Abstract

In Passion and reason, acclaimed social psychologist Richard Lazarus and co-author Bernice Lazarus attempt a project they say is unique. Their goal is to provide a popular account of the emotions for the lay reader which is comprehensive, does not over-simplify, and can serve as a guide to greater self-knowledge and understanding. The book is intended to strike a balance between the naive `formulaic genre' of typical self-help books on the subject, while at the same time avoiding the complexity and technical jargon typical of academic treatises. The theoretical basis of the book is Lazarus's own work on emotion, of which Emotion and adaptation (Lazarus, 1991) is the most recent and thorough expression...