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Loading... Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgenceby Dr. Anna Lembke
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Focuses on neuroscience behind addiction and how to resolve it. Zooms in on the role of dopamine and the brain's pleasure-pain balance. You'll learn: • How the brain’s reward system works, and what is the “pleasure-pain balance.” Uncover why extreme pleasure can lead to after-effects of extreme pain. • Facts and figures about the current crisis of addiction in many countries, and find out why an abundance of pleasure and the desire to avoid pain can lead us down the slippery path of addiction. • Specific strategies and tips to overcome and prevent addictive behaviors, restore a healthy balance, build resilience to pain, and increase your capacity for pleasure. Book summary at: https://readingraphics.com/book-summary-dopamine-nation/ Interesting book but not as unique as I thought it would be. I picked it up as I had seen that the author talks about her “addiction” to romance novels. This is an “addiction” I share so was intrigued to see what she had to say. Overall I felt the book was more about long term “hard” addictions like drugs and alcohol rather than the day to day addictions we all find ourselves with like phone use etc. The book seemed kinda dated with very little new information about addiction. Also addiction to romance novels is not a real thing.
"...I consider Dopamine Nation to be a sort of hedonic Calvinist manifesto, and I am validated in this belief by the fact that Christian pastors picked up on it immediately. Lembke has been more than happy to go on their podcasts, too. “Your book helped me understand the Bible better,” a pastor tells Lembke in one such interview. Later, she gushes to him that neuroscience has begun to prove the morality of the Bible was right, that we must pay “a physiological price” for every pleasure." Notable Lists
"Resettling Your Brain in the Age of Cheap Pleasures"--
We are living in a time of unprecedented access to high-reward, high-dopamine stimuli: drugs, food, news, gambling, shopping, gaming, texting, sexting. The smartphone is the modern-day hypodermic needle, delivering digital dopamine 24/7 for a wired generation. Lembke explores new scientific discoveries that explain why the relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain-- and what to do about it. She illustrates how finding contentment and connectedness means keeping dopamine in check. The secret to finding balance is combining the science of desire with the wisdom of recovery. -- adapted from jacket No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)152.42Philosophy and Psychology Psychology Emotions And Senses Emotions Happiness [No Longer Used]LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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So having listened to the two podcasts was there anything more to be learned from the book?
Yes.
Without a doubt, both podcasts were great in their own unique ways, Rich and Michael approach this topic from two very different angles and flavour their podcasts accordingly, and when it comes to the book i think that the reader will find their own bag within it.
One thing Anna isn't within this book is judging and preachy: she's not telling anyone what to do or what not to do. Anna simply lays out a bunch of case histories and how the human propensity to seek pleasure and minimise pain within this age of abundance is what is ultimately causing so many problems. The reader can make their own mind up as to where they are on this wild and crazy spectrum of addiction that is plaguing our age and species, and also what they may wish to do about it.
Super good and definitely a book to put on the shelf next to The Pleasure Trap: if you haven't read that then seriously, get reading that too.
But, whether you wish to take the time to read Dopamine Nation or not, i do hope you'll take the time to listen to the podcasts: both are different, so please don't just listen to one.
Rich Roll Podcast
Finding Mastery ( )