Angury Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 I began reading some books on Psychology & Psychiatry a year ago with a general interest in mental health, and since then my bookshelf has grown enormously. I started off with some very modern books, such as 'Cracked: Why Psychiatry is doing more harm than good' by James Davies, and then gradually began to focus on more classical authors such as Jung and RD Laing. I have found Laing to be particularly interesting, and my copy of his book 'The Divided Self' is filled with notes and sentences underlined. More recently, I just finished a book by Carl Jung this evening called 'Analytical Psychology' which covers his five lectures at the Tavistock Clinic, London in 1935, followed by some lively discussions. Admittedly not as enticing as Laing's work, I still found his lectures to be filled with insights that I hope to take with me far after I have turned the last page. I also recently obtained a copy of Freud's 'Interpretation of Dreams', but have as yet left it unopened as I have heard so many friends talk about his work being 'dreary' and 'difficult to follow.' I do plan to delve into his work at some point though, particularly when you think about the impact such theories have had on modern day Psychology. I was hoping that by creating this thread, I would be able to start a discussion about Psychology, Psychiatry and Mental Health in general, and hopefully exchange some ideas and works that we have found particularly interesting. Does anyone else have an interest in this area? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookmonkey Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 I've always been interested in psychology, although I don't think as much as you are. I have a couple of psychology books on my shelf but haven't read them yet. I'm really interested in crime and the psychological reasons behind serial killers and things like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsmeagain Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 Hi Angury. Yes I am up to my ears in this field since I am.a trained mental health nurse. You can also Google the mental health forum and fill your boots over there in the discussions. Have fun now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 This is most definitely an interesting topic and I do have books on the subject but unfortunately I'm rather 'unread' on the topic so far I'm one of those who rather reads their fictional TRB books than their non-fictional ones, and so my books on the subject remain unread so far... Looking forward to seeing what this topic brings up in people's minds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 I find psychology pretty interesting too. I've read a few books about it but not many. One pretty general one is Richard D. Gross - Psychology (which I think is used in the first year of studying psychology at university). It talks about the various fields of psychology, basics, its history and so on. I quite liked that one and found it very interesting. I also read some books by Richard Wiseman, such as Quirkology (which I don't know if that's psychology, it's more of a 'lighter' book rather than a study book. But it is related to psychology, even if it doesn't have the same level of depth). I have another book on psychology on my TBR pile too, it's Daniel C. Dennett - Consciousness Explained. I don't know if that one is actually good or not, I picked it up at the second hand shop for very cheap, I haven't heard anything about it. I quite liked the Psychology book but wasn't sure where to go from there (and I don't tend to run into many of such books at library sales or the charity shop), so I have to admit I haven't read much about it lately. But I do find it an interesting subject and I learned a lot from the Psychology book (maybe I should re-read it some day). As far as mental health goes, I find that pretty interesting too and I have a lot of books about autism (mainly (auto)biographies; my favourite book on the subject is Martine Delfos - Een Vreemde Wereld which my parents own but I don't; I hope to get my own copy some day), and also some on ADHD (both information and biographies) and biographies of people with other mental health problems (though some of those books are unread as of yet). Interesting topic . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angury Posted May 12, 2016 Author Share Posted May 12, 2016 Great to see so much interest. I've noticed that Psychology books in particular tend to make it to the Bestsellers List for Non-Fiction more often than any other medical genre (except perhaps Neuroscience). Hi Angury. Yes I am up to my ears in this field since I am.a trained mental health nurse. You can also Google the mental health forum and fill your boots over there in the discussions. Have fun now. Ah yes, I used to frequent that forum quite often, but stopped after a while because I found some of the posts on there quite sad. I will definitely have another look though - do they have a section for literature etc? And how interesting that you're a mental health nurse! Do you enjoy it? I am currently studying medicine, and am hoping to specialise in Forensic Psychiatry. My Psychiatry placement was one of my most enjoyable placements I have to say. I find psychology pretty interesting too. I've read a few books about it but not many. One pretty general one is Richard D. Gross - Psychology (which I think is used in the first year of studying psychology at university). It talks about the various fields of psychology, basics, its history and so on. I quite liked that one and found it very interesting. I also read some books by Richard Wiseman, such as Quirkology (which I don't know if that's psychology, it's more of a 'lighter' book rather than a study book. But it is related to psychology, even if it doesn't have the same level of depth). I have another book on psychology on my TBR pile too, it's Daniel C. Dennett - Consciousness Explained. I don't know if that one is actually good or not, I picked it up at the second hand shop for very cheap, I haven't heard anything about it. I quite liked the Psychology book but wasn't sure where to go from there (and I don't tend to run into many of such books at library sales or the charity shop), so I have to admit I haven't read much about it lately. But I do find it an interesting subject and I learned a lot from the Psychology book (maybe I should re-read it some day). As far as mental health goes, I find that pretty interesting too and I have a lot of books about autism (mainly (auto)biographies; my favourite book on the subject is Martine Delfos - Een Vreemde Wereld which my parents own but I don't; I hope to get my own copy some day), and also some on ADHD (both information and biographies) and biographies of people with other mental health problems (though some of those books are unread as of yet). Interesting topic . Ah yes, I've heard quite a lot about Daniel Dennett. I've got the same book, but as with yourself, I have yet to read it. I've watched a couple of his lectures and debates online, and have to admit some of his topics go over my head which is why I haven't delved into any of his works yet. He does seem to be quite popular though. How did you find studying Psychology at University? Did you study any of the 'old-school' Psychiatrists such as Jung and Freud? Here in the UK you can study Psychology at school, but recently they have changed the curriculum, so that instead of studying Freud and psychoanalysis, it is almost purely biological, which I think is a big pity but also reflects the changes in our society (again, also a big pity in my opinion). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 Ah yes, I've heard quite a lot about Daniel Dennett. I've got the same book, but as with yourself, I have yet to read it. I've watched a couple of his lectures and debates online, and have to admit some of his topics go over my head which is why I haven't delved into any of his works yet. He does seem to be quite popular though. It's nice to hear you've heard good things about Daniel Dennett . How did you find studying Psychology at University? Did you study any of the 'old-school' Psychiatrists such as Jung and Freud? Here in the UK you can study Psychology at school, but recently they have changed the curriculum, so that instead of studying Freud and psychoanalysis, it is almost purely biological, which I think is a big pity but also reflects the changes in our society (again, also a big pity in my opinion). Oh I didn't study psychology, I studied chemistry (Chemistry (BSc) and Nanomaterials: Chemistry & Physics (MSc) if you want to be exact). But I've heard from psychology students that they used the book. Sorry to disappoint you, I can't tell you what it's like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsmeagain Posted May 14, 2016 Share Posted May 14, 2016 Hello Angury. I like it . Am currently based in a forensic hospital. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angury Posted May 14, 2016 Author Share Posted May 14, 2016 (edited) Hello Angury. I like it . Am currently based in a forensic hospital. Oh wow, that's exactly the area I want to go into. I am doing a little placement in a forensics unit this summer to get a feel for it - I can't wait. Have you read any books around Psychiatry, or specifically Forensics? I haven't managed to find many books in this area that aren't merely textbooks. Edited May 14, 2016 by Angury Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsmeagain Posted May 14, 2016 Share Posted May 14, 2016 Not really Angury. Most are simply textbooks I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastolfe Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 Hi All, Half my degree was Psychology but that was a while ago and not a field I ended up in. I'd like to share a recommendation, The Examind Life by Stephen Grosz. It's been some time since I read it, but I remember finding it fascinating and recommending it at the time. It shares stories from a psychoanalyst's couch and I seem to remember thinking the book told me something about myself, through it's tales, examples and people it 'examined'. I've picked it off my shelf to flick through again! Unfortunately, I haven't read any forensic psyc to recommend :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angury Posted June 21, 2016 Author Share Posted June 21, 2016 (edited) Hi All, Half my degree was Psychology but that was a while ago and not a field I ended up in. I'd like to share a recommendation, The Examind Life by Stephen Grosz. It's been some time since I read it, but I remember finding it fascinating and recommending it at the time. It shares stories from a psychoanalyst's couch and I seem to remember thinking the book told me something about myself, through it's tales, examples and people it 'examined'. I've picked it off my shelf to flick through again! Unfortunately, I haven't read any forensic psyc to recommend :/ That sounds like an interesting book - I just looked it up on Goodreads and realised it was already on my TBR list. It reminds me of a similar book called Love's Executioner by Irvin Yalom, a psychotherapist. It's a collection of ten stories about his patients and gives you a rare glimpse into the relationship between therapist and client, as well as the impact of therapy on a persons life. I found it particularly interesting as regardless of the clients background or their own personal story, I was always able to relate to their difficulties on some level. It shows how we all face the same difficulties in our day to day lives and how we are all connected in some way through our hardships and sufferings. Edited June 21, 2016 by Angury Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastolfe Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 Absolutely. It can be really therapeutic reading these sorts of things...I guess lots of reading can be in some way. I haven't heard of Love's Executioner, will look out for it, thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumo Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 I like reading psychology-related books. Some that I have found particularly interesting are: Listening to Prozac by Peter D. Kramer - Written by the psychiatrist Peter Kramer it's a insightful look at some key questions raised during his experiences treating depression. I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can by Barbara Gordon - a memoir of Valium addiction in the 1970s or so. A good insight from the perspective of a patient caught up in the era. Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages Guy Deutscher - A great look at the way language shapes what we see (or not). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastolfe Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 I just picked up a copy of Through the Language Glass , I thought it sounded really interesting, thanks for the recommendation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie H Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 How about Abraham Maslow's Toward a Psychology of Being, I have found that was excellent, great to read about self actualization. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angury Posted November 11, 2016 Author Share Posted November 11, 2016 (edited) How about Abraham Maslow's Toward a Psychology of Being, I have found that was excellent, great to read about self actualization.I haven't read this work, but am really interested in delving more into the area of Humanistic Psychology. I feel it can teach us a lot in our modern world. I particularly like the quote in your signature. I was wondering whether anyone had read Viktor Frankl's book Mans Search for Meaning? What an incredible insight into humanity. I was particularly struck by his final chapter around the ideas of 'Logotherapy.' Not something I'd heard of before I have to admit, but an idea that I find intriguing and believe could bring hope and meaning to a lot of people's lives. Edited November 11, 2016 by Angury Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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