The Compass of Pleasure : : how our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel so Good

Locations
Call Number: 612.8 Li
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	612.8 Li	4-week checkout	On Shelf

Mashing the pleasure button -- Stoned again -- Feed me -- Your sexy brain -- Gambling and other modern compulsions -- Virtuous pleasures (and a little pain) -- The future of pleasure.
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. Here, Johns Hopkins neuroscientist David J. Linden explains how pleasure affects us at the most fundamental level: in our brain. As he did in 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.--From publisher description.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Great book for scientists & non-scientists alike! submitted by nxb on February 2, 2012, 10:53am This was a very interesting read. As a scientist, I was looking for a fun but accurate book to give my teenage sister who has a burgeoning interest in neuroscience, and I think I found it! Dr. Linden's writing style reads easily enough (it reads in 2-3 days if you read about 1h each day), and though some of the neurophysiological and neurochemical concepts may be a little challenging for those without a strong science background, the author does a great job making his explanations detailed enough to be understandable but not dull. Dr. Linden covers a broad range of topics all related to pleasure and the pleasure circuitry in the brain. Some of the most prominent topics in his book include the following and their associated addictions: drugs (e.g. nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, hallucinogens, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, amphetamines etc.), exercise, orgasm, diet, giving (to charity/IRS), gambling, sex (including some interesting studies on sexual orientation), etc. Dr. Linden writes with humor, including some of his personal experiences, combined with tidbits on world history, psychology, nanotechnology, philosophy and literature, making this a great short and concise read for scientists and non-scientists alike!

Pretty good, easy to follow submitted by onpaper24 on July 6, 2021, 9:16pm Not too scientific