Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

The notion of Emotional Intelligence (EI) -- the ability to perceive, understand, and manage emotions -- has become enormously popular, generating numerous books, articles, TV talk shows, and websites. Despite the extensive interest, this is the first book to provide a serious, comprehensive review of the field and the ways in which EI is important to everyday life. Written in an engaging and accessible style, the book sets out clearly what Emotional Intelligence is (and what it is not), the basic skills and knowledge that are needed to achieve high EI, and the important applications of EI to everyday life such as: How EI can be used to improve health, financial decisions, friendships, marriages, and careers?