Rating: 
Summary: Useful and somewhat overrated, it seems
Review: The book hooks you with its title and sells also largely because of it. Humanity for ages, since Plato wrote about his "first rate man" and Aristotle on the "golden mean" of man's conduct, dealt with qualities of man's character that are instrumental to good life. Now call character "emotional intelligence" and "working on one's character" as "developing emotional intelligence" and you have a major editorial event on your hands. Probably, as someone here has already mentioned, because people love being considered intelligent and here comes another opportunity to measure up. Make no mistake, IQ is still considered the no. 1 indication of the quality of job that the person will do - D.Seligman among others backs this view, writing "a policeman with higher IQ is likely to catch more criminals than...." and on to other professions. True, it is worthwhile to be self aware, in control of oneself, emphatic and able to influence others - main elements of emotional intelligence. Helps a lot, as much as decent IQ I suppose or perhaps more. So does old fashioned good character or - if you like - the right personality. Daniel Goleman's book draws a fresh dose of attention to an old issue. Made me work hard on my EQ too.
Rating:
Summary: Why emotional intelligence wins out over basic intelligence
Review: This ground-breaking book proposes that emotional intelligence is a learned ability that is as much or more important than basic intelligence and should be part of our schooling just as reading, writing and arithmetic. The author sets out new scientific evidence showing, step-by-step, how healthy emotions and destructive emotions control our lives. Feelings often count as much as logic, and we have gone too far, says Dr. Goleman, emphasizing the purely rational, when emotions are so powerful. All emotions are an impulse to act; the creation of instant plans for handling a life situation. Now we know in detail how emotions prepare the body for differing responses. A human being is made up of two minds according to Goleman. One thinks, and one feels; two fundamentally different ways of knowing. The author defines emotion as "a feeling and range of propensities to act." The principal emotions are: Anger: Fury, outrage, resentment. Sadness. Grief, sorrow, cheerlessness. Fear. Anxiety, apprehension, terror. Enjoyment. Happiness, joy, delight, amusement. Love: Trust, kindness, devotion, infatuation. Surprise: Shock, amazement, astonishment. Disgust:Contempt, scorn, abhorrence. Shame: Guilt, embarrassment, remorse, humiliation. Various emotions have various physical effects on the body. Anger, for example, causes blood to flow to the hands; strong energy for vigorous action. Fear causes blood to flow to the legs making it easier to run. Happiness is a positive emotion that provides readiness and enthusiasm. Surprise makes it easier to figure out what's going on and create a plan of action. Sadness helps adjust to a significant loss and brings a drop in energy and enthusiasm. When emotions are out of control, the emotional mind takes over and swamps the rational mind. Emotions have a mind of their own and can hold views independent of the rational mind. Goleman names five main domains of emotional intelligence: (1) Knowing one's emotion (2) Managing emotions (3) Motivating oneself (4) Recognizing emotions in others (5) Handling relationships. A most important emotional lesson, of course, is anger management. As a culture, we have not bothered to make sure children are taught the essentials of handling anger or resolving conflict. These and other fundamentals of emotional competence have been left to chance, says Goleman. Surprisingly, the emotional mind is far quicker than the rational mind and springs into action without considering consequences that may prove to be mistaken or misguided. Scientific findings indicate we often cannot control emotions. What's more, the emotional mind takes its beliefs to be true, discounting evidence to the contrary. That's why it's difficult to reason with someone who is emotionally upset. A familiar husband-wife emotional story: Wives, it seems, are the emotional managers and as such, are more likely to criticize husbands. Men are more likely to be stonewallers. Wives try to bring up and resolve disagreements. Husbands, on the other hand, are reluctant to be drawn into arguments. As a wife sees her husband withdraw from a discussion. she increases the volume and intensity of her complaint white he becomes defensive or stonewalls in return. She becomes contemptful, frustrated and angry; the husband feels more and more an innocent victim. As husbands stonewall, the wife feels completely stymied. The author calls this psychological impasse "flooding~~ and points out that flooding escalates, often going out of control. There is ample evidence of growing emotional recklessness in the wortd, the author points out, and makes a strong case that it is critical to teach emotional competence to children as part of their education.
Rating: 
Summary: Before it got crowded
Review: Most of the great industrialists had one thing in common; they were able to give credit where credit was due. This is a lost art in the management of humans in today's concentrated environment that depends upon statistics and numbers. No man or woman ever created a number that wasn't backed by the self discipline that enabled him or her to give the level of commitment that came with the desire to give that commitment. If they do, they fall upon deaf and dumb hearts, and are bound to be used for different uses than the ones intended. Passionate commitment is the only thing that ever changed a life, or lives, and the main thing that determines success that might be predictable. Without commitment, marriage fail, even if they appear to work. Without commitment, incentives are little help to the people trying to use them to create wealth, for themselves or for others. Negative commitment alway works worst to produce desirable outcomes because they never carry a reciprocal commitment to get the job done, and to do it well. The pride of passion and success is the single most important component of a job well done, and a job well loved, by which great things are made possible because of the commitment brought to the job, that is felt within, and rarely without the internal commitment that defines and fuels the task to be done, often with a sense of vision for accomplishment as well as for the harmony that enables teamwork to exist that relies upon it, as opposed to the tyranny that sometimes fuels efficiency and completion of tasks that may be unpleasant but necessary to be done. A positive outlook is essential to most quality jobs and often underestimated in its power to create powerful results. Among groups, failure to recognize credit where credit is due destroys more groups than not, and strains the ones where it is not present. Groups break down at varying levels, but almost always at the lower levels from the negligence of the upper levels to give that due credit, and to respect its presence as important to any organization. Failure is always a managerial negligence, and false rewards are immediately noticeable to the participants of any group because they deal daily with the results of performance that would be the criteria by which management determines successful performance to offer those rewards. Underlings usually know the score, and often better than management because of its isolation. Misplaced credit is as damaging to organizations as those where it is non-existent since it destroys not only faith but also integrity. Emotional IQ is far more valuable to the organization for this reason. Maintaining the integrity of the group is crucial to its success, and sometimes, to its survival. Faith is as asset to integrity, but only a part of what makes any organization valuable since better times can be managed, or sustained, during times of hardship, but integrity forms the heart of commitment for most who are associated with, and determine the vitality of the entire organization through bad times or good. There is no replacement when destroyed, either intentionally or accidentally, and few apologies are effective to heal those deep wounds. Relationship or relational discrimination is the distinction that makes the different in any organization, and those which cultivate the image of equity generally do equity. Those that don't suffer the effects of their lack of commitment by revealing their flaws, not only to insiders but also to outsiders. Emotional intelligence often relies upon intuition to determine its presence or absence.
Rating:
Summary: Useful and somewhat overrated, it seems
Review: The book hooks you with its title and sells also largely because of it. Humanity for ages, since Plato wrote about his "first rate man" and Aristotle on the "golden mean" of man's conduct, dealt with qualities of man's character that are instrumental to good life. Now call character "emotional intelligence" and "working on one's character" as "developing emotional intelligence" and you have a major editorial event on your hands. Probably, as someone here has already mentioned, because people love being considered intelligent and here comes another opportunity to measure up. Make no mistake, IQ is still considered the no. 1 indication of the quality of job that the person will do - D.Seligman among others backs this view, writing "a policeman with higher IQ is likely to catch more criminals than...." and on to other professions. True, it is worthwhile to be self aware, in control of oneself, emphatic and able to influence others - main elements of emotional intelligence. Helps a lot, as much as decent IQ I suppose or perhaps more. So does old fashioned good character or - if you like - the right personality. Daniel Goleman's book draws a fresh dose of attention to an old issue. Made me work hard on my EQ too.
Rating: 
Summary: EQ Morons Will Love This Book
Review: It's not THAT bad but if I were writing a self-help book for the 90s with the sole intent of raking in the dough this is the topic I would choose. Why? It's a crowd pleaser. Everyone who ever suffered in math class, became envious the day college acceptance notices arrived, and might think twice before attending a high school reunion because, after all, people will ask what you did during those 20 years, can now imagine they have EQs of 170 and stick their noses in the air. Who does not imagine that they are more senssitive, empathic, nurturing, etc., than those around them? This is the human condition. This book is fabricated (a better term than written) to cater to that bias. I don't think anyone denies that emotional health is a necessary part of larger success. I think studies which correlate IQ to general success, however, are ubiquitous, and in the present society it's not hard to see why, conventional intelligence allows one to make more money, pursue jobs which bring more fulfillment and status, in other words give people the tools to develop their lives over time. To the extent people see IQ as related to education this book is anti-intellectual. "70 per cent of your success in life will depend upon emotional factors" can be a message for people who don't want to work hard (if I become an empathic and nurturing person I'll be happy). We all know, or I hope we do, that life is more complicated, success requires some combination of intelligence and emotional skills, some of which are innate, others which surely can be developed. Tenacity, persistence, boldness, an ability to take risks, get very short shrift in this book, these aren't populist emotions and so don't really belong. A better title for this book might be, "Pat Yourself on the Back, You've Earned It", that's the market he's trying to reach. Knowing which fish to toss to barking seals, of course, is another ingredient for success. This book is a good example of the "Time Magazine" ethos which now dominates publishing.
Rating:
Summary: How to understand emotions and make the most of them
Review: I read this book in 1997 and was fascinated with the content, especially information about "flooding" ie. when we are emotionally overloaded and we can't respond effectively. I was also particularly interested in Dr. Goleman's research into the components of emotional intelligence -- self-awareness, impulse control, persistence, zeal and self-motivation, empathy and social deftness. Dr. Goleman explains what happens to us neurologically when we experience emotions and why emotional intelligence is important. After reading his book, I was left with questions such as, "What do my emotions mean? How do I deal with my emotions when they occur?" These questions are specifically answered in Optimal Thinking: How to Be Your Best Self by Dr. Rosalene Glickman. Dr. Glickman explains why and how each emotion is experienced, the messages they bring, and questions to ask yourself and others to best resolve emotions and achieve emotional mastery. In my opinion, these books belong in every family and in every workplace.
Rating:
Summary: Emotional Intelligence Quickbook
Review: For a quick read on emotional intelligence using Daniel Goleman's model, check out Bradberry and Greaves' "Emotional Intelligence Quickbook". It tells me everything I need to know about this hot topic.
Rating:
Summary: Developmental Must
Review: This was a great book giving us an insight inot another aspect of our integligence. I strongly recommend this to anyone interested in understanding our behavior and how it impacts our surroundings and reactions from other people.
Rating:
Summary: Emotions or Feelings never should be called Intelligence
Review: English is not my native language so I may make some small mistakes. Well, Daniel Goleman has his point, but I have a different opinion. Following are some comments about the book. 1) The book is hard to read (it is even harder for me, a non-native English speaker). I almost didn't get anything from chapter 1 to 15. It is just a bunch of words with stories. I read (true meaning of the verb :) ) Chapter 16 and appendices.
2) 283, 284, 289, 290, 303,304 are the pages that I learned something (this is knowledge, this is not intelligence).
3) The book states that EQ is more important than IQ. Well, I won't say about what is more important, but if I ask the authors some of following questions, it is very likely that he can not argue. What is the key that bring human to today's modern life?? Is it emotion ?
4) Emotions Self-awareness, managing emotions, reading emotions ,.... why make them a new name ?? Are emotions still emotions after going through your brains? We should still call it IQ.
5) The reasons why many high intelligence people have problems in dealing with inter-personal situations is that they don't have enough knowledge in that category. Yes, that is the key!! I don't think the reason that they have a low EQ is correct. KNOWLEDGE is not INTELLIGENCE. INTELLIGENCE is the thinking ability to get the best you can from what you have and what you know. Thus, we can not evaluate one's INTELLIGENCE by tests. Somehow I think that the author doesn't understand the true meaning of intelligence. How many of you think mathematics contain only numbers and calculations?
Rating:
Summary: Feeling smart, feeling good...
Review: Ever since I read Martin Gardiner's book on multiple intelligences, I have been intrigued by the study of how we learn and the different types of intelligence. No one disputes that mathematical/analytical brain-power is a very different type of intelligence from the kind of bodily intelligence that makes someone a graceful gymnast or a super athlete; while there is often some cross-over between the kinds of intelligence that make for good mathematicians and good musicians, the kinds of intelligence that are brought to bear on different parts of our lives get developed in different ways. One of the more controversial and overlooked types of intelligence is Emotional Intelligence. I do not agree with the idea that one's EQ is in some way opposite from the IQ, the standard intelligence quotient idea (which in and of itself is calculated and reliant on different criteria depending upon the test). I don't believe that Goleman ever makes such a dramatic claim as to show a precise inverse relationship between the EQ and IQ. He does show that there are different kinds of difficulties that can arise, and that a high IQ does not necessarily (or even often) translate into a high EQ. After a brief introduction exploring the general issues of intelligence and the power of emotions, Goleman
looks at new discoveries in brain anatomy and architecture, particularly as it pertains to what happens when emotions 'take over'. The second, and longest, section of the book looks at the nature of Emotional Intelligence. This is being able to understand oneself as well as others, being able to control emotions (or not), and drawing on Aristotle's phrase from the Nicomachean Ethics, being able to have the right degree of emotion at the right time for the right reason for the right duration. Goleman's third section incorporates the general ideas of Emotional Intelligence into the broader context of living, stating that one's emotional intelligence is in fact a more critical factor than pure computational intelligence at being 'successful' in many important parts of life - from personal relationships to professional relationships, self-satisfaction and self-growth, emotions often hold sway over traditional 'intelligence'. The fourth section examines developmental issues, leading to the final section exploring what happens when such development goes wrong. Goleman's observation that children seem to be increasingly depressed, despondent, violent and unruly than in the past may or may not be accurate - unfortunately, such comparisons with the past often rely on shaky anecdotal evidence or studies whose parameters are different, and thus whose conclusions cannot be accurately compared. However, it certainly seems that these are true observations. Goleman warns of a coming crisis as unprepared children face an adulthood full of emotional stress and crises for which they have not developed coping skills. Goleman calls for more emphasis on emotional intelligence issues - anger management, conflict resolution, sense of self, etc. for school children to reduce violence and potential for crime. Overall, this book presents interesting ideas. The idea of Emotional Intelligence is fairly new, and will no doubt be adapted and revised in the coming years. Goleman's task here may be less of a comprehensive overview rather than an introductory shout to the community that needs to address the issue.
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