Sex on the Brain: 12 Lessons to Enhance Your Love Life » (Unabridged)

DANIEL G. AMEN, M.D., is a clinical neuroscientist, psychiatrist, and brain-imaging expert who heads the world-renowned Amen Clinics. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and is the author of the New York Times bestseller Change Your Brain, Change Your Life.

The vast majority of love and sex occurs in the brain. Your brain decides who is attractive to you, how to get a date, how well you do on the date, what to do with the feelings that develop, how long those feelings last, when to commit, and how well you do as a partner and a parent. Your brain helps you be enthusiastic in the bedroom or drains you of desire and passion. Your brain helps you process and learn from a breakup or makes you vulnerable to depression or obsession.

While plastic surgeons, diet gurus, and the pharmaceutical industry may have convinced you that they hold the secret to a fulfilling sex life, the truth is that you already have the only thing you really need: a brain. As the largest and most sensitive sexual organ in the body, a healthy human brain enhances your sex life and heightens sensation. A troubled brain, however, makes emotional and physical connection with others difficult. So forget the implants, the fad diets, and the pills. Learning about...

Martha Cornog Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information - Library Journal

A distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Amen (psychiatry, Univ. of California, Irvine; Change Your Brain, Change Your Life) is well known for his research on neuropsychiatry and brain imaging. He holds that differing levels of activity in various parts of the brain, as revealed by a brain scan, greatly aid the diagnosis and treatment of behavioral problems. Here, he applies that approach to sexual issues like attraction, gender differences in sex behavior, dangerous partners, sex addictions and fetishes, erotic enhancement, and problematic and mood-related behavior. There are self-tests, case studies, and suggestions for balancing brain activity through diet, exercise, supplements, and (as prescribed by a physician) medications. This fascinating, clearly written book is supported by a glossary, extensive references, and a detailed description of how brain scans work. However, Amen's approach is somewhat controversial, so it may not convince all readers. For large public libraries.

Introduction: The Brain Is the Largest Sex Organ (and Size Matters!)     1
Methuselah's Secret: Sexuality, Longevity, Health, and Happiness     7
No Forethought Equals no Foreplay: Understanding and Optimizing the Brain Systems of Sex     23
The Chemistry of Love: Ingredients of Attraction, Infaturation, Commitment, and Detachment     50
Rules for Him, Rules for Her: Navigating Gender Differences in the Brain     73
Look Closely: Brain Imaging Secrets to Enhance Your Love Life     89
Use Your Brain Before You Give Away Your Heart: Warning Signs of Trouble     101
The Brain is a Sneaky Organ: Addictions, Weird Sex, Fiends, and Fetishes     116
The "Oh God!" Factor: Sex As a Religious Experience     141
Brain Sex Tricks: Sex Potions, Passion, and Finding the Damn Spot     150
Make it Last, Make it Unforgettable: Embedding Yourself in Your Partners Memory     169
Fix the Brain Issues That Get in the Way of Sex: PMS, Depression, ADD, Substance Abuse, Denial, and Being a Jerk     183
A Healthier Brain Equals a Sexier You: Strategies to Improve Your Brain and Life     210
The Amen Clinic Brain System Questionnaire     227
Why SPECT?: What Brain-SPECT Imaging Can Tell Clinicians and Patients That Cannot Be Obtained Elsewhere     231
Glossary     245
References and Further Reading     249
Acknowledgments     259
Index     261