Dr. Pat Allen's Recommended Reading List: Titles M to Q Tap the sources and the inspiration. Go in-depth. Educate and motivate yourself. Get the facts. Learn something new about yourself and others. Titles are followed by the Author's Name in parentheses. For your convenience, most titles may be reviewed at and purchased directly from Amazon.com by clicking the title.
[ A—D ]   [ E—H ]   [ I—L ]   [ M—Q ]   [ R—Z ]
		Male, Female: The Evolution of Human Sex Differences (David C. Geary) New approach to the sexes, explaining the differences between men and women rather than describing them. Covers sexual selection, paternal investment, evolution and development of the mind, and more.
		Man and His Symbols (Carl G. Jung) If there's any one theme, it's that of the Symbol: its power, its manifestations, its meaning to the individual. Jung's goal with this volume was to provide a primer of sorts, a beginner's guide to the riches & mysteries of the human psyche. Reading this book and not coming away with a deeper appreciation & better understanding of the inner universe is almost impossible.
		Man's Search For Meaning (Viktor E. Frankl) Among the most influential works of psychiatric literature since Freud. The book begins with a lengthy, austere, and deeply moving personal essay about Frankl's imprisonment in Auschwitz and other concentration camps for five years, and his struggle during this time to find reasons to live. The second part of the book, called "Logotherapy in a Nutshell," describes the psychotherapeutic method that Frankl pioneered as a result of his experiences in the concentration camps. Freud believed that sexual instincts and urges were the driving force of humanity's life; Frankl, by contrast, believes that man's deepest desire is to search for meaning and purpose. Frankl's logotherapy, therefore, is much more compatible with Western religions than Freudian psychotherapy. This is a fascinating, sophisticated, and very human book. At times, Frankl's personal and professional discourses merge into a style of tremendous power. "Our generation is realistic, for we have come to know man as he really is," Frankl writes. "After all, man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those gas chambers upright, with the Lord's Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips."
		Man's Search for Ultimate Meaning (Viktor E. Frankl) Viktor Frankl is known to millions of readers as a psychotherapist who has transcended his field in his search for answers to the ultimate questions of life, death, and suffering. Man's Search for Ultimate Meaning explores the sometime unconscious human desire for inspiration or revelation, and illustrates how life can offer profound meaning at every turn.
		The Mating Mind: How Sexual Choice Shaped the Evolution of Human Nature (Geoffrey Miller) Evolutionary psychology attempts to explain human feelings and behaviors as consequences of natural selection. Miller, an evolutionary psychologist at University College-London, argues that much of human character and culture arose for the same reason peacocks have beautiful tails: mating purposes. A peacock that can find enough to eat and avoid being eaten despite such an enormous appendage must have very good genes; by displaying its tail, then, a peacock displays its potential to be a good mate. Miller looks at several kinds of sexual selection. "Romantic" behavior like the making of complex art wouldn't have helped our ancestors find more food or avoid predators. It might, however, have helped display the fitness of proto-men for the proto-women with whom they wanted to mate — and vice versa. Like most popular evolutionary psychologists, however, Miller doesn't always distinguish between a plausible story and a scientifically testable hypothesis. Still, picturing "the human brain as an entertainment system that evolved to stimulate other brains," he provides an articulate and memorable case for the role of sexual selection in determining human behaviors.
		The Medium Is the Massage (Marshall McLuhan, Quentin Fiore) McLuhan's remarkable observation that "societies have always been shaped more by the nature of the media by which men communicate than by the content of the communication" is undoubtedly more relevant today than ever before. With the rise of the internet and the explosion of the digital revolution there has never been a better time to revisit Marshall McLuhan.
		Mind as Healer, Mind as Slayer (Kenneth R. Pelletier) Physician Pelletier presents a seminal book on the link between stress and four major types of illness, offering a holistic approach to preventing stress disorder, exploring the sources of stress, and supplying methods for evaluating one's own stress levels. He gives readers profiles of various disease-prone personalities and includes a practical section on the prevention of stress-related diseases through such techniques as meditation and biofeedback.
		Molecules Of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine (Candace B. Pert) Intrigue at the "Palace": back-stabbing, deceit, shunning, love affairs. This is not the plot to I, Claudius but the account Pert gives of her time working at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a.k.a. the Palace. Yet her time at NIH is not the central point here. Nor are the molecules of the title, although they do get due coverage. Pert offers mainly an account of her journey from a conventional scientist to one who also embraces complementary and alternative medicine. The journey is long and not without price. She was passed over for the Lasker and Nobel prizes for her work on opiate receptors while colleagues were recognized; she believes that her development of a potential AIDS drug was thwarted owing to scientific dirty pool as well as her being a woman in a man's world. Along the way, she took control of her career, her life, and her personal mission. This is an eye-opening book for anyone who thinks that people with medical degrees act more civil or are more altruistic than the rest of us, though Pert also shows that some do rise above the fray.
		Multimind: A New Way of Looking at Human Behavior (Robert E. Ornstein) Ornstein here provides in this concise book arguments in favour of the multi-faceted working of the mind. If something can be called "mind," then it must be realized that several minds (functions) work throughout the brain. There is no single entity that can be called the "mind" as several processes work in parallel and contend for a higher-layer, call it consciousness, soul or whatever. Using recent works in psychology, Ornstein demonstrates that no single entity can cover the different, and even inconsistent aspects that underlie our human behavior. &mdashSteve Uhlig
		Mysterium Coniunctionis (Collected Works of C.G. Jung Vol.14) (Carl G. Jung) Jung's last major work, completed in his 81st year, on the synthesis of the opposites in alchemy and psychology. it can be used by an individual as a guide through the process of psychological transformation. This work is essential to anyone on the path of transformation looking to Jung as a guide on that path.
		The Myth of Monogamy: Fidelity and Infidelity in Animals and People (David P. Barash & Judith Eve Lipton) Describing how new research shows that there is simply no question whether sexual desire for multiple partners is "natural," the authors say, "It is." Similarly, there is no question of monogamy being "natural." It isn't. Armed with this evidence, scientists have also been able to explain such important questions as why animals (including humans) cheat; why the myth of monogamy was created in the first place; how men and women were sucked into the monogamy hoax; who stands to gain the most by perpetuating the myth of monogamy; and how big of a role procreation plays in the desire to have several sex partners. Finally, The Myth of Monogamy explores the implications of these dramatic new findings for humans, in terms of relationships, parenting, aggression, and more.
		Mystical Magical Marvelous World of Dreams (Wilda B. Tanner) An insightful look at how dreams reveal our unconscious thoughts. The listing of symbolic meanings are thoughtful and meaningful. The interpretations are not random and meaningless magic ("If you dream of a snake it means you will get a new job") but instead help us see the possibilities inherent in your own symbol-system.
		Narcissism (Alexander Lowen) Are you a narcissist? Do you interact with someone who is? Contrary to popular belief, narcissists do not love themselves or anyone else. They cannot accept their true selves, constructing instead fixed masks that hide emotional numbness. In this groundbreaking study, Dr. Alexander Lowen uses his extensive clinical experience to demonstrate how narcissists can recover their suppressed feelings and regain their lost humanity.
		The Oxytocin Factor: Tapping the Hormone of Calm, Love, and Healing (Kerstin Uvnäs-Moberg) In recent years there have been exciting scientific discoveries about a powerful hormone whose role in the human body has long been neglected. Oxytocin is the hormone involved in bonding, sex, childbirth, and breast-feeding, as well as in relaxation and feelings of calm. It is the mirror image of the stress hormone (adrenaline), which triggers the "fight or flight" systems in the body. Much has been written about the latter but the many-sided importance of oxytocin is currently known only to specialists in obstetrics, physiology, and psychiatry.
		Parenting From the Inside Out (Daniel J. Siegel, Mary Hartzell) How many parents have found themselves thinking: I can't believe I just said to my child the very thing my parents used to say to me! Am I just destined to repeat the mistakes of my parents? The authors explore the extent to which our childhood experiences actually do shape the way we parent. Drawing upon stunning new findings in neurobiology and attachment research, they explain how interpersonal relationships directly impact the development of the brain, and offer parents a step-by-step approach to forming a deeper understanding of their own life stories, which will help them raise compassionate and resilient children.
		People of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil (M. Scott Peck) Scott Peck is a psychiatrist turned author and lecturer. His name is a household word with the self-help crowd. In this book Peck takes on the topic of evil. The "volume" cited is not an abridgment but a group of case studies from the first chapters of the book, along with commentary. The presentations are consistently well done. Peck reads with a soft, yet strong voice that is both self-assured and reassuring.
		Personality Plus: How to Understand Others by Understanding Yourself (Florence Littauer) In this new edition of the bestselling book, Florence Littauer examines the strengths and weaknesses of the four temperaments that comprise personality: Melancholy, Phlegmatic, Sanguine, and Choleric. She includes a Personality Profile test that reveals how your unique blend of traits affects your emotions, work performance, and relationships. Through humorous anecdotes and straightforward counsel, she guides you to improve upon your strengths and correct your weaknesses. This engaging book also provides keys to understanding those around you. You'll learn how to accept — and even enjoy — the traits that make each of us so different. Personality Plus is the tool you need to change your life, and the lives of those you care about, for the better.
		The Power of Your Subconscious Mind (Joseph Murphy) At last, a great new scientific discovery brings the incredible force of your subconscious mind under your control. Here are the simple, scientifically proven techniques and the astonishing facts about how your subconscious powers can perform miracles of healing. How lung cancer has been cured and optic nerves made whole again. How you can use the newly discovered Law of Attraction to increase your money-getting powers. How your subconscious mind can win you friends, peace of mind, and even help you to attract the ideal mate. How your dreams can help you solve problems and make difficult decisions — or warn you of potential disaster.
		Prisoners of Childhood: The Drama of the Gifted Child and the Search for the True Self (Alice Miller) Today's responsible parents strive to raise children with healthy egos. But for a lot of adults, the word "ego" carries the negative connotation of "narcissism." Traditionally, the "good" child learned self-control, self-denial and placed parental needs and wishes first. If those needs were abusive to the child, there was no choice but to block the hurtful behavior in order to hold onto adults who were loved and needed. Miller recognized the link between certain emotional problems in adulthood and repressed childhood anguish. Her ideas in this pioneering study are a must-read for anyone seeking truth about the roots of suffering in childhood.
		Psycho-Cybernetics, A New Way to Get More Living Out of Life (Maxwell Maltz) This book was a landmark in proving that our self image is all-important in determining the quality of our lives. It is inspirational in its promise and challenge that we can change our self image systematically and effectively. Its insights into our psychology are deep, and ring so true in their logic and simplicity.
		Psycho Cybernetics 2000 (Bobbe Sommer) Lecturer and Maxwell Maltz-disciple Sommer updates and expands the 1960 Maltz classic, Psycho Cybernetics. Rather than relying on the Freudian approach of yielding control to the subconscious or on "will power" to change behavior, Psycho Cybernetics (a computer term referring to the mental "steering system" that guides our attitudes, behavior and self-image) directs the intuitive and nonverbal right brain to "reprogram" the logical and verbal left brain through a six-step program that relies heavily on visualizations and affirmations. Self-quizzes are included.
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