We feel emotions every second of every day, yet we only have a small language to describe them. How do we go past happiness and grief? Atlas of the Heart aims to give us all the linguistic resources we require to map out the broad spectrum of emotions we encounter. Instead than giving us advice on how to feel or cope with emotions when they come, she instead compiles a list of emotional encyclopedias. In order to help us better understand and express our feelings to others, the author divides emotions into categories before delving into their nuances.