This Is Your Brain on Sex
By Kayt Sukel
The Science Behind the Search for Love. Simon & Schuster, 2013. Previously published as Dirty Minds: How Our Brains Influence Love, Sex, and Relationships.
Summary of This Is Your Brain on Sex book by Kayt Sukel
A detailed exploration of the link between neurobiology and romantic love, sexual attraction, and attachment, as well as related concepts like hate, monogamy, religious devotion, and maternal love. An enlightening look at the brain activation and chemical, hormonal, and genetic associations involved with love.
Chapters in This Is Your Brain on Sex book summary
What do you get from this book? Explore the neurobiology and genetics behind sexual attraction, lust, love and hate
Love seems easy to recognize but impossible to define, until scientists began to recognize its link with brain chemistry
New technologies like fMRIs allow doctors and scientists to go beyond phrenology and study chemicals in the brain
Environmental factors influence genetic expression, brain development, and behavior, while hormones provide motivation for love
Monogamous relationships in humans is enigmatic, though it may be linked to oxytocin in the brain
Attraction is difficult to research in humans, though visuals and odors both seem to play a role
Addictions to love and sex are not clinically recognized, yet people in love exhibit very similar behaviors to substance addiction
Low sexual desire for women is an actual disorder, but not homosexuality, because sexual orientation begins in the womb
Love and hate: are they opposites? according to the brain, maybe not.
fMRI imaging shows that religious devotion and unconditional love share similar brain processes to romantic and maternal love
Summary of the key insights
Selected critiques in brief
Final word
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This Is Your Brain on Sex — Book Summary Snapshot
Who should read This Is Your Brain on Sex book
- Psychologists
- anyone in a relationship
- anyone looking for love
About the author of This Is Your Brain on Sex
Kayt Sukel
Kayt Sukel is a science writer and journalist who isn’t afraid to tackle difficult or taboo topics like sex, attraction, orgasms, out of body experiences, and politics. Her writing frequently appears in some of the world’s most prominent publications. Sukel is also a partner of a successful travel website and has published a book on the science of risk-taking.
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