Product Description

Was love invented by European poets in the Middle Ages or is it part of human nature? Will winning the lottery really make you happy? Is it possible to build robots that have feelings? These are just some of the intriguing questions explored in this guide to the latest thinking about the emotions. Drawing on a wide range of scientific research, from anthropology and psychology to neuroscience and artificial intelligence, Emotion: The Science of Sentiment takes the reader on a fascinating journey into the human heart.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #578656 in Books
• Published on: 2002-02-14
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

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
Was love invented by European poets in the Middle Ages ? Will winning the lottery bring happiness ? Can robots that have feelings ever be built ? These are just some of the intriguing questions posed in this widely acclaimed guide to emotions that draw on a wide range of scientific research, takes the reader on a fascinating journey into the human heart.

About the Author
Dylan Evans is a Research Fellow in the Department of Philosophy at King's College London, where he directs a research project in the evolution of the emotions. In his previous lives, he worked as a film-maker and psychotherapist. He is the author of Introducing Evolutionary Psychology (Icon, 1999) and Rethinking Emotion (MIT Press, forthcoming), and contributes regularly to the Guardian. In his spare time he is also a DJ.

Customer Reviews

Excellent
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.

Great companion to Goleman's books
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.

Very easy to read and great overview...
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.