To control our emotions is to control ourselves, and to control ourselves is to control our destiny.

The mind is its own place, and in itself/ Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n. —Milton, Paradise Lost

It has forever been said that we are ruled by our emotions, but this today is truer than ever. Much more than reason or tradition, it is our emotions that determine our choice of profession, partner, and politics, and our relation to money, sex, and religion. Nothing can make us feel more alive, or more human, than our emotions, or hurt us more. Yet, astonishingly, the emotions are utterly neglected in our schools and universities and broader society, leading to millions of mis-lived lives.

My own career is a case in point: I trained as a doctor, and later specialized in psychiatry—without ever being taught about the emotions.

This book proposes to redress the balance, exploring over 25 emotions and drawing some powerful and astonishing conclusions along the way. Areas covered include: loneliness, humiliation, envy, greed, ambition, anger, forgiveness, empathy, love, self-esteem, and many more.

How can we turn boredom inside out? How can nostalgia help us? When is anger justified? What do all instances of love have in common? What is the secret to self-esteem?

◆ Grab your copy now to find out.

A wide-ranging and impassioned survey. —Publishers Weekly

[Heaven and Hell] challenges our understanding of emotions we experience but do not really think about... a fascinating read.—British Medical Association Book Awards

Emotions propel all of human life, yet few people take the time to understand their power. In this fascinating work, a psychiatrist explores the passions that drive us: pride, fear, loneliness, love, and more. —BookBub

An entirely new way of looking at the emotions. —Readers' Favorite

★★★★★ I do love to read a book on occasion that gives me a mental workout, and this one certainly had my brain doing calisthenics! —Jamie Bee, Amazon Top 50 Reviewer

About the author

Dr Neel Burton FRSA is a psychiatrist, philosopher, and wine-lover who lives and teaches in Oxford, England. He is a Fellow of Green-Templeton College in the University of Oxford, and the recipient of the Society of Authors' Richard Asher Prize, the British Medical Association's Young Authors' Award, the Medical Journalists' Association Open Book Award, and a Best in the World Gourmand Award. His work has featured in the likes of Aeon, the Spectator, and the Times, and been translated into several languages.