Scientific American Book of Love, Sex and the Brain

Who do we love? Who loves us? And why? Is love really a mystery,
or can neuroscience offer some answers to these age-old
questions?

In her third enthralling book about the brain, Judith Horstman
takes us on a lively tour of our most important sex and love organ
and the whole smorgasbord of our many kinds of love-from the
bonding of parent and child to the passion of erotic love, the
affectionate love of companionship, the role of animals in our
lives, and the love of God.

Drawing on the latest neuroscience, she explores why and how we
are born to love-how we're hardwired to crave the companionship of
others, and how very badly things can go without love. Among the
findings: parental love makes our brain bigger, sex and orgasm make
it healthier, social isolation makes it miserable-and although the
craving for romantic love can be described as an addiction,
friendship may actually be the most important loving relationship
of your life.

Based on recent studies and articles culled from the prestigious
Scientific American and Scientific American Mind
magazines, The Scientific American Book of Love, Sex, and
the Brain offers a fascinating look at how the brain controls
our loving relationships, most intimate moments, and our deep and
basic need for connection.

Autorentext

Judith Horstman is the author of The Scientific American Day in the Life of Your Brain and The Scientific American Brave New Brain, copublished with Scientific American. She's an award-winning science journalist whose work has been widely published and is the author of four other books.

Zusammenfassung
Who do we love? Who loves us? And why? Is love really a mystery, or can neuroscience offer some answers to these age-old questions? In her third enthralling book about the brain, Judith Horstman takes us on a lively tour of our most important sex and love organ and the whole smorgasbord of our many kinds of love-from the bonding of parent and child to the passion of erotic love, the affectionate love of companionship, the role of animals in our lives, and the love of God.

Drawing on the latest neuroscience, she explores why and how we are born to love-how we're hardwired to crave the companionship of others, and how very badly things can go without love. Among the findings: parental love makes our brain bigger, sex and orgasm make it healthier, social isolation makes it miserable-and although the craving for romantic love can be described as an addiction, friendship may actually be the most important loving relationship of your life.

Based on recent studies and articles culled from the prestigious Scientific American and Scientific American Mind magazines, The Scientific American Book of Love, Sex, and the Brain offers a fascinating look at how the brain controls our loving relationships, most intimate moments, and our deep and basic need for connection.

Inhalt

Acknowledgments xi

Preface: Who Do You Love? xiii

Introduction: What Is This Thing Called Love? 1

So What Is Love? 2

Love Is a Many Splendored Thingand the Greeks Had a Word for All of the Types 4

The Basics of Your Brain in Love and Sex 6

I've Got You Under My Skull: Love in Your Brain 7

You Make Me Feel So Good: The Pleasure Center 8

The Very Thought of You 9

How Scientists Research Love and Sex in Your Brain 10

1 Born to Love: Why People Need People 15

Do You See What I See? How Mirror Neurons Connect Us 17

The Dangers of Involuntary Mind Merging 22

The Chemistry of Love 23

Love Is Everywhere: Where Love Grows in the Brain 26

A Brain Unable to Love: Inside the Brain of a Psychopath 27

Baby Face, You've Got the Cutest Little Baby Face 33

2 Learning to Love 35

How Your Parents Affect Your Love Life 36

Love at First Sight: The Earliest Lessons in Love 39

If You Could Read My Mind: Moms Do 42

A Mother's Everlasting Love 43

How Parenting Primes Your Brain for Love 45

Parenting Rewires the Daddy Brain as Well 46

How Father Love Feeds Both Brains 47

Postpartum Depression: Misery for Mom and Baby 50

Loving the One Who Hurts You: Why Children Cling to Abusers 51

What If Things Went Wrong with That First Love? 52

In the End: Do Parents Matter? 54

3 His Brain, Her Brain, Gay Brain, and Other Brains 57

How Real Are the Differences? 58

The Five Genders of the Brain 60

His Brain, Her Brain: The Geography 61

So What Does This Have to Do with Love? 63

Our Changeable Brains 66

Some Myths About Male and Female Brains: True or False? 68

Toujours Gay: The Gay Brain Is Born That Way 72

Can Animals Be Gay? Better to Call It Bisexual 74

I Am What I Am 76

The Third Gender: When Gender and Sex Do Not Align 79

Are There Asexuals Among Us? On the Possibility of a Fourth Sexual Orientation 81

4 That Old Black Magic: Your Brain in Love 85

How Love and Sex Are Good for Your Brain 88

When Love Occupies Your Brain 90

Who Do You Love? And Who Loves Ya, Baby? 91

You've Got That Lovin' Feelin', But What Turns You On? 96

You Go to My Nose: The Power of Smell over Sex 96

A Kiss Is (More Than) Just a Kiss 102

You Light Up My Brain 104

What's Love Got to Do with It? Plenty It Turns Outfor Women 108

Need Some Love Potion? Try a Bit of Oxytocin Spray 109

I'll Have What She's Having: What Makes a Better Female Orgasm? 110

Does the Penis Have a Brain of Its Own? 112

When Things Go Wrong: A Fine Romance 115

5 Friendship, Such a Perfect Blendship: Or, with a Little Help from My Friends 121

Is Friendship Declining? 123

Are You Lonesome Tonight? 60 Million Other Americans Are 125

You've Got a Friendor You Should! 126

Widening the Social Circle 129

Imaginary Friends: TV Characters Can Ease Your Pain 130

Until the Real Thing Comes Along: Your Brain on Facebook 133

Work, the Other Love in Your Life 135

Can Animals Love? Yes, and More 136

How to Make Friends 139

6 Only You Can Make My Dreams Come True: Let's Get Married 143

Grow Old Along with Me: The Marriage Benefits 144

You Make Me Feel So Good: Romance Lowers Stress 145

Finding That Special Someone: Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places? 146

Falling and Staying in Love 148

I've Grown Accustomed to Your Face 150

My One and Only Love: Are We Monogamous? 151

Granny's Got to Have It 153

Your Hormones May Drive You Apart: A Tough Pill to Swallow 155 Making Love Last: I Get a Kick out of You 156</p&g...