2025 Book List: Psychology Books that Helped Me Practice

By Susanna Klein: Compared to my husband, I’ve always been an occasional, casual reader, not a real reader. That changed a few years ago when I started the research process for a book I’m currently writing, a book about the psychology of practice. Because there is not much written about psychology in the musical sphere, it’s general psychology and sports books that have become part of my daily reading diet. I’ve read more books in the last two years than in the previous twenty combined. They’ve helped me practice and also become more disciplined and focused in the writing process. If you’re struggling more with motivation, empowerment, enjoyment, or focus than with intonation or shifting, here’s a 2025 book list for you. I’ve organized the books by topic, and I’ve purposely left out any super-long books because you’re a musician–you’re busy practicing! And yes, it’s totally fine to listen to them instead–that’s one of the psychology tricks you need to know about–whatever "gets it done" is perfect. You can also listen to podcast interviews with any of the authors. Motivation & Habit BuildingThe Power of Habit by Charles Duhig takes you on a tour of neuroscience and habits – how they come to form or be broken. It has fascinating stories and reminded me this morning to cue up my cue (an anthem "You Can Do This" kind of song by Adele) before writing this blog post. Atomic Habits by James Clear incorporates Duhigg’s principles, adds some, and neatly arranges them into a concise and highly actionable book. A shorter, punchier version of The Power of Habit, Atomic Habits has helped millions create strong habits without feeling the painEmpowerment13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do by Amy Morin was originally on my list only because I was investigating templates for good prescriptive non-fiction books (what you might call a "how-to" book). It’s a powerful manifesto, one that reminds me to chart my path and stop feeling guilty about all the things I’m not doing. Emotional by Leonard Mlodinow is a beautifully written journey about our inner emotional world. I learned the difference between liking and wanting, how to rewire the brain more easily, and found true respect for our inner cosmos.Chatter, by Ethan Kross, is dedicated to our inner voice, which let’s face it, for musicians can become a liability. This succinct and beautifully written book introduced me to tools for dampening my inner critic and harnessing my inner voice for good. EnjoymentPlay: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Stuart Brown and Christopher Vaughan made me realize that music is a form of adult play. We all thrive when we lean into playful as a concept and reconnect with what makes us happy. It changed the way I practice, exercise, and go about daily life.Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life by Dacher Keltner is an investigation of the magical feeling we all know but have a hard time describing in words: awe. Our relationship with music lies at the heart of this powerful feeling, and this book reconnected me with its power.FocusEssentialism by Greg McKeown is a great read for anyone who is drowning in their to-do list and can’t seem to find a way out. McKeown argues that we can’t "efficiency-our-way-out" our lack of time. If we want to have more time, we must learn how to prune our schedule and align our activities with what’s most important. I read this book many years ago, but it has been on my mind because I used its principles to make time for my writing. Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention — And How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari is a deeply insightful book about attention in the modern era. When I was younger, my practice habit had to compete with almost no other regular habits – no TV, phone, texts, email, or social media — whereas my practice habit now must compete with everything. This book allowed me to understand the fundamental problem with divided attention, which is not that we "don’t get enough" done, it’s that we’ve stopped daydreaming and sitting with our own thoughts. When I combined what I learned in this book with lessons from Atomic Habits and Essentialism, I successfully changed some of my most nefarious digital habits. My bookshelf is growing, and truth be told it’s bookshelves, as I just had another one installed. Although I’ve borrowed many books from the library, some I need to have above my desk. They serve as visual reminders of how I want to spend my time on earth and what is important to me. And how much I’ve learned about music, and about myself.

You might also like:

• Book Review: The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
• BOOK REVIEW: Jeremy Denk’s Musical Love Story
• Review of THE SOLOIST, by Steve Lopez

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