Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. Goldman, D.

Goldman, D. (1995).  Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ.  New York, NY: Bantam.

An Annotation

Another outstanding book explaining the power of emotions in the human experience.  The idea here is that a person’s ability to recognize, harness, and/or control their emotions play even a larger role in determining happiness and/or success than intelligence (whatever that is).

As emotional intelligence relates to motivation, Goldman wrote two excellent sections entitled, Flow: The Neurobiology of Excellence (90), and Learning and Flow: A New Model for Education.  The idea is that “flow” is a state of mind occurring when a person is able to forget everything and live in the pure moment of whatever activity they are engaged in.  A state of super-concentration when time bends and a person loses themselves.  The motivation for these types of activities and states are entirely intrinsic.

Goldman also touches on gender and emotion issues in a section entitled, His Marriage and Hers: Childhood Roots, in which he explains a bit about the differences between how boys and girls are able to articulate the emotions they are feeling based on girls greater verbal skills.  He also touches on aggression and how girls often feel threatened by “a rupture in their relationships,” and boys feel threatened by “anything that might challenge their independence.”