Synopses & Reviews
A leading brain scientist's look at the neurobiology of pleasure — and how pleasures can become addictions.
Whether eating, taking drugs, engaging in sex, or doing good deeds, the pursuit of pleasure is a central drive of the human animal. In The Compass of Pleasure Johns Hopkins neuroscientist David J. Linden explains how pleasure affects us at the most fundamental level: in our brain.
As he did in his award-winning book, The Accidental Mind, Linden combines cutting-edge science with entertaining anecdotes to illuminate the source of the behaviors that can lead us to ecstasy but that can easily become compulsive. Why are drugs like nicotine and heroin addictive while LSD is not? Why has the search for safe appetite suppressants been such a disappointment? The Compass of Pleasure concludes with a provocative consideration of pleasure in the future, when it may be possible to activate our pleasure circuits at will and in entirely novel patterns.
Review
"A hugely entertaining look at why we enjoy the things we enjoy....There's hardcore biology here, but it's tempered with personal anecdotes, penetrating observations and quotes from the likes of comedian Mitch Hedberg and Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy. If you're science-phobic, don't worry: Linden is incredibly smart, but comes across as the funny, patient professor you wish you'd had in college." Michael Schaub, National Public Radio
Review
"This cheerful summary of the brain's reward system is a profound experience...Pleasure is a superb book. My brain has been changed by reading it." Leo Benedictus, The Guardian (UK)
Synopsis
From the
New York Times bestselling author comes a "hugely entertaining" (NPR.org) look at vice and virtue through cutting-edge science.
As he did in his award-winning book The Accidental Mind, David J. Linden — highly regarded neuroscientist, professor, and writer — weaves empirical science with entertaining anecdotes to explain how the gamut of behaviors that give us a buzz actually operates. The Compass of Pleasure makes clear why drugs like nicotine and heroin are addictive while LSD is not, how fast food restaurants ensure that diners will eat more, why some people cannot resist the appeal of a new sexual encounter, and much more. Provocative and illuminating, this is a radically new and thorough look at the desires that define us.
About the Author
David J. Linden is a professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University of Medicine. The author of more than ninety scientific papers, he also serves as the editor in chief of The Journal of Neurphysiology. His work has received awards from the Sloan, McKnight and Klingenstein Foundations as well as those of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Society for Neuroscience.