4-19-11: The Compass of Pleasure

The Johns Hopkins neuroscientist David Linden was last on this program in 2007, discussing his first book, The Accidental Mind, which explored, among other things, the relationship between our brains and our emotions.  His new book takes-up the subject of one of humankind’s central drives:  the pursuit of pleasure.  From alcohol to altruism, from cocaine to cake, Linden argues that we are hard-wired to seek pleasure in a variety of forms.  It’s called The Compass of Pleasure: How our brains make fatty foods, orgasm, exercise, marijuana, generosity, vodka, learning, and gambling feel so good.