SOCIAL SCIENCES

Take Pride: Why the Deadliest

by Jessica Tracy
Take Pride: Why the Deadliest Sin Holds the Secret to Human Success. Houghton Harcourt. Sept. 2016. 272p. illus. notes. index. ISBN 9780544273177. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780544273085. PSYCH
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What is pride? Is it the joy of an athlete who has just won an Olympic event, or the boasting of a rich businessman? It's both, says Tracy (psychology & director, Emotion and Self Lab, Univ. of British Columbia, Canada). Pride can motivate people to achieve success or can be twisted into a kind of hubristic quality that seeks power rather than accomplishment. Moreover, the author's research program has established that displays of pride—expanded chest, head held high, clenched fists raised—are recognized by people with minimal exposure to Western culture, meaning that pride should be included in what are called the universal "essential emotions." Donald Trump supporters won't like this book—he's used as a prime example of hubristic, or negative, pride.
VERDICT Politics aside, readers who are interested in experimental psychology and enjoy the work of Steven Pinker and Judith Rich Harris will appreciate this title.
Reviewed by Mary Ann Hughes, Shelton, WA , Jul 01, 2016
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