Dopamine Nation

by Anna Lembke

Posted by Anton Katunin on 6 July 2023
Tags: books, 3 stars, audiobook

This is quite an interesting book which I found easy to consume. It talks about pleasure and pain. Think of it as addictions and bad habits. I think this book complements Atomic Habits book well. Dopamine Nation focuses more on bad habits.

Big part of the book focuses on the effects of pain on our happiness. It could be summarised as Hormesis. A little stress and pain is favourable for our body. Examples of painful stimuli include cold, heat, gravitational changes, radiation, food restriction, and exercise. Surprisingly the author also includes radical honesty to that list, which she dedicates a whole chapter to.

The book is well structured and has many stories. If you are into habit building or want to improve your happiness, I would recommend this book.