Books about influencing & changing human behavior [Top 10] [2024 Update]

What are the best books on behaviorial change? How can you influence and change people’s behavior? In this overview, you will find the best psychology books to achieve this. Read on for the best books on social psychology for behavioral chang…

The best books about influencing and changing human behavior

We start our recommendations with the top 10 best books about influencing & changing human behavior of all time. This list has been updated this year, including all the recent titles.

Books about influencing & changing human behavior	Author
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us	Daniel H. Pink
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion	Robert B. Cialdini
Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change	Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler
Lead with a Story: A Guide to Crafting Business Narratives That Captivate, Convince, and Inspire	Paul Smith
Contagious: Why Things Catch On	Jonah Berger
The Business of Belief: How the World’s Best Marketers, Designers, Salespeople, Coaches, Fundraisers, Educators, Entrepreneurs and Other Leaders Get Us to Believe	Tom Asacker
How to Win Friends & Influence People	Dale Carnegie
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Take Hold and Others Come Unstuck	Chip Heath
To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others	Daniel H. Pink
How to Win Every Argument: The Use and Abuse of Logic	Madsen Pirie

The updated top 10 list: the best books about changing behaviour

The Handbook of Behavior Change (Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology)

Human behavior can be the cause of many problems, whether they are related to work, personal relationships, health, or education. Changing one’s behavior, however, is not that easy. We find that this handbook is especially interesting for those who need the expertise, like policy makers, students or researchers.

Bergin and Garfield’s Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change

Every edition of this handbook shares new insights with you based on current results on research that is being done. That is why we would highly suggest that anyone who benefits from the knowledge in this handbook buys it and reads it thoroughly.

Real Behavior Change in Primary Care: Improving Patient Outcomes and Increasing Job Satisfaction

Many problems that primary caregivers are faced with are of a medical nature and these should be treated medically as well. But what if it’s not medical, but psychological? This book will help you by giving 10-minute solutions that will change a patient’s behavior in a positive way.

Designing for Behavior Change: Applying Psychology and Behavioral Economics

In our opinion this is a great book for marketing managers or product designers who will be launching their new product. Understanding human behavior and the science behind it, will lead to your target users, and this information can be used to your advantage.

Engaged: Designing for Behavior Change

If you are in the designing business, then this is your go-to book on the subject of behavior change. Knowing about how humans behave and why they behave the way they do, can make you design differently.

The Little Book of Big Change: The No-Willpower Approach to Breaking Any Habit

Everyone has a few bad habits, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get rid of them. This book shows you how little change go a long way. Get to the source of your bad habits and change your behavior.

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

James Clear is an expert on how we form habits, and in this book he gives us a couple of strategies that will help us to change our bad habits and replace them with good ones.

You Can Change: God’s Transforming Power for Our Sinful Behavior and Negative Emotions

According to Tim Chester a change of heart will automatically lead to a change in behavior, and he believes that connecting with God will help you with sinful behavior.

Motivational Interviewing in Health Care: Helping Patients Change Behavior (Applications of Motivational Interviewing)

Just like the third book on our list, this one helps those who are working in health care. Many problems in the health care industry can be influenced by changing behavior. This book highlights motivational interviewing techniques you can use when treating patients.

Wellness Coaching For Lasting Lifestyle Change

Whether you are a coach or health care professional who deals with patients that need to make lifestyle changes, Dr. Michael Arloski manages to explain perfectly how a coach can use wellness principles to let a patient improve his or her life forever.