Overview

Sensations of hunger, thirst, sexual attraction, and love can dominate our thoughts to the exclusion of almost everything else, but until the last 10 years or so, the precise reasons why these passions arise have not been understood very well. We now know that these, and other drives like the urge to sleep, are controlled by a small portion of the brain called the hypothalamus. This book presents the latest information about how the brain controls our most basic drives. In a series of fascinating anecdotes, Young tells the tale of how scientists have discovered the role of the hypothalamus in our basic drives and in medical conditions in which these drives are drastically altered. Covering our need for food, water, sex, sleep, and other life essentials, he reveals the brain's part in how we provide for each, and how in some cases, those needs can swing wildly out of control resulting in problems such as obesity, diabetes, insomnia, or narcolepsy. He shows how regulating body temperature can affect the lifespan, how the aging process affects sexual behavior, how empathy and love develop in relationships with family members or with love interests, and how all these functions and more can go awry. Like other science writers before him, Young illuminates even the complex inner workings of the brain in a way that anyone can understand, so that readers are treated to a tour of a tiny part of the brain that is responsible for so many fundamental aspects of life.

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9781442218246

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Reviews

At this time of rapid growth in biomedical science, it is crucial for the lay public to be scientifically literate. In Hunger, Thirst, Sex, and Sleep, Dr. Young demonstrates an outstanding ability to describe complex anatomy and function in an understandable, easygoing style. I enthusiastically recommend this book to those interested in human emotions and the underlying scientific basis for our passions as human beings.--Robert M. Klein, M.D., MBA, director of Behavioral Health, Northeastern University Health and Counseling Services and assistant clinical professor, Tufts University School of Medicine Dr. Young explains the enormously complex neurophysiology of the hypothalamus in a relevant, accessible and refreshingly readable manner for the non-scientist. He is a natural teacher, and the book transitions seamlessly between explanations of genetic, anatomical, physiological and evolutionary concepts.--Janette M. Krum, Ph.D., associate professor, director of undergraduate studies, Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Biology, The George Washington University Medical Center John K. Young's book, Hunger, Thirst, Sex, and Sleep: How the Brain Controls Our Passions, is an excellent, concise summary of the role that the brain plays in the basic biology of behavior. Anyone with an interest in how the brain controls our hunger, thirst, drives and emotions will find the book an enjoyable and informative read. Dr. Young tells many different and exciting stories of discoveries that changed our understanding of the brain. Too often these stories are lost to the libraries of scientific and technical jargon. Here, the rich history of research on the hypothalamus is told with an accessible and enjoyable narrative style that can be appreciated by any interested reader.--Stephen Benoit, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience, University of Cincinnati Sensations of hunger, thirst, sexual attraction, and love can dominate our thoughts to the exclusion of almost everything else, but until the last 10 years or so, the precise reasons why these passions arise have not been understood very well. We now know that these, and other drives like the urge to sleep, are controlled by a small portion of the brain called the hypothalamus. This book presents the latest information about how the brain controls our most basic drives in an accessible language.-- Journal of Consumer Policy

Author Information

John K. Young, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Anatomy, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, D.C. He has published his work in scientific journals and has written or edited several books.

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