Best Neuroscience Books
Topic List35 books curated140 recommendations totalNeuroscience books, including titles recommended by Bill Gates, Keith Rabois and Michael Mauboussin. Most recommended here: Thinking, Fast and Slow, Why We Sleep and Behave.
Where to start: Neuroscience Books recommended most often
Recommended books, ranked by how many of the 89 people behind this list recommended each one.
- 1Thinking, Fast and Slow53 recommendations · recommended by Bryan Johnson, Bill Gates and Michael Mauboussin
- 2Why We Sleep27 recommendations · recommended by Bryan Johnson, Bill Gates and Keith Rabois
- 3Behave10 recommendations · recommended by Bryan Johnson, Michael Mauboussin and Bill Gates
- 4The Happiness Hypothesis9 recommendations · recommended by Darya Rose, Derek Sivers and Tony Hsieh
- 5The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat6 recommendations · recommended by Darya Rose, Jordan Peterson and Eric Weinstein
Recommended by Bryan Johnson, Bill Gates, Michael Mauboussin and 45 others
This book walks you through two mental systems—one fast and intuitive, the other slow and analytical—using a cascade of clever experiments that reveal how easily we're fooled. The value lies in naming and demonstrating dozens of cognitive biases that affect decisions from shopping to investing. it reads as dense, rich, and often fascinating, but the parade of similar studies can feel repetitive, and the lack of practical shortcuts may frustrate readers wanting quick fixes. Some later research has questioned a few findings, which can gnaw at your trust as you go.
Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
Recommended by Bryan Johnson, Bill Gates, Keith Rabois and 22 others
The book reads like an engaging, urgent lecture from a sleep evangelist, blending accessible science with alarming anecdotes. Its strength is the deep dive into how sleep shapes memory, health, and creativity, making a strong case for its non-negotiable importance. The downside: tone can become preachy and overdrawn, with some claims feeling overstated, leaving you either inspired to protect your slumber or weary of the relentless doom-mongering.

The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst
Recommended by Bryan Johnson, Michael Mauboussin, Bill Gates and 6 others
The New York Times bestseller"It's no exaggeration to say that Behave is one of the best nonfiction books I've ever read." David P.

Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom
Recommended by Darya Rose, Derek Sivers, Tony Hsieh and 2 others

And Other Clinical Tales
Recommended by Darya Rose, Jordan Peterson, Eric Weinstein and 2 others
Recommended on Jordan Peterson's website.

The Secret Lives of the Brain
Recommended by Tom Bilyeu, Ray Dalio, James Clear and 1 other
If the conscious mindthe part you consider to be youis just the tip of the iceberg, what is the rest doing In this sparkling and provocative book, renowned neuroscientist David Eagleman navigates the depths of the subconscious brain to illuminate its surprising mysteries.

How a New Understanding of the Brain Will Lead to the Creation of Truly Intelligent Machines
Recommended by Keith Rabois, Ev Williams, Patrick Collison and 1 other
From the inventor of the PalmPilot comes a new and compelling theory of intelligence, brain function, and the future of intelligent machinesJeff Hawkins, the man who created the PalmPilot, Treo smart phone, and other handheld devices, has reshaped our relationship to computers.

Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science
Recommended by Tom Bilyeu, Brendon Burchard, Josh Waitzkin and 1 other

The Modern Denial of Human Nature
Recommended by Tom Bilyeu, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Mark Manson and 1 other

A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey
Recommended by Ray Dalio and Brendon Burchard
Jill Taylor was a 37yearold Harvardtrained brain scientist when a blood vessel exploded in her brain. Through the eyes of a curious scientist, she watched her mind deteriorate whereby she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life.

Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity
Recommended by Josh Waitzkin and Jim Kwik
Now a New York Times Bestseller!The bestselling author of The Brain That Changes Itself presents astounding advances in the treatment of brain injury and illness In The Brain That Changes Itself, Norman Doidge described the most important breakthrough in our understanding of the…

Awakenings is a 1973 nonfiction book by Oliver Sacks. It recounts the life histories of those who had been victims of the 1920s encephalitis lethargica epidemic.
A Neuroscientist's Quest for What Makes Us Human
Recommended by Brendon Burchard and James Clear
V. S. Ramachandran is at the forefront of his fieldso much so that Richard Dawkins dubbed him the "Marco Polo of neuroscience." Now, in a major new work, Ramachandran sets his sights on the mystery of human uniqueness.


How the Mind Creates Language
Recommended by Scott Young and Charlie Munger
Show 19 more books with a single recommendation

The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement
Recommended by Sahil Lavingia
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERWith unequaled insight and brio, New York Times columnist David Brooks has long explored and explained the way we live.

Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind
Recommended by Tom Bilyeu
Neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran is internationally renowned for uncovering answers to the deep and quirky questions of human nature that few scientists have dared to address.

In Musicophilia, Oliver Sacks explored music and the brain; now, in The Mind's Eye, he writes about the myriad ways in which we experience the visual world: how we see in three dimensions; how we recognize individual faces or places; how we use language to communicate verbally;…

How the Hidden Conversation Within Our Bodies Impacts Our Mood, Our Choices, and Our Overall Health
A LocalizationBased Approach
Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product.An engagingly written text that bridges the gap between neuroanatomy and clinical neurology…

Neuroanatomy through Clinical Cases brings a pioneering, interactive approach to the teaching of neuroanatomy. In addition to original, fullcolor illustrations of normal human neuroanatomy, the book features over 100 actual clinical cases and over 250 highquality radiological…
This text studies the brain, its structure, function and development. It discusses neuroanatomy, cell and molecular mechanisms and signaling through a cognitive approach to behaviour.

International Edition
Acclaimed for its clear, friendly style, excellent illustrations, leading author team, and compelling theme of exploration, Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain, 4e takes a fresh, contemporary approach to the study of neuroscience, emphasizing the biological basis of behavior.

Bridge the gap between neuroscience and mental illness/mental health with this straightforward and readerfriendly resource!

Now in a third edition, Robert M. Sapolsky's acclaimed and successful Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers features new chapters on how stress affects sleep and addiction, as well as new insights into anxiety and personality disorder and the impact of spirituality on managing stress.As…
The Making of a Scientific Dynasty
Robert Kanigel takes us into the heady world of a remarkable group of scientists working at the National Institutes of Health and the Johns Hopkins University: a dynasty of American researchers who for over forty years have made Nobel Prize and Lasker Awardwinning breakthroughs…
For 20 years, instructors have relied on the textbook Biological Psychology for a definitive and comprehensive survey of the neuroscience of behavior.
The Emergence of a New Science of Mind
Nobel Prize winner Kandel intertwines cogntive psychology, neuroscience, and molecular biology with his own quest to understand memory.
The Emotional Brain Revisited tackles various issues at play in the current neuroscientific, psychological, and philosophical research on emotions.

In this extraordinary bestseller, Steven Pinker, one of the world's leading cognitive scientists, does for the rest of the mind what he did for language in his 1994 book, The Language Instinct.

With my job on Today, I have become obsessed with sleep. The Nocturnal Brain interweaves bizarre real life stories with cutting edge neurological science in the true tradition of Oliver Sacks. A fascinating read.
Nightmares, Neuroscience, and the Secret World of Sleep
The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, StressRelated Diseases, and Coping
Recommended Neuroscience Books by Tom Bilyeu
Tom Bilyeu recommends 4 books on this list. See all book recommendations by Tom Bilyeu
Recommended Neuroscience Books by Bill Gates
Bill Gates recommends 3 books on this list. See all book recommendations by Bill Gates
Recommended Neuroscience Books by Brendon Burchard
Brendon Burchard recommends 3 books on this list. See all book recommendations by Brendon Burchard
Neuroscience Books: common questions
- What are the most recommended neuroscience books?
- Thinking, Fast and Slow, Why We Sleep and Behave are the most recommended neuroscience books on BookMentions, ranked by how many people recommended them.
- Who recommends neuroscience books?
- Tom Bilyeu, Bill Gates, Brendon Burchard and Bryan Johnson are among the people who recommend books on this list. Each name links to their full set of book recommendations.
- Which of these neuroscience books should I read first?
- Thinking, Fast and Slow is the most recommended here with 53 recommendations, which makes it the safest place to start.
Built from recommendation data, category signals, and source-backed book records. Use this list as a starting point; open any book to see proof, context, and Amazon options where available.
Explore more lists
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Best Social Psychology Books
16 booksSocial Psychology books, including titles recommended by Derek Sivers, Ev Williams and Naval Ravikant. Most recommended here: Thinking, Fast and Slow, The Power of Habit and Quiet.
Best Human Resources Books
19 booksHuman Resources books, including titles recommended by David Cancel, Michael Mauboussin and Bill Gates. Most recommended here: Thinking, Fast and Slow, Work Rules! and Nine Lies About Work.
Best Biohacking Books
25 booksBiohacking books, including titles recommended by Vinod Khosla, Joe Rogan and Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Most recommended here: Why We Sleep, Lifespan and Breath.
Best Medical Books
51 booksMedical books, including titles recommended by Bill Gates, Jordan Peterson and Andrew Chen. Most recommended here: When Breath Becomes Air, Mountains Beyond Mountains and The Emperor of All Maladies.
About this list
This list aggregates books that appear in public recommendation sources, reader-interest signals, and category data. Books are ranked by their position from the source list; recommendation counts and ratings are shown where available. Open any book to see source-backed recommendation proof, editorial context, and Amazon options — the per-book detail page is where the trust signals live.
Recommended books by person: who recommends neuroscience books
Books recommended by the people below. Open a profile to see everything they recommend, with the source behind each pick.
- Tom BilyeuBooks recommended by Tom: 4
- Bill GatesBooks recommended by Bill: 3

- Brendon BurchardBooks recommended by Brendon: 3
- Bryan JohnsonBooks recommended by Bryan: 3

- Darya RoseBooks recommended by Darya: 3
- Keith RaboisBooks recommended by Keith: 3

- Michael MauboussinBooks recommended by Michael: 3
- Nassim Nicholas TalebBooks recommended by Nassim: 3

- Ray DalioBooks recommended by Ray: 3

- Abi Tyas TunggalBooks recommended by Abi: 2
- Derek SiversBooks recommended by Derek: 2

- Ev WilliamsBooks recommended by Ev: 2

