Super-interesting long view of the development and deployment of a key concept. Early going is really rich, though by the last third, the book actually felt a bit rushed, piling on the instances of the term's use and development, without lingering to really plumb the cultural meanings deployed there, even as the concept was increasingly adopted across the culture in rich and varied ways--I felt like it was missing a bit of the historicizing-the-present kind of maneuver that the book was so well-positioned to do.

Still, really well-researched, thought-provoking stuff, that I'll use in my work in the near future.

A very interesting book on a topic that I find quite fascinating. A little slow and dry at points but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Thank you for the advanced copy.

An interesting and well research account.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So much information here! I found it a bit dry to go through at points but it is clear that this is a much loved and deeply researched topic.

This book was extremely interesting, as I did not know the origin of empathy in our society. I was surprised to find that it developed in 1908. Unfortunately in our current society, few have been demonstrating empathy toward others, so this is a timely read.

This academic treatise is a comprehensively researched tome on the on the evolving meanings of empathy in different disciplines over time. It is more suited for academia than light reading. As I am more interested in social sciences and neurobiology, I found those sections more interesting than the section on early definitions of empathy in art appreciation.

Thanks to NetGalley, Yale University Press, and the author Susan Lanzoni for an advanced electronic reading copy.

This was an interesting book. I would never have guessed that empathy was such a recent development in our society and that it was based on the translation of a German word no less. I recall a philosophy I heard about in collage years ago, whose belief was that the only "real" person was oneself and everyone and everything else was simply here for their own entertainment and amusement and weren't real.anyway. Our society seems to fall somewhere between the two in my opinion. Still the book makes a fascinating read of the history of empathy!

“Empathy: A History” by Susan Lanzoni tells the little known intriguing story of the concept of empathy, from its first appearance in 1908 through its evolution in meaning over the following century. The idea was transformed over time by social scientists and clinical psychologists, who defined empathy as setting aside one’s own feelings to better understand another’s. As WWII drew to a close, the concept of interpersonal empathy became popularized by advice columns, radio and TV, and in later public forums on civil rights. Highly recommended for its meticulous research and wide sweep. 5/5

Pub Date 25 Sep 2018

Thanks to Yale University Press and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#Empathy #NetGalley