?In this wide-ranging collection of essays, Keith Oatley
synthesizes ancient and modern ideas about emotions, placing them
in the context of history, development, and evolution. The author's
lucid writing, sprinkled with examples drawn from an array of
disciplines, will appeal to the specialist and general reader
alike. Simply masterful!?
W. Gerrod Parrott, Georgetown
University
?Only Keith Oatley could have written a book of this
type--a scholarly treatise on emotions that reads like a novel.
With erudition and verve he contextualizes the scientific study of
the emotions both in linguistic history and in the social context
of life. The examples and literary case studies come fast and
furious, but the book never overwhelms. It is a fast read but the
ideas and themes linger to be savoured long after one is
through.? Keith E. Stanovich, University of Toronto
and author of The Robot's Rebellion: Finding Meaning in the Age
of Darwin
?In this short history, Keith Oatley captures the current
excitement of the ongoing ?Affect Revolution? and its
historical antecedents. As psychologists seek to decipher the
foundations of the many emotional values of animate existence, they
should not forget the many historical roots from which the current
blossoming of research is emerging. This gem helps put the field in
perspective.? Jaak Panksepp, Bowling Green State
University and author of Affective Neuroscience
?There are dozens of books on emotions these days, but
none like Oatley's new work. This original, wide-ranging, erudite,
yet accessible romp through the centuries of thought and feeling
about emotion as encountered in literature, philosophy, religion,
politics, history and anthropology, is a tour de force. A
consummate work by one of the leaders in the field of emotions
research, it is not only a scholarly work of tremendous breadth,
but a literary achievement in its own right--Oatley is a master of
the well-turned phrase and the work is rich in wry musings and
penetrating insight.? Carol Magai, Long Island University,
Brooklyn Campus
?Oatley's beautifully written book comes out of his deep
knowledge both of the history of thought and of the most up-to-date
research in the science of emotions? a masterly introduction
to philosophical and scientific thinking about the emotions in
personal and social life. It's all done with Oatley's
characteristic lucidity, his light touch, and his novelist's gift
for vivid illustration. ?this book will afford fresh insights
and original perspectives to delight even seasoned scholars.?
Ronnie de Sousa, University of Toronto
"An extraordinarily erudite and well written book about all
aspects of the emotions written by a leading cognitive
psychologist. It ranges through evolutionary origins, emotional
development (including EQ) and social aspects of emotions as
reflected in both history and literature. References include the
Brownings, Keats, Marcus Aurelius and Shakespeare while among the
themes treated are emotions and the brain, emotional disorders and
psychopharmacology. " The Scientific and Meidical
Network
