Overview
Daniel Goleman popularized the concept that emotional intelligence — the ability to recognize, understand, and manage our own emotions and those of others — matters more than IQ for success in life. He draws on brain science and psychology to show how emotional skills can be nurtured and strengthened.
Goleman, a science journalist at the New York Times, popularised the concept of emotional intelligence in his 1995 book of the same name. The underlying research was mostly done by others — particularly Peter Salovey and John Mayer — but Goleman's synthesis became the public face of the field. The concept has since been criticised for being under-defined and over-marketed.
Key Ideas
EQ matters more than IQ
Emotional intelligence accounts for a larger share of success in life and work than cognitive intelligence.
Self-awareness is foundational
Recognizing your own emotions as they occur is the cornerstone of emotional intelligence.
Empathy builds connection
The ability to sense what others feel without them saying so is crucial to healthy relationships.
EQ can be developed
Unlike IQ, emotional intelligence can be significantly improved at any age through practice.
Who should read this
Readers who haven't thought systematically about their own emotional patterns and the way those patterns affect their work and relationships. Particularly useful for technical people who may have been told, directly or indirectly, that they need to work on 'soft skills' and don't know where to start.
Who might skip it
Skip if you want the rigorous academic version — the construct of emotional intelligence has been contested, and some psychologists argue it's less a distinct trait than a repackaging of conscientiousness and agreeableness. Also skip if you find the business-book chapters (EI at work) formulaic, which they often are.
The verdict
The founding text of a genre that has since largely replaced it. Goleman's book was the first to make emotional skills a mainstream professional topic, and that alone is historically important. The specific claims — that EI matters more than IQ for success, for example — have not held up strongly in later research. Read for the concept, not the specifics.
"If your emotional abilities aren't in hand, if you don't have self-awareness, if you are not able to manage your distressing emotions... then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far."
— Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence
If you liked this
Working with Emotional Intelligence, Goleman's own follow-up. For the skeptical view, read Adam Grant's essays on why EI is over-rated.