Jordan Peterson is the Canadian professor of psychology best known for his opposition to political correctness in the workplace. His first two books, Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief and 12 Rules for Life, were bestsellers and garnered him a growing list of followers. His third book, 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, has been met with growing opposition from both the left and the right. A psychologist and professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, Peterson has become a personality cult figure. Many of his followers claim that his views are the only ones that can save Western civilization.
Are you curious where did he get all those powerful wisdom? There’s a high probability that he got it from the books that he had read throughout his life. Do you want to know which books have inspired him and had a big influence on his life? Lucky you, we have compiled the list of the said books.
Here are the following Jordan Peterson’s favorite books you should read:
Gray & McNaughton’s The Neuropsychology of Anxiety
The best thing about books is that they can be powerful sources of information and inspiration. At the same time, they can also be used to generate an understanding of history – but only if the book is read with a purpose. This is what happens with all the books Jordan Peterson reads. His interest in them is not casual. The Neuropsychology of Anxiety by Gray & McNaughton is one of his top recommendations for people who are on the path of self-improvement.
The Neuroscience of Anxiety is a book by Jeffrey Gray and Neil McNaughton; it is about human anxiety and how it is affected in the brain. From a neuroscience perspective, the book is about designing a virtual environment to reduce anxiety in the people who go into it without actually causing the anxious feelings to go away. The book also goes into detail about the psychological processes that go into anxiety, like how the brain functions in general.
Jaak Panksepp’s Affective Neuroscience
Most of us have heard about the brain and its functions, but have you ever wondered about the affective brain? Neuroscientist Jaak Panksepp has written an enlightening book called Affective Neuroscience that we think is an excellent read for anyone interested in the brain, psychology, emotions, and moral philosophy!
This book is described as a “rigorous and comprehensive examination of the fascinating phenomenon of feelings. And for Peterson, this is the best book on neuroscience that he’s read. He referenced an essay in the book that talks about the difference between “feeling” and “thinking.”
George Orwell’s The Road To Wigan Pier
George Orwell started his career as a journalist, and in his early twenties, he began writing for a left-wing newspaper called the New Adelphi and was shocked by what he witnessed in the workplace. He found the working conditions in the coal mines and factories to be appalling, especially considering all the wealth that was being generated. In his book, The Road to Wigan Pier, he describes the life of a miner who is working in these conditions and how it affected his mind and moral values. He was so appalled by what he witnessed that he decided to write a book about it. It’s no secret that Jordan Peterson is a great fan of George Orwell. Peterson has talked about this book in his lectures and would highly recommend this book and call it a truly great book.
Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment
Crime and Punishment is a Russian Novel written by Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was published as a two-part series in 1866-1867. Dostoevsky’s own experiences inspired the novel as a prisoner in Siberia. The story centers around the actions of Raskolnikov, a would-be revolutionary who, after being released from prison, seeks to justify his crime in the eyes of society. Raskolnikov is portrayed as a heroic figure, while the novel’s other characters are treated as villains.
The novel is considered a literary classic, and it tells the story of a man who commits a murder and is sentenced to death. However, the novel’s plot is about the crime and the people and their relationships. In short, it is a book that explores all human emotions, and it is one of Jordan Peterson’s favorite books.
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Brothers Karamazov is a novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, who was the pen name of Feodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky. It’s considered to be one of the greatest novels of all time. The book is a philosophical treatise on the nature of faith, with three different cases of faith: that of the humble landowner Grushenka, God’s rejection of man, and the brothers Karamazov, the novel’s main characters.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s The Gulag Archipelago
For those unfamiliar with it, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s The Gulag Archipelago is a historical document of the Soviet Union up to 1956. It is a collection of essays and narratives by prisoners of the gulag that describe their experiences. This book is a great read, and we highly recommend it. We’re a huge fan of the late Russian author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and have probably also read one of his books, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. The books are some of the most important works of the 20th century, and they should be required reading for all students of history, political science, and sociology.
This book has been hailed as one of the most important books of the 20th century and is one of the most accessible and widely read works of Soviet literature. What makes it so significant is that it offers an account of life in the gulag by a survivor, a testimony to the human spirit that is so powerful it can be read and understood by virtually anyone, anywhere.
Why should you read Jordan Peterson’s favorite books?
That’s a good question. Good books are always worth reading. But when you read a book by Jordan Peterson, you’re not just getting a story. You’re getting an education about the world and our culture with a sharpened focus on the values you hold dear. Peterson makes his living teaching people about the role of truth in society, and he has set out to teach his readers the truth about the world through his favorite books.
