A compelling argument that "far from being irrational, the emotions
have a logic of their own," and some advice on how to identify and
change counterproductive emotional patterns. According to retired
psychology professor Richard Lazarus (Emotion and Adaptation, not
reviewed) and his wife, a freelance writer, we feel an emotion when
"we are motivated to gain something or prevent something unwanted
from happening." Emotions, they argue, are intimately linked to our
ability to appraise and interpret actions and events, so it is no
accident that humans are both the most intelligent and the most
emotional of animals. Each of our emotions, furthermore, has "a
distinctive dramatic plot": Anger stems from perceiving something
as an unfair slight, sadness from experiencing an irrevocable loss,
happiness from making progress toward attaining a goal, and so on.
Biology hardwires emotions in us; culture acts as our software,
programming certain acts to trigger each emotion and teaching us
how - or whether - that emotion should be expressed. Differences in
personality and experience complete the program, giving each
individual a distinct emotional configuration. The authors supply
practical advice on when it is best to express emotion and when it
is best to suppress it, along with examples of how to do both. For
example, in an instance of being angered by one's spouse, they
suggest reinterpreting the event to lessen the distress it evokes;
one might excuse the spouse's insensitive behavior as being the
result of exhaustion or stress. The authors discuss various
psychotherapy options for those who need extra help in regulating
their emotions. And in sketchier, less convincing chapters, they
explore stress and the possible influence of emotional states on
physical health. For the most part a helpful, clearly written
user's guide to the human emotions. (Kirkus Reviews)
When Oxford published
Emotion and Adaptation, the landmark 1991 book on the psychology of emotion by internationally acclaimed stress and coping expert Richard Lazarus,
Contemporary Psychology welcomed it as "a brightly shining star in the galaxy of such volumes." Psychiatrists, psychologists and researchers hailed it as a masterpiece, a major breakthrough in our understanding of the emotional process and its central role in our adaptation as individuals and as a species. What was still needed, however, was a book for general readers and health care practitioners that would dispel the myths still surrounding cultural beliefs about emotion and systematically explain the relevance of the new research to the emotional dramas of our everyday lives.
Now, in The Passions of Life, Lazarus draws on his four decades of pioneering research to bring readers the first book to move beyond both clinical jargon and "feel-good" popular psychology to really explain, in plain, accessible language, how emotions are aroused, how they are managed, and how they critically shape our views of ourselves and the world around us. With his co-author writer Bernice Lazarus, Dr. Lazarus explores the latest findings on the short and long-term causes and effects of various emotions, including the often conflicting research on stress management and links between negative emotions and heart disease, cancer, and other aspects of physical and psychological health. Lazarus makes a strong case that contrary to common assumption, emotions are not irrational--our emotions and our analytical thought processes are inextricably linked.
While not a "how-to" book, The Passions of Life does describe how readers can interpret what lies behind their own emotions and those of their families, friends, and co-workers, and how to manage them more effectively. Exploring fifteen emotions in depth, from love to jealousy, the authors show how the personal meaning we give to the events and conditions of our lives trigger such emotions as anger, anxiety, guilt, and pride. They provide fascinating vignettes to frame a "biography" of each emotion. Some are composite case histories drawn from Dr. Lazarus's long career, but most are stories of people the Lazaruses have known over the years--people whose emotional fears, conflicts, and desires mirror readers' own. The Lazaruses also offer a special chapter on the diverse strategies of coping people use in managing their emotions, and another, "When Coping Fails," on psychotherapy and its approaches to emotional stress and dysfunction, from traditional Freudian psychoanalysis to continuing research into relaxation techniques, meditation, hypnosis, and biofeedback.
Packed with insight and compellingly readable, The Passions of Life will enrich all readers fascinated by our emotional lives.
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