Psychology
Books
Crazy Like Us: The Globalization of the American Psyche - Ethan Watters A fascinating exploration of how Western thinking on mental illness has been taken to (or imposed upon) the rest of the world.
Shrinks: The Untold Story of Psychiatry - Jeffrey Lieberman Covering not only the power of psychiatry but also some of its dark history, this book shows why understanding mental illness is crucial to everyone's wellbeing.
The Brain the Changes Itself - Norman Doidge Our brains are incredible, and can adapt in ways that most of us wouldn't think possible. Doidge shows us just what our brains can do, and calls us to live our lives accordingly.
You Are Not So Smart - David McRaney An easy book to dip into, this challenges some of our preconceptions and myths about what humans can and can't do. Accessible, entertaining and thought-provoking.
Thinking Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman Generally accepted as being the way that thinking works, Kahneman's two-system theory explains, among other things, why we make mistakes, and how we can work to avoid making quite so many! Not an easy read - there's a lot of text and ideas to wade through. You have been warned!
Podcasts and documentaries
All in the Mind - BBC radio programme focusing on all things mental (although predominantly mental health)