Customer Reviews

The Subtlety of Emotions (Bradford Books)

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"We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are" (Anais Nin).

The Subtlety of Emotions is an intellectual exposé revealing the meaning, delineation, definition, difference between, and explanation of emotions. This book is the culmination of Ben-Ze'ev's intensive ten year study of emotions - fulfilling his desire to bring a conceptual framework to the classification and understanding of emotions. Ben Ze'ev argues that emotions are "functional, and in a sense also rationale" (p. 243) and it is within this environment that Ben-Ze'ev creates an atmosphere to explore the terrain where emotions and morality meet.

"Although emotions punctuate almost all the significant events in our lives, the nature, causes, and consequences of the emotions are among the least understood aspects of human experience" (p. xiii). While we deeply desire understanding, grasping the essence of emotion has been sometimes elusive. Within these pages, Ben Ze'ev introduces an interdisciplinary approach to focus on the aspects of emotion over which we have choice. Ben Ze'ev provides a liberating perspective, one that frees us to approach emotions with an expanded awareness concerning our locus of control.

Ben Ze'ev believes that knowledge is neither an "obstacle to happiness" nor is it a secure and guaranteed road to happiness (p. 533). He proposes that knowledge and insight offer the opportunity to increase positive emotions and decrease the intensity and frequency of negative emotions. He further suggests that the moral connection to emotions lives in the power of our own consciousness in understanding emotions, and then choosing rather than unconsciously reacting to life situations. The Subtlety of Emotions clearly presents the necessary knowledge and insight for empowering us to make intelligent and ethical choices.

Throughout the book, Ben-Ze'ev offers wise and humorous quotes from various sources ranging from pop music lyrics to diverse and timeless individuals such as Shakespeare and Mae West. The inclusion of quotes throughout the book not only brings levity but also offers a different, often lateral or wider perspective, to the content.

I carefully read every single word in this book - some passages two or three times.
Here is a philosophical text that is relevant to all of us and, in the purest sense, practical. Some aspects of the book that were of particular interest to me included the analysis of emotions through their division into four basic components: cognition, evaluation, motivation, and feeling. I find this useful for working with clients who desire a deeper understanding of themselves and their life choices; it is a powerful educational tool. This close scrutiny of the components of emotions is helpful in imparting a sense of inner power and efficacy, where conscious decision-making becomes more evident. Ben Ze'ev's discussion of emotions tendered the opportunity to view our innate human concerns from fresh perspectives and to further investigate my own perceptions, offering relevant applications for myself and for my influence on others. I also appreciate the way Ben Ze'ev borrows from a variety of theories without adopting any of them fully. He carefully chooses aspects of each in order to create something uniquely his own, allowing the incorporation of seeming ambiguities, without taking an either/or stance, but rather, an integrative one. His voice is warm and understanding and the accessibility of the material is strengthened by his humor, examples, and personal stories.

Ben Ze'ev writes, "I have tried in this book to reduce somewhat the mystery surrounding the emotions. Although this work is merely a small step toward understanding the emotions, it may indicate some initial directions and the importance of emotions to everyday life. Emotions are, and should be, central to human life" (p. 533). The landscape of understanding emotions is complex and multidimensional. Ben Ze'ev has shown courage, depth of insight, and strength of will in stepping forward in an arena many eschewed. This work is neither all inclusive nor conclusive, but I don't believe it was the author's intention to be either. The Subtlety of Emotions has created a conceptual point of reference regarding a topic that profoundly affects human experience. I am deeply grateful for Ben Ze'ev's dedication and contribution.

An overview of the material is implicit in the words, but not explicitly presented. Although for a philosophical text, the material is greatly accessible, I believe that the inclusion of more diagrams, figures, and tables would be very helpful for sorting through some of the complexity.

After reading and absorbing this book, I see myself differently, I see others differently, and I see the world differently. The experience of reading it is emotional in itself - taking one from lightness to intensity, from humor to thoughtful reflection. Any book that makes one think is worth reading. A book that invites a critique of how we think should be required reading. I strongly recommend The Subtlety of Emotions to psychologists, therapists, teachers, coaches - anyone who is interested in influencing the direction of change toward the cultivation of well-being; the insights contained in this book are ones that contribute greatly to beneficial transformational change efforts.

The Subtlety of Emotions is very thoroughly researched and supplied with an excellent bibliography.

I found this book because I wanted to read a scientific treatise talking about the diversity and entanglement of emotions. I have been reading the book from time to time and I have enjoyed it a lot. Between the features I liked the most, is that Ben-Ze'ev aims to present an organized view of emotions, defining characteristic features which he later uses to distinguish and categorize different types of affective phenomena.

The book is not a simple one, his categorization efforts make it detailed and scholarly. For me, sometimes it reads more like a textbook than a more general book. However, the author makes it simple by borrowing information from "common sense" knowledge, literature and daily events. This mixture of informality and stringency makes it a worthy book, as it is very easy to make sloppy statements in this field. Additionally, it is extensive: half of the book is devoted to build a general framework describing different features of affective phenomena, while the second halve examines each important emotion in detail.

I would recommend the book to any person interested in a structured yet accessible description of emotions.