Crying is the first thing we do in this world. The crying kickstarts our lungs and our lives outside the uterus. As children we cry a lot, and there is no difference between boys and girls, but somewhere along the road to growing up the crying becomes more feminized and by some made into a problem. Crying in public affects the surroundings and can cause discomfort, sympathy, disgust, and empathy, because crying has both a forgiving and a provoking effect. Children’s choirs, fights, spiders, funerals, and sports performances can all be tear-inducing since all feelings can trigger crying.

This book considers emotional crying. Emotional crying is unique to humans. It’s extremely natural and normal but can at the same time be both embarrassing and problematic. Crying moves, engages, and provokes, and it has a surprising news value. The author Baarli Salvesen considers the social, historical, cultural, and psychological aspects of crying. And why do some people cry only once every ten years, while others cry ten times a week?