dopamine nation by Dr. Anna Lembke
I’m sure it may seem as though all I do is read great books that I review and comment on; I can assure you that is not the case. I read, well I don’t finish many, awful books. I promise I will give you some terrible book reviews. Maybe.
I’m not sure where I saw to buy this puppy, wasn’t an airport. Was a delivery from Amazon. Either way, in good Douglas Adams fashion, I’m going to get the surprise out of the way.1 This book has made me see the world in a different way.
Now when that little shield pops up saying there are 19+ teams message and 146 emails to read, I say ok, I’ll read that as its been a while. But when I see those same shields say 2 teams messages and 3 emails I think, ah dopamine hit. My brain is desperate to read them to get that little chemical hit.
There is so much in this book that is just band aid ripping off painful. It reaches in and yanks out your brain stem and shouts at your “WHAT ARE YOU DOING????”
We are living in a time that many are crying out to say is problematic. Whether it is the food we eat being engineered to be crave worthy, or the media that we watch and scroll which can’t be better engineered to get our attention, and keep our attention for such extended periods of time that are seriously deleterious for our mental and physical well being.
People have figure out the deepest darkest psychic tricks to ensure other people find it impossible to stop what they are doing and do better with their lives. I know myself that I’ve spent way too much time on Facebook, Twitter and many other social media platforms. I left the former of my own volition, and I thank Twitter for kicking me off the platform for saying some antisemite should go hit his head against a wall for all eternity.2
Any way. The review. It will be mercifully short, as you should all just go read the book.
Flyability. Short haul, again, say two trips. Again, profound moments that make you re-read, and sink in. So it takes time for that reason.
Ah ha moments. I’m only going to give you one. Its more a mantra for how life should be.
Friction. ‘Today, I’m finally okay with being a somewhat anxious, slightly depressed skeptic. I’m a person who needs friction, a challenge, something to work for or fight against. I won’t whittle myself down to fit the world. Should any of us?”3
Five Stars. Five for five. Never before in history have we been able to have access to so much information in so many small chunks of time that the phase of the information is in some ways smaller than the flicker of our own neurons. In the past addiction came from substances, never from information. We know, sort of, how to treat substance abuse. Information abuse is a new frontier and we have no clue on how this is going to be solved for.
If you don’t understand this reference, for shame. Go read Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy. Do it now. Then come back and read the rest of this review. It’s a short book, it won’t take long. I promise.
This was classed as inciting violence against someone. Fine by me. Solved me a mental health problem.
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