The blush is a ubiquitous, but little understood, phenomenon that presents many puzzles. It involves a visible, involuntary and uncontrollable change in the face that can express feelings, reveal character, influence others and, for those individuals who fear blushing, cause intense anxiety. Ray W. Crozier provides a scholarly, yet accessible, synthesis of research, and new findings, locating blushing within the context of the 'social emotions' of embarrassment, shame and shyness.