The Compass of Pleasure

Praise

“Linden provides a fresh perspective on pleasure and confirms that those who suffer addictions are truly ill…” — Kirkus Reviews

“What does it really mean for the brain to experience pleasure? That’s the question neuroscientist David Linden asks in his new book… he traces the origins of pleasure in the human brain and how and why we become addicted to certain food, chemicals and behaviors.” — NPR

“Linden’s conversational style, his abundant use of anecdotes, and his successful coupling of wit with insight makes the book a joy to read.” — Publishers Weekly

“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.”
-The Guardian
 

“This book is highly readable and full of fascinating facts and theories… You’re sure to get pleasure from reading Pleasure” -BBC (UK)

“In his book “The Compass of Pleasure,” the Johns Hopkins neurobiologist David J. Linden explicates the workings of these regions, known collectively as the reward system, elegantly drawing on sources ranging from personal experience to studies of brain activity to experiments with molecules and genes.” -The New York Times
 
“Important, timely and fascinating.” -Naomi Wolf, author of The Beauty Myth and The End of America