour through what it is that makes us think. offers us a tour through what we know about our modes of thinking, our way of managing these modes and our way of managing them.He also shows us how we manage these modes and the consequences that all this can have on our lives, human relationships and even the economy.

A best-seller from which we can learn a lot while having a good time. More information here.

2015 edition of books on psychology to give as gifts.

You can consult the 2015 ranking, here.