The Bottom Line
Jamison’s method of inquiry is similar to that of psychologists like William James who wrote in the mid 1800s. It’s not exactly science, but it’s a good start.
Pros
- Groundbreaking book studying normal emotions
Cons
- A bit repetitive at times
Description
- Jamison helps us understand people with exuberant temperaments.
- She opens-up the range of normal human emotion and temperament to scientific study.
- There is more biography here than science at times.
Guide Review - Exuberance: The Passion for Life
Kay Redfield Jamison’s latest book, Exuberance: The Passion for Life, is a groundbreaking book in the study of human emotions. Psychologists, including Jamison, have long been focused on mental illness and psychopathology. The author is a noted expert on bipolar disorder (manic depression) and writes on that subject with the authority of someone who has also suffered from the disorder. We actually know much less about “normal” emotion than we know about mental disorders.