Books Recommended by Jordan Peterson
Jordan Peterson is one of those public figures who is loved and hated in equal measures. Many people love him for his bluntness and consistency in being a voice of reasoning in a world where traditional values are fast disappearing. On the other hand, just as many others despise him for controversial statements, especially on topics relating to gender, race, political correctness, and other sensitive topics that could reinforce dangerous stereotypes. Due to the complexity of perceptions about his person, you may not fully understand his views and ideologies until you read some books recommended by Jordan Peterson.
Jordan Peterson is a professor of Clinical Psychology at the university of Toronto. He rose to prominence due to his speeches and lectures on gender identity, political correctness, and free speech. While his controversial views created a buzz across several media outlets, he gained global recognition when he published his own bestselling book, 12 Rules of Life: An Antidote to Chaos.
To understand the man and his ideas, we would like to introduce you to some books recommended by Jordan Peterson. Fear Not! Blinkist, the knowledge app, can help you digest this heavy fare by breaking these complex topics down into bite-size chunks.
Jordan Peterson Establishes 12 Rules for Life
As a prelude to the books recommended by Jordan Peterson and to understand how his mind works, let’s take a brief look at his bestselling book, 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos.
12 Rules For Life
- 33 min reading time
- audio version available
Jordan Peterson presents 12 principles that should be observed for a meaningful life. Drawing insight from his personal experience and wealth of knowledge in psychology, literature, and philosophy, he uses this book as a practical guide to becoming successful.
Some of the belief systems he shared in the book include:
- Projecting a highly rated personality through good posture.
- Treating yourself as you would treat someone you’ve been tasked to take care of.
- Pursuing and maintaining only profitable friendships.
- Comparing yourself only to your past and not to others.
- Taking responsibility for your life.
- Telling the truth at all times, or at least not lying.
- Raising responsible kids and putting your house in order.
- Celebrating your small victories despite the hardship and pains surrounding you.
All the key ideas of this book have been highlighted and turned into a podcast on Blinkist. So, you can absorb all of Jordan Peterson’s philosophical assertions in a few minutes by listening to this summary on Blinkist.
Jordan Peterson’s Recommended Reading on Psychology
Some of Jordan Peterson’s favorite books on human psychology include:
1. Modern Man in Search of a Soul by Carl Jung
Over the years, Professor Peterson has frequently said that Carl Gustav Jung is one of his favorite authors. In this book, the author demystifies some of the most complex aspects of analytical psychology, including the mechanism of consciousness, spirituality, and dream analysis. He also explains the relationship between religion and psychology.
2. Man and His Symbols by Carl Jung
In this book, Jung collaborates with other scholars to give a wider perspective to his views on the relationship between the conscious and the unconscious state of humans. Jungian psychology teaches us how the unconscious self uses symbols to communicate revelations and practical advice to the conscious self through dreams. The authors argue that mastering one’s inner world is a true path to living a productive life.
3. The Origins and History of Consciousness by Erich Neumann
Erich Neumann provides a historical account of how human consciousness has evolved from the ancient to the contemporary world. He draws insight from cultural changes, religion, and mythology, and argues that these forces have, over time, influenced different archetypal stages of the development of human consciousness and expression.
4. The Neuropsychology of Anxiety by Jeffery A. Cray
This seminal work explores the biological and psychological aspects of anxiety disorder. The author explains the neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying and links it to a flawed interaction between the fight-or-flight system and the behavioral inhibition system.
5. Two Essays on Analytical Psychology by Carl Jung
This book provides a simple introduction to Analytical Psychology. It emphasizes the benefits of understanding the unconscious mind and incorporating its content into the conscious psyche.
Books About Religion Recommended by Jordan Peterson
6. Words with Power by Northrop Frye
In this book, Northrop explores how biblical myths have influenced literary traditions, especially American and British literature. The author tries to differentiate between biblical exegesis and criticism of mythology.
7. The Antichrist by Friedrich Nietzsche
In this book, Friedrich Nietzsche criticizes the moral values of Christianity and institutionalized religion. He argues that most of its teachings encourage slave morality and that the idea of God’s existence is only a fluke created for people to cope with their own sense of powerlessness.
8. The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror by Lewis Bernard
Middle East historian, Lewis Bernard, traces the origin of radical Islamism and its consequent terror, in this book. He explains how the rising terrorism stems from the fall of the Ottoman Empire, and Islam’s intrinsic resentment of the West.
9. The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker
This thought-provoking book explores the role of death in human life. The author argues that the consciousness and fear of mortality propels humans to find purpose in life, and it was this fear that birthed religion, culture, and other related practices.
10. Mephistopheles: The Devil in the Modern World by Jeffery Burton
In this book, Jeffery Burton explores the influence of Mephistopheles (The Devil as exhibited in German folklore) in the modern world. He shows how satanism has been fused into culture, arts, music, politics, fashion, and other aspects of the modern world.
Jordan Peterson’s Favorite Books About the State of the World
11. Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker
Enlightenment Now
- 16 min reading time
- audio version available
Steven Pinker’s Enlightenment Now explores how advancements in science and technology, and enlightenment in humanism and reasoning, have made the world a better place despite the lingering negativities.
12. Our Culture, What’s Left of it? By Theodore Dalrymple
In this book, British Physician, Theodore Dalrymple vehemently condemns many facets of modern-day culture and blames it for the moral decadence that characterizes today’s world. The author explores different themes, including drug addiction, crime, poverty, morality, and personal responsibility.
13. Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World-and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling
In Factfulness, Hans Rosling, and his collaborators set out to prove that the world is actually in a much better state than we tend to think. Naturally, there are quite a few global issues and local problems, but the authors believe that instead of worrying all the time, we should focus on a view of the world based on facts rather than perceptions so that we can actually face the issues that really threaten us.
14. Don’t Burn This Book by Dave Rubin
The host of the controversial talk show The Rubin Report claims that the left is not liberal anymore. He substantiates this claim by arguing that anyone who is not politically correct or doesn’t embrace the gender debate is no longer invited to speak at colleges. From his point of view, the PC culture is bordering on the absurd and those who uphold it rigorously are fighting a battle of feelings rather than ideas and ideals.
15. Why Men Earn More by Warren Farrell
This is another one of the books recommended by Jordan Peterson that might be considered provocative by some. Farrel’s argument is that the true reason, why women are paid less than men, generally has less to do with discrimination and more with lifestyle choices, women have made.
He defines different work-life choices that affect a person’s income, including the willingness to work longer hours, to move for a job and to take riskier jobs, and presents ways in which women can gain access to higher-paying jobs.
Want to Know More? Explore the Curated Blinkist Reading Lists
If you want to get more insight into the books recommended by Jordan Peterson, then you should check out our curated list of Jordan Peterson books list on Blinkist. It includes other intriguing books like Friedrich Nietzsche’s Beyond Evil and Good, Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, and many other titles.
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