Academic Subjects
This is an attempt to organize my notes by topic. Stress on "attempt," as it's rather a wreck right now, and I expect it always will be.
Economics
- The Anti-Capitalistic Mentality (Books)
- Ludwig Von Mises (Van Nostrand: 1956)
- Published during the "red scare," this work considers the flaws in the argument against free markets as well as flawed logic used to defend capitalism.
- A Description of the Money Market (Books)
- Walter Bagehot (Henry S. King: 1873)
- While it was written over a century ago, this book considers aspects of the banking industry that remain entirely valid and poignantly relevant to the present day.
- A Discourse on Trade (Articles)
- Nicholas Barbon (Milbourn: 1690)
- Writted during the early phases of the Industrial Revolution, this pamphlet considers the basic functions of trade.
- The Distribution of Wealth (Books)
- John Bates Clark (Macmillan: 1908)
- Considers the manner in which wealth generated in an economy is distribtued among industries, firms, and the factors of production.
- Economic Harmonies (Books)
- Frederic Bastiat (IOHNY: 1850)
- While melodramatic and polemical, Bastiat's consideration of economics does provide some consideration of topics negleced by other classical economists.
- Essay on the Nature of Trade in General (Books)
- A consideration of production, trade, banking, credit, and other basic elements of economics from early in the history of the subject.
- An Essay on the Principle of Population (Books)
- Thomas R. Malthus (J. Johnson: 1798)
- Malthus's 1798 essay about the delicate balance of goods and production still provides worthwhile insight into present-day economics, particularly in emerging market economies.
- A Farewell to Alms (Books)
- Gregory Clark (Princeton University Press: 2007)
- Considers the differences between tribal, agrarian, and industrial economies to consider the reasons some parts of the world have become wealthy while others remain in poverty may have more to do with culture than other factors.
- Finance, Banking, and Money (Books)
- Robert E. Wright (NYU: 2012)
- A basic overview of banking and financial services, written after the financial crisis of the early 21st century.
- An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (Books)
- Adam Smith (Meuthen: 1904)
- Written in 1776, this foundational work of economics considers many aspects of economics that remain relevant to the contemporary economy.
- The Intelligent Investor (Books)
- Benjamin Graham (Collins: 1973)
- Intended to provide laymen with guidance in investing, the author provides basic principles and theories that provide guidance for evaluating investment choices that have been staid and successful for decades.
- Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (Books)
- David Ricardo (Murray: 1821)
- Written centuries ago, Ricardo's examination of the interplay of producers, consumers, and government provides basic insight that remain relevant to the present day.
- Reflections on the Formation and Distribution of Wealth (Articles)
- Anne R.J. Turgot (E. Spragg: 1774)
- Published a few years before Adam Smith's work on the topic, Turgot's pamphlet explores many of the same concepts about the basics of economics.
- The Theory of Money and Credit
- Ludwig Von Mises (Liberty Fund: 1981)
- A foundational work on the origins of money, covering its foundations and sources of value through the early twentieth century.
- Treatise on Political Economy (Books)
- Jean-Baptiste Say (Lippincott: 1855)
- A text on classical economics, written at the early stage of the industrial revolution, with additional to technology, services, and taxation.
- A Treatise on Wages (Books)
- Francis Walker (Macmillan: 1888)
- A consideration of wages as a component in the distribution of the revenues of productive/commercial organizations.
- The Trouble with Markets (Books)
- Roger Bootle (Brealey: 2009)
- A perspective on the economic crisis of 2007 that focuses on consumer debt, international trade imbalances, and dysfunction in the financial services industry.
Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology (Books)
- Robert J. Sternberg (Thompson-Wadworth: 2006)
- A textbook on the field of psychology that considers the way people perceive, learn, remember, and process information.
- The Conquest of Happiness (Books)
- Bertrand Russell (Allen & Unwin: 1930)
- An examination of the causes of human happiness, more in the nature of personal philosophy (adopting a mindset that will make oneself happy) than the practice of customer service (providing support that will make others happy).
- The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind (Books)
- Gustave Le Bon (McMillan: 1896)
- A century-old examination of the psychology of crowds, with specific attention to its difference from (and domination over) the psychology of individuals.
- Elements of Influence (Books)
- Terry R. Bacon (Amacom: 2012)
- A broad but shallow consideration of the various methods used to motivate the behavior of other people, primarily focused on the context of business.
- Emotional Intelligence (Articles)
- Sean McPheat (Ventus: 2010)
- This booklet provides an overview of an emerging methodology that maintains human emotion can be analyzed and leveraged to achieve personal and organizational goals.
- Emotions Revealed (Books)
- Paul Ekman (Griffin: 2007)
- An overview of human emotion as a psychological phenomenon, including the evolutionary and societal origin and functions of emotions.
- Increasing Human Efficiency in Business (Books)
- Walter Dill Scott (Macmillan: 1911)
- Describes various applications of psychology as a means of modifying human behavior to improve efficiency, which in turn yields improvement in quality, quantity, and speed of productive activity.
- Interaction Ritual (Books)
- Erving Goffman (Pantheon: 1967)
- A collection of essays about social behavior, which attempts to explain some of the non-functional motivations for action and interaction.
- Persuasive Technology (Books)
- B.J. Fogg (Kaufmann Publishers: 2003)
- A psychological perspective on the use of computer technology toward affecting the attitudes and behaviors of users.
- The Practicing Mind (Books)
- Thomas M. Sterner (New World Library: 2012)
- In spite of being a pseudo-scientific self-help title, this book prescribes a method for focusing cognition on the process as a means to achieve better outcomes.
- The Psychology of Humor (Books)
- Rod A. Martin (Elsevier: 2007)
- Integrates (quite a lot of) research into the functions of humor and laughter as social phenomena.
- Psychology and Industrial Efficiency (Books)
- Hugo Munsterberg (Riverside Press: 1913)
- Written in 1913, this exploration into the potential of psychology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operations, human resources, marketing, and business in general offers a number of perspectives that remain applicable to the present day.
- The Psychology of Discovery and Invention (Books)
- Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (HarperCollins: 1997)
- A study of the processes discovery and invention that considers the causes, contributing factors, and function of creativity.
- The Psychology of the Internet (Books)
- Patricia M. Wallace (Cambridge University Press: 1999)
- An early attempt at applying the principles of psychology to the behavior of individuals and groups on the Internet
- The Psychology of Optimal Experience (Books)
- Mihaly Csikszentmihayli (Harper & Row: 1990)
- A consideration, bordering on pop-psychology, of the qualities of experience that causes individuals to consider certain tasks engaging.
- The Psychology of Persuasion (Books)
- Robert B Cialdini (HarperCollins: 1984)
- Considers seven common tactics that leverage psychological tendencies to manipulate individuals into acting without thinking.
- The Psychology of Revolution (Books)
- Gustave Le Bon (Putnam: 1913)
- While this account tends to be more historical and political than psychological, it nonetheless contains some interesting observations of the factors that motivate people in groups to pursue change.
- The Psychology of Self-Deception (Books)
- Neel Burton (Acheron Press: 2012)
- The widespread practice of self-deception consists of defending an individual from unpleasant realities, while subverting perception and judgment.
- The Psychology of Thought Control (Books)
- Joost Meerloo (WPC: 1956)
- Written during the 20th century Cold War, this book describes tactics (and countertactics) that are applicable to organizations in the present day.
- A Synthesis of Psychopolitics (Books)
- Mohr, Ed (Tabernacle: 1976)
- While this book is of questionable origin and validity, it presents a number of plausible theories about the use of psychology to spread political ideologies.
- The Science of Human Nature (Books)
- William Henry Pyle (Silver Burdett & Co.: 1917)
- A classical text on applied cognitive psychology that focuses on the memory and association of sense-data as the basis of thought.
- Understanding Emotions (Books)
- Keith Oatley and Jennifer Jenkins (Blackwell: 1996)
- Considers the nature of emotions and their significance in cognition, motivation, and behavior of the individual and the values of a society.
- Using Emotions to Make Your Message Memorable (Books)
- Vikas Gopal Jhingran (Career Press: 2014)
- In verbal communications, maintaining the interest of your audience and leaving a lasting impressions depends on the emotional impact of your speech.
- Your Mind and How to Use It (Books)
- William Walker Atkinson (Elizabeth Towne Co.: 1911)
- Written in 1911, this manual for developing the powers of the human mind prescribes many procedures that are upheld even by the science of the present day.
Sociology
- American Ways (Books)
- Gary Althen and Janet Bennett (Intercultural Press: 2011)
- A study of American culture, primarily intended for foreigners visiting the United States, but also useful as a reference to the attitudes and beliefs of the domestic US market.
- Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity (Books)
- Erving Goffman (Simon & Shchuster: 1963)
- A sociological exploration of stigmatization of individuals within a society.
- The Theory of Moral Sentiments (Books)
- Adam Smith (Millar: 1759)
- Defines basic principles about what is regarded as right and wrong, good or bad, desirable or undesirable as a basis for motivation and action.