Here is a list of books that have contributed to my theories about 1) how and why people make their particular choices and decisions, 2) how to evaluate and predict human behavior, and 3) language and influence. Although some of them are politically focused, they are extremely helpful in understanding persuasion and the language we use, in particular:

The All New: Don't Think of an Elephant by George Lakoff

Words That Work by Frank Luntz

Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant

The Political Brain by Drew Western

The Political Mind by George Lakoff

The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt

Win Every Argument by Mehdi Hasan

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

Believer by David Axelrod

Trust Me, I'm Lying by Ryan Holiday

The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene

The Art of Seduction by Robert Greene

Nudge: The Final Edition by Richard Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie