Books on Israel-Palestine Conflict and Books on Human Bias to Help Read and Understand issues.

Jefferies Jiang
2 min readApr 24, 2024

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  1. “My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel” by Ari Shavit – This book provides a nuanced exploration of Israel’s history, from its founding to the present day, offering insights into the complex challenges and dilemmas facing the nation.

2. “The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East” by Sandy Tolan – Through the story of a Palestinian and an Israeli who share a common past, this book offers a personal and humanizing perspective on the conflict.

3. “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid” by Jimmy Carter – In this book, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter examines the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and offers his insights into the obstacles to peace and possible solutions.

4. “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine” by Ilan Pappé – Ilan Pappé presents a controversial but influential account of the events leading up to and following the establishment of the state of Israel, focusing on the displacement of Palestinians.

5. “Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist-Arab Conflict, 1881–2001" by Benny Morris – Benny Morris provides a comprehensive history of the Israel-Palestine conflict, tracing its origins and evolution over more than a century.

These books offer diverse perspectives and insights into the complexities of the Israel-Palestine conflict, allowing readers to gain a deeper understanding of both sides.

! Here are some books on confirmation bias that can help readers become more aware of their own biases when reading about the Israel-Palestine conflict or any other contentious topic:

  1. “The Art of Thinking Clearly” by Rolf Dobelli – This book explores various cognitive biases, including confirmation bias, and offers practical strategies for overcoming them in decision-making and critical thinking.

2. “Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts” by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson – Tavris and Aronson delve into the psychology of self-justification and how it contributes to confirmation bias, offering insights into why people resist changing their beliefs even in the face of contradictory evidence.

3. “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman – While not solely focused on confirmation bias, this book by Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman explores the dual systems of thinking and the various cognitive biases that influence our decision-making processes, including confirmation bias.

4. “You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You’re Deluding Yourself” by David McRaney – McRaney’s book delves into common cognitive biases, including confirmation bias, in an engaging and accessible way, helping readers recognize and navigate their own mental blind spots.

5. “The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life” by Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson – This book explores the hidden motives behind human behavior, including the ways in which confirmation bias and other cognitive biases shape our perceptions and beliefs.

By familiarizing oneself with the concepts of confirmation bias and other cognitive biases, readers can approach books about the Israel-Palestine conflict (and other contentious topics) with greater awareness and critical thinking skills.

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