Emotional: The New Thinking About Feelings
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- Create Date：2022-02-13 09:51:52
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Leonard Mlodinow
- ISBN：0241391547
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Summary
You make hundreds of decisions every day， from what to eat for breakfast to how to influence people， and not one of them could be made without the essential component of emotion。 It has long been held that thinking and feeling are separate and opposing forces in our behaviour。 But as best-selling author Leonard Mlodinow tells us， extraordinary advances in psychology and neuroscience have proven that emotions are as critical to our well-being as thinking。
How can you connect better with others？ How can you improve your relationship to frustration， fear， and anxiety？ What can you do to live a happier life？ The answers lie in understanding emotions。 Taking us on a journey from the labs of pioneering scientists to real-world scenarios that have flirted with disaster， Mlodinow shows us how our emotions help， why they sometimes hurt， and what we can make of the difference。
Cutting-edge research and deep insights into our evolution， biology， and neuroscience promise to help us understand our emotions better and maximize their benefits。 Told with characteristic clarity and fascinating stories， Mlodinow's exploration of the new science of feelings is an essential guide to making the most of one of nature's greatest gifts to us。
How can you connect better with others？ How can you improve your relationship to frustration， fear， and anxiety？ What can you do to live a happier life？ The answers lie in understanding emotions。 Taking us on a journey from the labs of pioneering scientists to real-world scenarios that have flirted with disaster， Mlodinow shows us how our emotions help， why they sometimes hurt， and what we can make of the difference。
Cutting-edge research and deep insights into our evolution， biology， and neuroscience promise to help us understand our emotions better and maximize their benefits。 Told with characteristic clarity and fascinating stories， Mlodinow's exploration of the new science of feelings is an essential guide to making the most of one of nature's greatest gifts to us。
Reviews
Steven Baru
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A few juicy tidbits especially the discussion of where emotions are controlled in the brain。
Ellen L
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Skimmed。
Louise
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Not having read Lisa Feldman Barrett’s best selling ‘How Emotions Are Made’， and with so much talk about logic versus emotion， I enjoyed reading Leonard Mlodinow’s new book ‘Emotional’ which opens with stories of his mother’s sometimes extreme behaviour and his realisation that， first of all， not all mothers were like this and secondly， that not all people who had experienced trauma in their lives reacted to it in the same way。 The subject of affective neuroscience has become one of the hot acad Not having read Lisa Feldman Barrett’s best selling ‘How Emotions Are Made’， and with so much talk about logic versus emotion， I enjoyed reading Leonard Mlodinow’s new book ‘Emotional’ which opens with stories of his mother’s sometimes extreme behaviour and his realisation that， first of all， not all mothers were like this and secondly， that not all people who had experienced trauma in their lives reacted to it in the same way。 The subject of affective neuroscience has become one of the hot academic fields and new research is reshaping the way scientists view emotion。 They have been able to identify that each basic emotion is not a single emotion but a whole spectrum and that each is not necessarily distinct from one another。 The concept of five basic emotions is no longer held， going beyond to include social emotions such as pride and embarrassment and even feelings previously thought of as drives such as hunger and sexual desire。 We can’t put away our emotions and they are essential to basic human behaviour。 Mlodinow asks and explores the questions of what exactly are emotions？， why we have them， and how they arise in our brains。 He also explains how they affect our thoughts， judgements， motivations and decisions， and how we can control them。 The book then explores how we can take charge of our emotions and why this is more difficult for some than others。 He tells stories where emotion affected life altering outcomes and others， such as the experienced traders who recognise the need to accept their emotions and understand their benefit versus those less experienced traders who try not to feel。 Ultimately， Mlodinow says， we need to stop fighting against our emotions and let them guide us。 Complex fast decisions ultimately do not respond to cold hard reason and we are lead in these cases by our heart， and not by our heads。 。。。more
Jonathan Karmel
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This book rejects the old-fashioned triune model that we have: （1） a lizard brain that controls our automatic functions; （2） a limbic brain that processes feelings; and （3） a rational part of our brain in the neocortex that thinks。 A reflex is a knee-jerk automatic response， but an emotion is more。 An emotion has: （1） valence （they're positive or negative）; （2） duration; （3） generalizability （a reaction to a variety of situations， not a reflex）; （4） intensity; and （5） is automatic （not intention This book rejects the old-fashioned triune model that we have: （1） a lizard brain that controls our automatic functions; （2） a limbic brain that processes feelings; and （3） a rational part of our brain in the neocortex that thinks。 A reflex is a knee-jerk automatic response， but an emotion is more。 An emotion has: （1） valence （they're positive or negative）; （2） duration; （3） generalizability （a reaction to a variety of situations， not a reflex）; （4） intensity; and （5） is automatic （not intentional）。 A person also has a "core affect" that just has two dimensions: （1） valence and （2） intensity。 Through the "gut brain" axis， our gastrointestinal system exerts an influence on core affect。 Fecal transplants could be used to change a person's psychological state。 We really do have "gut feelings，" and there is evidence for a "mind-body connection。"Liking and wanting happen in different parts of the brain。 We like what gives us pleasure。 Wanting comes from motivation。 Sometimes we want things that don't give us pleasure （any kind of addiction）。 Sometimes we don't want what gives us pleasure， and this is a good thing， because in many cases it is beneficial to have self-control， to not always want what gives you pleasure， e。g。， having a healthy diet rather than just eating what gives you pleasure。People's motivation to want things can be too low。 A person who has had a difficult life may live in fear and dread and their motivation to want things may be suppressed。 Depressed people are unmotivated to do the things they like doing。Civilization exploits human desire by creating supernormal （unnatural） stimuli。 People are overweight， because junk food is hyperpalatable。 Man has created drugs， gambling， and all sorts of things that cause addiction because of supernormal stimuli。 A lot of things that people cannot help wanting because they like them so much are unnatural things that humans have not evolved to deal with。Determination （effort） makes a huge difference in how successful humans are （e。g。， Buster Douglas defeating Mike Tyson in 1990， a real life Rocky story）。 Experiments with animals have identified a part of the brain that can be stimulated to increase determination。 Exercise and meditation can increase determination。Shame is an example of an emotion。 Shame is a feeling of distress or humiliation that results from making a negative evaluation about yourself and is associated with a desire to hide or escape。 It is one of the most harmful emotions， and for protection， some people who feel ashamed create a narcissistic shell， a constellation of primitive defense mechanisms that enable them to avoid becoming aware of that intolerable unconscious view of themselves。 For emotions such as shame， embarrassment， fear， and anxiety， people have an emotional profile that consists of: （1） a threshold - how easily it's triggered; （2） latency to peak - how quickly it arises; （3） magnitude - how strong it is; and （4） recovery - how fast it goes away。A person's emotional profile is genetic but also affected by epigenetics （what genes get switched on because of environmental conditions）。 Various "inventories" have been developed to measure certain emotions。 There is a shame and guilt inventory。 People who constantly feel shame want to hide/escape and believe that other people are making them feel like shit。 Guilt is often a beneficial emotion， because it makes people fault themselves and want to apologize and repair the situation。 I scored low on shame and on the high end of average for guilt。 There is an anxiety inventory。 My anxiety is slightly higher than normal。 Anxiety can be bad， but not having enough anxiety can also be bad， because people without anxiety do risky and unhealthy things。I scored slightly higher than average for happiness， but I'm not as happy as a Pollyanna who just thinks everything in the world is wonderful。 There is an anger and aggression test and a romantic love and attachment test。 I am clearly a person prone to make love， not war。 This is not always a good thing in every situation， because people do get what they want by being angry and aggressive。What separates people from lower animals is the ability to control our emotions。 We don't always act impulsively， but rather， we can manage our emotions。 Stoicism is a good method of managing emotions， because it is all about accepting what you cannot change， which works better than trying to distract yourself from your negative emotions。 It also helps to express emotions in writing or verbally to a person you trust。 Expressing how you feel， rather than bottling up negative emotions， lessens the negative emotion。This book has a broad definition of what is "emotional，" pretty much anything that is not deliberately reasoned using the rational mind。 So instinct， hunches， and gut feelings are all considered "emotional。" I thought that was a bit confusing， because I often think people who just "know the right answer" without thinking about it are very intelligent， not necessarily acting "emotionally。"This book did not seem to be organized into an overall theme。 It was sort of a hodge-podge of some current and not so current evidence-based opinions about how emotions shape our thinking。 。。。more
Doni
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This is a topic I'm enormously interested in， but I felt like I either knew the claims he was making or it was bunch of poorly-strung-together anecdotes that didn't clearly demonstrate what he claimed they were。 His tone was also pretentious。 This is a topic I'm enormously interested in， but I felt like I either knew the claims he was making or it was bunch of poorly-strung-together anecdotes that didn't clearly demonstrate what he claimed they were。 His tone was also pretentious。 。。。more
Max Nemtsov
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Книжка вполне дельная， как практически все у Млодинова， - особенно для таких неспециалистов， как я。 Автор опять пишет качественный нонфик - что немаловажно， человеческим языком， а не на псевдонаучном воляпюке， - который по нынешним временам может， конечно， особо триггернуть нынешних этических хунвэйбинов и комсомольцев （ну а как иначе - многие аспекты эмоций сильно гендерно-обусловлены）。Если же счистить с его рассуждений всю западную позитивистскую шелуху， оказывается， что в практической своей ч Книжка вполне дельная， как практически все у Млодинова， - особенно для таких неспециалистов， как я。 Автор опять пишет качественный нонфик - что немаловажно， человеческим языком， а не на псевдонаучном воляпюке， - который по нынешним временам может， конечно， особо триггернуть нынешних этических хунвэйбинов и комсомольцев （ну а как иначе - многие аспекты эмоций сильно гендерно-обусловлены）。Если же счистить с его рассуждений всю западную позитивистскую шелуху， оказывается， что в практической своей части книжка вполне похожа， к примеру， на общевойсковое наставление по шаматхе。 Во всяком случае， о пользе "осознанности" автор говорит нам прямо - он просто не может заставить себя употребить понятие "буддизм"。 。。。more
Rebecca Luttrell
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This book was a little closer to the self-help genre than I wanted but I expected that might happen since I don't know how you can really avoid it with this topic。 I still enjoyed the biology and science I encountered and was surprised to learn that a lot of our knowledge about emotions are relatively recent or still unknown。 It's interesting to hear about how emotions shape us with and without our conscious understanding， and the different advantages and disadvantages of many common emotions。 O This book was a little closer to the self-help genre than I wanted but I expected that might happen since I don't know how you can really avoid it with this topic。 I still enjoyed the biology and science I encountered and was surprised to learn that a lot of our knowledge about emotions are relatively recent or still unknown。 It's interesting to hear about how emotions shape us with and without our conscious understanding， and the different advantages and disadvantages of many common emotions。 Our brains are full of complexity and it's fun to explore this aspect in some detail。 。。。more
Ashlea Laura
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During the time of reading the book， I did find some useful bits and facts inside。 However， I felt like the author wanted to write a memoir， like he was trying to cram in whatever personal story he had even if it was irrelevant。 As a women reading the book， I could most certainly tell it was written by a man and he wanted us to know that too。 I didn’t feel it catered to a gender neutral audience or at least， I found it wasn’t very relatable。
Lori
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test
Ryan Boissonneault
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You probably think you know a lot about emotions。 You experience them directly on a daily basis， you can name most of them， and you see them expressed in others。 You’ve likely been taught that emotions are discrete， universal， and that you’re better off suppressing them or otherwise overcoming them with reason。 This is the conventional view of emotion， and it has been handed down to you through millennia of intellectual history。 It’s also entirely misguided。 In Emotional: How Feelings Shape Our You probably think you know a lot about emotions。 You experience them directly on a daily basis， you can name most of them， and you see them expressed in others。 You’ve likely been taught that emotions are discrete， universal， and that you’re better off suppressing them or otherwise overcoming them with reason。 This is the conventional view of emotion， and it has been handed down to you through millennia of intellectual history。 It’s also entirely misguided。 In Emotional: How Feelings Shape Our Thinking， theoretical physicist and science popularizer Leonard Mlodinow shows us why the traditional view of emotion fails to hold up to scientific scrutiny—in particular to the latest findings of affective neuroscience—and how a new picture is emerging of emotion as a core component of cognition—integrated with and complementary to reason。 To understand what emotions are， it’s useful to start with what they’re not， and unfortunately that requires unlearning centuries of false notions and oversimplifications。 The confusion stems from a model of the brain known as the “triune brain。” Originally formulated by the neuroscientist Paul MacLean， this model describes the brain as being composed of three discrete parts: （1） the reptilian cortex （lizard brain）， responsible for our most basic instinctual behaviors; （2） the limbic system， responsible for the higher emotions found in mammals， primates， and humans; and （3） the neocortex， responsible for complex planning， abstract thinking， and language。 These structures， the theory goes， were sequentially added to the mammalian brain over the course of evolution。Except that the theory is wrong， or at best a major oversimplification。 The latest science tells us that the three proposed structures of the triune brain are neither anatomically nor physiologically distinct， at least not entirely。 All three structures send signals back and forth between themselves with significant anatomical overlap。 The brain evolved—not by adding sequential layers on top of the basic lizard brain—but in a more integrated and complex manner with all three layers evolving simultaneously。 Additionally， it is now known that emotions are not localized to specific areas of the brain within the limbic system， but are instead more widely distributed。 And it goes even deeper than that。 Research also tells us that our emotions and logical reasoning are impacted， often subconsciously， by the information we receive from our sensory organs （capturing information about our environment） and from our internal sensors （capturing information about things like blood pressure， heart rate， ect。）。 All of this information is sent to the brain， impacting what is called our “core affect，” a term for how good or bad we feel overall in a particular situation。 Because much of this happens at a subconscious level， we are often unaware of why we feel a particular way and are blind to the impact this has on our decision making。 Mlodinow offers two compelling examples to drive home the point。 First， he shows how our gastrointestinal system （sometimes referred to as our “second brain” due to the complexity and magnitude of its neural activity） communicates bidirectionally with the brain and how this can have major impacts on our emotions and thinking。 Studies have even demonstrated links between gut bacteria and the state of our mental health。Second， Mlodinow shows how our decision-making process is colored by our emotions even when we’re completely unaware of it。 In an incredible study that instantly became a classic， it was found that parole officers were significantly more likely to deny parole—not based on the facts of the case—but based strictly on the time of day the case was heard。 In cases heard directly before lunch， parole was almost never granted， whereas the first cases heard at the start of the day were granted 60 percent of the time。 Similar research has shown that this affects other professions as well， for example when doctors overprescribe antibiotics later in the day （as a result of fatigue）。The simple fact that the hearing officers were hungry or that doctors were tired was enough to drastically sway decision making。 This shows that our brains are not neatly divided into a rational part and an emotional part， of which reason has complete control over; rather， cognition is an integrated mix of reason and emotion and can be impacted by factors we are not even aware of， including hunger， stress， and poor health more generally。But emotions do not always lead to poor outcomes， and， in fact， often facilitate better decision making by providing our rational faculties with critical information。 Mlodinow discusses several examples throughout the book， including the story of Stanislav Petrov， the lieutenant colonel of the Soviet Air Defense Force who used emotion to override a rational thought process that would have otherwise triggered a nuclear war。 So while it’s true that sometimes emotion leads you in the wrong direction （eating too much junk food or consuming too much alcohol）， other times it leads you in the right direction （sacrificing your well-being for the sake of your child）。 Rather than labeling emotion as good or bad， then， it’s probably best to think of emotion as a source of valuable information to use in your decision making processes。 But here’s the key takeaway: Even when emotion gets in the way of your goals， you counteract it， not solely via the use of reason， but with other countervailing emotions。 If you want to resist the impulse to eat an entire carton of ice cream， for example， you’ll likely have to employ other emotions， such as the desire for better health， the aspiration for a leaner body， or the pride associated with self-control。 Reason alone will never help you overcome a desire in the absence of some other accompanying motivating force。 As Mlodinow repeatedly reminds us， even when you’re behaving according to strict rules of logic， you cannot have goals or evaluate evidence without giving either some kind of emotional weight。 Without emotions， we would have no desire to do or think about anything at all。 The trick then， is not to oppose or suppress emotions， but to learn how to manage them effectively to align with your goals。 Here’s how to do that， according to the latest science。How to Manage EmotionsAs a quick recap， the traditional theory of emotions， as Mlodinow describes it below， is largely incorrect:“The fundamental tenets of the traditional theory were that there are a handful of basic emotions shared by all humans; that those emotions have fixed triggers and cause specific behaviors; and that each arises in some dedicated structure within the brain。”Instead， what affective neuroscience tells us is that there are many more emotions than we previously thought， that each emotion is complex and varied （e。g。， different forms of fear）， that different people can experience emotion differently， that emotion can be influenced by culture and context， that emotion is not localized to specific areas of the brain， and that emotion is used in tandem with reason when we think about anything。 Emotion is better thought of as a functional state that drives us towards certain behaviors。But most importantly， affective neuroscience shows us that emotion can be managed and manipulated for our own benefit。 Here’s what the latest research suggests。 Let’s start with the positive emotions （happiness， joy， contentment， etc。）。 Obviously， we all desire positive emotional states but cannot simply wish them into existence。 Emotions are often automatic， arising from a particular context， event， or thought pattern。 I can’t just say to myself “be happy” and expect anything to change。 But here’s what I can do， according to the research on the subject。In general， the best thing I can do is something that shouldn’t be too surprising: exercise and eat healthy， nutritious foods。 In the first part of the book， Mlodinow explored all the various ways in which the body’s “core affect” can influence emotion and decision making。 A sedentary lifestyle with a poor diet creates a general negative feeling that is shown to amplify negative emotions。 The act of exercising， eating well， and even meditating produces a positive core affect that will materialize in a greater overall mood。 And so taking care of your body is the single best thing you can do—not only for your physical health—but for your mental health as well。 Other behaviors recommended by researchers in the field to enhance happiness include:-Spending time with family and friends and generally prioritizing experiences over material possessions-Expressing gratitude for everything you have-Engaging in acts of kindness towards others-Cultivating optimism and positivity-Living in the present moment and savoring life’s simple pleasures-Dedicating yourself to a lifelong goal or projectThis is all good advice when things are going according to plan， but what do we do about life’s inevitable hardships and the associated emotions of fear， anxiety， sadness， depression， anger， envy， shame， guilt， etc。？ Life is full of challenges， missed opportunities， disappointments， and pain。 How do we deal with this without getting overwhelmed？It’s useful to start with the general recognition that negative emotions， while unpleasant， ultimately evolved to help us recognize suboptimal conditions and to make the appropriate changes。 Without negative emotions， you’d have little desire to change anything at all， so we can begin with a sense of gratitude for the emotional states that allow us to alter our behavior for the better。 Problems occur， however， when we let our negative emotions spin out of control， negatively impacting our lives or causing us to make poor decisions。 Since we can’t avoid negative emotions， we shouldn’t try to fight， avoid， suppress， or dwell on them。 Instead， we can use a few strategies to help us manage these negative emotions and even turn them into something positive。 Mlodinow discusses three such strategies: acceptance， reappraisal， and expression。 Those familiar with Stoicism and Buddhism will recognize the first strategy—acceptance。 Rather than fighting against our emotions， we simply accept them and the circumstances that produce them， while finding alternative emotions to combat them and to give us the motivation to persevere。 By focusing only on what we can control—and accepting that which we can’t—we can direct our energy to dealing with any difficult situation we encounter。 This is how James Stockdale was able to endure more than seven years as a prisoner of war。 In 1965， his plane was shot down over Vietnam， leading to his imprisonment and years of torture and solitary confinement。 After Stockdale was released and returned to the US， he wrote a series of books and lectured on how Stoicism， particularly the philosophy of Epictetus， helped him to endure the horrors of imprisonment in a hostile， foreign country。 Ultimately， Stockdale embraced the strategy of acceptance。 In a 1993 speech， Stockdale described his thoughts after his plane was hit:“After ejection … I whispered to myself: I’m leaving the world of technology and entering the world of Epictetus … as I ejected from that airplane was the understanding that a Stoic always kept separate files in his mind for （A） those things that are “up to him” and （B） those things that are “not up to him。” Another way of saying it is （A） those things that are “within his power” and （B） those things that are “beyond his power。” Still another way of saying it is （A） those things that are within the grasp of “his Will， his Free Will” and （B） those things that are beyond it。 All in category B are “external，” beyond my control， ultimately dooming me to fear and anxiety if I covet them。 All in category A are up to me， within my power， within my will， and properly subjects for my total concern and involvement。 They include my opinions， my aims， my aversions， my own grief， my own joy， my judgments， my attitude about what is going on， my own good， and my own evil。”Stockdale， like all practicing Stoics， learned to replace one emotion （desire for external things outside one’s control） with another （desire to work on one’s own character and virtue regardless of circumstances）。 In this view， Stoics do not suppress emotions—as is commonly perceived—but rather reappraise/substitute them。 Stoics do not lack desire， they just channel desire inward。 Practicing acceptance does not mean that we’ll never experience pain; it only means that when we do， we can focus on reappraising it as a challenge to overcome， an opportunity to build character， or as a necessary path toward something better。 And this brings us to the second strategy discussed by Mlodinow—reappraisal。 As mentioned previously， the best way to counteract a negative emotion is with a countervailing emotion。 In the case of Stockdale， rather than succumbing to fear， anxiety， and depression， Stockdale used his study of Stoicism to reframe the situation as an opportunity to apply his training and develop his character in the context of a situation he had no control over。 If this can work for Stockdale in the context of years of torture and imprisonment， it can work for the rest of us， who， while facing our own unique hardships， will probably never have to endure such brutal conditions。 Reappraisal also works in a variety of situations。 For example， we can take emotions like the fear of public speaking and reappraise them， converting the negative energy we feel into positive motivation to deliver an effective speech or presentation。 We can’t help but feel the fear， but we can use it in a constructive way。 Over time， and as we face and conquer our negative emotions， we develop confidence and skill in our ability to do so， setting off a virtuous cycle。 This can be aided by Mlodinow’s third strategy—expression。 Essentially， this is positive self-talk and the cultivation of optimism。 While it sounds a little far-fetched， there is actually plenty of research supporting the idea that confidence and the phenomenon of the self-fulfilling prophecy enhances performance。 Positive expression is just one means towards greater confidence in your ability to handle adversity。 Overall， we can see that it is almost never advantageous to suppress emotions or to try to reason yourself out of negative ones。 You either have to reappraise negative emotions into something constructive or else override one emotion with another。 Stoicism is particularly attuned to this strategy， which accounts for its widespread appeal and revival in recent years。 But you don’t have to be a Stoic to take advantage of this general advice。A Better View of EmotionsAffective neuroscience， by giving us a more complete picture of our emotion as fully integrated with our cognition， shows us that emotion is not our enemy to be overcome by our rational faculties。 Emotions are functional states， sources of information the brain needs to make decisions， guiding our behavior in the right direction。 But that requires that we understand where our emotions come from， how they impact us， and how we can leverage them for our own benefit。 In this regard， Mlodinow’s latest book gives us all the tools we need for one of the most critical life skills one can develop: emotional intelligence。 。。。more
Matt Robertson
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Fantastic， eye-opening book。 As one who is more of a “Thinker” than a “Feeler” （to use Myers-Briggs lingo） I find it difficult to lean into my emotions as much as I should， or to truly believe that exercise， mediation， and sleep affect not only the quality of my physical health but also the quality of my thinking and decisions。 This book provides the scientific evidence I needed to convince my more rational side of this deep truth （apologies to the author for reiterating the very rational/emotio Fantastic， eye-opening book。 As one who is more of a “Thinker” than a “Feeler” （to use Myers-Briggs lingo） I find it difficult to lean into my emotions as much as I should， or to truly believe that exercise， mediation， and sleep affect not only the quality of my physical health but also the quality of my thinking and decisions。 This book provides the scientific evidence I needed to convince my more rational side of this deep truth （apologies to the author for reiterating the very rational/emotional divide that he labors to rebut！）。 One caveat: as a Christian the naturalistic worldview undergirding every chapter is problematic—more in some places than others—and the advice to learn from stoicism should be taken with a grain of salt。 That said， the book is a fascinating and illuminating read， packed full of interesting accounts of various experiments in the field of affective psychology。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Daisy
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I enjoyed this。 3 stars feels harsh but 4 stars a bit too much。 It was easy to read for a non-fiction book， with nice vignettes and case-studies， but I think a little too close to my own study topic （emotional disclosure / regulation） for the pop science hot-take to sit completely comfortably with me。 It was definitely an interesting chat about emotions， their origins， functions and regulation， and it did make me think。 But as is so often the case in this kind of book， it glossed over deeply con I enjoyed this。 3 stars feels harsh but 4 stars a bit too much。 It was easy to read for a non-fiction book， with nice vignettes and case-studies， but I think a little too close to my own study topic （emotional disclosure / regulation） for the pop science hot-take to sit completely comfortably with me。 It was definitely an interesting chat about emotions， their origins， functions and regulation， and it did make me think。 But as is so often the case in this kind of book， it glossed over deeply contentious issues in single sentences， and sometimes I felt like the case-studies were mismatched to the point being made。 Worth reading but not spectacular。 。。。more
Shashi Martynova
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Небесполезный обзор эволюционной роли эмоций， современной психологии эмоций и того， как в их исследованиях в последние 15-20 лет задействуют всякие модные передовые технологии изучения мозга。 Потребительский/гедонистический/достигательский подход к жизни и ее задачам， понятное дело， весь тут， другого не рассматривается， но было бы странно ждать от физика-калтеховца Млодинова ваджраянского воззрения на эмоции。Так вышло， что я параллельно читала Дзогчена Понлопа Ринпоче "Emotional Rescue: How to W Небесполезный обзор эволюционной роли эмоций， современной психологии эмоций и того， как в их исследованиях в последние 15-20 лет задействуют всякие модные передовые технологии изучения мозга。 Потребительский/гедонистический/достигательский подход к жизни и ее задачам， понятное дело， весь тут， другого не рассматривается， но было бы странно ждать от физика-калтеховца Млодинова ваджраянского воззрения на эмоции。Так вышло， что я параллельно читала Дзогчена Понлопа Ринпоче "Emotional Rescue: How to Work with Your Emotions to Transform Hurt and Confusion into Energy That Empowers You" и слушала вебинар Лодро Сангпо "Four Ways of Working with Kleshas"， и все это поверх всякого， сказанного на ту же тему Чогъямом Трунгпой и Дзонгсаром Кхъенце Ринпоче， и вот в таком разнообоазном комплекте оно прям очень по делу。 。。。more
Ams Leafs
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I learned about Mlodinow after seeing him show up as an "author similar to Sam Kean"Mlodinow just seems like an overall good guy。 For those that don't know， he partnered up with Stephen Hawking for a few of his later books。I learned a great deal from this book from tips on emotional regulation to developing a better understanding of a person's emotional profile。 The "gut brain" and "core affect" are two other areas of interest addressed in this book。I appreciated how he made research in this boo I learned about Mlodinow after seeing him show up as an "author similar to Sam Kean"Mlodinow just seems like an overall good guy。 For those that don't know， he partnered up with Stephen Hawking for a few of his later books。I learned a great deal from this book from tips on emotional regulation to developing a better understanding of a person's emotional profile。 The "gut brain" and "core affect" are two other areas of interest addressed in this book。I appreciated how he made research in this book personal through entwining stories about his ageing mother。Any other Mlodinow fans？Any similar authors to Sam Kean and Mlodinow that people have enjoyed？ 。。。more
Bookoholiccafe
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This was my first book by this author， and I believe he is significantly talented in simplifying complex topics without weakening the fundamental nature。 In this book， the author explains the emotional aspects to explain how emotions play a central role in our lives。I really enjoyed reading about Stanislav Petrov， its September 26th， 1983， and Petrov is guarding a graveyard against missiles that may be attached from the United States。 （This time in history is the pick of Cod War。） He is instruct This was my first book by this author， and I believe he is significantly talented in simplifying complex topics without weakening the fundamental nature。 In this book， the author explains the emotional aspects to explain how emotions play a central role in our lives。I really enjoyed reading about Stanislav Petrov， its September 26th， 1983， and Petrov is guarding a graveyard against missiles that may be attached from the United States。 （This time in history is the pick of Cod War。） He is instructed to report to his superior if he sees anything suspicious。 But when he sees a potential threat on his monitor he decided to wait and assure that there has been no system malfunction。 He later appeared to be right and when was asked why he didn’t immediately report to his superior he said he didn’t want to be responsible for the third world war。In this book， the author demonstrates how emotions manage the process of thinking。 There are so many touching stories to back up his theory。 and he also offers a questionnaire for his readers that helps determine their score on emotions like anxiety， grief， anger， and …。I really enjoyed the science and devoured it。 I really liked how the author mixed his stories and experiences together to help his reader understand everything better。 And the questionnaire was a brilliant addition to this book。 。。。more
Angela
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Leonard Mlodinow explains fully why we do things。 This book enables you to fully understand why we think and do things we do。
Maher Razouk
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على الرغم من أن أفلاطون رأى أن عواطفنا وعقلانيتنا تعمل بانسجام ، إلا أنه في القرون التي تلت أفلاطون ، أصبح يُنظر إلى هذين الجانبين من حياتنا العقلية على أنهما يعملان بالتعارض مع بعضهما البعض。 كان يُنظر إلى العقل على أنه أسمى وحتى أنه مقدس ، بينما يجب تجنب العواطف أو احتوائها。 وافق الفلاسفة المسيحيون لاحقًا على هذا الرأي جزئيًا。 لقد صنفوا شهوات الإنسان وعواطفه على أنها خطايا يجب على الروح الفاضلة أن تتجنبها ، لكنهم اعتبروا الحب والرحمة فضائل。نشأ مصطلح "العاطفة" من عمل توماس ويليس ، طبيب لندن من ا على الرغم من أن أفلاطون رأى أن عواطفنا وعقلانيتنا تعمل بانسجام ، إلا أنه في القرون التي تلت أفلاطون ، أصبح يُنظر إلى هذين الجانبين من حياتنا العقلية على أنهما يعملان بالتعارض مع بعضهما البعض。 كان يُنظر إلى العقل على أنه أسمى وحتى أنه مقدس ، بينما يجب تجنب العواطف أو احتوائها。 وافق الفلاسفة المسيحيون لاحقًا على هذا الرأي جزئيًا。 لقد صنفوا شهوات الإنسان وعواطفه على أنها خطايا يجب على الروح الفاضلة أن تتجنبها ، لكنهم اعتبروا الحب والرحمة فضائل。نشأ مصطلح "العاطفة" من عمل توماس ويليس ، طبيب لندن من القرن السابع عشر。 لقد كان أيضًا خبيرًا في علم التشريح ، وإذا فارقت الحياة وأنت تحت رعايته ، فهناك فرصة جيدة لتشريحك。 في مواقف الحياة أو الموت ، لم يكن من المريح معرفة أن طبيبك سيفوز في كلتا الحالتين。 لكن ويليس كان لديه أيضًا مصدر آخر للجثث : فقد حصل على إذن من الملك تشارلز الأول لإجراء تشريح للجثث على المجرمين المشنوقين。في سياق بحثه ، حدّد ويليس العديد من أجزاء الدماغ التي ما زلنا ندرسها حتى اليوم。 والأهم من ذلك ، أنه وجد أن السلوكيات المنحرفة للعديد من المجرمين يمكن إرجاعها إلى سمات محددة لتلك الأجزاء 。 اعتمد علماء الفسيولوجيا في وقت لاحق على عمل ويليس لفحص الاستجابات الانعكاسية عند الحيوانات。。Leonard MlodinowEmotionalTranslated By #Maher_Razouk 。。。more
Catalina
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Were you sat at the bus stop forever without any bus showing up， getting late to work and feeling like a hot mess， crying and wanting to kill someone at the same time？ For then starting to feel guilty and wish you'd be a more rational person rather than such an emotional one？（Please say this happens to you too， and I am not the only loon out there lol） Well fret not， cause it turns out things are more complex than that， being rational rather than emotional is a sort of myth and emotions are inex Were you sat at the bus stop forever without any bus showing up， getting late to work and feeling like a hot mess， crying and wanting to kill someone at the same time？ For then starting to feel guilty and wish you'd be a more rational person rather than such an emotional one？（Please say this happens to you too， and I am not the only loon out there lol） Well fret not， cause it turns out things are more complex than that， being rational rather than emotional is a sort of myth and emotions are inexorably linked， a fundamental part of every decision we take。 Leonard Mlodinow takes us on a tour the force of the science of emotions。 From explaining what emotions are， to the history of emotions: past scientific theories and how humanity discovered everything we now know about emotions and how they work， to the latest developments allowed by technological development。 Written in an accessible language without feeling you are being patronised by an omniscient scientist， Emotional is the perfect start if you want to learn more about emotions or to have a good overview of the latest scientific developments put into historical context。 My only criticism and the reason why I've give this 4 instead of 5 stars is that the last part（3rd） left me a bit unsatisfied。 It is suppose to be a more practical part where you can build your emotional profile and look into managing your emotions。 But I felt the results of each questionnaire are far from clear， without any depth to them and no real steps as to what to do to improve your control over your emotions。 I guess seen that this is not a self help book， it make sense to only give you a superficial look into your emotional profile that may， in turn， make you go to a professional if you want actually， practical help with improving yourself。 But nevertheless I think a little more development， depth if you like， was needed here。 All in all a very informative and enjoyable popular science book that I truly recommend。 *I've received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 Many thanks for the opportunity to read this。 。。。more
Brian Clegg
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Leonard Mlodinow has a mixed pedigree as a science writer， responsible with Stephen Hawking for the infamously naive The Grand Design in which the authors told us that we don't need philosophy any more， because science now has all the answers。 However， he feels on more comfortable ground in Emotional， which assesses the importance of emotions to us， and how they have long been underrated， or even considered an obstacle to rational thought。This is a popular science book in the classic American na Leonard Mlodinow has a mixed pedigree as a science writer， responsible with Stephen Hawking for the infamously naive The Grand Design in which the authors told us that we don't need philosophy any more， because science now has all the answers。 However， he feels on more comfortable ground in Emotional， which assesses the importance of emotions to us， and how they have long been underrated， or even considered an obstacle to rational thought。This is a popular science book in the classic American narrative style， where each chapter begins with a story about real people to put the science into context （and there are often more stories through the chapter）。 This is obviously a great way to explore this very human science （and we learn that even fruit flies appear to have a kind of emotion）， though sometimes there is too much storytelling and not enough of the science。The underlying theme throughout is how important emotions are to everything from decision making to survival。 We discover the differences between a reflex and an emotional response and how our rational abilities are helped by emotions， except when the emotions get out of control。 Mlodinow also goes beyond the brain to bring in the relationship of the rest of the body and the mind - we don't talk about gut feelings， or a visceral emotion for nothing。 Along the way we visit emotions from anxiety to joy， rage to lust via embarrassment， fear and pride。 Although the market is totally overloaded with neuroscience books at the moment， there's plenty here that isn't commonly covered。To begin with， I had thought this would be a four star review。 The book opens well and is convincing about how we underestimate the importance of emotion。 However， my initial enthusiasm did not continue at the same level。 Mlodinow comes across as evangelical on emotions to the point of overplaying their role。 There's something of the the law of the instrument about it - because he is so focussed on emotions， Mlodinow sees their influence everywhere， in ways that don't always seem convincing。One broad concern is that despite referencing many social science studies， there is no mention of the replication crisis - it wasn't clear how many of these studies are sound。 A couple of specific issues too。 In illustrating valence and persistence， two of the 'five properties' of emotion states （valence， persistence， generalisability， scalability and being automatic）， Mlodinow imagines an 'ancient ancestor' who gets in an emotional state on encountering a snake: the author ascribes to emotion that she will continue to keep an eye out for snakes afterwards， without explaining why this might not be simply a result of rationally thinking 'If I've seen one， I might see another。'In another example， Mlodinow describes a circumstance during the Second World War where his father makes a last-minute decision not to get into a truck which was subsequently attacked with all in it killed。 According to Mlodinow， his father's rational mind had told him to get in the truck， but his body's 'sensor system' had analysed 'additional information， subtle clues about his environment and bodily state' that enabled him to go beyond rational thought。 Yet we are given no evidence that this was the case rather than a matter of random luck。 In the past， I've not got on a plane because I had a last minute feeling it was going to crash。 It didn't。 It was just a useless random feeling， not some warning from my body - the kind of irrational response we get all the time。 It's simply bad science to assume that Mlodinow's father's action was prompted by the near-magical abilities of what the author later describes as 'core affect'。Some interesting material， then， but the way it is presented suffers from confirmation bias。 Mlodinow wants emotions and core affect to be particularly important in how we do things and finds evidence that shows this， while rarely justifying it sufficiently to be acceptable。 The science may be there， but we aren't presented with enough of it to be convinced。 。。。more
Fern Adams
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This was such a brilliant book to begin 2022 with！ I love it when the first book of the year starts off well， though it does set a difficult precedent for the next few！4。5 stars‘Emotional’， as the title suggests， looks at the subject of emotions from a neuroscience lens。 Mlodinow debunks the idea that emotions are something that are irrational and should be dismissed and instead successfully argues they play far more of an essential role in being human and our everyday lives than we often realis This was such a brilliant book to begin 2022 with！ I love it when the first book of the year starts off well， though it does set a difficult precedent for the next few！4。5 stars‘Emotional’， as the title suggests， looks at the subject of emotions from a neuroscience lens。 Mlodinow debunks the idea that emotions are something that are irrational and should be dismissed and instead successfully argues they play far more of an essential role in being human and our everyday lives than we often realise。 Through a range of examples from fruit flies and alcohol， to judges decisions being influenced by the time of day， to even a time nuclear war was prevented thanks to one man’s gut instinct， this is a book full of insightful information！It also is a practical handbook too as quizzes allow you to establish your own emotional profile and the influence this may have on your own life and things you can do to adjust this。 What I really appreciated however was Mlodinow practicing what he preached and setting aside time to show how his own emotions， especially those relating to his mother who had deteriorating health at the time of writing， influenced him。 This perhaps was the best example of all in the book as it broke away from the impersonal， which we often associate with science， to show just how impractical and often inaccurate that can be。 It also made it far more readable and engaging too to see the author as a human and how his research played out in reality。I really enjoyed this one and am going to have to go and look up more of Mlodinow’s work！Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review！ 😃 。。。more
Nicola Michelle
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Emotions are something we all have but are often at odds to be able to explain。 A gut feeling， anger， anxiety， happiness and depression。 This book shed some real light on the science behind what we feel and incorporated research and real world scenerios to drive home the complexity and amazing advancements in this area of science。 Leonard Mlodinow is truly an amazing writer and science communicator and it made the experience of reading this book effortless。This book was so engrossing！ Right from Emotions are something we all have but are often at odds to be able to explain。 A gut feeling， anger， anxiety， happiness and depression。 This book shed some real light on the science behind what we feel and incorporated research and real world scenerios to drive home the complexity and amazing advancements in this area of science。 Leonard Mlodinow is truly an amazing writer and science communicator and it made the experience of reading this book effortless。This book was so engrossing！ Right from the get go， it drew me in and kept me reading and learning。 He highlighted just how much thoughts and research has changed on the topic over time， to what was thought throughout history to what were just beginning to understand now。 From animal emotions to the relationship of the gut-brain axis， there’s plenty in this book to interest。 Also， the fact that male fruit flies turn to alcohol after being spurned by female fruit flies added something to my life I didn’t know I needed！ It was written amazingly well， perfect for the seasoned non fictional reader or for the first time enthusiast alike。 It’s written for everyone， with digestible chunks and easy to understand language， whilst still driving home the messages and complexities of this field。 I loved the science in this and completely devoured the book within a few days。 It had a perfect mix between the authors own stories， the experiences of situations and emotions as told by others， real world and scientific research。 I also loved the addition of learning your own emotional profile and the ending chapter of how to implement scientific findings to your own life。And the ending epilogue was truly beautiful and an utterly heart wrenching/ incredibly warming way to finish the book。 I truly loved reading this and it was a sure fire winner of 5 stars。 I read an advanced copy of this book with my thanks to the publishers。 All thoughts in this review are my own。 。。。more
Stacey Bookerworm
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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。 Read more of our review here:https://www。bookerworm。com/reviews/78。。。 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。 Read more of our review here:https://www。bookerworm。com/reviews/78。。。 。。。more
Venky
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The ability to break down complicated topics to a degree of simplicity that succeeds in conveying their import but without diluting the underlying essence， is a rare trait。 Leonard Mlodinow is greatly invested with this wonderful gift。 A prolific author of Science， Mlodinow weaves his magic once again in the upcoming book， “Emotional”。 More often than not we are used to being admonished for engaging in conduct driven by emotion。 But are such rebukes warranted？ Is precedence of sentiment over rat The ability to break down complicated topics to a degree of simplicity that succeeds in conveying their import but without diluting the underlying essence， is a rare trait。 Leonard Mlodinow is greatly invested with this wonderful gift。 A prolific author of Science， Mlodinow weaves his magic once again in the upcoming book， “Emotional”。 More often than not we are used to being admonished for engaging in conduct driven by emotion。 But are such rebukes warranted？ Is precedence of sentiment over rationality such a bad thing after all？ Mlodinow in his thought provoking book juxtaposes empirical analysis with psychological factors to demonstrate how emotions play a leading role in our lives。 On the 26th of September 1983， at the peak of the Cold War， Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Petrov was manning a graveyard shift whose mission was to constantly check for missile attacks emanating from the United States。 While he was monitoring the machines， he suddenly noticed five ominous red dots surfacing on the screen。 This meant that the United States had launched five Minuteman missiles at the Soviet Union。 Petrov’s protocol under such circumstances dictated an immediate reporting to his superiors so that the Soviet Union could also launch its own nuclear warheads even though such an act would invariably lead to a Mutually Assured Destruction of two global superpowers。 Petrov however hesitated， as his gut instincts told him there might have been a potential system malfunction。 At the cost of being branded a traitor – if the missile attack was genuine， his country would be annihilated without having a chance to fight back due to a delay in responding – Petrov decided to wait for a heart stopping twenty minutes before informing his superiors of a probable false alarm。 His assessment turned out to be bang on target: the warning system had failed due to some sort of extraneous interference。 No missile was launched against USSR。 Later， when queried on the reason for his reticence， Petrov famously remarked， “I refused to be guilty of starting World War III。” Pioneering developments in the world of medicine have resulted in a paradigm shift in our understanding and evaluation of emotions。 A whole new field of psychology called “affective neuroscience” threatens to upend entrenched dogmas that have informed us regarding the role played by emotions。 A technique referred to as “connectome” for instance， allows scientists to trace various connections among neurons， creating a sort of circuit diagram for the brain。 A connectome enables scientists to explore specific cells in different regions of the brain， and comprehend the electric signals that generate thoughts， feeling and behaviours。 Thus there is a ‘determination switch’ that when turned on， complements the physiological resolve leading to ordinary human beings accomplishing extraordinary feats。 When James Buster Douglas felled the seemingly invincible “Iron” Mike Tyson in what was， and is still， deemed to be the greatest upset in the history of boxing， he was channeling both his physical resilience as well as his psychological determination。 The death of his mother a mere three weeks before the bout， instead of driving him to despair， drove him to levels of concentration which he unfortunately never regained after his historic victory。 The Darwinian notion of emotion was based on a ‘triune model’。 This model contends that the human brain is made up of three successively more sophisticated layers。 The deepest layer is responsible for basic survival instincts， the middle or the limbic layer takes care of the emotional aspects and the outermost or the neocortex layer is the repository of rational thoughts。 However modern research in the domains of neuroscience have demonstrated that the layering is not as simple or elementary as it is made out to be。 There is a complex interaction between the layers， the existence of which was not observed earlier。 Mlodinow also illustrates how emotions guide the process of thinking。 The heart warming story of Nobel Laureate Paul Dirac whose introverted and apparently stone hearted life was transformed by Margit， a divorcee and the sister of a fellow physicist Eugene Wigner is a heart warming story。 The brilliant Dirac married Margit and they were together for fifty years before only death parted the couple。Mlodinow also in the latter half of the book provides his readers with an emotional questionnaire。 The reader upon answering a set of questions can determine their scores based on various emotions such as anger， love， aggression， anxiety and grief。 With a view to dovetail our emotions in setting us onto the right path， Mlodinow recommends a regimen of physical activity combined with the practice of mindfulness。 He also draws on research done by Sonja Lyubomirsky， A Russian born American Professor of Psychology。 According to Lyubomirsky， conscious acts such as optimistically pondering over one’s future， devoting time to family and friends， engaging regularly in acts of kindness towards others， striving to live life in the present moment， committing to lifelong goals etc would go a long way in making emotion a faithful and reliable ally。 Mlodinow also devotes some space in informing the viewers about his personal experience involving the application of emotions。 Both his parents were Holocaust survivors。 In fact his father owed his life and survival to an inexplicable moment of emotional reaction。 Deciding at the last second not to get inside a truck that had a band of resistance friends， Mlodinow’ s father watched with stupefaction as a band of SS soldiers intercepted the truck and gunned down all its occupants。 Mlodinow’ s mother who died at the ripe old age of ninety eight carried the emotional scars of a concentration camp all through her life。 The final Chapter in which Mlodinow described her passing， after contracting the COVID-19 virus， but not before putting up a grand fight， is both heart breaking as well as life affirming。Next time anybody reprimands you for being too very emotional or acting without reason， please do not get bogged down。 Instead use the three techniques alluded to by Mlodinow in assessing and reassessing your thought， word and deed。 First develop a sense of stoic attitude。 Learn to accept things that cannot be changed and instead plan on how acceptance can be turned to your advantage。 Second， inculcate an attribute of reappraisal。 When confronted with a difficult situation， try to discover an element of optimism and then reappraise your odds。 Finally， express your emotions。 At the heat of the moment， put down every thought that assails you in writing。 There is no need to share what you have written with anyone。 Expressing your thoughts and feelings at the moment of occurrence and getting back to them later makes you feel and become more sanguine。 More than anything else， please get yourself a copy of “Emotional”！ （Emotional: How Feelings Shape Our Thinking by Leonard Mlodinow is published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and will be available for sale on the 11th of January 2022）Thank You， Net Galley for the Advance Review Copy 。。。more
Kate Potapenko
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Curiosity killed the cat， but。。。 did you ever wander。。。What's the difference between feeling and emotions？What's the difference between wanting and liking something？How different factors affect our decision making？Turns out fruit flies are very similar to people in certain situations and they often look for alcohol after being rejected by opposite sex。 Apparently it's not enough to like something in order to get motivated， you need to want it and not necessarily like it at all。。 Many things that Curiosity killed the cat， but。。。 did you ever wander。。。What's the difference between feeling and emotions？What's the difference between wanting and liking something？How different factors affect our decision making？Turns out fruit flies are very similar to people in certain situations and they often look for alcohol after being rejected by opposite sex。 Apparently it's not enough to like something in order to get motivated， you need to want it and not necessarily like it at all。。 Many things that seemed kind of obvious， like feeling demotivated when you're depressed look different to me now as I understood the mechanics of it。。It's hard to share all the curious and wonderful things this book is filled with in a couple of sentences， but it's great。It is well worded and easy to read， broken down into smaller chapters too， which helps as often reading something heavy on information you get a bit of an overload。 It also has quite a few examples of when things are same but different and it makes you see a lot of what you knew before in a different light。It is educational and entertaining！ What else could you possibly want？！P。S。 There are also some questionnaires in the end if you want to find out more about your emotional profile。 。。。more
David Wineberg
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The learning curve to understand how humans work has gone parabolic。 In the just the past few years， scientists have finally discovered there are brain systems that manage pleasure， that are separate from systems that manage desire。 There is an actual cacophony going on in our bodies， 24 hours a day， as everything communicates in its own channel， to its own audience， and acts accordingly。 They are discovering the locations of things like anxiety， happiness， disgust， guilt and shame。 Mostly they The learning curve to understand how humans work has gone parabolic。 In the just the past few years， scientists have finally discovered there are brain systems that manage pleasure， that are separate from systems that manage desire。 There is an actual cacophony going on in our bodies， 24 hours a day， as everything communicates in its own channel， to its own audience， and acts accordingly。 They are discovering the locations of things like anxiety， happiness， disgust， guilt and shame。 Mostly they are discovering that none of these things works in isolation。 They only work in concert， in consultation， in combination。 Leonard Mlodinow explores some of these discoveries using his delightful and addictive storytelling style in his latest book Emotional。Personally， the most compelling finding is that last one， that nothing works by itself alone。 Isolating and triggering a trait gives you nothing but a dysfunctional person。 You can’t have the full effect of any function without the input and effects of several others。 This is part of the reason why brain functions have been so difficult to nail down， and why nailing them down has produced so little for science。 We have been vainly searching for the controller， the seat of the mind and a soul， continuously ignoring the evidence that results。 There is no controller。 We are interacting systems。 Every system plays its part and the result is a person， a personality， a mind。 There is a command network， but it works with numerous other networks to collectively present who we are to the world， and to ourselves。 Emotions color those factors， and are colored by them。 Everything is a two way street。The degree of determination or drive makes a difference。 It is filtered and affected by other control systems。 The sunny or cloudy outlook makes a difference。 Bad experiences do too。 The matrix nature of us makes it hard to put everything in its own place， much less make it predictable or changeable。 But then， we’re not meant to do that。 We are instead complex beings， the products of an infinite number of factors， permutations and combinations。 That’s precisely what makes humans different from other beings。 We have a “core affect” that is the net of all these inputs。In a series of dazzling stories， Mlodinow traces discoveries， both on purpose and accidental， and what impact they have had on our understanding of ourselves。 In this book， he employs himself and his family。 His parents， both Holocaust survivors， were two completely different people， whose scarring led to totally different personalities for them。 His siblings and children fit into some of the stories， and of course Mlodinow himself is hyper sensitive to his own actions， attitudes and thought processes， which factor into several of the tales， if only because he was writing this book。 It makes for a fast paced and varied read， far more autobiographical than readers have come to expect of him。 During the course of the book， Mlodinow’s mother， who starts out in her 90s， is profiled as a young mother with her own unique take on the world and raising her children。 She ages as the book progresses， ending up in a nursing home where he cannot visit her because of Covid-19。 She isn’t the backbone of the book， but her personality is relevant at several points， causing emotional reactions in Mlodinow as she declines。The brain/body connection is more central here。 Who we are affects our bodies in ways that often affect others and how they perceive and experience us。 There are even several personality tests towards the end， that might or might not help readers see how others see them。 Mlodinow says there are no right or wrong answers， just potential insights。 A lot is quite recent: “It wasn’t until 2015 that， fueled by recent advances in genetics， scientists began to uncover the true roots of such illnesses （like bipolar and schizophrenia）。 Much more work needs to be done， but we now know that they arise in patients having fewer genes involved in signaling between neurons and more genes related to neuro-inflammatory cells， which leads to low-level but chronic brain inflammation。 An excess of dopamine production， related to the reward system， also seems to play a role but in a more complex and subtle manner。” We are beginning to see what makes people different， and why， from a physiological standpoint。 One of the non-emotions common in humans is the need to categorize。 Everything must fit in a bucket somewhere。 So emotions are classified as positive or negative: “The sum of all the research on positive emotion is that people who have plenty of positive emotion in their lives tend to be healthier and more creative and to get along well with others。 Positive emotion makes us more resilient， strengthening the emotional resources needed for coping， and broadens our awareness， allowing us to see more options when faced with a problem。” （Maybe so， but it reads like a horoscope。）And negative emotions serve to keep people on their toes。 He gives the example of financial traders who must make split second decisions that could make or lose hundreds of millions of dollars – all day long。 Being affable is not an asset here。 Those with more negative outlooks and attitudes are more successful in trading。 The bottom line is there is no “correct” way to be a human。Scientists have discovered， quite by accident at first， that motivation is not the same as desire or pleasure。 Rats can be seen not to eat their favorite foods unless motivation is triggered as well as desire， and not enjoy their favorite foods but eat them just to stay alive if the pleasure function is missing。 This is more evidence of multiple systems interacting to produce a functioning being。So with humans。 Various faults and failings in the interconnected networks can make some seem unemotional， lacking the key functions of self-preservation， or empathy。 Their very presence can be offputting to fully functioning people and therefore make it difficult for them to have fully operational relationships。 All this is fine insight scientists are only now assembling。For all that， I fought the book as I read it。 A book called Emotional， at least to me， should be or at least contain， stories of outbursts， dysfunction， gaining self-control， learning to accept others， self-editing， manipulation and life-changing adjustments。 Self control and self awareness are key factors when examining emotions， I would have thought。 It should examine gender differences and the leveraging of emotions in manipulative fashions。 What does too little mean？ What about too much？ The book actually contains none of this: nothing about what most readers would consider emotions。 It is only and all about this broader span of functions that most people would not consider emotions eg。 guilt， shame， determination， motivation and disgust:t“Hunger （a Primordial emotion） is an emotion that helps us decide whether to eat something available （walk away from free food） rather than just employ a series of rules。” He says there are five states distinguishing emotions from reflexes， but readers will find that doesn’t bridge the gap。He says some emotions are “social emotions” like guilt， shame， jealousy， indignation， gratitude， admiration， empathy and pride。 As I read， I kept thinking – that’s not an emotion！ It’s a mood， or a state， a reflex， a trigger or a reaction – but not an emotion as I know them。 It’s not a good way to read a fine book。 It really needs some explaining right up front。 Or a better title。 Maybe Expanding Emotions。It concludes with three ways to gain control of emotions: acceptance， appraisal and expression。 We’re probably most familiar with the last one， where talking it out or writing it down defuses the emotion， such as anger or hurt。 So it’s not just a physiology book。 It is very much an affective psychology journey as well。Mlodinow takes great pains to describe it all and make it understandable with his always-appropriate stories。 But I have a two sentence shortcut for regaining control over emotions。 It’s old but still quite trustworthy: Don’t sweat the small stuff。 And: It’s all small stuff。 That’s a key life lesson that should be front and center。 Just by itself， it explains most of what you need to know about emotions。David Wineberg 。。。more
Angie Boyter
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