Author(s): Paul Ekman

Emotions are what "make life livable," writes psychologist Ekman in this unique hands-on volume
that flirts shrewdly with psychology and anthropology. His 40-odd years of research have led him
to the conclusion (originally presented by Charles Darwin) that emotions, and their 10,000 facial
expressions, are largely universal. While an American smile may look much like a grin expressed by
a Fore tribesman of Papua New Guinea, what actually triggers the toothy twinkle is culturally,
socially and even individually determined. Emotions theselves can't be turned off, but they can be
controlled, and Ekman draws upon the Buddhist concept of mindfulness to explain how, by tuning in
to one's own emotional triggers, one can develop a heightened "attentiveness," thereby side-stepping
future blowouts. Ekman addresses in detail the "cascade of changes" that occur physiologically in an
individual in the throes of one of five salient emotional categories (sadness, anger, fear, disgust
and enjoyment). In his engaging style, he asks his readers to conjure these emotions by studying
photographs, meditating upon their own experiences and, if that fails, to contort their faces into
specific expressions, for Ekman has found that physical manifestations actually generate corresponding
emotional responses in the brain. It is Ekman's hope that once these expressions have been identified,
his readers will benefit from an increased sensitivity, and will possess the skills necessary for
approaching others gripped with apparent emotion.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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