I always advise PMs to read books on behavioral economics, and if you could only read one, I’d suggest Predictably Irrational. It’s an accessible, fun read that blends scientific depth with applied examples (many of which relate to product management) very well.

Once I read this book, I noticed myself referring to its teachings in a lot of my day-to-day decisions, from writing cold sales-pitch emails (using the power of “FREE!”) to constructing pricing tiers for premium products (using the decoy effect and anchoring). So much of a PM’s job is getting inside the heads of users and other stakeholders, and Predictably Irrational does a great job showing you the patterns in how people think and how you can make use of them. And a surprising number of the case studies, like how Starbucks created the vibe of a European coffee shop to make its coffee seem more worth the higher price tag, can be applied to your product. I really appreciated that, since few behavioral science books will venture anywhere near the world of business.

Like most popular press books, this book is not going to offer a detailed playbook of what your startup or product can do in the next few days. So it’s not a great book for interview prep. Instead, it teaches you powerful ways of thinking — as a PM and as a person — that will doubtless come in handy down the line.