A thoughtful, gleeful encyclopedia of emotions, both broad and outrageously specific, from throughout history and around the world.
How do you feel today? Is your heart fluttering in
anticipation
? Your stomach tight with nerves? Are you falling in
love
? Feeling a bit
miffed
? Do you have the
heebie-jeebies
? Are you antsy with iktsuarpok or filled with
nakhes
? Recent research suggests there are only six basic emotions. But if that makes you feel
uneasy
,
suspicious
, and maybe even a little
bereft
The Book of Human Emotions
is for you.
In this unique book, you'll get to travel across the world and through time, learning how different cultures have articulated the human experience and picking up some fascinating new knowledge about yourself along the way. From the familiar (
anger
) to the foreign (
zal
), each entertaining and informative alphabetical entry reveals the surprising connections and fascinating facts behind our emotional lives.
Whether you're in search of the perfect word to sum up that cozy feeling you get from being inside on a cold winter's night, surrounded by friends and good food (what the Dutch call
gezelligheid
), or wondering how
nostalgia
evolved from a fatal illness to enjoyable self-indulgence, Tiffany Watt Smith draws on history, anthropology, science, art, literature, music, and popular culture to find the answers.
In reading
, you'll discover feelings you never knew you had (like
basorexia
, the sudden urge to kiss someone) and gain unexpected insights into why you feel the way you do. Besides, aren't you curious what
nginyiwarrarringu
means?