Behave, by Robert Sapolsky.

I read this book during lockdown, and it is now my number one recommendation for A-level students who are interested in Psychology.

Robert Sapolsky has spent a lifetime studying the biology of human behaviour, and this book explains the multiple overlapping explanations for our actions, starting with nervous impulses in the brain. He covers childhood, cultural, and evolutionary influences, and explains the interactions between them.

Sapolsky has an astonishing depth and breadth of knowledge, which shines through his writing. He also illustrates his ideas with very accessible personal and political stories, which make the book very readable. One really impressive thing about his book is the way that he stands back and views the big picture of human behaviour, and is clear and precise about the way that cognitive, biological, and sociological ideas are actually all part of the same system.

This book is a really impressive piece of work and you should read it straight away.