I bought this book in Idaho Falls on my way to a camping/biking vacation. That was a few years ago.This is a very slim book, but there is a lot of information about the latest scientific findings related to the pleasure circuits in our brains (and the brains of mice, rats, and various monkeys).It turns out that all of the drugs that we know and love, like heroin, cocaine, nicotine, THC, caffeine, and speed, directly affect the pleasure centers of our brain. And depending on how these drugs are ingested and how often, they can rewire your pleasure circuits in a way that you become addicted to them.No matter the drug, addiction follows a pretty standard progression: pleasure, increased tolerance, craving, withdrawal, and (usually) relapse. In this book Dr. Linden sketches out the insights into the physiology of these stages. The tools used to measure the brain are pretty crude (and horrifying if you are a lab animal), but the first glimpses of how this part of the brain works are starting to come into focus.But the book isn't really about addiction; it's about stuff that humans and lab animals like to do. This includes eating (of course), having sex, socializing (except for me), and gambling. It ends with a look at some surprising things that activate the pleasure center of the brain like donating money and even abstract ideas.This book gave me plenty to chew on. I'm reading his other book now, The Accidental Brain.I'm unsure how accessible this book is to "lay" readers. I don't have much biology or chemistry background, so I was a little lost when he would toss out the names of specific areas of the brain or specific neurotransmitters. You can still get the gist of what is happening, and there is an index if you need to go back to reread something. It's probably best to read this with some postit notes on the inside cover and a pen in hand. I enjoyed the book and learned a lot. Was specifically reading it to learn more about food (and exercise) and pleasure, but it was a very informative read all around. The one thing I did not like was the end, when Linden delved into the future and attempted to make comments on what we might see as far as drugs and our ability to control the brain... He totally lost me there. I'm sure he's super excited to see what technology will help us further understand and affect the brain. I couldn't care less about that. I was reading to better understand the connections we make in our everyday lives between things (money, food, drugs, alcohol) and feeling pleasure. I want to know what current science says, no need to fantasize about what the future holds unless there is a seemingly more realistic solution on the horizon. Either way, controlling (pleasure in) our brains using nano computers seems crazy. We're bound to mess it up or misuse it, no matter how much we learn or how good our technology gets. Other than the end, I liked the book.
What do You think about La Bussola Del Piacere (2012)?
Focuses on the physical side of pleasure, but does a credible job of doing so.
—Tog
Lesley marked as to read - interest in topic
—Gothica98
