The Book of Human Emotions: An Encyclopedia of Feeling from Anger to Wanderlust

(Paperback, Main)

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Description

Is your heart fluttering in anticipation Is your stomach tight with nerves Are you falling in love Feeling a bit miffed Are you curious (perhaps about this book) Do you have the heebie-jeebies Are you antsy with iktsuarpok Or giddy with d.paysement

The Book of Human Emotions is a gleeful, thoughtful collection of 156 feelings, both rare and familiar. Each has its own story, and reveals the strange forces which shape our rich and varied internal worlds. In reading it, you'll discover feelings you never knew you had (like basorexia, the sudden urge to kiss someone), uncover the secret histories of boredom and confidence, and gain unexpected insights into why we feel the way we do.

Reviews

[Watt Smith] treats each emotion with the expertise of a wine taster, showing how it is formed from a mixture of many other emotions -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *
So riveting are these miniature essays exploring 156 emotions that if anyone interrupts your reading, you'll probably feel irritated ... Educative, entertaining. * Observer *
Delightful * Prima *
A brilliant book -- Risn Ingle * Irish Times *
Witty, informative, undogmatic and thought-provoking, this wonderful book should convince us that emotions are never just neural events. -- Jane O'Grady * Times Higher Education *

Author Bio

Tiffany Watt Smith is research fellow at the QMUL Centre for the History of the Emotions, and was also a 2014 BBC New Generation Thinker. Before beginning her career in academia, she worked as a theatre director for seven years, including stints as Associate Director at the Arcola Theatre and International Associate Director at the Royal Court. She lives in London.

The Book of Human Emotions is published in association with Wellcome Collection, a free visitor destination that explores the connections between medicine, life and art. In 2012, its critically acclaimed programme of events and exhibitions welcomed over 490,000 visitors.