The Nature of the Beast

Emotions in general are very hard to map and research, even in humans where we can ask individuals how they are feeling while running brain scans. In animals where we can't even scientifically confirm if they are capable of experiencing emotions, it's almost impossible. Almost. David Andersen shows......more

It just isn't for me: The first two chapters explored the interesting concept of states in comparison to autonomic behaviours: behaviours manifest from an internal motivation state like fear or aggression. Behaviours are separate from instinct: for example, we can be in an internal state of aggressi......more

If anything, this book excels at demonstrating just how difficult it is to study emotions in an objectifiable and quantifiable manner. I have such a strong appreciation and admiration for the researchers that take up this seemingly impossible conquest. However, much like some other reviews mention,......more

3.5 stars - like other reviewers have said, the book should've been subtitled differently, maybe something like "The Science of Emotional States." What Anderson is attempting to do here is to encourage the scientific community to view emotions not as subjective "feelings" but as objective, measurabl......more

I dislike it when books don't deliver on their clickbait bylines. This book does not unveil "how emotions guide us". Firstly, emotions are redefined as internal brain states which other scientists would probably refer to as affect. In fact, a large part of the author's study is on what he calls "emoti......more