Emotional literacy means being able to recognise what you are feeling so that it enhances rather than interferes with thinking - a contrast with emotional expression which can mean one is driven by emotions so that it isn’t possible to think.‘ In this, the second collection of her Guardian columns (one of the longest running and most popular of the paper) Susie Orbach again proves herself to be a clear-sighted and intelligent guide to understanding what’s really going on around and within us. Her belief that we must learn how to validate emotion in public and private life remains the cornerstone of her work and has at long last, become a part of public debate.