All London cab drivers must pass a formidable test, known as ‘The Knowledge’, on the layout of the city. Licensed cabbie Robert Lordan reveals the tricks used to memorize a bewildering amount of information – techniques applicable in many other areas of life. They include mnemonics, inventing stories, using history, the ‘Room Method’, and personal association. Illustrated with route maps and drawings throughout.

From ancient Greek concepts of the soul to the insights of modern neurology and psychoanalysis, Rooney explains how we have tried to answer questions about the mind’s workings, individuals’ sense of identity and the best ways to treat mental illness.

Long overshadowed by her husband, Emma Jung was a resourceful and intelligent woman who became a noted practitioner of psychoanalysis and made significant contributions to the early development of the movement. This book follows the twists and turns of the Jungs’ personal and professional lives together, from the penniless doctor’s first meeting with the teenage heiress, through the years when his numerous affairs and complex personality tested the marriage, to their achievement of greater harmony and understanding.

In The Interpretation of Dreams (1899) and On Dreams (1901) Freud laid the keystone of psychoanalysis, explaining the way to access the unconscious through dreams and expounding his theory of dreams as wish fulfilment in disguise. First published in 1920, this accessible version combines parts of both works, with an introduction by André Tridon.

Sometimes a badly informed loudmouth can be more persuasive than the most cogent expert on any given subject. Cognitive neuroscientist Sharot explains the psychology of persuasion, and why many of our instinctive behaviours and beliefs are counterproductive.

Combining insights from groundbreaking research with anecdotes from her own life, a neuroscientist here provides an accessible introduction to the evolution and functioning of the human brain. She explains how our personalities, memories and emotions are created, considers the foods, music and activities that can supposedly benefit or harm our intellectual abilities, and examines why our big brains still make bad decisions and reward addictive behaviours.

A popular misconception of the controversial Rorschach test, which requires subjects to interpret a series of ten inkblots, is that there are no wrong answers. For professional psychologists, however, who still use the test on defendants, interviewees and patients, certain answers can point to worrying mental health issues. This absorbing ‘double biography’ of the Swiss psychiatrist and his inkblots reveals how modernist tendencies, coupled with clinical success, enabled Rorschach’s test to move from serious psychological practice into pop culture.

Science fiction and fantasy have given programmes such as Star Trek and Doctor Who the freedom to explore controversial social issues and, on a personal level, questions of emotion, identity, memory and the perception of reality. In these books, each comprising 19 or 20 essays, the contributors analyse psychological problems raised by the adventures of the space and time explorers. The three titles included in this set are: Star Wars Psychology (Read more...) Doctor Who Psychology (Read more...) Star Trek Psychology (Read more...)

Beginning with defining good and evil, the questions tackled in this volume include gender psychology, archetypes, the psychology of religion and the Jedi path in terms of Jung’s theory of individuation.

The psychology of exploration, intellect, mental illness in the 23rd century, AI, the role of sacrifice, and group dynamics are among the topics examined in this study of James T Kirk and crew.

From the compassion shown by the Doctor towards others, to the Time Lord’s brain and regeneration, determinism and free will, personality is the main focus of these 19 essays exploring the mind of Doctor Who.

This wide-ranging account of how Enlightenment philosophers developed a concept of mind explores the intellectual ground covered by English, Scottish, French and German thinkers, including the notion of the mind existing solely within, and nurtured by, the body. The author also demonstrates, with reference to Foucault, how these ideas led to mind sciences, including phrenology and psychology, and why in our own times consensus on the nature of the mind has yet to be achieved. Slightly off-mint.

One night in 1970 Susan Blackmore left her body. Aware of her surroundings – the music, the room, the people – her consciousness began an expansive journey beyond Oxford and out over the ‘astral plane’. Memories of this out-of-body experience (OBE) have driven Blackmore, now a respected psychologist, to explore the nature of OBEs, including their relationship to sleep disorders, dreams, drugs and near-death experiences, and to assess the historical literature and growing scientific research surrounding them.

The author of the bestselling Affluenza here examines British society during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, when mental illness grew substantially even though wealth was increasing and education became more accessible. He identifies two causes: pathological comparison of ourselves with others and shifting gender relations. The book was first published in 1998; each chapter in this second edition has a postscript analysing more recent changes in society.

A pioneering work in psychology first published in 1908, this enormously influential book served as a catalyst in the study of the foundations of social behaviour. McDougall's work grounds social behaviour in biology and and he was the first to formulate a theory of human instinctive behaviour. This volume is a reprint of the 1936 (14th) edition.

‘The story of memory is, in the end, the story of freedom.’ From cave paintings to the internet, humans have always sought out ways to store, use and pass on information, and the complexity of human memory is unique in the animal kingdom. In this scientific history of human civilization, Michael Malone reveals how memory has been the driving force behind some of our greatest achievements, whether in terms of safety, invention, or simple human happiness.

‘In the brain’s microscopically small circuitry is etched the history and future of our species.’ The neuroscientist David Eagleman looks deeply into what the latest brain science findings mean for our lives. Without presupposing any specialized knowledge, the book challenges readers’ assumptions as it tackles questions such as how we decide, how we perceive reality, who we are, who’s in control and where we are heading as a species.

Lauren Slater approaches this investigation into the discovery and development of mind-altering drugs and treatments from the perspectives of both a psychology PhD and her own experience as a patient ‘sustained on a serotonin booster for decades’. The book examines the scientists, the theory and the impact of drugs from chlorpromazine, which revolutionized the treatment of schizophrenia, through Prozac and MDMA (Ecstasy) to deep brain stimulation.

This groundbreaking work on the science of mood disorders by the distinguished psychiatrist Peter Whybrow has now been updated to include the latest research and considers how the culture surrounding mental illness has progressed since the book was first published in 1997.Off-mint.

Drawn from Western erotic literature this compilation of readings, with commentary, aims to bring into the open sometimes quite shocking sex fantasies (‘psychological stimulants underlying “normal” sexual behaviour’) and thereby reduce sexual anxieties. First published in 1969. Off-mint. Sexually explicit.

The Myers-Briggs personality test was created in the 1920s by a mother–daughter team who had been inspired by Carl Jung. This account of its history and adoption by organizations worldwide acknowledges both believers and sceptics while exploring our need to categorize our ‘true selves’.

Mariano Sigman’s bestselling examination of human thought begins by asking how babies communicate, and goes on to explore how we relate to our unconscious mind, what happens when we dream and why the brain is constantly changing. This concise, approachable guide to neuroscience questions how we perceive, reason, feel and communicate, with the aim of better comprehending the inner workings of the human brain and understanding ourselves and others more deeply. Slightly off-mint and felt-tip mark on upper trimmed edge.

Eric R Kandel, recipient of a Nobel Prize for his pioneering research, demonstrates how studies of brain disorders, including autism, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease, have improved our understanding of the close connections between neurological and psychiatric illnesses. He discusses the ways in which these findings are not only contributing to the development of effective treatments but are also helping to explain the mysterious origins of consciousness and creativity in the intricate interactions of brain cells.

The latest techniques for imaging the brain have enabled scientists to see some of the biological mechanisms that create our thoughts, memories, feelings and perceptions. This book describes these first insights into the secrets of the brain, with illustrations based on scans which have helped to explain a range of phenomena, from dyslexia and obsessive behaviour to schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease, and reveal how our culture has been shaped by the ebb and flow of our neurotransmitters.

Sir Ranulph Fiennes has crossed both Poles on foot and fought with the SAS: in spite of also having scaled mountains, he is still so scared of heights that he hates climbing ladders. In this meditation on the physical and psychological aspects of fear, he explores how they can be overcome, using his own experiences and historical moments in which fear played a critical role.

Paul Bühre, an articulate, self-aware 15-year-old, reveals the teen view on everything from gaming and social media to mood swings and sex. He also shares the Ten Commandments that all parents should follow when interacting with their adolescent offspring, including 'Thou shalt try not to worry so much about me' and 'Thou shalt leave me in peace'.

A bestseller when it was originally published in 1985, this collection of patients’ case histories by physician Oliver Sacks (1933–2015) explores their neurological disorders and the strategies they adopted to cope with them. The 24 cases include a man with a special form of visual agnosia, patients with Tourette’s syndrome, and the 'lost mariner' – a former sailor with no recent memory, isolated in a single moment of being. Slightly off-mint.

In this exploration of the nature of schizophrenia, best-selling novelist and former mental health nurse Nathan Filer tells the stories of patients and family members living with the condition and interviews mental health professionals and experts.

Drawing on the author’s experience of breast cancer, this thought-provoking series of essays challenges our attitudes to ageing and death. Ehrenreich examines the natural life and death of cells, and our assumptions about the control we have over our bodies, in particular the way that cultural attitudes to mortality can be contradictory and unhelpful.

In this accessible introduction to the brain and how it functions, two neuroscientists answer more than 100 widely asked questions such as why we dream, whether size matters, and how to improve memory. They also chart the history of our understanding of the brain, explore its depiction in popular culture, and offer tips on maintaining its health.

Aiming to explore the mysteries of the cerebrum and offer an insight into human consciousness, Alfred David explains how the brain functions as the interface between our internal and external world. He considers topics including the effects of trauma and emotion, the science behind addiction and the advances made in the relatively new field of neuroscience. Young adult

The Best Illusion of the Year contest was started in 2005 by the authors, both professors of neuroscience, and here they present the top ten visual illusions from each of the first ten years of the contest. Introducing and explaining a ‘world of misconception, where neuroscience, art and magic converge’, the book comprises full- or half-page reproductions of the illusions, accompanied by a description and scientific explanation of how the mind is tricked.

In this humorous memoir, Jenny Lawson examines her own experience with severe depression, and explains how it has led her to live life to the full. With the aid of a stuffed raccoon and jokes, she explains how depressives’ capacity for powerful emotion may also allow them to experience extreme joy.

Looking at why people are kind and whether they could be kinder, Henry James Garrett explores the sources and the limitations of human empathy. He lays out the case for developing a new morality, and suggests a number of adjustments, both big and small, that we can implement in order to live our best lives.

From former children’s laureate Michael Rosen comes this creative activity book for all ages. An introduction on the importance and usefulness of play is followed by hundreds of prompts, ideas and suggestions for indoor and outdoor games and exercises, many of them accompanied by illustrations, activity sheets, and Rosen’s personal notes on their meaning and usefulness.

Written by experts in their field, the books in 'The Secret Life of...' series break complex subjects down into manageable sections without compromising on clarity. Aimed at older children and adults, the texts are accompanied by numerous photographs, diagrams and entertaining illustrations.The two titles included in this set are: The Secret Life of the Brain (Read more...) The Secret Life of Genes (Read more...)

Known principally as patient-turned-mistress to Carl Jung, Sabina Spielrein became a highly accomplished and influential figure in psychoanalysis before dying, near-anonymous, in the Holocaust. This biography draws on her personal diaries, papers and correspondence to reassess her contributions to fields including psycholinguistics and developmental psychology, and reveals her relationship to Jung, and Freud and their professional differences.

This accessible and methodical introduction to Karl Jung’s analytical psychology offers concise explanations of his key concepts, from archetypes and the collective unconscious to dream analysis and the eight psychological types. Illustrated with humorous cartoons, the book also explores his main influences, including his relationship with Freud and his deep interest in Eastern religion, as well as examining the numerous approaches he devised to help understand the human psyche.

The development of agriculture 12,000 years ago was a turning point in human culture, but our biological evolution has failed to keep pace. This book explores the extensive impact of this mismatch – how it affects our nutrition and family life, shapes our work and political structure, and has led to war – before suggesting societal changes that could create a world more aligned with human nature.

The modern world is rife with sources of concern – family, politics and money to name a few – and effectively addressing anxieties is an increasingly vital skill. With chapters on stressors relating to self, relationships, career and the world at large, this guide suggests thought experiments and simple, practical steps to achieve and reliably maintain a state of inner calm.

Introductory notes on different schools of thought are followed in this volume by outlines of the major theories on topics including the development of a sense of morality, our decision-making processes, and mental health issues.

Following his equally tongue-in-cheek The Hypochondriac's Pocket Guide to Horrible Diseases You Probably Already Have, Dennis DiClaudio turns his attention to the self-diagnosis of 45 psychological disorders including kleptomania and exploding head syndrome. Each entry covers common symptoms, causes and treatment options, enlivened with an inner monologue from an imaginary patient.

In this exploration of humans’ unique drive to innovate, a neuroscientist and a composer discuss how new ideas are generated by our brains’ ‘creative software’. After analysing examples of inventiveness, from Picasso’s portraits to lunar travel, they demonstrate the important role of schools and businesses in fostering creativity by encouraging the bending, breaking and blending of existing ideas.

Starting with the idea that language is going to the dogs, the linguist David Shariatmadari explores nine common claims, in each case delving deep into the topic and cutting through ‘the fallacies and folklore that cloud our understanding’. Among the other concepts challenged are the idea that a word’s origin is its true meaning, the theory that language is an instinct, and the ‘untranslatable word’.

In the era of ‘alternative facts’, the self-selected nature of online communities and the ways they are targeted affects how beliefs about reality are formed. With humorous and eclectic examples, a psychologist explores the way modern communication is reshaping human interactions, from the Charlottesville riots to Facebook’s boardroom, and suggests practical ways to address its problems without losing its benefits.