Can Science Capture the Complexity of Human Pleasures?
I’m a practicing psychiatrist, not a research
psychologist, but as someone who follows the literature on happiness,
I’m convinced that How Pleasure Works is a comprehensive and
authoritative summary of, to quote the subtitle, “The New Science of Why
We Like What We Like.” It’s also a gracefully written book and a lot of
fun, not least because, as the tour guide, you’re great company. Who
else, considering the ancient philosophical question of what defines the
human race, would venture, “Man is the only animal that likes Tabasco
sauce?”Beyond being bold and outlandish, that sort of statement is important because
it recognizes that human pleasure is complex. You’re moving a step
beyond the now-familiar psychology that says we’re obese because when
our ancestors roamed the grasslands, the survivors were the ones
programmed to enjoy sweets, such as ripe fruits, when they were
available. Our liking spice might call for a higher-level explanation,
perhaps one attentive to concepts like culture and cuisine.