Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Search - Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ

Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ
Emotional Intelligence Why It Can Matter More Than IQ
Author: Daniel Goleman
Everyone knows that high IQ is no guarantee of success, happiness, or virtue, but until the discoveries of modern brain researchers, theorists could only guess why. Daniel Goleman's fascinating report from the frontiers of psychology and neuroscience offers us startling new insight into our "two minds" -- the rational and the emotional -- and ho...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780553095036
ISBN-10: 055309503X
Publication Date: 9/1/1995
Pages: 368
Rating:
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 32

3.5 stars, based on 32 ratings
Publisher: Bantam
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ on + 43 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
This discerning, revealing, thought-filled book is a must for anyone and everyone who realizes just how our emotional life can sabotage our best efforts to mature. It teaches one just how valuable one's actions and reactions matters in our ability to be and to act in an intelligent way. Intelligence is much more than being able to inculcate book knowledge. How we treat each other and how we allow others to treat us is a great part, in my opinion, on whether a person is intelligent or not. Some of the smartest people I have known are so lacking in the ability to be connected to or to live in their heart. If you just want to live in you head, this book is not for you. If you would like to improve your life this is the book for you. If you would like to understand why people act as they do which confuses the devil out of you, this book is for you. It has my highest recommendation. I still refer to it and browse through it. It's knowledges are that good.
reviewed Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ on + 3 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
This book is excellent. I once listened to a TED Talk where the guy talked about the marshmallow experiment in which it was shown that a person's ability to delay gratification at the age of 4 strongly corresponded to one's success in all areas by the end of teenage years. This book is rife with such scientific studies done by prestigious professionals from a variety of universities including the likes of Harvard, Stanford, etc.

Daniel Goleman starts off the book with a rundown of the physiological makeup of the human brain, focusing on what emotions are made of, how they work, and how they can take control of us. Then he launches into what emotional intelligence is, giving a satisfying discussion of each aspect, and sometimes each role (e.g. marriage and work.), including ways in which it is found that people can develop that aspect of EI. Goleman discusses the relevance and need of emotional intelligence in our society, pointing out how much of societies ills would be helped by an increase in emotional education. And somewhere in there, a section that particularly informed and scared me, he discussed the influence parents have on children solely through their emotional engagement.

Throughout the book Goleman successfully debunks the idea that IQ and other measurements of cognitive capacity are the end all be all of human "worth" (to put it crassly) or are even significantly relevant to predicting one's success. Goleman puts forth Emotional Intelligence, delineating it's forms and discussing it's uses, as a more accurate measurement of a persons success.

This is an excellent book. It has the perfect combination of scholarly support and lay accessibility, accomplished through good writing and ample illustrations. I've seen some people's reviews complain that the book is dense; it really isn't, but if this book is difficult for you then you need to read better books (no offense) so that you can be prepared for books like this.

The book isn't perfect, but I consider it a must read for parents and children, for those in a relationship, for bosses, workers and coworkers, for those who's emotions run dry and those who's emotions flood, and for those who care about society and want to learn another's plan for its improvement.
reviewed Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ on + 11 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Great book. Very insightful. Would highly recommend to anyone interested in 'what makes people tick'.
Read All 12 Book Reviews of "Emotional Intelligence Why It Can Matter More Than IQ"

Please Log in to Rate these Book Reviews

Minehava avatar reviewed Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ on + 830 more book reviews
LOL I will rather go to a sleep deprived, heavily trained, book smart PhDr cancer specialist than an Emotionally Intelligent self identifying specialist (read: quack). Emotional intelligence is yet another moral-superiority bull the politically correct Trolls are imposing on our society. And the so not funny thing about all this, the very people lecturing us on the wonders and superiority of emotional intelligence are the ones who will use your cash (that you pay to read and listen to this drivel) to seek out the best trained specialists to ease their burdens. Like Tax evasion loopholes specialists, the investment bankers, the Wallstreet traders, the best medical experts... while they lecture us that we dont properly appreciate and that we discriminate the lazy-buddies who are superior to us in every way, because our hard work offends them to the extreme and so they are entitled to burn and destroy (Portland 2020). After all they are more emotionally intelligent (read immature toddlers) and that makes them morally superior.

Not worth reading. I really tried to give it a fair hearing but I rolled my eyes so many times and so hard that I have seen my brain exploding... No Thank you!
reviewed Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ on + 19 more book reviews
I had to read most of this book for class and it was an overall interesting read. However, I think I had higher expectations because there was a lot of hype surrounding how great this book was. There are a lot of examples of this theories and not as much self help content. So if you are looking for how to become more emotionally intelligent this book only offers some help.
reviewed Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ on + 541 more book reviews
Fascinating theory.


Genres: