by Daniel Goleman
Bantam Books, 2006. 352 pages. Nonfiction
In past decades there was a commonly held belief that intelligence was the key to success and even happiness, but Daniel Goleman’s seminal work, Emotional Intelligence, first published in 1995 revealed insight into the idea that personal qualities, such as initiative, empathy, adaptability, and persuasiveness can have more of an impact on our success in life than our IQ.
Through vivid examples, Goleman describes the important skills needed to develop emotional intelligence. An important concept in the book is that even though our experiences in childhood shape our ability to handle emotions, we all have the capacity to grow and change which can have a profound impact on our relationships, work environments, and even our physical well-being.
More than 20 years after his work was first published, Goleman’s ideas have infiltrated many of our society's beliefs and values. Reading this book today, I found myself already familiar with many of the concepts discussed. However, as more studies reveal the importance of “soft skills” such as self-regulation, empathy, generosity, and good communication, and additionally, the research frequently cites the concern that emotional intelligence is actually declining in youth today, I think this is still a very important book to read.
AJ
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