These authors explore various aspects of human behavior and decision-making, from behavioral economics to the psychology of happiness. Each of them opens up new perspectives for understanding our everyday behavior. We have prepared a list of 7 authors who, like Kahneman, offer deep insights and new approaches to understanding how we think and why we act the way we do.
1. Malcolm Gladwell
Would you like to learn about the workings of the brain, but don't like to read boring scientific literature? Then this author will be to your liking because he is a master storyteller who instantly turns scientific concepts into fascinating stories that are easy to read and make you think. His style combines investigative journalism with popular science, which makes his books real bestsellers. One of his best-known works is The Tipping Point, where Gladwell explores how small changes can lead to sudden and large-scale societal effects.
In 2006, The New York Times published a review of his work titled “The Gladwell Effect,” which meant that he was popular among readers. In his book Blink, Malcolm Gladwell isn’t afraid to challenge conventional wisdom, offering new perspectives on things we take for granted. If you want to plunge into the world of unexpected causes and effects and look at the ordinary from a different angle, choose Gladwell's writing.
2. Richard Thaler
Richard Thaler's name is associated with the birth of behavioral economics, a field that combines psychology and economics to explain why people often make irrational decisions. He is not just a theorist, but a practitioner whose ideas have had a real impact on politics and business. His most famous book is Nudge, co-authored with Cass Sunstein. In it, the author explains how small “nudges” can help people make better decisions without coercion. This idea has gained a lot of publicity and has influenced the development of government programs in the United States and Europe.
In his work, Thaler uses simple and clear language, avoiding complex terminology, to make economic concepts accessible to the general public. He combines scientific rigor with humor to make the reading dynamic and comprehensible. Thaler is also the winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Economics, which was a recognition of the significance of his contribution to the understanding of human behavior in economic contexts.
3. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
We are accustomed to the fact that the world is influenced by events that cannot be predicted. Disasters, irrational decisions, accidents that have a decisive impact... But what if these things could be predicted? If you're interested in why the most unpredictable events have the most significant impact, Nassim Taleb is your author. He is best known for his popular non-fiction book The Black Swan, where he emphasizes the role of “black swans” — rare but large-scale events that change the course of history.
Taleb's style is sharp and critical, and he is unafraid to break down traditional notions of risk and forecasting. Taleb combines deep academicism with personal energy and provocative statements. His work is important not only for economists but for anyone who wants to understand how to deal with chaos in life and business. His ideas have already influenced areas ranging from finance to crisis management and continue to be studied and actively applied by contemporary researchers.
4. Steven Pinker
If you are looking for a deep, yet understandable analysis of human nature, Professor Steven Pinker is the perfect choice. His books combine linguistics, cognitive psychology, and history into a harmonious narrative of human development. His bestseller The Better Angels of Our Nature surprises the reader with an unexpected statement: despite horrific events, violence in the world has decreased significantly over the past centuries.
Pinker explains this by a complex set of cultural, social, and psychological factors. The author writes richly, informatively, and persuasively, often citing extensive data to back up his claims. At the same time, Pinker's style remains accessible to many readers.
5. Barbara Oakley
Knowledge about learning and motivation is Barbara Oakley's specialty. She herself went from a humanitarian to an engineer and a teacher, which makes her advice especially valuable for those who want to improve their learning skills. Her most famous course, Learning How to Learn, has become a global phenomenon, helping millions of students understand how the brain processes information and how to overcome procrastination and fear of making mistakes.
If you want to learn how to study effectively, Barbara Oakley's books and courses are the ones to try. All of her works are worthy of studying, but if you don’t know where to start, read A Mind for Numbers. She shows that everyone can learn, even if it seems like it wasn't for you before.
6. Michael Lewis
Michael Lewis is a master of storytelling journalism. He knows how to make complex economic topics fascinating for the mass reader, so his books often become the basis for movies and TV series. Lewis doesn't just talk about financial crises and markets. He creates vivid portraits of the characters at the center of these events. His style is light, sharp, and deeply analytical at the same time.
Lewis has worked as a journalist for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and his background in investigative journalism allows him to unlock the mysteries of economic systems in a simple and engaging way. He is an author who will help you understand how the world of big money works through the stories of individuals. To get to know his works, we recommend starting with The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine.
Carol Dweck
Carol Dweck is a psychologist who revolutionized the way we understand motivation and learning. Her concept of a growth mindset has changed the way schools and businesses around the world approach learning. The difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset is that the former allows you to see difficulties as an opportunity for growth, not as a threat. This idea supports success and long-term learning.
Dweck's style is academic, but at the same time extremely practical: she illustrates her theses with numerous studies and real-life cases, which makes her ideas effective for teachers, parents, and managers. Carol Dweck’s Mindset is widely read and she has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Yidan Prize. Her research is the key to understanding how to support the development of potential at any age.
From Malcolm Gladwell to Carol Dweck, here are several authors for expanding our understanding of human behavior and decision-making. They combine science with accessible storytelling in their unique way, helping readers gain a deeper understanding of the complex processes of the psyche, economics, and learning. These books inspire and provide tools for a better understanding of ourselves and the world around us, making complex topics understandable and accessible to everyone.
