Emotional The New Thinking About Feelings
By Leonard Mlodinow
Blurb
For most of human history, our emotions were thought to be a small set of crude states. Someone was angry, or they were sad; they were fearful or they were happy. It was believed that each only caused specific behaviours - the sad would cry, and the happy would laugh. And there was sense that these things called emotions were fundamentally at odds with our reason and logic; that feelings were passionate, unruly and got us in to trouble.
But over the last decade, a revolution in science's understanding of the brain has led to a fundamental re-evaluation of the role feelings play in our day-to-day lives. Via maps of the mind, electromagnetic fields, and depression-easing phone apps, acclaimed author and scientist Leonard Mlodinow explores how our emotions are born, the role they play in forming our thoughts and decisions, and how we can harness our feelings to thrive in the modern world.
Shot through with wit, lucid insight and extraordinary personal experience, Emotional is at once the definitive guide to the new science of feeling, as well as powerful call to rethink treatment for mental illness, our understanding of personal relationships, and ultimately our view of ourselves.
Our Review
It is rare that I chose to read a non-fiction book but when I was offered the chance to read Emotional: The New Thinking About Feelings I sensed it was a book I would enjoy.
I have no wish to spoil the book for other readers so I will simply say that something in the introduction was like a sucker punch and grabbed me attention straight away.
Emotional contains informative and well-researched case studies alongside anecdotal evidence and tips for gaining control over our emotions.
At times it was surprisingly emotive but it would also be useful for those looking for the latest research on understanding how emotions work and why it is important.
"Rooted in both our knowledge and our past experience, emotion changes the way we think about our present circumstances and future prospects, often in subtle but consequential ways."
I would recommend this book for profesionals and laymen.
Our Final Rating...
Read & Shared 102 Times.
Get In Touch
Please feel free to leave a comment to this book review below. Or even leave your own review if you like.
If you run a blog and/or have posted a review to this book, a Q & A or general author interview online you can always add a trackback to it here and following moderation we'll add a link to it below.