Virtual Event: Leonard Mlodinow

Harvard Book Store, the Harvard University Division of Science, and the Harvard Library welcome LEONARD MLODINOW—the acclaimed, bestselling author of A Briefer History of Time and Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior—for a discussion of his latest book, Emotional: How Feelings Shape Our Thinking. He will be joined in conversation by NICK OWCHAR, executive director of advancement communications at Claremont Graduate University and former editor of the Los Angeles Times.

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While payment is not required, we are suggesting a $5 contribution to support this author series, our staff, and the future of Harvard Book Store—a locally owned, independently run Cambridge institution. In addition, by purchasing a copy of Emotional on harvard.com, you support indie bookselling and the writing community during this difficult time.

About Emotional

You make hundreds of decisions every day, from what to eat for breakfast to how you should invest, and not one of those decisions would be possible without emotion. It has long been said that thinking and feeling are separate and opposing forces in our behavior. But as Leonard Mlodinow, the best-selling author of Subliminal, tells us, extraordinary advances in psychology and neuroscience have proven that emotions are as critical to our well-being as thinking.

How can you connect better with others? How can you make sense of your frustration, fear, and anxiety? What can you do to live a happier life? The answers lie in understanding your emotions. Journeying from the labs of pioneering scientists to real-world scenarios that have flirted with disaster, Mlodinow shows us how our emotions can help, why they sometimes hurt, and what we can learn in both instances.

Using deep insights into our evolution and biology, Mlodinow gives us the tools to understand our emotions better and to maximize their benefits. Told with his characteristic clarity and fascinating stories, Emotional explores the new science of feelings and offers us an essential guide to making the most of one of nature’s greatest gifts.

Praise for Emotional

“Emotional is a captivating exploration of the science of emotions. Beautifully written and full of cutting-edge research, it is a crucial reminder of the power feelings have in our thinking.” —Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better

“An absorbing deep dive into the new science of emotions that offers shrewd insights into the relationship between thinking and emotion. Mlodinow brings this important subject to life in a fascinating and informative way.” —Susan David, bestselling author of Emotional Agility

“Mlodinow—a gifted science writer—has produced another gem. Emotional is a captivating narrative that plunges you straight into the heart of a major scientific drama—the more than a century-old battle over the nature of emotions. No matter which side you find yourself on, you will relish this adventure to the front lines of scientific discovery.”  —Lisa Feldman Barrett, PhD., University Distinguished Professor, Northeastern University and author of How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain