- Hardcover: 192 pages
- Publisher: OUP Oxford; illustrated edition edition (25 Jan 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 019285433X
- ISBN-13: 978-0192854339
- Product Dimensions: 17.3 x 12.4 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 272,295 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Attractively presented,Emotion is a fascinating survey of the "science of sentiment", as author Dylan Evans calls it. The whole question of the origin and purpose of our emotions has intrigued philosophers, poets and scientists for over 2,000 years. As a research philosopher at King's College in London, Dylan Evans largely concerns himself with the modern scientific investigation of emotions since Darwin's 1872 book The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals. Darwin recognised the deep evolutionary origins of basic emotions such as fear, anger, surprise, disgust etc., but thought that the overt outward expression of them is redundant for our advanced sentiment.
Evans illustrates this still prevalent attitude with the character of Star Trek's emotionless Mr Spock whom we are supposed to admire for his rationality. But to Dylan Evans this is all wrong and we would be much better off if we listened to our heritage of emotions because they still have important functions. Our hair no longer stands on end like that of a cat when we are frightened but we can still feel it do so. A cat's hair automatically stands on end when frightened in order to make it look bigger and become frightening itself. Indeed it can be useful to be frightened because it alerts us to potential danger and can lead to intelligent action rather than a knee-jerk over emotional response. In Emotion, Dylan Evans holds what he calls "a positive view of emotions" because "it maintains that the best recipe for success is a mixture of reason and emotion". Evans is the author of more technical books such as Introducing Evolutionary Psychology and is a regular contributor to The Guardian. He writes wonderfully well for the general reader and whether you under or over-emote, thoughts will be provoked and you will be entertained by Emotion. Further reading, source material and index are all there to help the inquiring mind.-- Douglas Palmer
Review
"A pop science classic."--Independent on Sunday
"A fun book.... Highly accessible, this little gem deserves to sell well."--Nature
"A charming primer on the up-and-coming science of emotions."--New Scientist
"Evans, one of the best of the new wave of science writers, has written a masterly survey--lean, confident, and packed with up-to-the-minute information. It will enlighten and surprise."--Nicholas Humphrey, author of Leaps of Faith
"At last, an accessible and fascinating account of a neglected aspect of our mental lives."--Lewis Wolpert, author of Malignant Sadness
"A fun book.... Highly accessible, this little gem deserves to sell well."--Nature
"A charming primer on the up-and-coming science of emotions."--New Scientist
"Evans, one of the best of the new wave of science writers, has written a masterly survey--lean, confident, and packed with up-to-the-minute information. It will enlighten and surprise."--Nicholas Humphrey, author of Leaps of Faith
"At last, an accessible and fascinating account of a neglected aspect of our mental lives."--Lewis Wolpert, author of Malignant Sadness
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
When I was 15, some friends of mine invited me to join their punk rock band. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
When I was 15, some friends of mine invited me to join their punk rock band. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
An intelligent but highly entertaining and accessible analysis of emotions, exploring every topic from how / why we can enjoy happiness to why we fall in love. If you enjoy analytic novels such as Alain De Botton's early efforts, you will love this - only it is even more informative, intelligent and compelling than de Botton.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In some ways this short, highly readable book would be a good companion to Goleman's "Emotional Intelligence". Like that book, it provides a guide to current scientific thinking about emotion (including many studies not mentioned by Goleman). It also covers philosophical theories of emotion, mood- altering techniques (such as the use of colour to evoke particular emotions), and how robots are beginning to recognise, elicit, and possibly in the future even feel emotions.
One of the central ideas of the book is that emotions provide a 'quick and dirty' way of assessing situations and making decisions which is often more efficient than using reason and logic alone. One of the chapters is called "Why Spock Could Never Have Evolved".
Evans, a philosopher and part time DJ, comes up with a huge quantity of interesting information and ideas in 200 pages. As a scientist with no psychometric test or consultancy to sell, he provides a refreshing alternative to the tendency in many business-oriented books to 'stretch' the concept of emotional intelligence to encompass every presumed quality of a 'good employee' until the term 'EI' loses all meaning.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Emotions is a great little book. Easy to read (and short - you should get through it in a couple of hours), it gives good basic information about theories of emotion. I have recently read 'Emotional Rollercoaster' by Claudia Hammond, which I found a little more comprehensive, but nevertheless this is a good basic introduction. Evan's book also includes a good chapter about the possible future of robots/mobots/artificial intelligence and the possibility of computers being able to feel emotion in the future.
The only thing I would critisise is that it isn't brilliantly referenced, so not great from an academic point of view, but if you are reading this for enjoyment it's great. A list of recommended further reading is also provided at the back.
The only thing I would critisise is that it isn't brilliantly referenced, so not great from an academic point of view, but if you are reading this for enjoyment it's great. A list of recommended further reading is also provided at the back.
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