I’m not totally clear what an “emotion scientist” does, but have long been interested in the concept of “emotional intelligence” and Brene Brown’s shame-focused research.  Dr. Marc Brackett, Ph.D., is a professor in in the Child Study Center at Yale , and the founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.Thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley, I received a copy of Dr. Brackett’s book Permission To Feel in exchange for my honest review.

As a Child, Dr. Brackett was taught by his uncle that it was all right to FEEL. As a victim of bullying and abuse, Marc was fortunate to  learn he wasn’t the only one, and his feelings of fear, anger, and isolation were understandable. His life’s work became looking at how to handle it and to improve the lives of both children and adults, teaching them to understand their emotions and use them help, rather than hinder, their self-worth.

Dr. Brackett’s method for handling feelings is a system called RULER. This book follows his development of RULER and how it has been proven successful. The book combines science and inspiration, and provides a manual for handling our feelings. Four stars.