new book – ‘How Pleasure Works’ by Paul Bloom
Written on May 28, 2010
How Pleasure Works: The New Science of Why We Like What We Like by Paul Bloom (W.W. Norton)
Product description from the publisher:
Yale psychologist Paul Bloom presents a striking new vision of the pleasures of everyday life. The thought of sex with a virgin is intensely arousing for many men. The average American spends over four hours a day watching television. Abstract art can sell for millions of dollars. Young children enjoy playing with imaginary friends and can be comforted by security blankets. People slow their cars to look at gory accidents, and go to movies that make them cry.
In this fascinating and witty account, Paul Bloom examines the science behind these curious desires, attractions, and tastes, covering everything from the animal instincts of sex and food to the uniquely human taste for art, music, and stories. Drawing on insights from child development, philosophy, neuroscience, and behavioral economics, How Pleasure Works shows how certain universal habits of the human mind explain what we like and why we like it.
See also: Webpage for the book, Bloom’s Introduction to Psychology video course at Open Yale Courses
Filed in: new books,psychology.
