Books Recommended by Steven Pinker
Reading lists by year: 2018 · 2008
Books by Steven Pinker
29 books recommended by Steven Pinker
Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society
Nicholas Christakis is a pioneer in bridging the conceptual chasm between the choices of individual people and the shaping of an entire society. In this timely and fascinating book, he shows how the better angels of our nature, rooted in our evolutionary past, can bring forth an enlightened and compassionate civilization.
The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World
And a deep theory of why humanity is destined to make progress may be found in David Deutsch's dazzling The Beginning of Infinity.
The Importance of Being Little: What Young Children Really Need from Grownups
As the experts have bombarded parents with contradictory and ever more demanding advice, childrearing has become more confusing than ever, and the children themselves seem to have been left out of the picture. Parents, caregivers, teachers, and policy makers could have no surer guide through… Read the full quote
As the experts have bombarded parents with contradictory and ever more demanding advice, childrearing has become more confusing than ever, and the children themselves seem to have been left out of the picture. Parents, caregivers, teachers, and policy makers could have no surer guide through this morass than Erika Christakis. With scientific acumen, irreverent good sense, and a novelist’s eye for human detail, Christakis offers us a judicious view of the new and old realities of bringing up children.
Upheaval: Turning Points for Nations in Crisis
Jared Diamond does it again: another rich, original, and fascinating chapter in the human saga, this one on how societies have extricated themselves from wicked crises-with vital lessons for our difficult times.
Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength
by Roy F. Baumeister, John Tierney
The psychologist Roy F. Baumeister has shown that the force metaphor has a kernel of neurobiological reality. In Willpower, he has teamed up with the irreverent New York Timesscience columnist John Tierney to explain this ingenious research and show how it can enhance our lives.… Read the full quote
The psychologist Roy F. Baumeister has shown that the force metaphor has a kernel of neurobiological reality. In Willpower, he has teamed up with the irreverent New York Timesscience columnist John Tierney to explain this ingenious research and show how it can enhance our lives. . . . Willpower is an immensely rewarding book, filled with ingenious research, wise advice and insightful reflections on the human condition.
One, Two, Three… Infinity: Facts and Speculations of Science
by George Gamow
A delightful introduction to number theory.
The Blind Watchmaker
A lucid explanation of natural selection and a model of elegant science writing.
The Mind-Body Problem
A philosopher grapples with this problem in her doctoral thesis and in her life. I liked it so much, I married the novelist.
Enemies: A Love Story
A novel about a Holocaust survivor with three wives. Every scene is filled with insight about human nature.
Right Ho, Jeeves
But the best paean to optimism in the English language is in PG Wodehouse's Right Ho, Jeeves.
The Careful Writer: A Modern Guide to English Usage
Who would have thought that a style manual could make you laugh?
The Internationalists: How a Radical Plan to Outlaw War Remade the World
by Oona A. Hathaway, Scott J. Shapiro
The most surprising may be The Internationalists, in which Oona Hathaway and Scott Shapiro argue that the oft-ridiculed 1928 pact outlawing war deserves much of the credit.
The Principles of Psychology
Like Mark Twain, James has a witty quote on every subject.
The Strategy of Conflict
A humane Dr. Strangelove explains why it pays to be an irrational hothead.
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