This book is certainly complicated and deals with a lot of excellent, modern concepts in neuroscience. As a professional in the field, I find Barrett's theory to be very intriguing and incredibly compelling. The ideas contained in this book have the potential to create a major paradigm shift the field.
From an academic's perspective, I will examine a few of the major premises of the book.
The biggest and most important thesis of this book is that the human mind constructs emotions via what she terms "predictions" and "affect." Barrett defines predictions (or concepts) in a similar way to previous theorists who call these ideas "schema or schemata." Her definition includes a very simple use that is similar to the colloquial term, or basically a concept or an idea of what we think will happen informed on what has happened to us in the past. Simple enough and very easy to understand. Affect, by her account, is the brain's ability to interpret signals coming in from the various parts of the body and t turn it into something meaningful for us. According to her, the brain is not very good at interpreting these signals at times, and our methods of interpretation come by way of external teaching rather than internal methods of defining them. She says that this is what separates the average person from those with Autism Spectrum Disorder; that they have not successfully incorporated these emotional keywords into their lives. All of these assertions are backed up by strong evidence, and by all accounts are consistent with most previous research in the field of cognition. Emotions and predictions or concepts all function in a similar fashion to heuristics, which are shortcuts and best guesses about what the brain things will happen. This is indeed how most people use emotions to function, as a methodology for interpreting how they feel and how others feel.
I have noticed in other reviews some have questioned her evidence of questioning the objectivity of emotional perception, and I think these readers are missing the point. If something is completely arbitrary, as is the case with the social determination of emotions, then there can be no objective method for determining what someone is feeling. Objective, in this sense, is used in a scientific term to mean "Constant regardless of the observer." Typically this definition is applied to mathematical constants of the universe, such as the law of gravity which affects all things at the same rate proportional to mass and acceleration. Emotions do not function in the same way as the laws of physics do objectively, and therefore cannot be considered anything more than subjective; that is reliant on interpretation or our own experiences. With this in mind, her theory is far more comprehensive than any other that I have seen in my career, and is far more down to earth than other decisionmaking theories that tend towards a neat equation-style method of explaining how people work. People work based upon their "emotions" and the majority of people make decisions based on what "feels the best." In this case since Barrett has discovered the methodology by which these people govern their daily lives, there are huge implications for further studies down the road.
On to the part about the applications of this resarch, which I find to be less infromative than the theory part, but that is likely because I'm an academic. In the second half of her book, Barrett uses the information she's discovered to apply it to how you, the reader, can use it to change your behavior and thoughts. You are in control of your emotions, and with some training, you can de-condition yourself from using them as a crutch for everything. Her advice is rather easily summarized as "be more self aware" and "Meditate to relax." To briefly editorialize, it seems unlikely to me that the average person would be able to complete changes like these on their own without the help of a therapist. That is, after all, (and this is something she admits in her book), why people seek the help of therapists in the first place---to reframe issues in a new light. Despite this, barrett does make an attempt to help the reader use this new information, despite how little it will likely mean.
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Reviews with images
Missing pages 77-108 so order a new one
It’s a fascinating book, but the publisher forgot to put in pages 77 to 108 have to return it back to the publisher. I ordered and received a new one that came in complete.
Top reviews from other countries
Susana A.
Muy interesante, instructivo e importante en cuanto a nuestro conocimiento de las emociones.
Reviewed in Spain on September 6, 2023