• Offers an entertaining and accesible introduction to the latest thinking about emotions
• Draws on a wide range of scientific research, from anthropology and psychology to neuroscience and artificial intelligence
• Discusses the evolution of emotions and their biological basis
• Illustrated with entertaining examples from fiction, film, and popular culture
• New sections address the neural basis of empathy and the emotional impact of films

     
Was love invented by European poets in the Middle Ages or is it part of human nature? Will winning the lottery really make you happy? Is it possible to build robots that have feelings? 
     
In this Very Sort Introduction Dylan Evans explores these and many other intriguing questions in this guide to the latest thinking about the emotions. Drawing on a wide range of scientific research, from anthropology and psychology to neuroscience and artificial intelligence, Evans takes the reader on a fascinating journey into the human heart, discussing the evolution of emotions and their biological basis, the science of happiness, and the role that emotions play in memory and decision making. Greeted by critics as a pop science classic when it was first published in 2001, the book has now been thoroughly revised and updated to incorporate new developments in our understanding of emotions, including new sections addressing the neural basis of empathy and the emotional impact of films.