Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships

Wow. Just in awe with this find. What a treasure.

This is an easy to read book that will verify what you may have already noticed and couldn't put your finger on. Backed by new and hard science, innumerable studies and experiments, Dr. Goleman weaves a picture of everyday life that is profoundly affected by our natural empathy for other human beings. Dr. Goleman provides a road map for developing social awareness and facility. Dr. Goleman describes the interdependence of nature and nurture. He discusses our brains' capacity to read and map what is going on within another person. Our social brain is triggered by mirroring neurons that instantaneously and unconsciously align themselves with those we are with. Our genes are designed to express themselves when triggered by a matching external social stimulus. If our parents worry about the future we worry about the future whether or not they said worrisome things out loud, the worry was transmitted unconsciously. Most of what we know about interacting with others is learned. So according to Dr. Goleman what you may not have learned when younger can be learned. This book makes it possible to see the world of human relationships as a field of new possibilities and gives us a lot to ponder about the state of our culture and what we might do about it and ourselves. "How to Create Magical Relationships", written by Ariel and Shya Kane, is a great companion book to "Social Intelligence". This book is very down to earth with stories and examples of how people's lives and relationships have transformed. They offer a living example of social intelligence and ignite the possibility of everyone having magical relationships. The Kanes value living in the present with non-judgmental awareness. Their style and delivery are very practical. Using real world examples and illustrations from their own experience, they make a life filled with excellence, well being, and passion a vivid possibility for everyone.

I am a huge fan of Daniel Goleman. He's the bestselling author who coined the term "Emotional Intelligence" with his 1995 book of the same name. Now he's got a new book, "Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships." Social intelligence is the ability to read other people's cues and then act on them. Life is all about relationships, and there is a science to how we relate to each other. It's fascinating to see how Goleman breaks down each aspect of communication. We can learn how to more effectively express ourselves so that we feel understood. And we can learn how to better "read" other people so that we can better understand. This helps to improve our interactions and ultimately strengthen our relationships. He talks about "synchrony" or interacting smoothly at the nonverbal level, which is an important, yet often overlooked, part of relating. Goleman also scientifically explains "the capacity for joy" and how that affects our social intelligence. He shows how our resilience plays an important role in our happiness, which comes into play as we express ourselves to others.

Five AMAZING Stars!! Welcome to the brave new world of "Social Neuroscience"! This book may change the way you see life, relationships, and how you approach both! In "Social Intelligence", the companion volume to the highly successful and informative "Emotional Intelligence", award-winning author Dr. Daniel Goleman examines the emerging science of Social Neuroscience and reveals it's most basic concept: "we are wired to connect" with each other. Our brains are "sociable" and interact, from the basic one-to-one relationship to those relationships much more complex and layered. He then tells us specifically how this happens in our everyday lives. From the bedroom to the boardroom to recreational activities and beyond, it's always there affecting us. Even more importantly, the book shows how the direct one-on-one neural bridge between two people emotionally affects the brain of the other person. That emphasis is how this book differs from "Emotional Intelligence" which dealt with what happens within the individual. Each individual social interaction becomes a mental thermostat, affecting both specific parts of the brain and individual emotional functions with each changing situation. Each new situation will "reset key aspects of our brain function as they orchestrate our emotions" each time. While each discussion gets technical, Dr. Goleman gives specific simple examples of everyday occurrences that we all can recognize and which reinforces his points. We can take this information and use it: at work, at home, in our relationships with friends, lovers, or strangers. Eye-opening findings abound, as well as things we have long suspected which are proven in the book. All of which occurs in normal environments or in environments where individuals are increasingly isolated by their cars, their TV, or their headphones whether in a crowd or alone. "Social Intelligence" is loaded with interesting findings, challenging concepts, and individual bits of data that most readiers will find fascinating. And best of all the "hidden patterns" that emerge. That alone will make this book rewarding for readers of almost any particular leaning, because it enlightens us about our "social brains" in this complex world. The identification by Dr. Goleman of the situational functioning of specific parts of the brain in this regard is quite stunning. This book does a wonderful job of giving us the latest findings and concepts from this field of Social Neuroscience. Highly recommended! Five HUGE Stars!! (This review is based on an Ebook digital download in Adobe Reader 7. Save a tree, download your books!)