The Hacking of the American Mind by Robert H. Lustig

At the time, only basic correlational data existed, but there appeared to be a very specific interaction going on between these two neurochemicals. There, he learned about the interaction between dopamine and serotonin in the brain. His motivation for writing the book began 30 years ago, while still a postdoctoral fellow in neuroscience at Rockefeller University. Lustig is an emeritus professor of pediatrics in the division of endocrinology at the University of California, San Francisco, and a member of the Institute for Health Policy Studies. His previous book, “Fat Chance:” was a New York Times Best Seller. He is perhaps best known for his brilliant research into sugar and obesity. Lustig’s book and interview him before it was published. Always fearless and provocative, Lustig marshals a call to action, with seminal implications for our health, our well-being, and our culture.

With his customary wit and incisiveness, Lustig not only reveals the science that drives these states of mind, he points his finger directly at the corporations that helped create this mess, and the government actors who facilitated it, and he offers solutions we can all use in the pursuit of happiness, even in the face of overwhelming opposition. And with the advent of neuromarketing, corporate America has successfully imprisoned us in an endless loop of desire and consumption from which there is no obvious escape. In the last forty years, government legislation and subsidies have promoted ever-available temptation (sugar, drugs, social media, porn) combined with constant stress (work, home, money, Internet), with the end result of an unprecedented epidemic of addiction, anxiety, depression, and chronic disease. Yet dopamine evolved to overwhelm serotonin-because our ancestors were more likely to survive if they were constantly motivated-with the result that constant desire can chemically destroy our ability to feel happiness, while sending us down the slippery slope to addiction. Serotonin is the 'contentment' neurotransmitter that tells our brains we don't need any more yet its deficiency leads to depression.

While researching the toxic and addictive properties of sugar for his New York Times bestseller Fat Chance, Robert Lustig made an alarming discovery-our pursuit of happiness is being subverted by a culture of addiction and depression from which we may never recover.ĭopamine is the 'reward' neurotransmitter that tells our brains we want more yet every substance or behavior that releases dopamine in the extreme leads to addiction. The New York Times-bestselling author of Fat Chance reveals the corporate scheme to sell pleasure, driving the international epidemic of addiction, depression, and chronic disease. 'Explores how industry has manipulated our most deep-seated survival instincts.' -David Perlmutter, MD, Author, #1 New York Times bestseller, Grain Brain and Brain Maker

The Hacking of the American Mind by Robert H. Lustig