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Everyone knows that high IQ is no guarantee of success, happiness, or virtue, but until Emotional Intelligence, we could only guess why. Daniel Goleman's brilliant report from the frontiers of psychology and neuroscience offers startling new insight into our 'two minds'—the rational and the emotional—and how they together shape our destiny.Through vivid examples, Goleman d Everyone knows that high IQ is no guarantee of success, happiness, or virtue, but until Emotional Intelligence, we could only guess why. Daniel Goleman's brilliant report from the frontiers of psychology and neuroscience offers startling new insight into our 'two minds'—the rational and the emotional—and how they together shape our destiny.Through vivid examples, Goleman delineates the five crucial skills of emotional intelligence, and shows how they determine our success in relationships, work, and even our physical well-being. What emerges is an entirely new way to talk about being smart.The best news is that 'emotional literacy' is not fixed early in life. Every parent, every teacher, every business leader, and everyone interested in a more civil society, has a stake in this compelling vision of human possibility.From the Trade Paperback edition.
The book I have has, 'with a new introduction by the author,' on the front cover and, 'With new information reflecting the latest research, this tenth The book I have has, 'with a new introduction by the author,' on the front cover and, 'With new information reflecting the latest research, this tenth anniversary edition updates Goleman's thinking and answers key questions posed to him during his worldwide speaking appearances. A new section also guides readers to the best resources in the fast-growing field of EI studies,' on the back cover. Hope that helps. Descriptive but not very practical-The main and only thesis of the book is: emotional intelligence is important. Goleman spends over 13 hours in this audiobook to pretty much buttress the thesis with evidence from various sources including psychology, medicine, and educational programs.The content is interesting at times but overall, the message got repetitive and I was looking for any useful information to put to use in my daily life from the book to no avail.Unfortunately the book Descriptive but not very practical-The main and only thesis of the book is: emotional intelligence is important. Goleman spends over 13 hours in this audiobook to pretty much buttress the thesis with evidence from various sources including psychology, medicine, and educational programs.The content is interesting at times but overall, the message got repetitive and I was looking for any useful information to put to use in my daily life from the book to no avail.Unfortunately the book is very much descriptive and normative, but not very useful or practical. He describes what emotional intelligence is and makes a strong case for its importance over IQ, but fails to make it relevant to daily life.Also, the content is not as groundbreaking as it used to be due to the recent proliferation of studies, research, and books on the subject (which could be precisely because of this book, but I plead insufficient knowledge on this matter).So overall, I thought it was too long and not very practical, but there were still some interesting facts.
This visionary book by Daniel Goleman is one of the most important in my collection. I see it as a seminal contribution to understanding the human condition, and a roadmap of practical steps for living better, both within ourselves and with those around us.I begin by recommending the - a clear, well-written summary of the major points in the book.Here I will focus on 3 topics from the book: 1) the evolution of brain mechanisms for emotional and rational behavior; 2) how This visionary book by Daniel Goleman is one of the most important in my collection. I see it as a seminal contribution to understanding the human condition, and a roadmap of practical steps for living better, both within ourselves and with those around us.I begin by recommending the - a clear, well-written summary of the major points in the book.Here I will focus on 3 topics from the book: 1) the evolution of brain mechanisms for emotional and rational behavior; 2) how these mechanisms can be hijacked in modern life, both accidentally and intentionally; and 3) the critical need for properly balancing emotion and rational thought in ourselves and our society. The latter challenge has given rise to extremely important research and training endeavors, and I believe these will become even more important in the foreseeable future. I see these endeavors as promising and significant career paths for those who pursue them.For more information on the brain systems discussed below, McGill University has an, with helpful graphics, background and discussion at three levels of complexity, starting with the basics.
The links below are to this site.Brain evolutionTo understand Goleman’s message, it is important to consider the human brain as an. We can think of it as a layer cake, assembled one layer at a time. The important point is that each layer in the sequence was originally the 'executive' in a functioning brain, with no obvious need for a higher layer. We can think about this sequence by considering a frog, a ‘primitive’ mammal such as a mouse, and a human.The most obvious difference among these three brains is the relative amount of cerebral (neo)cortex. The frog has essentially none - just a small bulge called ‘cerebrum’.
The major portion of this ‘reptilian brain’ closely resembles the in humans, where vital body functions such as heart rate and respiration are controlled, plus a cerebellum for fine motor control. The mouse has a relatively well-developed limbic system (discussed below) and a respectable neocortex. But the human brain is completely dominated by the massively overgrown neocortex, which must be intricately lobed and folded to fit within the skull.So what does all that neocortex do in humans? Put simply, it thinks. It makes associations, provides context, and makes decisions to guide behavior in a complex world.
Most other parts of the brain carry out simple sensory processing or stereotyped motor programs, or convey information from periphery to cortex or vice versa. Cortex takes crudely processed inputs (mostly from the thalamus) and identifies salient features (speech, faces, odors). By analyzing these features, it provides a rich context for making informed decisions and choosing appropriate actions.Well, don’t frogs need a lot of cortex to process information and make adaptive decisions? Actually, they don’t.
They have gotten along just fine without it for many millions of years. The tradeoff is that they can only perform a limited analysis of sensory inputs, and produce a limited and stereotyped array of behaviors. Mice, with a significant amount of cortex, can perform more sophisticated processing and behaviors, and can show some behavioral adaptation (learning).Now here is the really important part. Humans did not lose or replace the amphibian or ‘primitive’ mammalian brain. Basically, they just added really elaborate processing layers (neocortex) on top of them. All of that cortical hardware has to work through lower centers that are, for the most part, quite similar to those found in other vertebrates.A neurologist colleague elegantly summarized this concept for the medical students I was teaching, in a review session for our neuroanatomy lab exam. He pointed to a structure in the human brainstem that assists in fine-tuning motor control (inferior olive).
He said, “this structure evolved to help a frog catch a fly by jumping accurately toward the target. We have to use it to do things like play piano and tap-dance. It takes a lot of cortical machinery to get that kind of performance from those cells.”It isn’t quite that simple (of course), but the analogy is a very good one. And this key concept is at the core of Goleman’s magnificent book.Good amygdala, bad amygdalaWith this evolutionary framework in place, we can consider the relative role of the (‘emotional brain’), which first emerged in early mammals. One of its key components, the, is a sort of emotional activation zone for the brain.
One of its critical functions is to serve as an early-warning system for danger, such as approaching predators, and trigger very rapid fight-or-flight (sympathetic) responses. It gets direct, but crude visual and auditory inputs and processes them more quickly than neocortex. In effect, a portion of the sits and asks, ‘should I panic?
Should I panic?’, like an endless loop in software. These responses are, of course, extremely useful when there is real danger.The difficulty is that, in the ‘civilized’ and complex world of humans, the amygdala can generate many false alarms. Even worse, in extreme situations it can take preemptive control of behavior, and trigger blind rage, panic, or other destructive responses. In those cases, the overgrown neocortex that underlies unique human behavior is left out of the loop. And this is where the trouble starts.By analogy, neocortex is the executive who normally runs the company, but the workers can rebel and take over the production line. Examples from everyday life: I blew up; I don’t know what came over me; I just lost my head. Actually, your amygdala came over you and shut down your neocortex.Truth or consequencesBeing emotionally intelligent, in Dan Goleman’s brilliant synthesis, means that you understand the destructive potential of emotions, and actively find ways to minimize or eliminate the destruction.
To do this, you must put a neocortical wisdom about emotions at the front end of your own thought process – an executive in the chain of command. The job of this executive is to find constructive ways to channel and control both your emotions and those of others. This idea is consistent with the notions of mindful meditation and the best of religious thought. In other words, it is a prescription for a long-term, sustainable vision of human existence. To me, this is the most profound element of Dan Goleman’s vision.Sounds pretty simple, right? So why is it so difficult for so many people?
One big reason is that a great deal of money can be made by encouraging precisely the opposite response. Firing up the limbic system to spew out fear, outrage and hate is good for business. Movie and TV producers (and writers) may not know the difference between the limbic system and limbo, but they are experts at fueling emotional responses for profit.In stark contrast, calm, rational appeals to the better angels of our nature face a steep, uphill climb. Fear and loathing are much easier to induce, and much more marketable. Those with emotional wisdom understand that, except in the most extreme cases, fire cannot be fought with fire.
But they must also understand that it is easier to start a fire and fan the flames than to put it out.Moving forwardTo me, a central challenge of our times is to find an adaptive balance between rational and emotional responses in our lives and culture. To do this, we must put the reasoning cortex in charge of our thoughts and decisions – guided but not overwhelmed by emotions. Fail to find this balance, and disaster will follow. This point is stressed by the following quote from the book:“Each day’s news comes to us rife with reports of the disintegration of civility and safety, an onslaught of mean-spirited impulse running amok. But the news simply reflects back to us on a larger scale a creeping sense of emotions out of control in our own lives and in those of the people around us. No one is insulated from this erratic tide of outburst and regret; it reaches into all of our lives in one way or another.”How can these stark realities be reconciled with the urgent need for rational policy decisions, in a world that hovers on the edge of economic and environmental disaster? Another quote:“This book is a guide to making sense of the senselessness I have been struck by two opposing trends, one portraying a growing calamity in our shared emotional life, the other offering some hopeful remedies.”Only by building on those hopeful remedies can we take positive steps with a definite plan.
This is big, important work, and visionary thinkers like Daniel Goleman are pointing the way to constructive steps that can be taken, both now and in the future. Emotional Intelligence is a book that was recommended to read on a management course that I took, oh, some time way back towards the beginning of the century.
The course was taught by a middle aged white woman from southern-Africa. She also recommend Covey's book, but in my enthusiasm that didn't put me off from reading this, perhaps because of an exercise she conducted with us in which you think of something that you'd like to do but haven't done and Emotional Intelligence is a book that was recommended to read on a management course that I took, oh, some time way back towards the beginning of the century. The course was taught by a middle aged white woman from southern-Africa. She also recommend Covey's book, but in my enthusiasm that didn't put me off from reading this, perhaps because of an exercise she conducted with us in which you think of something that you'd like to do but haven't done and then trace back the reasons why you have not done this thing until you get down to fear. This resonated with me although I could not get this to work when I tried it on someone else!.Anyroad, thenabouts I read Emotional Intelligence in a double edition with.
I lent that volume to a colleague and never got it back, I got a second copy which I lent to my Mother and I never got that back either along with and, however since I have also permanently borrowed from her I suppose there is some wider need for a truth and book reconciliation process, or communal book ownership, or maybe a tender hearted acceptance that books can never be truly owned but have a deep need instead to be free to find readers. Finally in recent times I fell across a copy of Emotional Intelligence. The volume was in a bad way, browned and battered. More ready to prop up a wobbly table leg than to be read. The plus side of a book in this condition is that when you stand on a station platform reading in the mizzle as it pizzles down from December skies you accept this as part of the natural life cycle of a book. First treasured, finally read in all weathers and abandoned on a train.Rereading this was a curious experience.
I suppose I had absorbed so much from my first reading that reading it again much of what it said seemed self-evident. After several years of looking at this seminal work on my to-read list, I am happy to have finally read it. It should be on the to-read list of educators and parents.To learn and to grow, children first need to be ready to learn and to grow. However, how and what we need to learn today can differ significantly from the requirements of our ancestors. Evolution equipped us with an early warning system, the limbic system of our brains and its marvelous filter, the amygdala.This system connects se After several years of looking at this seminal work on my to-read list, I am happy to have finally read it. It should be on the to-read list of educators and parents.To learn and to grow, children first need to be ready to learn and to grow. However, how and what we need to learn today can differ significantly from the requirements of our ancestors.
Evolution equipped us with an early warning system, the limbic system of our brains and its marvelous filter, the amygdala.This system connects sensory perception to emotional reactions based on experiences encountered in environments where survival depended on immediate and intense responses-fight or flight. When you are hunting a woolly mammoth or being hunted by a saber-toothed tiger, careful analysis can be less helpful than a rush of adrenaline-filled momentum.Fortunately, evolution has also met more modern-day needs. The limbic core of our brains is surrounded by the neo-cortex. The front part of this add-on to human brains, which continues to grow after birth, is larger than in other animals, and highly malleable. The way this area develops is the key to emotional intelligence.The proficiency with which we identify and deal with the emotions engendered in the limbic system is the measure of how well we can avoid becoming victims of what Goleman terms 'emotional hijacking.' It would be futile to try to suppress these emotions entirely, he tells us, but success or failure in monitoring and controlling them is the yardstick of emotional intelligence.Genetics, Goleman believes, do play a part here. The very outlooks with which we are born, optimistic or pessimistic, indicate obvious propensities for high or low emotional intelligence.
The incredible plasticity of our brains, though, means we are not prisoners of nature.If we consciously develop those neural pathways to the parts of our brains associated with attending to emotions, we can strengthen a 'self-aware' style of managing them that Goleman notes is so much more effective than what he calls 'engulfed' and 'accepting' styles.While recent studies have indicated the remarkable adaptability of the brain into old age, it is during childhood and adolescence, Goleman notes, where we have the largest 'windows of opportunity.' Since 'Emotional Intelligence' first came out fifteen years ago, 'emotional literacy' has earned a place in the curriculum of many schools. Reading the book strengthened my desire for a continuation of this trend.Without emotional intelligence, we are susceptible to 'flooding' where an emotional response such as anger generates more anger. Goleman's description of the biology here is fascinating. Anger is amplified as our brains release catecholamines, neurotransmitters that keep the nervous system ramped up and raring to go.When children are 'flooded,' they can not be good students. 'A child's readiness for school,' Goleman writes, 'depends on the most basic of all knowledge, how to learn.' He goes on to list important attributes of that readiness from a report by the National Center for Clinical Infant Programs: confidence, curiosity, intentionality, self-control, relatedness, capacity to communicate, and cooperativeness.'
Emotional Intelligence' is not only a manual for childhood education. Reading it really made me think about my own style of managing my own emotions. In particular, two observations by Goleman really resonated with me.One is that men, it appears, generally have a lower threshold for 'flooding' than women. If that seems counter-intuitive, it's because men often use withdrawal-stonewalling-as a way of dealing with flooding, rather than the self-expression we stereotypically associate with femininity.The second is Goleman's consideration of substance abuse as self-medication. People who are prone to addiction may actually be searching for control of depression, anxiety or rage.The importance of 'Emotional Intelligence' is apparent in the many references made to it in popular culture.
It is also an accessible and entertaining book that deserves a place on the shelves of those concerned with learning and the brain. It certainly contains a lot of useful info, but boy, is it ever dense! Reading it is like hacking your way through a dense jungle with a dull machete. It must also be noted that it is most definitely of the school of 80's/90's 'hard-wired' thinking about the brain, and hard-sells the view that, to put it simply, mind comes from brain, and not the other way around. In other words, nature, not nurture. (For comparison, try Sharon Begley's Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain, which, oddly enough, ha It certainly contains a lot of useful info, but boy, is it ever dense!
Reading it is like hacking your way through a dense jungle with a dull machete. It must also be noted that it is most definitely of the school of 80's/90's 'hard-wired' thinking about the brain, and hard-sells the view that, to put it simply, mind comes from brain, and not the other way around. In other words, nature, not nurture. (For comparison, try Sharon Begley's Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain, which, oddly enough, has a preface by Goleman.)A further note: I get the distinct impression that Goleman doesn't really like people that don't 'fit in'. There is little sympathy or compassion for anyone who is a little 'different', or not accepted by their peers, and there's a negative tone directed toward social outcasts in general, even those who happen to be children (Sample subheading from the book: 'The Making Of A Social Incompetent'). There are some interesting things in the book, things that are hard to disagree with, such as emotional skills and self-knowledge are important.
I think a lot of people who liked this book focused on that self-help aspect. I have no problem with that. My problems with this book stem from the wider claims Goleman makes for EQ as a mental function.Goleman bases this aspect of his theory on some whopping assumptions. The biggest one is the idea that emotional intelligence even exists. The main asp There are some interesting things in the book, things that are hard to disagree with, such as emotional skills and self-knowledge are important. I think a lot of people who liked this book focused on that self-help aspect.
I have no problem with that. My problems with this book stem from the wider claims Goleman makes for EQ as a mental function.Goleman bases this aspect of his theory on some whopping assumptions.
The biggest one is the idea that emotional intelligence even exists. The main aspects of EQ he posits (self-awareness, social-awareness,etc.) aren't objectively measurable and there is no proof that they even correlate with one another on a neurological level, which we would see if these aspects were part of a measurable form of human intelligence.Another assumption is that there is an acceptable norm of emotional intelligence. This raises the question, what about people who don't meet the norm?
Under Goleman's narrow definition, people with autism, even many on the high-functioning end of the spectrum, would not qualify as possessing a desirable EQ level, neither would the introvert who prefers books to people. It is here that I found Goleman's ideas to be particularly objectionable. There's a whiff of something truly unpleasant here. However, we know that even people with severe autism are able to learn emotional skills.Goleman makes the grand claim that, throughout history, great leaders all had high EQ levels. (As a historian, this made me cringe when I first read it.) Unless one has access to a person's psychiatric records, it is always extremely problematic to make all but the most qualified claims about the psychology of historical figures.The EQ theory has many of the same flaws as theories of IQ.
Older IQ tests assumed that intelligence was easily measured and that there was a single kind of intelligence. One frequently encountered people who had low IQ scores but who functioned intelligently or had highly advanced skills in some areas but not others. We now speak of multiple intelligences, seeing them as a skills set. We might be born with a tendency to some intelligences over others, but these are shaped by enviromental factors and can be influenced through learning, rather than something neurologically innate.I'm willing to accept the idea that people are born with a range of abilities to recognize and respond to emotional interaction. I think these emotional responses are learned behaviors to a much greater degree than Goleman would allow.
The problem with books like Goleman's is that it presents one side of a very contentious debate, but it might be the only book on the subject many people will read. I think the best part of the book is when he explained about the five major components of the emotional intelligence as:1. Self-awareness: Recognize and understand your own moods and motivations and their effect on others. To achieve this state, you must be able to monitor your own emotional state and identify your own emotions. Emotional Maturity in this trait shows:-Confidence-Sense of humor (can laugh at self)-Aware of your impression on others (can read the reactions of others to know how yo I think the best part of the book is when he explained about the five major components of the emotional intelligence as:1. Self-awareness: Recognize and understand your own moods and motivations and their effect on others.
To achieve this state, you must be able to monitor your own emotional state and identify your own emotions. Emotional Maturity in this trait shows:-Confidence-Sense of humor (can laugh at self)-Aware of your impression on others (can read the reactions of others to know how you are perceived)2. Self-Regulation: Controlling your impulses—instead of being quick to react rashly, you can reign in your emotions and think before responding. You express yourself appropriately. Emotional Maturity in this trait shows:-Conscientious and take personal responsibility for your own work/deeds.-Adaptable (and favorable) to change-When someone is complaining or is rude to you, you do not respond in kind. You respond in a manner which would not escalate the situation.
(At this point, you will also realize that when someone expresses anger at you, they’re not always angry at you; they’re often just angry and want to take it out on someone.)3. Internal Motivation: Internal motivation is marked by an interest in learning. It is also self-improvement vs. A pursuit of wealth and status (as a pursuit of wealth and status is an external motivator). Emotional Maturity in this trait shows:-Initiative and the commitment to complete a task-Perseverance in the face of adversity4.
Empathy: The ability to understand another person’s emotional reaction. This is only possible when one has achieved self-awareness—as one cannot understand others until they understand themselves. Emotional Maturity in this trait shows:-Perceptive of other’s emotions and taking an active interest in their concerns.-Proactive—able to anticipate someone’s needs and the appropriate reaction.-Social Situations such as office politics do not phase one who has a firm grasp of empathy.5. Social Skills: Identifying social cues to establish common ground, manage relationships and build networks.
Emotional Maturity in this trait shows:-Communication: Listening and responding appropriately-Influence and Leadership: The ability to guide and inspire others-Conflict Management: The ability to diffuse difficult situations using persuasion and negotiation. If you're like me, you're extremely leery of anything that reeks of pop psychology. But Emotional Intelligence has no such odor. First, author Daniel Goleman is the real deal. He has his PhD, of course, as do many snake oil salesmen, but unlike these others, Goleman has academic street cred: he founded an institute at Yale, heads up another at Rutgers, and wrote science columns for the New York Times.At first glance, I can see that this book, though written more than 10 years ago, still packs a If you're like me, you're extremely leery of anything that reeks of pop psychology.
But Emotional Intelligence has no such odor. First, author Daniel Goleman is the real deal. He has his PhD, of course, as do many snake oil salesmen, but unlike these others, Goleman has academic street cred: he founded an institute at Yale, heads up another at Rutgers, and wrote science columns for the New York Times.At first glance, I can see that this book, though written more than 10 years ago, still packs a punch. We still live in a world, after all, of road rage and horrific, random violence.From my brief inspection, it appears that Goleman describes how the emotional mind is just as important as the rational mind. Its short, pithy chapters are full of anecdotes. But be patient: it is packed with science.
This is good, in case you want to get deeper into the subject.Here's Goleman's website and blog:. Somebody needs to tell him to update his mugshot or lose the fro.
The subtitle 'Why It Can Matter More Than IQ' is misleading.It should be 'Why It MIGHT Matter More Than IQ (provided you're comparing people of similar age, education, background, career, aspiration, social economic status, race, ethnicity, gender, and so on and so forth).' The group that was looked at in this book was executives, and what the author found was that the thing that set these people apart from their peers and others vying for the same positions is people skills. When you're good wi The subtitle 'Why It Can Matter More Than IQ' is misleading.It should be 'Why It MIGHT Matter More Than IQ (provided you're comparing people of similar age, education, background, career, aspiration, social economic status, race, ethnicity, gender, and so on and so forth).'
The group that was looked at in this book was executives, and what the author found was that the thing that set these people apart from their peers and others vying for the same positions is people skills. When you're good with people (and also a good speaker), you reach leadership level positions much faster. Seems obvious, yeah? Well, this book was written in the early 1990s, and while it's been revised and updated since then, the information has been repeated so many times, it's nearly common knowledge by now. (Forgot to clarify this look at executives and their peers is only a small part of the book.)What I was interested, but sadly wasn't addressed head-on, was whether or not emotional intelligence is innate.
There's a lot of talk about brain chemistry and the evolution of the brain, yet no discernible answer as to the innateness of this type of intelligence. I get the impression the author thinks it can be taught-he does call it intelligence after all-but can it though? Don't you need a certain (innate) temperament to learn it? I mean, if you don't like people, that can certainly hamper the process.Anyhow. This is a good textbook overall and an easy read as it was written for the general public. Lots of concrete, ripped-from-the-headlines scenarios are used and dissected. So for me, there was a lot of 'fluff' (for lack of a better word) to wade through before I found something interesting.
However, people who don't have a background in psychology or are unfamiliar with it altogether will find this book a great introduction to contemporary theories. Emotional Intelligence produced such conflicting feelings in me that I am torn as to what to write about it. For the most part, it is well-written, intelligent and compelling. The messages are simple yet profound, and I have to agree that the importance of social and emotional skills can’t be understated. On some level I think Daniel Goleman and I think in much the same way, and even though the book is 15 years old now, on the whole it is as applicable as it ever was.disclaimer – angry rant co Emotional Intelligence produced such conflicting feelings in me that I am torn as to what to write about it. For the most part, it is well-written, intelligent and compelling. The messages are simple yet profound, and I have to agree that the importance of social and emotional skills can’t be understated.
On some level I think Daniel Goleman and I think in much the same way, and even though the book is 15 years old now, on the whole it is as applicable as it ever was.disclaimer – angry rant coming up. On the other hand, it testifies to the importance of emotional intelligence, because if I had any less, this book would be lying in pieces in my backyard. One problem is that Goleman quite often makes the correlation = causation fallacy when citing research, which drives me bonkers. Secondly – and this is what really disappointed me - at several points throughout the book, he does one of the WORST possible things a non-fiction writer can do: he catastrophises. He shamelessly talks about the degradation of society, the decrease in moral fibre, and equates rising divorce rates with lower prospects for good relationships (I absolutely cannot stand the “divorce = unhappiness, marriage = happiness” argument – have we not progressed at all since the 19th century?).He cites a study that found children in their teenage years are more moody, secretive and irritable than when they were children – and uses that to support an argument that people are getting unhappier across the lifespan (really? Because that sounds like ADOLESCENCE to me). What makes the doomsday predictions particularly embarrassing is the statistics he cites regarding rising violence and cocaine use, stating expert predictions that violent crime among the young would increase drastically in the years to come.
Too bad for Goleman that this “crime boom” widely predicted in the 90s never happened, and that the cocaine bubble burst that decade – resulting in the rates of both violent crime and cocaine use in the US decreasing drastically. The simple fact is that if Daniel Goleman hadn’t been so set on his overblown doomsday scenarios, his book would have been so much better – more measured, more reasonable, and much less likely to make me throw up all over it.Truthfully, he didn’t need all the catastrophising about the crumbling fibre of society to make a point for the importance of emotional intelligence – the rest of the book does that on its own. So all I can say is: on the whole it’s a great book, which could have been much better without the over-exaggerated scare tactics - much of which have since turned out to be false (which must be embarrassing for you, Daniel Goleman, but you deserved it resorting to arguments like that). I know that most of this review is an angry rant, but I've still given it four stars because I chose to be reasonable and not let those things be deal-breakers. I really did enjoy the vast majority of this book. A great book that delves into the science behind emotional intelligence, the components that comprise the trait, and the practical applications of possessing EI.
While I knew a decent amount of the information beforehand as a Psychology student, several points stood out to me, such as the explanation of child molesters' mindsets, the idea that abused children gain heightened emotional perceptiveness, and almost all of the brain-related information. My favorite sections appeared toward the end, w A great book that delves into the science behind emotional intelligence, the components that comprise the trait, and the practical applications of possessing EI. While I knew a decent amount of the information beforehand as a Psychology student, several points stood out to me, such as the explanation of child molesters' mindsets, the idea that abused children gain heightened emotional perceptiveness, and almost all of the brain-related information.
My favorite sections appeared toward the end, when Goleman shared success stories of emotional intelligence being taught in schools. One can only imagine - unless he or she works to make it a reality - the collective benefit of bringing social and emotional lessons to every Elementary school and beyond.Highly recommended for those who want to understand not only their own emotions, but the emotions of those around them.
You can check out for more about the contents within the book. A difficult book to review and my 2 stars are an honest reflection on what I gained personally from reading the book, rather than what the world gained from the book having been written.This was clearly a groundbreaking and seminal work, particularly in bringing the important topic of emotional intelligence to a wide audience. However, that doesn't necessarily make it a worthwhile read 20 years later, particularly for those in search of practical advice.There is a significant focus on how the b A difficult book to review and my 2 stars are an honest reflection on what I gained personally from reading the book, rather than what the world gained from the book having been written.This was clearly a groundbreaking and seminal work, particularly in bringing the important topic of emotional intelligence to a wide audience. However, that doesn't necessarily make it a worthwhile read 20 years later, particularly for those in search of practical advice.There is a significant focus on how the brain works, but learning that the key to self-awareness is 'to have an activated neocortex' may be educational but hardly practically useful. The funny thing about reading old seminal books that have already made their point is that your natural attitude toward their genius society-shaking discoveries is 'duh'Emotions are important. Duh.Emotional competence is a better predictor of success than intelligence. Duh!Once you recognize your emotions, they lose their power, as you are more able to manage with reason.
Duh!Anger works like Super Mario Bros., triggering events in quick succession cause you to jump up higher and higher un The funny thing about reading old seminal books that have already made their point is that your natural attitude toward their genius society-shaking discoveries is 'duh'Emotions are important. Duh.Emotional competence is a better predictor of success than intelligence.
Duh!Once you recognize your emotions, they lose their power, as you are more able to manage with reason. Duh!Anger works like Super Mario Bros., triggering events in quick succession cause you to jump up higher and higher unless you come down first.
Duh!The brain's emotional center has a direct connection with your brain's senses that bypasses your 'thinkig brain' and goes faster, meaning you literally emotionally react before you can think. Hm, i didn't know that.We can always change, but most of the really important formative stuff happened when we were babies. (and booooooo)(pssst.but it's still well written, informative, and helpful)Book dish: comfort food. Firstly, I don't agree with the title of the book.
One shouldn't matter more than the other but rather, there needs to be a balance of IQ, EQ and CQ. We need every aspect of intelligence and not just have a push-pull relationship like 'This is important but oh, this matters less that THAT intelligence'.Most of the contents in the books seemed unnecessary to me. It is mainly the author just rambling on and on about all the stories he heard in all his life of other people (or at least, it seems l Firstly, I don't agree with the title of the book. One shouldn't matter more than the other but rather, there needs to be a balance of IQ, EQ and CQ. We need every aspect of intelligence and not just have a push-pull relationship like 'This is important but oh, this matters less that THAT intelligence'.Most of the contents in the books seemed unnecessary to me. It is mainly the author just rambling on and on about all the stories he heard in all his life of other people (or at least, it seems like it) and how that relates to emotional intelligence.
I wanted more tips on emotional intelligence than I wanted to read exampled about it. But here are some excerpts that I like. The first one is on focusing on the emotion behind what someone says, more than the content of their message.' TOXIC THOUGHTSThe children are being rambunctious, and Martin, their father, is getting annoyed. He turns to his wife, Melanie, and says in a sharp tone, 'Dear, don't you think the kids could quiet down?'
His actual thought: 'She's too easy on the kids.' Melanie, responding to his ire, feels a surge of anger. Her face grows taut, her brows knit in a frown, and she replies, 'The kids are having a good time.
Anyhow, they'll be going up to bed soon.' Her thought: 'There he goes again, complaining all the time.' Martin now is visibly enraged.
He leans forward menacingly, his fists clenched, as he says in an annoyed tone, 'Should I put them to bed now?' His thought: 'She opposes me in everything. I'd better take over.' Melanie, suddenly frightened by Martin's wrath, says meekly, 'No, I'll put them to bed right away.' Her thought: 'He's getting out of control—he could hurt the kids. I'd better give in.' '.And this one is just an excerpt I wanted to remember because I've tried cognitive therapy with psychologists and this line made me understand how important it is to keep practicing being mindful of the tricks my mind plays on me-'Joseph LeDoux, the neuroscientist who discovered the amygdala's hair-trigger role in emotional outbursts, conjectures, 'Once your emotional system learns something, it seems you never let it go.
What therapy does is teach you to control it—it teaches your neocortex how to inhibit your amygdala. The propensity to act is suppressed, while your basic emotion about it remains in a subdued form.' When I first read this book in 1995-the year it was published-it was required reading for my job in human resources consulting, and I found it amazing and insightful. Fifteen years later it still has some good things to say, but knowing how we've not only ignored Goleman's advice but actually run in the opposite direction (empathy, anyone?) it just made me sad.The book concerns itself with a key set of characteristics he calls 'emotional intelligence': abilities such as being able to motivate When I first read this book in 1995-the year it was published-it was required reading for my job in human resources consulting, and I found it amazing and insightful. I'm wondering whether this book is perhaps a bit outdated. It is 20 years old, and many of the things we take for granted now might not have been at the time. This book, above anything else, feels like a massive pamphlet to tell us that emotional intelligence is critical.
And it shows what happens if we don't have it (either because of brain malfunctioning or bad parenting).This day and age I think very few people still need convincing that there is such a thing as emotional intelligence; we al I'm wondering whether this book is perhaps a bit outdated. It is 20 years old, and many of the things we take for granted now might not have been at the time. This book, above anything else, feels like a massive pamphlet to tell us that emotional intelligence is critical. And it shows what happens if we don't have it (either because of brain malfunctioning or bad parenting).This day and age I think very few people still need convincing that there is such a thing as emotional intelligence; we all know that Sheldon Cooper was at the back of the queue when they were handing it out. And while we love him on our television, we probably would dislike him in real life.Unfortunately i felt that this book wasn't giving me much more than reasons of EQ's existence.
But there's nothing really to help you out. Nothing to suggest how to grow it if you feel you're missing a part of it. Nothing to aid you in dealing with low EQ people. Nothing practical in other words, i found it highly theoretical. This book is such a powerful reference & insights on understanding how people function in society and interact with each other, convincing his ideas with compact data and finding. Everyone knows that high IQ is no guarantee of success, happiness, or virtue and every person must be able to understand and master his emotions if they are to succeed in life.
It gives a lot of interesting background on how these things impact all our daily lives-from professional relationships to personal ones. This book is such a powerful reference & insights on understanding how people function in society and interact with each other, convincing his ideas with compact data and finding. Everyone knows that high IQ is no guarantee of success, happiness, or virtue and every person must be able to understand and master his emotions if they are to succeed in life. It gives a lot of interesting background on how these things impact all our daily lives-from professional relationships to personal ones. If more people were to read this and actually be concious about what Emotional Intelligence is and how it is best used, we can be much saner & feeling less frustrated living in a crazy world. Before embarking on his gargantuan research project (which includes several meta-analyses and decades of research, galloped along by recent advances in brain imaging technology) Daniel Goleman writes a compelling and convincing case, eschewing jargon and esoteric terminology for a more humanistic and compassionate argument.
He was not overreacting when he saw American society looming towards a cliff of violence, signs of which included school shootings. All over the world, children are doing wor Before embarking on his gargantuan research project (which includes several meta-analyses and decades of research, galloped along by recent advances in brain imaging technology) Daniel Goleman writes a compelling and convincing case, eschewing jargon and esoteric terminology for a more humanistic and compassionate argument. He was not overreacting when he saw American society looming towards a cliff of violence, signs of which included school shootings. All over the world, children are doing worse on matters of emotional literacy and acumen. This, combined with a natural tendency towards aggression in some children, puts them at risk of precipitating the next Columbine massacre. Author of Emotional Intelligence and psychologist Daniel Goleman has transformed the way the world educates children, relates to family and friends, and conducts business. The Wall Street Journal ranked him one of the 10 most influential business thinkers.Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence was on The New York Times best sellers list for a year-and-a-half.
Named one of the 25 'Most Influential Busin Author of Emotional Intelligence and psychologist Daniel Goleman has transformed the way the world educates children, relates to family and friends, and conducts business. The Wall Street Journal ranked him one of the 10 most influential business thinkers.Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence was on The New York Times best sellers list for a year-and-a-half.
Named one of the 25 'Most Influential Business Management Books' by TIME, it has been translated into 40 languages. The Harvard Business Review called emotional intelligence (EI) “a revolutionary, paradigm-shattering idea.”Goleman’s new book, Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, argues that attention — a fundamental mental ability for success — has come under siege. Leadership that gets results demands a triple focus: on our inner world so we can manage ourselves; on others, for our relationships; and on the outer forces that shape our organizations and society itself.His more recent books include The Brain and Emotional Intelligence, and Leadership: The Power of Emotional Intelligence - Selected Writings.