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This enlightening guidebook packs a powerful amount of information into seven chapters and less than one hundred pages. Despite its brevity and simplicity, the book reduces a complex topic into basic definitions and steps that will aid teens to better understand their emotions, to foster control over their emotions, and to create happier lives. Educator Kathleen Ho has worked extensively with teens in high school and college settings and has produced this volume to support young people to become more self-aware and to better understand their emotional states. Each chapter builds upon the material in the previous chapter in a logical way, fostering easy comprehension of the topic. The chapter endings recap the material in helpful boxed charts. The book has a robust bibliography, but lacks an index. Overall, this guide is well-developed, well-focused and quite useful for anyone curious about emotional intelligence.
Though aimed at teen readers, the book seems better placed for people who work with teens, such as parents, teachers, and counselors, as the narrative is academic and doesn't have the ambiance of a young adult self-help book in the popular sense of displaying artistic features that teens enjoy. The book will still appeal to the more serious young readers who value a no-frills narrative based on scientific fact. Author Ho's gradual step-by-step narrative is good for anyone who prefers to absorb basic facts without the burden of a longer, more clinical discussion.
The first two chapters of the volume explore the theories and myths surrounding emotions, providing a firm foundation with concise definitions and reviews of the physiological, cognitive, and neurological theories developed by eminent psychologists to help understand the connections between bodies and emotions. Common myths about emotions that sometimes mislead or confuse people and discussion of the rational and irrational aspects of emotions in Chapter 2 build nicely upon the preceding material in Chapter 1, making the process of understanding the narrative simple and logical.
Chapter 3 delves into the actionable side of emotions with an exploration of emotional hijack, "an intense, irrational emotional response that overrides rational thinking and leads to impulsive actions"—a term first used by psychologist Daniel Goleman to describe the process of allowing emotional triggers to influence behavior, oftentimes in a fight or flight response. The narrative again builds upon the previously discussed material, allowing for greater comprehension of a complex topic with many facets. The topic of teenagers and emotional hijack is more closely examined in Chapter 4, as are the significant physical, cognitive, and social changes that teens experience as brains and bodies mature.
Chapters 5 and 6 tackle the topics of internal and external self-awareness and social awareness and offer tips to develop these. Journaling is universally recommended as a popular method (for anyone so inclined) to increase awareness of one's emotional responses to life challenges and also increase the ability to self-regulate by managing responses. Mindfulness practices are also explored as a tool to understand emotions and reduce stress. By understanding current social and cultural issues, recognition of diverse perspectives, cultural and social sensitivity, and empathy can be better developed. Practical ways to help teens build self-awareness and social awareness are explored in Chapter 7. Because the prefrontal cortex is still developing in teens and the amygdala is already developed, teens tend to act upon emotions generated by the amygdala rather than use logic and reason by relying on the prefrontal cortex. The author again suggests that teens may benefit from journaling, studying emotional charts, emotional check-ins, and having access to calm, safe spaces.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review