GAMSAT

Reasoning in Humanities and Social

Sciences/Written Communication

A Menu for Selective Reading

Note – for people in a hurry, a good short cut can be found in the Oxford
University Press series of “Very short introductions” to…just about any
subject…

General:-

The Penguin Book of Twentieth Century Essays

The Oxford Book of Essays – Ed John Gross. OUP
Selected Essays – George Orwell – Penguin
A short history of nearly everything – Bill Bryson – Black Swan
The Act of Creation – Arthur Koestler – Penguin
The Meaning of the Twenty first Century – James Martin
What is your dangerous idea? Ed John Brockman

Subject specific:-

Philosophy of science
The Sleepwalkers – a history of man’s changing vision of the Universe – Arthur
Koestler – Penguin
The Tao of Physics – Fritjof Capra - Penguin
Blackfoot Physics – David Peat – Fourth Estate Publishing
Darwin’s Dangerous Idea – Daniel Dennett
The Mind of God – Paul Davies
The Selfish Gene – Richard Dawkins
The Red Queen – Matt Ridley – Fourth Estate Publishing
Nature via Nurture – Matt Ridley – Fourth Estate Publishing
Anthropology / Cultural Studies
The Way of Zen – Alan Watts – Penguin
Creative Mythology – Joseph Campbell
The Teachings of Don Juan – Carlos Castenada – Penguin
Religion Explained – Pascal Boyer - Vintage
Postmodernism – Glenn Ward – Teach Yourself Series
Ways of Seeing – John Berger
No Logo – Naomi Klein

Politics
Political Philosophy, a very short introduction – David Miller – OUP
Politics, a very short introduction – Kenneth Minogue – OUP

Psychology
Psychology, a very short introduction – Butler and McManus – OUP
Debates in Psychology – Andy Bell – Routledge Modular Psychology Series

Psychoanalysis
Introducing Psychiatry – Piero and Benson – Icon Books Series
Self and Others / The Divided Self – R.D.Laing – Penguin
Life against Death – Norman O. Brown

Sociology
Introducing Sociology – Osborne and Van Loon – Icon Books Series
One Dimensional Man – Herbert Marcuse

Philosophy
The Consolations of Philosophy – Alain de Botton – Penguin
Introducing Philosophy – Robinson and Groves – Icon Books Series
On the Meaning of Life – John Cottingham – Routledge
Philosophy – The Basics – Nigel Warburton – Routledge
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance – Robert Pirsig

Fiction:-
Brave New World / Island – Aldous Huxley – Penguin
1984 – George Orwell – Penguin
A Passage to India – E.M.Forster – Penguin
The French Lieutenant’s Woman – John Fowles