Book on the Social Functions of Emotions
Excerpts:
Mr. Keltner, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, has devoted himself to studying the social functions of emotion. And his emphasis is on those positive emotions that, even now, remain relatively unexplored and trivialized. He is a former student of Paul Ekman, the behavioral scientist who in the 1970s developed a system of coding facial muscles and determining what their movements really mean.
Among the challenges posed by that opportunity: How can something as mobile as a smile be assessed in still photographs? Are women with warm smiles treated better than stonier-looking ones? How can beauty be differentiated from kindness? And is the smile more a measure of eagerness to please than of inner contentment? Mr. Keltner covers broad, interesting territory on his way to the conclusion that sincere smiling, regard for others, trust, cooperation and kindness can demonstrably enhance our lives.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/19/books/19masl.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
First chapter from the book: