Goleman dispels this notion however and insists that to a large extent, emotional intelligence determines how successful we become as human beings. Feelings, inner motivations and personal relationships are more important than the ability to spell or recite poetry. This fact has major implications, especially for our educational system. Of course, the three R's are important, but the ability to deal with individuals and groups is just as important. We worry about intellectual illiteracy but don't pay much heed to emotional illiteracy.
Schools can only do so much, however.
In the end, it boils down to the family, and with the family in such disarray, one wonders if this, in itself, is not the underlying problem. Emotional Intelligence is a monumental work. For questions or comments about a review, please contact the person listed at the top of the review. Ed's Internet Book Review is copyright 1995-2001, Dr. Edwin V. Bell, II, all rights reserved. Limited reproduction is granted for classroom use, personal use, and for review purposes.