Daniel Goleman
Born 1946 · Age 79
American psychologist, science journalist, and author best known for popularizing emotional intelligence. Former New York Times science writer, co‑founder of CASEL and CREIO, author of numerous bestselling books on emotions, leadership, meditation, and ecology.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Stockton, California
Daniel Goleman was born in Stockton, California, to two college‑educated parents (Irving and Fay Goleman).
Death of father, Irving Goleman
Daniel Goleman's father, Irving Goleman (born 1898), died when Daniel was about 15.
High school student body president; awarded Alfred P. Sloan scholarship
Served as high school president and received an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation scholarship to attend Amherst College (approximate timing at start of college).
Entered Amherst College
Began undergraduate studies at Amherst College (later transferred partway through to UC Berkeley via Amherst's Independent Scholar program).
Transferred to UC Berkeley (junior year)
Studied anthropology at UC Berkeley through Amherst's Independent Scholar program for junior year and part of senior year; began serious meditation practice during junior year.
Graduated Amherst College magna cum laude
Returned to Amherst to complete honors thesis on mental health from historical, anthropological and social perspectives; graduated magna cum laude (year given by some sources as 1968).
Awarded Ford Foundation scholarship to Harvard
Received Ford Foundation support to enroll in Harvard's clinical psychology program in the Department of Social Relations; mentor was David C. McClelland.
Published journal article: Predicting Post‑Release Risk (OMEGA)
Co‑authored 'Predicting Post‑Release Risk among Hospitalized Suicide Attempters' in OMEGA: Journal of Death and Dying.
Visiting lecturer at Harvard; taught psychology of consciousness
Returned to Harvard as a visiting lecturer; in the 1970s his course on the psychology of consciousness was heavily enrolled and moved to a large lecture hall.
Received Social Science Research Council postdoctoral grant
Awarded a postdoctoral grant from the SSRC to continue research in Asia (India and Sri Lanka) studying meditation and ancient psychological systems.
Completed PhD thesis: Meditation and stress reactivity (Harvard)
PhD in clinical psychology from Harvard University; doctoral research on meditation as an intervention in stress arousal (thesis 1974).
Published multiple journal articles on meditation and consciousness
Co‑authored research such as 'Meditation as an intervention in stress reactivity' (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1976) and other studies on attention and meditation.
Published first book: The Varieties of the Meditative Experience
Published The Varieties of the Meditative Experience (later republished as The Meditative Mind). Summarizes his research on meditation in India and Sri Lanka.
Joined Psychology Today (recommended by McClelland)
Entered science journalism at Psychology Today, beginning his shift from academia to popular science writing (approximate late 1970s).
Named Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Recognized as an AAAS Fellow for communicating behavioral sciences to the public (date not precisely specified in sources; included as recognition earned).
Hired by The New York Times as science journalist
Recruited to The New York Times to cover psychology, brain and behavioral sciences; began a 12‑year tenure (1984–1996).
Received APA Career Achievement award for Excellence in the Media
Awarded the Career Achievement award for Excellence in the Media (cited as 1984 by APA/American Psychologist notices).
Published Vital Lies, Simple Truths
Published book on self‑deception: Vital Lies, Simple Truths: The Psychology of Self‑Deception (1985).
Republished The Meditative Mind (new edition)
The Varieties of the Meditative Experience was republished as The Meditative Mind: The Varieties of Meditative Experience (1988).
Organized Mind & Life dialogue that became Healthy Emotions book
Led a 1990 dialogue with the Dalai Lama and scientists focused on health and emotions, later published as Healthy Emotions (editor/organizer role).
Organized Mind & Life dialogue on health and emotions with the Dalai Lama
Organized a Mind & Life Institute round bringing scientists and the Dalai Lama together on health and emotions; led to the edited volume Healthy Emotions.
Co‑founded CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning)
Co‑founded CASEL with colleagues (including Eileen Growald and Tim Shriver) at Yale Child Studies Center; organization later moved to University of Illinois at Chicago to promote social and emotional learning in schools.
CASEL impact: SEL adoption in thousands of schools
CASEL (co‑founded 1993) catalyzed the SEL movement; research later showed SEL programs improve academic achievement by an average 12–15%.
Published Emotional Intelligence (bestseller)
Released Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ (Bantam, 1995); introduced and popularized the emotional intelligence framework.
Emotional Intelligence: NYT bestseller for 18 months
Emotional Intelligence remained on The New York Times Best Seller list for about a year and a half and became an international bestseller; translated into ~40 languages.
Emotional Intelligence translations and sales milestone
Book went into print worldwide in roughly 40 languages and (per some sources) sold over 5 million copies globally.
Co‑founded Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations (CREIO)
Co‑founded CREIO (Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations) to catalyze workplace EI research; later co‑directed it at Rutgers with Cary Cherniss.
Left The New York Times to focus on books and speaking
After many speaking invitations following Emotional Intelligence, Goleman left the Times (he had been on staff 1984–1996).
Twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize (while at NYT)
While reporting for The New York Times (1984–1996), Goleman was twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for his journalism (specific years not stated).
Received Washburn Award for Science Journalism
Awarded the Washburn Award for Science Journalism (Museum of Science, Boston) in recognition of his science writing.
Published Working with Emotional Intelligence
Published Working with Emotional Intelligence (Bantam Books, 1998) applying EI concepts to workplace performance.
Harvard Business Review package: What Makes a Leader?
Published Harvard Business Review material on leadership and EI (Harvard Business Review on What Makes a Leader? 1998 volume); his HBR article 'What Makes a Leader?' became a heavily requested reprint.
HBR article 'What Makes a Leader?' becomes most‑requested reprint
Goleman's HBR article on leadership (based on EI competencies) became the Harvard Business Review's most requested reprint at the time.
Published Primal Leadership (with Boyatzis & McKee)
Co‑authored Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence (Harvard Business School Press, 2001) applying EI to leadership effectiveness.
Published Destructive Emotions
Published Destructive Emotions: A Scientific Dialogue with the Dalai Lama (Bantam, 2003), reporting on the Mind & Life dialogues about harmful emotions.
Published Social Intelligence
Published Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships (Bantam Books, 2006), exploring social aspects of EI.
Published Ecological Intelligence
Published Ecological Intelligence: The Hidden Impacts of What We Buy (Random House, 2009) and advocated for radical transparency in product impacts.
Argued for ‘radical transparency’ in consumer products
In Ecological Intelligence (2009) Goleman outlined how technology could reveal hidden impacts of purchases, influencing conversations about eco‑labeling and supply‑chain transparency.
Ranked 39th on Thinkers50 list
Placed 39th on the 2011 Thinkers50 ranking of management thinkers.
TIME magazine recognition for Emotional Intelligence
TIME listed Emotional Intelligence as one of the top 25 most pivotal business management books (date of TIME recognition cited in sources; included as milestone).
Published Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence
Published Focus (Harper, 2013) about attention, mindfulness and leadership 'triple‑focus' (inner, other, outer).
Published A Force for Good
Published A Force for Good: The Dalai Lama's Vision for Our World (Bantam, 2015).
Altered Traits receives favorable reviews and public attention
Altered Traits (co‑authored with Richard Davidson) was widely reviewed and discussed for its synthesis of meditation research.
Published Altered Traits (with Richard J. Davidson)
Co‑authored Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body (Avery, 2017), synthesizing meditation neuroscience.
Published The Emotionally Intelligent Leader
Published The Emotionally Intelligent Leader (Harvard Business Review Press, 2019), focusing on leadership and EI skills.
Continued public speaking and workshops with spouse
Goleman and his wife Tara Bennett‑Goleman continue to offer workshops together and participate in meditation retreats and teaching events.
Published Why We Meditate (with Tsoknyi Rinpoche)
Co‑authored Why We Meditate: The Science and Practice of Clarity and Compassion (Atria Books, 2022) exploring meditation's science and practice.
Continuing leadership roles: CREIO co‑director & Mind & Life board member
Continued to co‑direct the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations at Rutgers and remained on the board of the Mind & Life Institute.
Received Harvard GSAS Centennial Medal
Awarded the Centennial Medal by the Harvard Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences for outstanding contributions to society (2023).
Enduring impact and recognition (summary milestone)
Emotional Intelligence remains widely taught and cited; Goleman's work is credited with catalyzing SEL in schools worldwide and influencing business leadership practices.
Key Achievement Ages
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