The bestselling psychology books of 2015 offer diverse topics from a broad range of experts as well as authors and journalists. Each title is devoted to improving mental health and the tools that can foster progress. Alternative approaches to institutional wisdom repeat across several titles, including a sharpened understanding of the brain’s plasticity and the perhaps indefinable nature of the human spirit.
Life stories play a recurring theme on this list, examining systemic shortcomings in the face of an individual’s plight and using wit and humor to soften the edges. optimism and a greater awareness of the landscape in question serve as a common thread between the titles.
You are reading: List of 2015 psychology books
These top 15 books were selected using publishers weekly, new york times, and amazon bestseller lists.
between me and the world by ta-nehisi coates
Themes of pride, identity, and justice converge in ta-nehisi coates’ extended letter to his teenage son. the author’s intention is to make some sense of a world where social injustice persists from generation to generation, a world statistically more dangerous for your child based on the color of his skin. Described as somber and beautiful, Between the World and Me blends poetry and backstory through the twisted history of Africa and the Baltimore of Coates’ youth. The controversial death of Coates’ friend at the hands of the police serves as one of the book’s main narratives.
furiously happy: a funny book about horrible things by jenny lawson
author jenny lawson’s work has been described as brutally honest and sharply funny. Texas-born and influential blogger, Lawson recounts her experiences with anxiety and depression, along with obsessive-compulsive behaviors and attention deficits in Furiously Happy. The 350 pages of it offer a patient’s perspective on everything from being blanketed in fear to buried in bureaucracy. Seeing mental health as much more common than it is actually diagnosed and more entrenched in everyday disguises, Lawson finds plenty to laugh at, even in the dark.
maggie nelson’s argonauts
love and gender identities are explored in maggie nelson’s textured memoir, challenging the formulaic structure of what is socially acceptable in a traditional family. Her romance with sculptor and videographer Harry Dodge serves as the framework for Nelson’s narrative. helping to raise a stepdaughter while she is still dealing with her own sense of love and connection helps define and even blur her preconceived views of her. Nelson’s work has been praised for intellectually reflecting “the joys of raising a queer family.”
the body keeps score: brain, mind and body in trauma healing by bessel van der kolk
psychiatrist bessel van der kolk takes a whole-body approach to healing trauma and the differences it makes to real people. A world-renowned post-traumatic stress specialist, van der Kolk says that traumas big and small affect almost everyone, directly or indirectly. The book traces decades of research and clinical work with trauma survivors and examines how such events can rewire the brain, altering personality and behavior. The author uses case studies and personal stories to show the changing paradigms in behavioral health.
the brain fog fix: regain your focus, memory and joy in just 3 weeks by mike dow
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dr. Mike Dow explores the chemical deficiencies that are becoming common in the human brain and the causal effect such deficiencies can have. from everyday forgetfulness to more severe cases of adhd, dr. dow finds a bond that also hampers people’s everyday mood and optimism. a regular at dr. oz show, dow psychotherapist’s 3-week program aims to program the mind to naturally maintain the proper brain chemistry for optimal results and healing.
fast girl: a past life running from madness for suzy hamilton please
suzy’s depression and bipolar control fueled hamilton’s hidden reality for years, even as he successfully trained for olympic glory. When a misdiagnosis and subsequent new medication exacerbated her condition and led to hypersexuality, Hamilton began undermining her seemingly perfect life and marriage, eventually taking a job on the Las Vegas strip as a high-end escort. price. The book details her story, her exposure, and the uphill battle she fought to regain her identity.
neurotribus: the legacy of autism and the future of neurodiversity by steve silberman
Cable reporter Steve Silberman takes a hard look at the misperceptions, misnames, and misdiagnoses that have hampered autism research and the public’s confused understanding of a growing condition. From the early days of identifying the control of it to more recent efforts to define and treat symptoms, Silberman confronts the decisions of early researchers who played a role in hiding the existence of autism for more than half a century. Along the way, Silberman highlights the “neurodiversity” movement and the inherent rights of people with cognitive differences.
superbetter: a revolutionary approach to becoming stronger, happier, braver, and more resilient by jane mcgonigal
A game developer by trade, Jane McGonigal’s life was thrown off course by a concussion that hampered everything she loved. Bedridden and experiencing severe depression, she slowly found her way back through the power of games, exploring how they can help the mind and body regulate emotions, optimism and determination. Described as “a proven game plan for a better life,” superbetter focuses less on winning and more on skill, method, and perseverance.
blackout: remembering the things i drank to forget by sarah hepola
Salon.com Essay Editor Sarah Hepola takes an honest look at alcohol addiction and the defense mechanisms used to hide its effects in personal and professional lives. the understanding of blackouts is closely covered, along with the seemingly downplayed side effects of alcohol versus more illicit substances. Hepola balances humor with humility, looking harshly at the person she buried in her swoon, but with optimism and hope.
my lobotomy of howard dully and charles fleming
abandoned by his family less than a year after receiving an ice pick lobotomy from the notorious dr. walter freeman, howard dully’s work chronicles his attempt to get his life back. it was only in his forties that he began to explore a better path, having spent years self-medicating with alcohol or locked up for petty crimes. The book has been praised for its chilling look at a darker chapter in mental health treatment, when normal adolescent behaviors were justification enough to destroy a mind and discard the potential of a lifetime.
inside the dementia epidemic: a daughter’s memoir by martha stettinius
Martha Stettinius had already become a well-known advocate for Alzheimer’s patients and their families long before she published her experience caring for someone with the most common form of dementia. understanding the everyday challenges of dementia is at the heart of her work, designed as a helpful roadmap for those struggling to maintain consistency and optimism. she points to shortcomings in dementia care, including too few educational resources for family and loved ones and a public perception often devoid of hope.
Cranky Bitches: The Truth About The Drugs You’re Doing, The Sleep You’re Missing, The Sex You’re Not Having, And What’s Really Driving You Crazy by Julie Holland
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dr. Julie Holland’s observations on mental health conditions in the pharmaceutical age have been known to accurately examine what she sees as inherent insanity often present in a system built to improve health. Learned to bury her natural moods from a young age, Holland examines gender expectations and the role they play in deterring proper diagnosis and treatment, often stifling personal potential. she labels the good and bad of different methodologies and how suppression only serves to prolong a problem.
the brain’s way of healing: remarkable discoveries and recoveries from the frontiers of neuroplasticity by norman doidge
neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to change its structure and functionality in response to experience, is at the root of dr. the work of norman doidge. The 2015 release from the best-selling psychiatrist and author has been labeled one of the most groundbreaking books in the field in decades, with The Guardian describing it as a “book of miracles.” Natural, noninvasive options for real recovery are the cornerstone of doidge, which seeks real-world applications based on a better understanding of the brain’s ability to heal.
the future of mental health: deconstructing the paradigm of mental disorders by eric maisel
psychotherapist eric maisel explores efficacy in the field of psychotherapy and its changing markers of success. Overdiagnosis is a recurring theme, one in which Maisel finds that bureaucracy and indifference play an all too common role in determining severity and methodology. Seeking to inject more humanity into the therapy and treatment process, Maisel seeks alternative ways to impact lives for the better.
The Man Who Wasn’t There: Investigations into the Strange New Science of the Self by Anil Ananthaswamy
Extensive interviews with patients and healthcare professionals alike form the basis of anil ananthaswamy’s exploration of the human sense of self. Advances in understanding how memories affect a person’s narrative and reality are highlighted, including new approaches by neuroscientists to harness such knowledge for real change. The book offers a glimpse into existential truths for both caregivers and the people they care for, as well as the obstacles that stand in the way of progress and leave little room for hope.
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