Emotional Intelligence

By: Daniel Goleman

Narrated by: Barrett Whitener

Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's Summary

This program features a new introduction read by Daniel Goleman and a bonus dialogue between the author and Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Is IQ destiny? Not nearly as much as we think. This fascinating and persuasive program argues that our view of human intelligence is far too narrow, ignoring a crucial range of abilities that matter immensely in terms of how we do in life. 

Drawing on groundbreaking brain and behavioral research, Daniel Goleman shows the factors at work when people of high IQ flounder and those of modest IQ do well. These factors add up to a different way of being smart - one he terms "emotional intelligence." This includes self-awareness and impulse control, persistence, zeal and self-motivation, empathy, and social deftness. 

These qualities mark people who excel in life, whose relationships flourish, who are stars in the workplace. Lack of emotional intelligence can sabotage the intellect and ruin careers. Perhaps the greatest toll is on children, for whom risks include depression, eating disorders, unwanted pregnancies, aggressiveness, and crime. 

But the news is hopeful. Emotional intelligence is not fixed at birth, and the author shows how its vital qualities can be nurtured and strengthened in all of us. And because the emotional lessons a child learns actually sculpt the brain's circuitry, he provides guidance as to how parents and schools can best use this window of opportunity in childhood. The message of this eye-opening program is one we must take to heart: the true "bell curve" for a democracy must measure emotional intelligence.

©1995 Daniel Goleman (P)2001 Books on Tape Inc., Published by Audio Renaissance, a Division of Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC

Critic Reviews

"Fascinating...well-researched...an engrossing, captivating work." ( Booklist)
"Impressive in its scope and depth, staggering in its implications." (Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., author of Wherever You Go, There You Are)

Good material but bad presentation

I concur with the other reviews that while the material is interesting and useful, the narration is a distraction. There were even times when there was background music, which made it more difficult to absorb. The music would thankfully go away eventually, but it made for an unpleasant experience. If I weren't specifically interested and motivated to get through the book, I would not continue with it.

Good info, hard to listen sometimes

The information contained within this book is really interesting - the narrator is very hard to listen to! I find it somewhat ironic that a book about emotional intelligence is being read by someone that I HONESTLY have difficulty in distinguishing from a computer generated voice. In fact, I allowed a friend of mine to listen for a minute and he was certain it was a computer.

If you're anything like me, you'll need to keep the rewind button available - sometimes I find myself drifting.

Great book, terrible reading

We all know the book is great. I got lost in listening to the book. I get this is psycho stuff, but my word, I don't know that anything could put me more to sleep. How on earth they were able to maintain a monotone throughout the book is beyond me.

I know we all need the content of this book, good luck listening!!

Book Good, Narrator Torture!!!

A great book that was completely made torturous with a terrible computer-like narration.

reader is really bad!

I wish this book had a better reader. I have listened to the entire book in several bits and pieces and I know the full contents of the book. Despite several earnest attempts, I was never able to listen to the entire book without switching to some other book in between to stay awake -- the reader is that bad. I wish I had stayed away from the audio version and bought the book itself!

Dull and Dragging

The information in this book is wonderful. However I had to stop listening because the voice of the reader is just horribly boring. I found my self noding off to sleep. Good content, poor reader.

An unqualified review.

For these instances, I wish a score of "N/A" was available for a review. I say this because I am in whole-hearted agreement with other reviewers who state that the reader is "unlistenable". He (Barry Whitener) is quite obviously a professional reader, a (type of) voice you have heard before in your elementary school audio tapes. It is very clear that he is simply reading "a book", not "Dr. Goleman's book on Emotional Intelligence" - a seemingly subtle difference whose results are anything but. I implore you to listen to the sample audio before deciding to purchase this audiobook. I feel horrible for Dr. Goleman in making this statement, but there is circumstantial evidence that he may feel similar - he (or his publisher) have not chosen to use this reader for any of Dr. Goleman's newer texts available on this website.

Integrating the Rational and Emotional Minds

This is one of those books that you need to go back to several times in order for it to really sink in. Goleman defines five main domains of emotional intelligence: 1) knowing one's emotions, that is, self-awareness, 2) managing emotions, 3) motivating oneself, 4) recognizing emotions in others, that is, empathy, and 5) handling relationships or managing emotions in others. He then devotes a chapter to each of these, delving into the neuroscience of each domain and interspersing it with anecdotes that illustrate an abundance of or lack of that particular domain.

Goleman then moves on to make his case for the importance of emotional intelligence, both as we raise our children and as a lifelong learning pursuit. At the end, he outlines the benefits of an emotional education, which include better frustration tolerance and anger management, less aggressive or self-destructive behavior, better at handling stress, more empathy, better able to take another person's perspective, better at listening to others, better at resolving conflicts and negotiating disagreements, and more assertive and skilled at communicating, to name a few. Although these benefits are directed toward a child's education, these outcomes are clearly ones that are also needed in everyday work life. He closes his argument by pointing out that time and time again, research has shown that "...emotional literacy programs improve children's academic achievement scores and school performance." This is a powerful statement about the effectiveness of those who can integrate the rational and the emotional minds.

Emotional Intelligence

I found this title fascinating. It shows you another intelligence that can be improved, and it also gives you a better understanding of what goes on biologically inside of you when events occur. This book expanded my understanding of myself and my own emotional intelligence, and it also helped me control my emotions to better my relationships.

Content ok, but quality lacking

Despite having gotten the best quality file available, the audio for this title is tinny and weak. Additionally, the guy reading the material could not be dryer - it sounds like a 1960's documentary. There is basically no variation in his voice - and despite my really wanting to listen to the book, it is having real trouble keeping my attention.

13-hour announcement

Oh how I wish I'd read the reviews beforehand, particularly the one by Kenton. Four months after purchasing this I am only somewhat over half way through trying to listen to it, rationing it in fairly small doses between listening to other books. I can not give a fair appraisal of the content (for what it's worth, I'd guess 3 to 4 stars) because the grating narration is such a distraction. My rating is for this edition, not the book. Initially I assumed it was the author being allowed to read his own book as it sounds so amateurish, but no. (Incidentally, it is the author who reads the intro and he's very good; he should have carried on.) It is not so much narrrated but more "read out loud", like a 13-hour announcement. The narrator's main aim seems to be to enunciate every syllable in a pernickety fashion, often with rather idiosyncratic pronunciations (wheap-on, opp-ir-toonih-tee, lid-ih-rah-tyoor, con-sor-shum) and in a rather nasal tone and with minimal emotion and scant conveyance of meaning. Yes it could almost be a speech synthesiser. I was several hours in before I could think of anything other than the narration when listening (how did this guy get the gig?). I did wonder if my attitude was in part due to some prejudice at the American accent (though I've listened to several audio books in American accents without it being an issue) but think at worse this renders some unusual terms or laboured pronunciations more noticeable rather than being a fundamental issue. What's more, the American reviews (at audible.com) are also negative to scathing about the narration. I don't normally go for abridged books, and with a better narration I may have loved this unabridged one, but I'd advise going for the abridged version here, if for no other reason than that it is narrated by Goleman himself.

That Narration!

Would you try another book written by Daniel Goleman, Ph.D. or narrated by Barrett Whitener?

No, based purely on the abysmal narration!

What was most disappointing about Daniel Goleman, Ph.D.’s story?

The monotone robot reading the thing!

Would you be willing to try another one of Barrett Whitener’s performances?

Absolutely not!

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Sever disappointment, give me the credit back Audible so I can use on something worthwhile!

good, but who narrated this? Stephen Hawking?

very good explaination about our brains and our emotions and why we think the way we do. The narrative frequently uses good examples to explain what might be rather dry subject matter without losing us too much. Yes it is complex stuff but i think it gets to the heart of why we are the way we are (especially under stress) better than anything else I've read or heard.
One off point - the narrator sounds like a computer, and once you get that thought into your head all you can picture is Stephen Hawking's electronic voice machine bleeping out words with the same monotone noise '..see apendix A' is probably not best read out even though it might be printed in the book. And the music at the end of each chapter drowns out what is being said for about 2 minutes. I think if I was the author I'd get this re-done. Other than that, top quality content :)

too long

There were some interesting ideas in this book but I wish I had bought the abridged version in the end. At the end I thought the book was too flabby and needed to be slimmed down a bit so that interest could be maintained.

Boring

Boring, don't recommended at all, poor narrator, definately waste of money, very poor start, not enjoyed at all.

Emotional Intelligence review

The voice of the narrator is terrible, but the content is great. This was an enjoyable listening experience for me.

Horrible narration

The narration is high pitched and robotic. Very odd and extremely difficult to listen to.

Who Gave This Guy the Gig?

Terrible narration - who picked that guy?
Buggy recording.
Ruined an otherwise very capable book.

don’t buy - robot alert

thanks for the computer voice - particularly audacious and out of place using that for a book on EMOTIONAL intelligence. really stingy and i will not waste a credit on a robot. no matter how good the actual subject. and refund

Narrator is so off putting

Content great and informative but the narrator is so off putting I had to stop listening and decided to read the book instead.