Best Laid Schemes: The Psychology of the Emotions (Studies in Emotion and Social Interaction) [Paperback]

Keith Oatley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 28, 1992 | ISBN-10: 0521423872 | ISBN-13: 978-0521423878

Keith Oatley draws on theories from psychology, philosophy and linguistics, as well as writings from other social sciences, to show how emotions are central to any understanding of human actions and mental life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...an extraordinarily learned and well-argued account of the ways in which emotions function within our cognitive systems....Oatley's erudite and integrative presentation of his theory of emotions should be a part of every library's psychology collection." Choice

"...an exceptional work which does more than justice to the cognitive science approach to the emotions." Martin Conway, The Times Higher Education Supplement

"...has many of the characteristics of good literature as well as good science." James R. Averill, Cognition and Emotion

Book Description

Serving a crucial function when the unexpected occurs and when priorities must be set, emotions are shown to be central to the understanding of human action and mental life in a survey that draws upon research in cognitive science as well as other fields.

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (February 28, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521423872
• ISBN-13: 978-0521423878
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,195,107 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Keith Oatley is professor emeritus of cognitive psychology at the University of Toronto. His research is on emotion, and on the psychology of fiction. He is the author of six books of psychology, most recently Such Stuff as Dreams: The Psychology of Fiction (2011, Wiley-Blackwell). He is also the author of three novels. The first of these--in which Sigmund Freud and Sherlock Holmes work on the same case--The Case of Emily V. (Secker & Warburg), won the Commonwealth Writers Prize (1994) for Best First Novel. His most recent novel Therefore Choose (2010, Goose Lane Editions) is about making choices when we can't predict the outcomes. Keith organizes and writes for a blog on the psychology of fiction, www.onfiction.ca and he reviews movies for PsycCritiques. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and a Fellow of the British Psychological Society.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Out There, May 16, 2001

By 

Keith E. Stanovich (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Best Laid Schemes: The Psychology of the Emotions (Studies in Emotion and Social Interaction) (Paperback)

This is simply the best book on the psychology of emotions there is. It is written by an esteemed cognitive psychologist who has also written two novels. Thus, this book is scholarly yet a joy to read.