Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman came out in 1995 with everything you want to know about emotional intelligence. The book, however, doesn't show how to improve emotional intelligence.

Goleman, a psychologist and former science writer for The New York Times, explains how rational and emotional work shape intelligence, using information from neuroscience and psychology of the brain. He also explains why IQ is not the sole predictor of success. Additionally, Goleman shows how the brain can succumb to an emotional hijacking. He does so with data from studies based on brain imaging technologies. This includes summaries of the best psychological work of the previous few decades. For example, the importance of learned optimism, the theory of multiple intelligences, the role of innate temperamental differences. And the importance of emotional intelligence in marriage, management, and medicine.

NURTURING NO APTITUDE

Even though one can learn a lot from Goleman's work, the overriding theme seems to be that nurturing (rather than aptitude) is more likely to produce exceptional humans. Conversely, inadequate nurturing creates people with problems.

• Part One looks at what happens in the brain at the molecular level under all sorts of emotional experiences.
• Parts Two through Five focuses on feelings, personality, upbringing, aptitude, and treatment. It cites several studies to show that today's children are most decidedly a product of how they were treated.

Goleman believes we can cultivate emotional intelligence and improve. His final section offers a schooling plan to restore our badly neglected "emotional literacy". He proposes greater attention to classes in "social development," "life skills", and "social and emotional learning". This book is considered a classic in its genre, and, whatever one agrees or not with his theories, it should be read at least once or twice for reference.