Looking for Spinoza: Joy, Sorrow, and the Feeling Brain

A famed neuroscientist explores the emotions that make life worth living in "clear, accessible, and at times eloquent prose" (San Francisco Chronicle).

In the seventeenth century, the philosopher Spinoza examined the role emotion played in human survival and culture. Yet, the neurobiological roots of joy and sorrow remained a mystery. Today, we spend countless resources doctoring our feelings with alcohol, prescription drugs, health clubs, therapy, vacation retreats, and other sorts of co...