15 Best Neuroscience Books
We analyzed 5+ expert sources, curated book lists, and recommendations from successful people to find the 15 best neuroscience books according to the internet — not just one person's opinion. Each book on this list was mentioned by at least two independent sources, and the ranking is based on how frequently each title appears across all sources studied. This consensus-based approach ensures you get recommendations backed by multiple experts, not a single reviewer's bias.
Goal: Find the best Neuroscience books according to the internet (not just one person's opinion).
Method:
- Search for "best neuroscience books" and study the top 5+ pages.
- Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.
- Rank the results neatly here.
15 Best Neuroscience Books
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The Brain That Changes Itself
Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science
Also recommended by
1 person
Tom Bilyeu recommended this bookTom Bilyeu
Tom Bilyeu recommended this book on his website.
Tom Bilyeu's recommendation of this book
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
And Other Clinical Tales
Also recommended by
1 person
Jordan Peterson recommended this bookJordan Peterson
Recommended on Jordan Peterson's website.
Jordan Peterson's recommendation of this book
How the Mind Works
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Also recommended by
19 people
Bill Gates recommended this bookBill Gates
List of books Bill Gates read in 2012.
Bill Gates's recommendation of this book 
Ray Dalio recommended this bookRay Dalio
Ray Dalio mentioned this book in his book, "Principles."
Ray Dalio's recommendation of this book 
Scott Adams recommended this bookScott Adams
One of the books on Scott Adams' "Persuasion Reading List."
Scott Adams's recommendation of this book 
Naval Ravikant recommended this bookNaval Ravikant
"Fine book but it didn’t need to be an entire book. A blog post would have gotten the point across." - Naval Ravikant
Naval Ravikant's recommendation of this book 
Ev Williams recommended this bookEv Williams
"I love surprising scientific findings, as well as information about how our brains work. [This book] is a treasure trove of both." - Ev Williams
Ev Williams's recommendation of this book 
Marc Andreessen recommended this bookMarc Andreessen
"Captivating dive into human decision making, marred by inclusion of several/many? psychology studies that fail to replicate. Will stand as a cautionary tale?" - Marc Andreessen
Marc Andreessen's recommendation of this book +13
More recommendations
- Stewart Brand
Stewart Brand recommended this book on his "Selected Books for the Manual for Civilization" blog post.
- Bryan Johnson
"I started reading [this book] and I became increasingly convinced of my own fickleness and inability to actually act rationally in life." - Bryan Johnson
- Derek Sivers
"If you liked 'Predictably Irrational' or 'Stumbling on Happiness' or any of those pop-psychology books, well, this is the Godfather of all of their work." - Derek Sivers
- Sam Altman
One of Sam Altman's answers to "What are some of the best books you recommend for a young startup founder?"
- Ron Conway
"Covers all three phases of [the author's] career: his early days working oncognitive bias, his work on prospect theory, and his later work on happiness." - Ron Conway
- Jason Fried
"I enjoyed [this book]. Fascinating." - Jason Fried
- Nassim Taleb
"A landmark book in social thought, in the same league as The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith and The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud." - Nassim Taleb
- Sahil Lavingia
Sahil Lavingia recommended this book on Notion.
- Mark Manson
Mark Manson recommended this book on his website.
- Jay Shetty
"[One] of my favourite books." - Jay Shetty
- Michiko Kakutani
"Has become essential reading in many baseball front offices and among coaching staffs." - Michiko Kakutani
- Preston Pysh
"An incredible book!" - Preston Pysh
- Ben Greenfield
Most Recommended Books reached out to Ben Greenfield directly.
- Stewart Brand
Why We Sleep
Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
Also recommended by
7 people- Bill Gates recommended this book
Bill Gates
"Explains how neglecting sleep undercuts your creativity, problem solving, decision-making, learning, memory, heart health, brain health, mental health, emotional well-being, immune system, and even your life span." - Bill Gates
Bill Gates's recommendation of this book 
Bryan Johnson recommended this bookBryan Johnson
"Not only did I become convinced that getting high-quality sleep is the best protector and enhancer of health and cognition, but it is also the most underappreciated." - Bryan Johnson
Bryan Johnson's recommendation of this book 
Keith Rabois recommended this bookKeith Rabois
Keith Rabois mentioned this book on Twitter.
Keith Rabois's recommendation of this book 
Alexis Ohanian recommended this bookAlexis Ohanian
"One of the best and most important books I've read [in 2019]." - Alexis Ohanian
Alexis Ohanian's recommendation of this book 
Vinod Khosla recommended this bookVinod Khosla
"Best book on the subject [of sleep]." - Vinod Khosla
Vinod Khosla's recommendation of this book 
Michael Mauboussin recommended this bookMichael Mauboussin
"[One of] my favorite science books in 2018." - Michael Mauboussin
Michael Mauboussin's recommendation of this book +1
More recommendations
- Jason Fried
"Highly recommended." - Jason Fried
- Jason Fried
Incognito
The Secret Lives of the Brain
Also recommended by
3 people- Ray Dalio recommended this book
Ray Dalio
"Wonderful book." - Ray Dalio
Ray Dalio's recommendation of this book 
Patrick O'Shaughnessy recommended this bookPatrick O'Shaughnessy
"One of my favorite books on the brain and the bizarre things it makes us do." - Patrick O'Shaughnessy
Patrick O'Shaughnessy's recommendation of this book - Tom Bilyeu recommended this book
Tom Bilyeu
Tom Bilyeu recommended this book on his website.
Tom Bilyeu's recommendation of this book
The Blank Slate
The Modern Denial of Human Nature
Also recommended by
3 people
Nassim Taleb recommended this bookNassim Taleb
"A great exposition of modern scientific thinking and understanding of the nature of man." - Nassim Taleb
Nassim Taleb's recommendation of this book - Tom Bilyeu recommended this book
Tom Bilyeu
Tom Bilyeu recommended this book on Twitter.
Tom Bilyeu's recommendation of this book 
Mark Manson recommended this bookMark Manson
Mark Manson recommended this book on his website.
Mark Manson's recommendation of this book
Awakenings
Also recommended by
1 person- Jordan Peterson recommended this book
Jordan Peterson
Recommended on Jordan Peterson's website.
Jordan Peterson's recommendation of this book
My Stroke of Insight
A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey
Also recommended by
1 person- Ray Dalio recommended this book
Ray Dalio
Ray Dalio mentioned this book in his book, "Principles."
Ray Dalio's recommendation of this book
Phantoms in the Brain
Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind
Also recommended by
1 person- Tom Bilyeu recommended this book
Tom Bilyeu
Tom Bilyeu recommended this book on his website.
Tom Bilyeu's recommendation of this book
The Brain's Way of Healing
Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity
Also recommended by
1 person
Jim Kwik recommended this bookJim Kwik
"Highly recommend." - Jim Kwik
Jim Kwik's recommendation of this book
Principles of Neural Science
The Nocturnal Brain
Nightmares, Neuroscience, and the Secret World of Sleep
The Tell-Tale Brain
A Neuroscientist's Quest for What Makes Us Human
Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers
The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping
Sources
- 1
Five Neuroscience Books That Changed My Life | Neuroamer
neuroamer.com
- 2
30 Best Neuroscience Books 2022: Get Ahead Of The Curve Now
pennbookcenter.com
- 3
10 Amazing Books That Will Satisfy Your Neuroscience Curiosity | by Adriana Azor | BrainChronicles | Medium
medium.com
- 4
Best Neuroscience Books - 13 Recommended Reads
wisdomfuel.com
- 5
The Best Books on Neuroscience - Five Books Expert Recommendations
fivebooks.com
Edited by
Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.
Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.
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