Modern psychology is a universe of interconnecting branches and schools of study, but at its core it is the science of the mind and behavior of human beings. In ancient Greek psychology meant “study of the soul,” which lets us know just how far the field has evolved over time. Our psychology collection contains groundbreaking work from Sigmund Freud, Henri Bergson, Havelock Ellis, and more. Freud's Dream Psychology, Bergson's book Laughter, and Ellis' Studies in the Psychology of Sex are classics of shrink literature.

Lesser-known, yet intriguing works include Hans Gross' Criminal Psychology, which influenced modern CSI, or there's Photoplay by Hugo Munsterberg, a groundbreaking analysis of the cinema. Gustave le Bon's controversial book The Crowd influenced many a fascist, and Emile Coue's Self Mastery Through Conscious Autosuggestion gave us “Every day in every way, I'm getting better and better.” Nellie Bly's awesome and chilling Ten Days in a Madhouse, and Penguilly's Diary are personal accounts of the looney bin, and Silberer's Hidden Symbolism explores the psychology of the occult. But before you tuck in, maybe something lighter like Ribot's Essay on the Creative Imagination.