Practising psychiatry, psychotherapy, and psychoanalysis for over forty years and being an avid reader of books pertaining to the human mind convinced Salman Akhtar that most good books in this realm are difficult to read for lay-persons. Matters are made worse by the fact that books that are readable succumb to oversimplification and glib advice-giving. As a result, the seeker of knowledge about the intricacies of emotional life finds little that is meaningful to read. It is this lack that The Book of Emotions is trying to address here. Written in a simple, easy-to-understand style with everyday examples and anecdotes, the books explains the meaning and characteristics of some of our inherent emotions.