How Emotions Are Made

' How Emotions Are Made did what all great books do. It took a subject I thought I understood and turned my understanding upside down' – Malcolm Gladwell, author of Talking to Strangers When you feel anxious, angry, happy, or surprised, what's really going on inside of you? Perhaps you thought of your emotions as automatic and reactive, a response to the world around you. The thrill of seeing an old friend, the fear of losing someone you love – each of these sensations seems to arise automatically and uncontrollably. But in How Emotions are Made pioneering neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett shatters everything you thought you knew with a compelling new argument: emotions aren't universally pre-programmed into our brains and bodies but, rather, are unique psychological experiences constructed through our personal history, physiology and environment. Relationships, health, parenting, even national security – emotions have serious implications for them all. How Emotions are Made offers a radical new framework that finally explains what you’re feeling – and why it matters so much.

' How Emotions Are Made did what all great books do. It took a subject I thought I understood and turned my understanding upside down' – Malcolm Gladwell, author of Talking to Strangers When you feel anxious, angry, happy, or surprised, what's really going on inside of you? Perhaps you thought of your emotions as automatic and reactive, a response to the world around you. The thrill of seeing an old friend, the fear of losing someone you love – each of these sensations seems to arise automatically and uncontrollably. But in How Emotions are Made pioneering neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett shatters everything you thought you knew with a compelling new argument: emotions aren't universally pre-programmed into our brains and bodies but, rather, are unique psychological experiences constructed through our personal history, physiology and environment. Relationships, health, parenting, even national security – emotions have serious implications for them all. How Emotions are Made offers a radical new framework that finally explains what you’re feeling – and why it matters so much.

'Fascinating . . . A thought-provoking journey into emotion science.' - Wall Street Journal'A singular book, remarkable for the freshness of its ideas and the boldness and clarity with which they are presented.' - Scientific American 'A brilliant and original book on the science of emotion, by the deepest thinker about this topic since Darwin.' - Daniel Gilbert, best-selling author of Stumbling on HappinessThe science of emotion is in the midst of a revolution on par with the discovery of relativity in physics and natural selection in biology. Leading the charge is psychologist and neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett, whose research overturns the long-standing belief that emotions are automatic, universal, and hardwired in different brain regions. Instead, Barrett shows, we construct each instance of emotion through a unique interplay of brain, body, and culture. A lucid report from the cutting edge of emotion science, How Emotions Are Made reveals the profound real-world consequences of this breakthrough for everything from neuroscience and medicine to the legal system and even national security, laying bare the immense implications of our latest and most intimate scientific revolution.'Mind-blowing.' - Elle'Chock-full of startling, science-backed findings . . . An entertaining and engaging read. ' - Forbes

'Fascinating . . . A thought-provoking journey into emotion science.' - Wall Street Journal'A singular book, remarkable for the freshness of its ideas and the boldness and clarity with which they are presented.' - Scientific American 'A brilliant and original book on the science of emotion, by the deepest thinker about this topic since Darwin.' - Daniel Gilbert, best-selling author of Stumbling on HappinessThe science of emotion is in the midst of a revolution on par with the discovery of relativity in physics and natural selection in biology. Leading the charge is psychologist and neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett, whose research overturns the long-standing belief that emotions are automatic, universal, and hardwired in different brain regions. Instead, Barrett shows, we construct each instance of emotion through a unique interplay of brain, body, and culture. A lucid report from the cutting edge of emotion science, How Emotions Are Made reveals the profound real-world consequences of this breakthrough for everything from neuroscience and medicine to the legal system and even national security, laying bare the immense implications of our latest and most intimate scientific revolution.'Mind-blowing.' - Elle'Chock-full of startling, science-backed findings . . . An entertaining and engaging read. ' - Forbes