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Emotional Intelligence: For a Better Life, success at work, and happier relationships. Improve Your Social Skills, Emotional Agility and Discover Why it Can Matter More Than IQ.

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*** Buy the paperback version and get the Kindle version for FREE ***

If you want to know yourself more deeply, and how to use emotional intelligence to live a happy life and fulfilled, then keep reading...
For the longest time, it was believed that being book smart was all you needed to get by in life. That is until a different kind of smart was introduced into the picture. Emotional intelligence is essentially the kind of smart you need to understand your emotions, relate well to people, and handle the curveballs that life may throw at you. People with emotional intelligence seem to have everything figured out because they have mastered the most important thing of all: They have mastered themselves.

Emotional Intelligence is a handbook on all things that you may have questions about regarding your emotional quotient, abbreviated EQ. It explores the various aspects of EQ from why we have emotions to why we need them. It explains why emotional intelligence might get you further in life than IQ without necessarily diminishing the very important role played by book smarts in your life. It goes further to bust the popular myths about emotional intelligence that exist thus allowing you to distinguish the truths from the misconceptions.

This book is dedicated to helping you explore the various components of emotional intelligence and show you how you can improve at each of them. It discusses the role of emotional intelligence at home and in the workplace and helps you identify simple ways to go from low EQ to high EQ.
Inside you will discover:
What emotional intelligence is, and why rise your EQ is so important
How emotional intelligence affects your relationships and your work
The importance of empathy
How to manage and reduce energy vampire

And much more...

If you have been struggling to understand where your emotions fit in the overall picture of your life or what you can do to achieve greatness in your personal and professional life, then this book is perfect for you.
Do not allow yourself to live another day in oblivion. Get ready to figure out the hard questions thanks to Emotional Intelligence.
You will thank yourself later for choosing to read this book.

Scroll up to the top of the page and click the "Buy Now" button. Your key to bouncing back from adversity is one click away.

134 pages, Paperback

Published June 17, 2019

1318 people are currently reading
597 people want to read

About the author

Brandon Goleman

17 books6 followers

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5 stars
244 (34%)
4 stars
224 (31%)
3 stars
152 (21%)
2 stars
60 (8%)
1 star
29 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
Profile Image for J.
50 reviews
February 3, 2025
Some bangers from this book (not actually bangers! Why was this included in a nonfiction book?!):

1. "As long as an action remains someone else's fault, you do not have any control over what that person actually does." (In a chapter about taking responsibility for your own actions)

2. "However, if you admit to yourself that you are the reason for the things that go wrong in your life, you can take steps to ensure that you no longer act in conflict with your best interests." (Totally see the intention here, and agree that it is 1000% important to acknowledge your role and choices in situations,... but the way this is phrased is directly where I take so much issue with much of the 'self-help' genre in general. It's a pitch of "if you're not successful, YOU are the reason for your own failure").

3. "Here's the thing, you are either an empathetic person or you're not." (The opening line of a chapter titled, "How To Develop Empathy In Your Everyday Life" ).

4. A Dialogue:
A: "I should probably check the social conditioning I have received on the expected gender roles in society."
B: "Yes, like the fact that dads are parents too and not babysitters."
A: "Haha, exactly!"
(I don't think any human person would ever UNironically say aloud that first sentence.)

5. "In such instances, how are you expected to be empathetic? It's simple really. You just have to use your imagination." (Stated when discussing empathy for situations you have not personally experienced).

6. "You cannot empathize with another person simply because they exist." (Bummed to have learned this D: )

7. "Winston Churchill defined tact as the ability to tell someone to go to hell while make them look forward to the trip. This really does sum up everything that you need to know about how to handle conflict should it arise in your life." (*Logical arguments have left the chat*)

8. "How hard can it to be a good listener? Not too hard. You just have to sit there and nod attentively while keeping your eyes trained on the speaker." (A point of summary in the CONCLUSION OF THE BOOK. THIS IS A TAKEAWAY.)

Final note that this book also does not actually include references to any of the points or arguments that are made. There is a short reference list at the very end of about 5 sources, but no actual references throughout the body of the arguments.
Profile Image for Kathrynn.
1,184 reviews
October 28, 2019
Enjoyed reading this short book that is divided into 8 chapters to include a 15 question quiz at the end to see how emotionally intelligent you are. I scored 11 out of 15 which placed me in the High EQ range. The book shares information on "emotional vampires," which includes knowing when to walk away from personal relationships that leave you feeling continually drained. Part of those "emotional vampires" are the people that constantly talk about themselves and do not allow another person to speak during a "conversation." The book also speaks about having empathy for others.

The book is for both personal and work relationships and can help someone that is interested in improving their communication in either. I saw ways that I can improve relationships around me and will be more mindful of how I react to criticism.

The book shares ways to deal with difficult people in the work place by using the "kill them with kindness" approach. But does not cover how to deal with a person that agrees to your face, but goes behind your back and does the opposite.

The book discusses how hiring officials are now looking for more emotionally intelligent people over IQ (except for some positions such as Engineers where IQ often beat EQ--another way of indicating Emotional Intelligence) and it shares information on what baby boomers and millennials look for in a work environment and how employers can improve their employee retention rate by changing the earlier mindset. It is not enough for people to just have jobs that provide steady paychecks anymore. It is about having a career in which a person feels they make a difference, matter and are recognized for their hard work. I agree.

The book also shares information on how to argue effectively without personal attacks, rages or fits and to run from any relationship in which that happens. Fast.

There is also information on introvert/extrovert personalities that I very much enjoyed and agree with!

The book appears to have been self-published, which I do not have a problem with; however, be aware that the font is large, the text runs too close to the center of the book so I had to bend the book to read each line, and there were more than a few editing errors, but this did not affect the content only the presentation.

5 Stars from This Reader.
3 reviews1 follower
January 19, 2023
No references to research or studies. Definitely not an academic based paper. Felt more like inner dialogue with the way it's written, too. Given the topic, I expected more research related content. If you've never heard of emotional intelligence, it's an OK intro. Be warned it lacks in thought-provoking prompts to dig in deeper.
Profile Image for Vanessa Tettamanzi.
53 reviews
October 22, 2025
Loved, very insightful. Some of my favorite quotes below.

“Knowing others is intelligence, knowing yourself is true wisdom; mastering others is strength, mastering yourself is true power.”

“They stated that you can regulate your behavior to match your standards and values only if you are conscious of this behavior in the first place.”

“People who lack self-awareness have a higher likelihood of looking outside of themselves for reasons to justify their behavior. They are often unable to rein in their emotions, and they prefer to place the blame on someone else.”

“If you are able to identify the root cause for all your thoughts and emotions, you are well on your way to becoming more self-aware. And you know what you can do with roots? You can uproot them if they are not the kind you want to keep feeding.”

“Shifting your mindset also means aligning your feelings and thoughts with your value system. Many times, we do things because it is what has always been expected of us. Being clear about what you value as a person will lead to a much-needed paradigm shift that will be a big step toward self-awareness.”

“That’s the thing about human beings; we love to return to the familiar because it feels comforting. However, tempting it might be to want to go back to your comfort zone, you must remember that change is often painful and uncomfortable. Being self-aware might seem and feel like a daunting process, but it is exactly what you need to become exactly who you were meant to be while forming meaningful and respectful relationships with those around you.”

“The very first thing that you must do is ensure that you are clear on what your values are. Our values are what keep us grounded.”

“Having the right kind of values is one of the simplest ways to self-regulate because you do not even have to think too much about decisions. You just have to check boxes and walk away from the things that do not meet those values.”

“When you are fueled from within, you are more likely to pursue the things that fulfill you and make you happy. Motivated people have been shown to be both more positive in their outlook and very adaptable to change. They are generally nicer to be around and make good team players. A motivated individual looks forward in the direction of their dreams and goals and exudes a certain air of confidence and positivity wherever they go. Motivated people are also more assertive in the pursuit of their goals and will not say yes to every request that comes their way.”
Profile Image for aliza.
37 reviews9 followers
May 31, 2025
Read this for a class. It’s so awesome that people can just publish anything these days.
Profile Image for Heather Trageser.
32 reviews
May 28, 2020
Great beginners book!

This isnt a new topic, emotional intelligence has been in a few books in recent years. I liked how this book breaks down empathy and emotional vampires into their base forms. By looking at the parts, rather than as a whole idea, it was easier to spot times when someone in my life was draining me emotionally. It even helped me recognize times when I was probably draining the people around me.
I would have liked to see a more in-depth discussion here, and more studies included. However, I definitely enjoyed this read and learned something from it.
I feel like this has given me a good place to start being more self-aware.
I would definitely recommend this book.
Profile Image for Joy Kirr.
1,285 reviews155 followers
February 16, 2020
After getting past the fact that I can find nothing about this author except that he is the son of a man who studied emotional intelligence, I had to get past the myriad grammar errors as well.

This book seemed to try to summarize what Daniel Goleman shared in his books. As I read it quickly, I recognized some people in my life who are not as emotionally intelligent as I believe I am. I've still got a long way to go, but this book helped me see I've come a long way (I'm learning a ton in my 40s). The one thing this book did for me is help me be more patient with others in my life who are emotionally draining.
Profile Image for Theo.
61 reviews2 followers
November 29, 2021
Insightful, but not helpful.

This is a great overview of what emotional intelligence is, but if you're looking to improve your own EQ, this might not be the best.

Learn active listening skills and practice empathy; those were really the only two take away points from this. These are great if you're just looking into EQ, but if you've read even a couple other self-help books, this is old news.
1 review
September 16, 2019
Well organized content !

The content here is super organized by the author . Pretty much the flow of the book helps you understand the different aspects of EQ .
However I would have appreciated additional chapters on the methodologies to improve EQ at work places .
Profile Image for Alex Ricker.
47 reviews9 followers
March 27, 2021
I had high hopes for this book but it was not the book for me. I did not like the narration or a lot of the writing/wording of the book, finding it generalized and not relatable for me.
1 review
May 10, 2021
Educational, but light on application

I had hoped for more practical application exercises. However overall I enjoyed the book and read it because it was included in prime reading
Profile Image for Austin Mann.
16 reviews1 follower
September 28, 2022
I was annoyed that this book felt like it was written for a 10-year-old. A very important topic and concept but I just kept wondering if I had accidentally picked up an abridged version for kids.
54 reviews1 follower
August 1, 2024
This book was not very good, and there are definitely better books out there that explain emotional intelligence a lot better. This author barely used any references (there were only 5) and basically just said things that were common sense.

He said that emotional intelligence is basically your ability to recognize and cope with your emotions. And if you're good at it, that it will help your personal and work relationships. Which is true. But he didn't really talk about how to become more emotionally intelligent or how to recognize your inadequacies. The only thing he said was basically to have empathy. And he talked a lot about some things that other people do that might mean that they have low EQ. He also talked about recognizing different types of energy vampires. But I feel like, just setting boundries with those people would be the best course of action, regardless of what type they are. So he should've talked about how to set boundries. And he didn't really say how to recognize if you are the energy vampire.

The emotional intelligence test at the end was a joke.

If you want to read a book that's actually good, on emotional intelligence you should read "Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents" by Lindsay Gibson.
Profile Image for Nico James.
14 reviews
November 27, 2021
Insightful

Definitely worth your time to get insights into what may be blocking you to succeed in relationships and work. It’s not really a deep dive but something you can easily read in a couple of days. Although I scored in the high range it is difficult to assess yourself accurately and I would believe I’m more in the average range. So now I need to find a way to put it into practice and observe some improvement.
Profile Image for Luke Mohamed.
109 reviews
March 14, 2025
This felt like a book that would be in someone's bathroom. The examples are sometimes helpful but aren't academic in any stretch.

For a book about EQ it's surprising to see author Daniel Goleman use sentences like "Ever since the world started paying more attention to emotional intelligence, thanks to Goleman, there has been a segment of society particularly engrossed in understanding what EQ can do for them."

Thanks to Goleman? "Thanks to me"?
Profile Image for Dominique Briscoe.
3 reviews
January 3, 2022
Great way to start off the new year with a bit of self assessment!

Great for entrepreneurs!

I enjoyed the breakdown of traits and how we misuse them hurting ourselves or allowing others to drain us.

My second time reading this but it's worthy! 👍

Great self assessment at the end of the book. I scored well and I'm proud of myself. Still a few things to work on! 👍
Profile Image for Lauren Dixon.
3 reviews2 followers
June 13, 2023
I enjoyed reading this book! Super easy read but also insightful. They had a quiz at the end to self test your own emotional intelligence. I became aware of things I could personally work on in my life and I love that aspect of this book. Not really a “self help” but more of an awareness book. I would totally read again.
Profile Image for Timothy OBriant.
30 reviews1 follower
November 14, 2023
I'm sorry, but this book reads like it was written by a 15 year old kid. I don't telly have confidence in the content. Maybe the worst of it is the idea that one can "grow" emotional intelligence in a couple of months. (My word, not his.) Zero to hero by the bootstrap method is not realistic. I will look elsewhere for something with adult writing and analysis.
172 reviews
November 11, 2024
Refresher on Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence has been the subject of a number of books recent years. This book for me was like a refresher course on emotional intelligence. I particularly enjoyed the writing on emotional vampires and the quiz at the end of the book to see how emotionally intelligent you are. 
2 reviews
April 13, 2020
Very informative

I liked the EQ quiz at the end of the book. Once the tally marks are added together a description is then given to you. This description was very accurate I would say.
2 reviews
June 8, 2021
Puncture Point

Noted point of feeling a whole unvaried positive interiorly, reflecting such. I myself encourage others to look in the mirror, feel proud, be yourself, do whatever you want.

-They’ll know the reason.
Profile Image for Stephanie Hart.
38 reviews1 follower
June 19, 2022
I can learn a lot from this book. I realize I still have a lot to work on EQ wise and I will be rereading this book in the future. For now I want to try to implement some of the things talked about and go from there.
Profile Image for Ashley Duncan.
53 reviews1 follower
January 23, 2023
I think this book was a helpful starting point for looking at emotional intelligence. It has a lot of good points that were made as well as different things to look for in yourself or the people around you.
4 reviews
February 26, 2024
Very good read and useful advise

Simple and clear explanation of importance the emotional intelligence has in our lives. Grateful for advice and encouragement. Very positive attitude. Book has good practices how to improve EQ
Profile Image for Becky Manson.
187 reviews
December 19, 2024
Found this to be quite a rudimentary intro to the topic with some basic self help tips and quiz. It summarises some of the aspects of emotional intelligence but for better knowledge in the area I think another book is required.
Profile Image for Wolfie.
83 reviews
February 23, 2020
Not quite the book I thought it would be- information is slightly dated even though it was published in 2019.

Needed more examples, and a more concise and clear definition of empathy.
2 reviews
May 18, 2020
Very informative.

This book was very interesting to read. It gave me a lot of new and very useful information. Great read!!
134 reviews2 followers
July 3, 2020
The book was continuously informative. I did not know that there were different forms of empathy or the extent in which emotional intelligence plays in a successful life.
2 reviews
January 27, 2021
Great Book

Looking for guidance and this book helped. Explained different scenarios and material was relateable. Picked up some pointers that I will use .
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews

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