Your Ultimate Book Guide to Social Psychology

Sex, friends, societies, genetics, and more. Eight books you'll want to read.

I’ll be honest: With my reading rate severely down since mid-2023, I was feeling nervous to create something new with so few newly read books to inspire me. But with all the current events of the day, I felt inspired to lean into the why behind all things social. So, this month’s guide is a tour of social psychology that explains group behavior, identity, cooperation, genetics, sociology, gender, morality, and friendship.

Have you read any of these? Which are you going to add to your TBR next? Let me know in the comments.

Happy reading!

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Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason, and the Gap Between Us and Them

By Joshua Greene | Published 2013 (The Penguin Press)

We’re all familiar with the classic trolley problem in psychology: a train is headed toward five workers on the track and is set to kill them all. Except, you can flip a switch and divert the trolley to a track where only one person is killed. Do you flip the switch? Well, it turns out there are countless versions of this game with myriad implications for how we understand good and bad behavior. In Moral Tribes, Joshua Greene not only shows how humans navigate various forms of this moral dilemma, but also gives great insight into standard psychological experimental procedures that have yielded much of our psychology knowledge. It’s a great and engaging read to understand better how we deal with moral dilemmas.

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The Social Instinct: How Cooperation Shaped the World

By Nichola Raihani | Published 2021 (Penguin Random House)

Despite what it may seem, we are a highly cooperative species. We sit with strangers on public transportation, share space to an alarming degree, and largely refrain from killing one another. But there are lots of other species that cooperate, too. And this cooperation, as Raihani argues, has helped “shape the world”. What I love about her book in particular is the uniqueness of the animal examples she uses throughout the book. She doesn’t rely on the classics, but instead uses her own field experience to enrich the book with fascinating tales of cooperation and its implications.

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Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of A Good Society

By Nicholas A Christakis | Published 2019 (Little Brown Spark)

Taking a classic approach in the evolutionary genetics space, Christakis explains how genes help build our societies in surprisingly similar ways despite surface level differences. We can’t escape evolution, and because we a radicaly more similar than we are different, it’s unsurprising we see correlations of how we structure of cities. It also shows, he argues, that we are innately “good” as a species – we wouldn’t be where we are if we weren’t!

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Different: Gender Though the Eyes of a Primatologist

By Frans de Waal | Published 2022 (Norton) | Read my review

de Waal is one of my favorite popular science authors, and his latest Different is a must-read for anyone interested in the biological and social aspects of sex and gender. De Waal expertly challenges common assumptions by examining primate behavior, showing how both males and females shape social structures. He moves beyond the oversimplified "chimpanzee model" of human ancestors, highlighting the overlooked role of bonobos. In a world polarized between rigid gender stereotypes and attempts to erase sex differences, Different offers a balanced, science-backed perspective. Engaging and thought-provoking, this book is essential for understanding the diversity of sex and gender in nature.

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The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality

By Kathryn Paige Harden | Published 2021 (Princeton University Press)

Harden is one of my absolute favorite modern scientists, and someone who boldly presents the nuance of behavior genetics. The relationship between nature and nurture is more than the armchair scientists’ proclamation that genetics matters more than environment, parents don’t matter, and that merit is the only thing we should focus on in our society. With a deep understanding of behavior genetics throughout development, Harden shows just how murky the distinction between genetics and environment can get, while showcasing the cutting-edge science behind using genetics to actually understand how the environment does, in fact, have an impact – with policy implications added in.

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The Power of Us: Harnessing Our Shared Identities to Improve Performance, Increase Cooperation, and Promote Social Harmony

By Jay J. Van Bavel and Dominic J. Packer | Published 2021 (Little Brown Spark) | Read my review

The Power of Us turns a buzzword into something absolutely worth reading. It’s a fascinating look at how identity shapes behavior, cooperation, and group dynamics. The book explores how our identities influence political conversations, workplace culture, and social cohesion—sometimes in ways we don’t realize. They provide research-backed insights on how activating certain identities can either foster collaboration or deepen divisions. The Power of Us offers valuable strategies for understanding and harnessing the power of identity for good. As a people leader in my professional life, this book is highly relevant and useful.

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Psych: The Story of the Human Mind

By Paul Bloom | Published 2023 (Ecco) | Read my review

You wouldn’t take Social Psychology before completing Psych 101 would you? Well Psych is everything an introduction to psychology class should be—engaging, insightful, and thought-provoking. Unlike standard textbooks, Bloom brings the subject to life, tackling big questions like consciousness, cognition, and development with clarity and wit. He blends foundational debates with modern insights, making complex ideas accessible to both newcomers and experts. Whether you’re new to psychology or have a PhD in the field, Psych offers fresh perspectives and compelling experiments that challenge how we think about the mind. If you want a psychology book that’s anything but dull, this is it.

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Friends: Understanding the Power of Our Most Important Relationships

By Robin Dunbar | Published 2021 (Little, Brown) | Read my review

This is the ultimate deep dive into the science of friendship. Dunbar, famous for “Dunbar’s number,” unpacks how many friends we have, how we form them, and why they matter. He explores the layers of friendship, from acquaintances to our closest confidants, and the time investment needed to maintain them. Packed with fascinating research and cross-cultural insights, Friends is an engaging, well-written exploration of one of the most fundamental aspects of human life. If you’ve ever wondered about the science behind your social circle, this book is a must-read.

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