Books like Other people's thoughts by Simon Leys

Daniel Kahneman's "Thinking, Fast and Slow" explains how two distinct mental systems shape our judgments and decisions, offering insights into the biases that influence everyday choices.

Eckhart Tolle guides readers toward a pain‑free existence by teaching how to recognize and release mental patterns that cause suffering, encouraging living fully in the present moment.

Carl Sagan’s classic work urges critical thinking, exposing the myths of pseudoscience—from witchcraft to UFOs—and arguing that scientific literacy is essential for informed, democratic decision‑making in the modern world.

Rolf Dobelli presents 99 concise chapters that explain everyday cognitive biases, showing how awareness can sharpen decision‑making at work and in life.

Alan Watts examines the paradox of human insecurity, arguing that the pursuit of stability breeds anxiety. Drawing on philosophy, religion, and psychology, he invites Western readers to reconsider their relationship with time, pain, and the world.

Explore how hidden psychological forces shape our economic decisions, from personal finance to the 2008 crisis, with Dan Ariely’s behavioral economics insights.

Oliver Sacks weaves intimate case studies and personal anecdotes to explore how the brain perceives, interprets, and adapts to the world of sight, revealing the astonishing resilience of human cognition.

A sharp, witty collection of short stories by Simon Rich that sketches the absurdities of fame, failure, and the modern influencer culture with satirical humor.

Are stereotypes intrinsically erroneous? Do they have pragmatic value? What constitutes an adequate social judgement? These and other questions are answered in this ambitious and interesting book. While advancing a novel perspective, Stereotypes and Social Cognition also provides a coherent and much needed overview of the key arguments and empirical developments in research on stereotypes. Starting with a definition of stereotypes, the authors cover a wide range of diverse literatures and theoretical perspectives to present a comprehensive critique of the subject. The text spans a review of the classical work on psychodynamic and authoritarian theories through to contemporary sociocultural research. Moreover, the authors offer a close analysis of key theoretical approaches including social identity theory, social cognition and self-categorization theory. At the same time relevant cross-cultural issues are explored. This clearly-written and engaging book will be essential reading for students and academics in social psychology and for anyone with an interest in the phenomenon of social stereotyping.

When first published in 1959, this book revolutionized contemporary thinking about science and knowledge. It remains the one of the most widely read books about science to come out of the twentieth century.