Dawn K. (justread01) reviewed How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain on + 35 more book reviews
Very readable, and interesting. Are emotions inborn (classical belief), or are they constructed (are you an architect of your experiences)? What does prediction have to do with emotion (and what happens if your body tries to correct the prediction but your brain either won't listen or doesn't get the message)? What's a body budget, and what does it, and perception, mean in relation to building emotions?
What do emotions have to do with the law (loved this chapter)? Do animals (apes, chimps, dogs, rats guinea pigs, flies) experience emotion? Why or why not (and how)? The questions Barrett poses are as fascinating as the experiments and answers (or possibilities ... uncerainty is good; variation is also good). Barrett uses some easy-to-understand examples to help the reader relate to new ideas, and that helped me as I was reading- to stay interested, but also to understand more than I otherwise might have.
As compelling (and at times, fun) as the reading was, I had to go slow - I found some of the vocabulary and ideas sometimes just a bit out of my reach, but other times despite the terminology or concepts, my recovering brain latched onto an idea that made sense. An enjoyable - and refreshingly different, thoughtful kind of reading experience.
What do emotions have to do with the law (loved this chapter)? Do animals (apes, chimps, dogs, rats guinea pigs, flies) experience emotion? Why or why not (and how)? The questions Barrett poses are as fascinating as the experiments and answers (or possibilities ... uncerainty is good; variation is also good). Barrett uses some easy-to-understand examples to help the reader relate to new ideas, and that helped me as I was reading- to stay interested, but also to understand more than I otherwise might have.
As compelling (and at times, fun) as the reading was, I had to go slow - I found some of the vocabulary and ideas sometimes just a bit out of my reach, but other times despite the terminology or concepts, my recovering brain latched onto an idea that made sense. An enjoyable - and refreshingly different, thoughtful kind of reading experience.
