By Seymour Epstein Praeger Paperback . Westport, Conn. 1998 . 304 pages LC .
Most people believe their emotions are automatic reactions to events.
Events happen and trigger emotions, and that is all there is to it. Few realize that their emotions are determined by what they think, by how they interpret the events, and not by the events themselves. As Epstein demonstrates throughout the book, this insight provides a powerful tool for controlling emotions and becoming the type of person one wants to be. To a considerable extent this book stresses the techniques of cognitive therapy and how they can be utilized in everyday life. Epstein goes beyond this, however, to provide a theory of personality based on a new and effective view of the unconscious.