Experts recommend self-help books for love, focus, trauma and parenting

Experts have highlighted self-help books aimed at specific goals such as finding love, improving conversations, handling trauma, and maintaining focus. Contributors include clinical psychologists, neuroscientists and academics who each chose a title they say can help with a particular challenge.

Among the picks, Philippa Perry chose Amir Levine’s Secure — grounded in attachment theory and due to be published in April — with a runner-up of Levine’s earlier book Attached. Hannah Critchlow recommended Rapport by Emily and Laurence Alison, which sets out four personality categories (monkey, T rex, lion, mouse) to help build communication.

Orna Guralnik cited Stephen Mitchell’s Can Love Last? for couples, and Alex Curmi favoured Ichiro Kishimi’s The Courage to Be Disliked for its introduction to Adlerian ideas such as the separation of tasks. Other selections include Paul Dolan’s endorsement of Oliver Burkeman’s Four Thousand Weeks on focusing on limited time; Lisa Feldman-Barrett’s pick of George Bonanno’s The End of Trauma, which stresses that trauma is personal and that resilience and flexible coping matter; and Robert Sapolsky’s recommendation of Anna Lembke’s Dopamine Nation on the biology and psychology of addiction.

Key Topics

Culture, Self-help Books, Amir Levine, Dopamine Nation, Four Thousand Weeks, Rapport