Emotional Intelligence

Man, this photo looks like stock!Anyway, I asked one of my lecturers if he could recommend a good pastoral read about anger and better controlling our emotions. Goleman's 'Emotional Intelligence' was one of the handful that he recommended. It's not written by a Christian (as far as I can tell); in fact it seems like there aren't any stand-out Christian books on the topic!

It's a good read. American, pop psychology stuff - readable, but a bit repetitive, and full of data from studies. There are a few things I really like about it.

1. He starts out with some really interesting stuff on the brain and the inner-workings of an emotional hijacking. I reckon it's just amazing how our brains work. So complicated, so elegant, but so rotten when it's put to all the wrong ends.
   
2. He's got an agenda: to see that the next generation is more emotionally competent than this one. And that's what makes the whole enterprise readily applicable. He targets parents, teachers, the medical profession. If it weren't for his agenda the book would be boring, to me at least.
   

I'd like to give you my two cents on how I reckon psychology and neurology relate to depravity, ethics, and the work of the Holy Spirit... but that might have to be another day (one on which I've actually thought it through some more!). Ask me some time.

For now, I recommend it. Three-and-a-half stars. Especially if you want to think through just how emotions work, where we go seriously wrong sometimes, and some practical measures in line with Goleman's agenda.