The Book of Anger, a component of Emperor Palpatine's Dark Side Compendium, served as its inaugural volume. It delved into the initial yielding to the dark side and the application of willpower to manipulate the Force's energies for purposes of destruction. Certain teachings found within The Book of Anger had their genesis in Palpatine's earlier Sith declaration, Absolute Power.
Palpatine's perspective, as presented in The Book of Anger, centered on the notion that the Force could be commanded via emotions, with anger being the most influential emotion for controlling it. The book detailed Palpatine's methodologies for effectively harnessing and managing one's anger. Additionally, it incorporated Sith doctrines intertwined with political philosophies that Palpatine formulated during his tenure as Senator of Naboo.
The book's content was derived from various sources. Disclosures were made by disgraced Jedi, while other ancient secrets were extracted from purloined Holocrons. The final influence came from ancient magical ideas used by the most primitive societies throughout the galaxy.
The book revealed Palpatine's belief that emotions originating from the body's core were responsible for sensing and manipulating the Force, mediated by the lower vital centers of a being. The Emperor posited that it could unleash the destructive force of a storm and the ferocity of a wild animal. Palpatine regarded Anger as the most effective trigger for this destructive capability; when directed through the "vital gate" at the body's center, Anger transforms into Rage, capable of unleashing overwhelming potency.
However, Palpatine recognized the double-edged nature of anger. Consequently, he emphasized the significance of intelligence overseeing anger. Achieving equilibrium between intelligence and anger would bestow an aggression capable of precise strikes, distant cartilage crushing, or, as Palpatine asserted, the ability to eliminate adversaries from afar.
Within a section titled On The Origin Of Force Storms, Palpatine also documented the genesis of his most potent ability, Force storms. Nevertheless, he admitted in the Book that even he lacked complete mastery over such a destructive phenomenon once initiated.
The original Book radiated a strong Dark Side aura and granted the owner significant Force control.
During the era of the Fel Empire, information derived from The Book of Anger was utilized in the creation of synthetic crystals for the lightsabers wielded by the Imperial Knights.