My 2025 Reading List
Arts, sciences, a little bit of everything non-fiction.
I’m a big lover of STEAM - science, technology, engineering, arts, and math, so here is my year in review. I also posted one of these for last year, however my focus during 2024 was sociology! Check out that article if you want to know more.
This Years Books:
Psychology
Dopamine Nation - Anna Lembke, MD
Your Conscious Mind - NewScientist Instant Expert
The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again - Catherine Price
The Science of Revenge - James Kimmel, Jr., JD
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory - Deb Dana
Future Tense: Why Anxiety Is Good For You (Even Though It Feels Bad) - Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, PhD
Connections Over Compliance: Rewiring Our Perceptions of Discipline - Lori L. Desautels, PhD
All Along You Were Blooming: Thoughts for Boundless Living - Morgan Harper Nicholas
Neuroscience
Proust Was a Neuroscientist - Jonah Lehrer *
This Is What It Sounds Like: A Legendary Music Producer Turned Neuroscientist on Finding Yourself Through Music - Susan Rogers and Ogi Ogas
Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us - Susan Magsamen & Ivy Ross
What We Value: The Neuroscience of Choice & Change - Emily Falk
Dark and Magical Places: The Neuroscience of Navigation - Christopher Kemp *
Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams - Matthew Walker, PhD
Anatomy & Related
On Muscle - Bonnie Tsui
Clinical Neuroanatomy (made ridiculously simple) - Stephen Goldberg, MD (6th Edition)
The Beauty Molecule - Nicholas Perricone, MD
The Science of Nutrition: Debunk the Diet Myths and Learn How to Eat Well for Health and Happiness - Rhiannon Lambert
Philosophy, Justice, Ethics
Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto - Tricia Hersey
Lying: Moral Choice in Public & Private Life - Sissela Bok
The Denial of Death - Ernest Becker
Elite Capture: How the Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (And Everything Else) - Olufemi O. Taiwo
Tech Agnostic: How Technology Became the World’s Most Powerful Religion, and Why It Desperately Needs a Reformation - Greg M. Epstein
Epistemic Injustice: Power & the Ethics of Knowing - Miranda Fricker
The Case Against Reality: How Evolution Hid the Truth From Our Eyes - Donald D. Hoffman
Radical Intimacy - Sophie K Rosa
The Gentrification of the Mind: Witness to a Lost Imagination - Sarah Schulman
Attention: Beyond Mindfulness - Gay Watson
The 19 Principles of Desire: Essential Framework in Understanding Human Behavior Through Jacques Lacan - Jung Ja Park
Plant Lore & Legend: The Wisdom and Wonder of Plants and Flowers Revealed - Ruth Binney
Language & Related
A Little Book of Language - David Crystal
Polish Your Academic Writing - Helen Coleman
The Power of Babel - John McWhorter
Math & Related
Is Math Real? How Simple Questions Lead Us to Mathematics’ Deepest Truths - Eugenia Cheng
Infinite Powers: How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe - Steven Strogatz
Geometry of Grief: Reflections on Mathematics, Loss, and Life - Michael Frame
The Meaning of Proofs: Mathematics as Storytelling - Gabriele Lolli
Symbolic Logic: An Accessible Introduction to Serious Mathematical Logic - Tony Roy
Physics & Chemistry
Warmth Disperses and Time Passes: The History of Heat - Hans Christian Von Baeyer
The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels Between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism - Fritjof Capra
On the Art & Craft of Doing Science - Kenneth Catania
The Order of Time - Carlo Rovelli
Scent: A Natural History of Fragrance - Elise Vernon Pearlstine
The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s Eye View of the World - Michael Pollan
The Catalyst: RNA and the Quest to Unlock Life’s Deepest Secrets - Thomas R. Cech
Memoir & Related
Submit - A Memoir by Sonnet
Want - Collected by Gillian Anderson
Loud: Accept Nothing Less Than the Life You Deserve - Drew Afualo
Butch Heroes - Ria Brodell
More Butch Heroes - Ria Brodell
The Arts & Related
Typophoto: New Typography and the Reinvention of Photography - Jessica D Brier
The Activism of Art: A Decentered Anthology - Dupti Desai & Stephen Duncombe
The Science of Music: A Practical Look at Music Theory - Allen Van Wert
Reductionism in Art & Brain Science:Bridging the Two Cultures - Eric R. Kandal
Total Count: 57
Top 5 favorites
Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us - Susan Magsamen & Ivy Ross
What We Value: The Neuroscience of Choice & Change - Emily Falk
This Is What It Sounds Like: A Legendary Music Producer Turned Neuroscientist on Finding Yourself Through Music - Susan Rogers and Ogi Ogas
The Order of Time - Carlo Rovelli
Attention: Beyond Mindfulness - Gay Watson
Books I Do Not Recommend:
Proust Was a Neuroscientist - Jonah Lehrer — Reason: plagiarism
Dark and Magical Places: The Neuroscience of Navigation — Reason: the author does admit he’s bad at navigating, which is fine. However, he also cannot seem to navigate his way to a solid understanding or conclusion. It becomes painful after chapter 3.
I like to read multiple books at once, as I prefer lateral learning (I do have a full video up on my page about how to lateral learn - you should check that out too if you’re interested in the process) - so here’s what I’m wrapping up the year with!
In Progress:
Introduction to American Deaf Culture - Thomas K. Holcomb
Horror on the Brain: The Neuroscience of Science Fiction - Austin Lim, PhD
I Hate You Don’t Leave Me: Understanding Borderline Personality - Jerold J. Kreisman, MD, and Hal Straus
Horror in Architecture: The Reanimated Edition - Joshua Comaroff and Ong Ker-Shing
Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature’s Toxins - from Spices to Vices - Noah Whiteman
Next Up On the TBR:
The Psychology of Fashion (2nd Edition) - Carolyn Mair
The Mind-Gut Connection: How the Hidden Conversation Within Our Bodies Impacts Our Mood, Our Choices, and Our Overall Health - Emeran Mayer, MD
Zeno’s Eternity: Poems - Mark Jarman
Being Ecological - Timothy Morton
The Neuroscience of Tarot: From Imagery to Intuition to Prediction - Siddharth Ramakrishnan PhD
Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection - Julia Kristeva
What’s Not Included:
I research as a hobby (also have a post on that) - so I’ve read thousands of research articles, journals, publications, etc. this year and I *quite literally* can not include all of them, but I’m going through my lists and collecting my favorites today, along with some apps, websites, and tips for fun and effective research. Stay tuned for that update.
Schauer Thoughts Podcast
If you like my style, you want to know more, you’re interested in science communication, or just love learning - I have a podcast called Schauer Thoughts and there’s new episodes every Wednesday.
You: Isn’t today Wednesday?
Me: why yes it is! Today’s episode is on the science and psychology of generosity, as well as a *nerdy* gift giving guide. You should give it a listen.
Thank you all for reading! Wishing you the very best and happy holidays.
You are legit the only person I trust when it comes to book recommendations like this. Thank you 💖🌈🌠
Absolutely adore your reading lists. I read The Order of Time earlier this year because you posted about it, and it finally got me into reading nonfiction! Now I’ve read 38 books this year :)