Pleasures of the Brain / edited by Morten L. Kringelbach and Kent C. Berridge.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Pleasure is fundamental to well-being and the quality of life, but until recently, was barely explored by science. Current research on pleasure has brought about ground-breaking developments on several fronts, and new data on pleasure and the brain have begun to converge from many disparate fields. The time is ripe to present these important findings in a single volume, and so Morten Kringelbach and Kent Berridge have brought together the leading researchers to provides a comprehensive review of our current scientific understanding of pleasure. The authors present their latest neuroscientific research into pleasure, describing studies on the brain's role in pleasure and reward in animals and humans, including brain mechanisms, neuroimaging data, and psychological analyses, as well as how their findings have been applied to clinical problems, such as depression and other disorders of hedonic well-being. To clarify the differences between their views, the researchers also provide short answers to a set of fundamental questions about pleasure and its relation to the brain. This book is intended to serve as both a starting point for readers new to the field, and as a reference for more experienced graduate students and scientists from fields such as neuroscience, psychology, psychiatry, neurology, and neurosurgery.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Kringelbach (Univ. of Oxford, UK, and Aarhus Univ., Denmark) and Berridge (Univ. of Michigan) have accomplished a fine piece of work. Although one can identify many positive things about this collection, its primary strengths lie in its sound grounding in neurobiological research and the relatively straightforward manner in which the contributors present that complex material. The volume, of course, has direct relevance to individuals working in the areas of sensation, perception, neurobiology of pleasure, and brain structure and function. But a more subtle yet powerful application of the book is as a guide to the fundamental importance of understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of psychology. For example, the book could be a core reader in a course on sensation and perception (albeit one directed at majors: one can simplify these complex concepts, comparisons, and neurobiological terms only so much). This reviewer was particularly intrigued by the section in which each of the contributors responds to seven fundamental questions about pleasure. Though the book is expensive, the quality of graphics, paper, and binding make it worth the cost. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers/faculty. R. E. Osborne Texas State University--San Marcos