We cannot help but be fascinated by the emotions that we see in ourselves and others: an absorbing book exploring the extraordinary feelings which make us human from a rising star of science on popularization on radio and in print. Claudia Hammond wrote and presented the acclaimed and very popular Radio 4 series 'Emotional Rollercoaster' which explored the science of emotions: what they are; why they happen; how they are created; and what happens when we feel them. It's a fascinating subject, one that we all would acknowledge we understand far too little about and, amazingly, until now there has been no book on it. Emotional Rollercoaster takes the reader through the full emotional spectrum with a chapter each on fear, sadness, anger, happiness, disgust, hate, jealousy, love, sympathy and guilt. It traces the progress from the oldest emotion -- fear, which is present from birth -- to more complex emotions like sympathy and hope. neurobiologists and social scientists with candid interviews with those whose livelihoods depend on how we cope with emotions (anger-management consultants, faith healers, aversion therapists). And each emotion is vividly evoked by descriptions of Claudia's going into situations or places connected with them (such as bungee-jumping for fear or visiting Lourdes for hope) and by talking to others about their own experiences. Drawing all these threads together, this unique book explains clearly and memorably what we really know about the science of emotions today -- from why we feel better after a good cry to how bottling up your anger can be good for you.

Packed with surprising discoveries and eccentric stories, Emotional Rollercoaster argues that emotions are far more complex than we realise. They are not just simple responses to a situation: every emotion has its purpose.