44 Books Like A Criminal History of Mankind

The insights in this groundbreaking book apply across the board, from social and family life to interacting and managing others in organizational life.

What factors are at play when people of high IQ flounder while those who are more modestly endowed succeed? Goleman argues that the difference is Emotional Intelligence, which, as he explains, comprises empathy, effective social skills/communication, self-awareness, self-regulation, and motivation.

I’ve watched too many of the allegedly best and brightest, tough-minded executives flame out because they failed to rein in emotional impulse, read others’ feelings, or handle interpersonal relationships. The skills are learnable, and in today’s asymmetric, hybrid, matrixed organizations, they are essential for success.

Don’t say you’re not a feminist until you’ve read this brilliant book. 

70 years ago, Simone de Beauvoir kick-started the gender revolution with her iconic, insightful analysis of how men perceive and relate to women and vice versa.

The book is, however, not written in a strident or angry style but hopeful–mostly. Indeed, not until 30 years after publication did de Beauvoir personally adopt the feminist label, even though she managed to write what is arguably the greatest feminist text ever. De Beauvoir aimed to empower women by waking them up to the realities of being the (inferior) ‘Other’ to men.

As de Beauvoir shows, gender identities are laden with myths but also the power to persuade, oppress, and enslave. Only by removing these myths from the mind and imagination can women achieve true freedom. An inspirational book for every thinking person–and as important today as it was… show more.

The female psyche presented in essays written by a plethora of excellent writers.

In addition to psychology, it also explores feminine spirituality, a favourite subject of contributory authors such as Jean Shinoda-Bolen and Sylvia Brinton Perera.

First published in 1990, this collection is truly insightful into ‘the birth of the conscious feminine.’ In places it describes very personal experiences.

I found it a book of healing, hence why I recommended it to some of my counselling clients. Being separate essays, if there is a particular writing style you do not like, it is simple to move on.

All the writers gave me something to contemplate and learn from. It is an incredibly nourishing read.

Eventually, I recommend a work of fiction.

Micro-psychology by a brilliant storyteller, this was the first of Proulx’s books that I ever read, even though it was the last of the Wyoming trilogy. I went on to read the rest – and then more of her work.

Proulx draws me into the characters, their lives, the plot, setting, and atmosphere, using cleverly interpretative, and uniquely descriptive language. Just a few of her words and I am inside the story. I have been to Wyoming, taking the trilogy for company, although I had read them previously.

Some of her stories remain firmly fixed in my head, and I can re-read them without ever becoming bored. 

I love this book because John Darwin takes the history of empires very seriously.

He argues that the present world is the legacy of the great empires that came into existence after the fall of Tamerlane in 1405. He was the last powerful Eurasian ruler who followed in the footsteps of Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun. This allowed Asian and European empires such as the Romanovs, Ottomans, the Mughals, the Manchus, the British, the French, the Nazis, and the Soviets to build their empires in space that yoked together Asia and Europe in shared imperial ambitions.

This is an accessible and beautifully written introduction to world history that is well worth your time and effort. It is a great book for a serious book club.

This is a nail-biting thriller set in rural Australia that centres around the protagonist Jarrod O'Connor, a weary detective who is exhausted due to the harrowing case he is investigating. Three children lose their parents in the most brutal way and the man responsible is more dangerous than O'Connor could ever begin to imagine. The antagonist is presented as a well-rounded character whom the reader gets to psychoanalyse as we consider whether this man was simply born evil, or whether he is an abomination of human nature. From derelict farmhouses to cosy suburbia, the settings are vividly described in each scene. The cast of characters is well defined and the story unravels at just the right pace to keep the reader turning the pages which is a must!

I'd read mixed reviews but read Devil's Demise with an open mind. I thought it was brilliant! I could imagine each scene in great detail, it kept me frantically turning the pages, and I loved the believable Edinburgh cop camaraderie. The book is very graphic with intense scenes of sex, rape, and violence but it didn't faze me, if anything it made it more realistic albeit disturbing. This one does come with trigger warnings for the reasons above.

Lachlan Harvey is a biologist who is kidnapped and taken to a secret facility. He discovers the only way to survive is to comply with the orders made by his captors which involve him using his skills to carry out unethical and inhumane experiments.

Detective Cameron Cole and Rachael Blake are assigned the role of following up on Harvey's disappearance and they become sucked into a web of lies, corruption, and the stark reality that people in high places are not who they thought they were. 

LJ Duncan cleverly intersects each scene and plot twist to encompass the looming fates of each character, adding layers of complexity to propel the plot forward, which makes the reader root for the protagonist. Duncan's build in pace to the climatic ending is impeccable.

Rapid Eye Movement is an intense and enlightening read. The descriptive prose and carefully constructed characters stand out throughout. Jennifer and Ilan are running for their lives in Cyprus, where a car accident leaves Jennifer with a head wound. The reader is introduced to Lucy who stumbles down a rabbit hole and suffers a head injury that leaves her in a coma. The story moves on to a series of dream sequences where the two women somehow become connected. The reader becomes hooked on the intensity of their lucid dreams and becomes curious about the mystery surrounding this. Sheridan expertly weaves backwards and forwards in a seamless manner, adding depth to the story. The intensity builds as the finale approaches which creates just enough tension between the two main characters to make the book 'unputdownable'.

In her first crime novel, Gaites portrays a psychopathic monster in Ivan Smallbone, and a relentless race against time by police to stop him. Populated by flawed characters, Gaites explores the human psyche to great effect in driving her novel to its inevitable and tragic conclusion. Not for the squeamish.