Editors Reads
Psychology & Behavioural ScienceSelf-Help & Personal DevelopmentMindfulness & RelationshipsHabits & Productivity

Lena Fischer

111 books reviewed 12 articles written

Psychology Editor, Editors Reads

Lena Fischer reviews books about how people think, why they behave as they do, and what the research actually says about changing. As Psychology Editor at Editors Reads, she covers academic psychology brought to general audiences, evidence-based self-help, and books about relationships, mindfulness, and personal development. She is particularly interested in the gap between what psychological science has established and what the self-help industry claims, and in writers who navigate that gap honestly.

111 Books Reviewed

Deep Work book cover
Bestseller

Deep Work

by Cal Newport

4.7

Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. Cal Newport argues it's both rare and valuable in our economy — and if you master it, you'll thrive.

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Influence book cover
BestsellerEditor's Pick

Influence

by Robert Cialdini

4.7

The definitive book on the psychology of persuasion. Cialdini identifies six universal principles — reciprocity, commitment, social proof, authority, liking, and scarcity — that drive human compliance, and shows how they are exploited in sales, marketing, and everyday life.

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Never Split the Difference book cover
BestsellerEditor's Pick
4.7

Former FBI lead hostage negotiator Chris Voss reveals the counter-intuitive techniques he developed for life-or-death negotiations — and shows how they apply to salary talks, business deals, and everyday persuasion. The key insight: humans are not rational actors, and the best negotiators use emotional intelligence, not logic.

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The Alchemist book cover
Bestseller

The Alchemist

by Paulo Coelho

4.7

A young Andalusian shepherd boy travels from Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of treasure. Along the way he meets a series of guides who teach him that the real treasure is found in pursuing your 'Personal Legend' — your dream.

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The Book of Joy book cover
BestsellerEditor's Pick

The Book of Joy

by Dalai Lama XIV & Desmond Tutu

4.7

A record of a week-long conversation between the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu on the occasion of the Dalai Lama's eightieth birthday — two of the world's most joyful people discussing how to find lasting happiness despite suffering, ageing, and loss.

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Mindset book cover
Editor's Pick

Mindset

by Carol S. Dweck

4.6

Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck's research on achievement and success reveals that one simple belief about your own intelligence and abilities has a profound effect on outcomes. People with a growth mindset — who believe abilities can be developed — consistently outperform those with a fixed mindset, regardless of starting talent.

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Siddhartha book cover
Editor's Pick

Siddhartha

by Hermann Hesse

4.6

Hermann Hesse's spiritual classic follows a young Brahmin's journey to enlightenment through renunciation, pleasure, commerce, and finally the unity of all things found at the river.

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A New Earth book cover
Bestseller

A New Earth

by Eckhart Tolle

4.5

A follow-up to The Power of Now that takes Tolle's teachings further — examining how ego operates, why it causes suffering, and how a shift in consciousness could transform not just individuals but human civilisation.

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Bird by Bird book cover

Bird by Bird

by Anne Lamott

4.5

Beloved writer Anne Lamott offers funny, compassionate advice on the writing life — from dealing with the blank page to navigating publication — grounded in her personal experience as a novelist and teacher.

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Essentialism book cover

Essentialism

by Greg McKeown

4.5

Greg McKeown makes the case for a radical new discipline: the pursuit of less, but better. Essentialism is the art of discerning what is essential and eliminating everything else — so you can make your highest possible contribution.

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Showing top 24 of 111 reviewed books.

Articles by Lena Fischer

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Where to Start with Anders Ericsson: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Anders Ericsson — how to approach Peak, his essential book on deliberate practice and expertise. A complete reading guide to the expert performance researcher.

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Where to Start with Angela Duckworth: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Angela Duckworth — how to approach Grit, her essential book on perseverance and passion as the foundation of achievement. A complete reading guide.

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Where to Start with Anna Lembke: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Anna Lembke — how to approach Dopamine Nation, her essential book on addiction and pleasure in the modern world. A complete reading guide.

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Where to Start with Anne Lamott: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Anne Lamott — whether to begin with Bird by Bird, Traveling Mercies, or Help Thanks Wow. A complete reading guide to the American writer.

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Where to Start with Annie Duke: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Annie Duke — how to approach Thinking in Bets, her essential book on decision-making under uncertainty. A complete reading guide.

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Where to Start with Annie Murphy Paul: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Annie Murphy Paul — how to approach The Extended Mind, her synthesis of research on cognition beyond the brain. A complete reading guide.

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Where to Start with Barry Schwartz: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Barry Schwartz — how to approach The Paradox of Choice, his essential book on how too much choice makes us worse off. A complete reading guide.

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Where to Start with Bessel van der Kolk: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Bessel van der Kolk — how to approach The Body Keeps the Score, his essential book on trauma. A complete reading guide to the trauma researcher.

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Where to Start with Bill Perkins: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Bill Perkins — how to approach Die with Zero, his provocative argument for spending wealth on experiences rather than accumulating it. A complete reading guide.

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Where to Start with Brianna Wiest: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Brianna Wiest — how to approach The Mountain Is You, her essential exploration of self-sabotage and the psychology of self-defeat. A complete reading guide.

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Where to Start with Byron Katie: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Byron Katie — how to approach Loving What Is, her transcript-based guide to The Work, a four-question inquiry method for dismantling stressful thoughts. A complete reading guide.

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Where to Start with Carol Dweck: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Carol Dweck — how to approach Mindset, her essential book on the psychology of success. A complete reading guide.

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