Book Review: Atlas of the Heart – Brené Brown
I read Atlas of the Heart at the beginning of the year – it quickly became one of my favorite books.
The book is designed beautifully. Brené Brown connects to the richest and most complex of our emotions, keeping us hooked and eager to read on. From flipping through the pages to smelling the freshly printed ink to admiring the intricate design of the book, I could not wait to get started on reading her work.
Ultimately, it wasn’t the book’s beautiful design that made it my favorite. Rather, it was the sheer abundance of information and the accessible way it was presented to me. I found myself retaining most of what I was reading and longing to continue, not wanting to put it down.
What You Will Find in Atlas of the Heart
In Atlas of the Heart, there are 87 emotions split into 13 chapters, labeled as destinations: “Places We Go When The Heart Is Open” or “Places We Go When We Are Hurting.” Each destination contains emotions from the same family. For example, in the chapter “Places We Go When We Search for Connection,” Brené Brown explains belonging, fitting in, connection, disconnection, insecurity, invisibility, and loneliness.
The book explains what humans are made of. The feeling, the emotions, the reasons, and the outcomes. It is an atlas that takes you on an emotional journey.
The book helped me connect with my emotions and better understand myself and others. It helped me recognize that I don’t know how others feel and that going through shame, suffering, regret, disappointment, overwhelm, worry, and anxiety is normal. Brown emphasized to me that I am not alone in my emotions and that others also go through these same difficult times and experience the same internal hardship that fosters negative emotions.
. . .
“Without understanding how our feelings, thoughts, and behaviors work together, it’s almost impossible to find our way back to ourselves and each other. When we don’t understand how our emotions shape our thoughts and decisions, we become disembodied from our own experiences and disconnected from each other.”
– Brené Brown
Because of the book, I know myself better. I understood better why I am the way that I am. The book prompted me to reflect on my past experiences, present reality, and future aspirations. This insight enables me to go through the daily struggles with more empathy and kindness to myself and others.
The book is a beautiful read for anyone who wants to learn about themselves and others and is looking to connect to their feelings and emotions.
. . .
“When we don’t have the language to talk about what we’re experiencing, our ability to make sense of what’s happening and share it with others is severely limited. Without accurate language, we struggle to get the help we need, we don’t always regulate or manage our emotions and experiences in a way that allows us to move them productively, and our self-awareness is diminished.”
– Brené Brown
I have been studying and exploring human behavior for years, yet, I learned a few new things about emotions. My favorite two words describing emotions that I learned from the book are
Schadenfreude (p.33) and Shoy (p.37). What about yours?
Fun fact: Brené Brown and D. Ronda Dearing went through 15,000+ academic publications to extract the content for the book! Wow!
Conclusion
I am grateful to Brené Brown and her team for creating a summary of our hearts. If you want to connect to your emotions and feelings, this is an excellent place to start.
You can learn more about Brené Brown and her work on her website.
Have you read the book? What is your take on it? Please share what you like about the book and what your experience with using the principles is! If you’d like, you can contact me directly.
As always, I am offering a free 1-hour discovery session for new clients. I would love to talk to you and help you get on the road to becoming the best version of yourself.
