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Dopamine Nation

Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence

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Dopamine Nation

By: Dr Anna Lembke
Narrated by: Dr Anna Lembke
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About this listen

All around us people are looking at their phones too much, eating too much, drinking too much. Our world is addicted to fleeting distracting pleasures that get us nowhere. Dr Anna Lembke provides a clear way back to a balanced life.

This audiobook is about pleasure. It's also about pain. Most importantly, it's about how to find the delicate balance between the two, and why now more than ever finding balance is essential. We're living in a time of unprecedented access to high-reward, high-dopamine stimuli: drugs, food, news, gambling, shopping, gaming, texting, sexting, Facebooking, Instagramming, YouTubing, tweeting.... The increased numbers, variety and potency are staggering. The smartphone is the modern-day hypodermic needle, delivering digital dopamine 24/7 for a wired generation. As such, we've all become vulnerable to compulsive overconsumption.

In Dopamine Nation, Dr. Anna Lembke, psychiatrist and author, explores the exciting new scientific discoveries that explain why the relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain...and what to do about it. Condensing complex neuroscience into easy-to-understand metaphors, Lembke illustrates how finding contentment and connectedness means keeping dopamine in check. The lived experiences of her patients are the gripping fabric of her narrative. Their riveting stories of suffering and redemption give us all hope for managing our consumption and transforming our lives. In essence, Dopamine Nation shows that the secret to finding balance is combining the science of desire with the wisdom of recovery.

©2021 Anna Lembke (P)2021 Penguin Random House Audio
Biological Sciences Mental Health Physics Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Science Thought-Provoking Health Inspiring

Critic Reviews

"Dr Anna Lembke is a whiz on why we get hooked on things - and how we can enjoy pleasurable things in healthier doses." (The Guardian)

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This was so great, I’ve read a number of books on dopamine and this one was a standout. A lot to think about after finishing this.

I loved this so much

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I didn't realise I had addictions until I listened to this! I also started seeing the addictions my friends and family have too. A fascinating read.

opened my mind

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Loved this book. Concisely written and very well narrated by the author, Anna Lembke. As others have said, this is a fascinating book with real-life anecdotes that help to solidify Lembke's commentary.

Thought provoking

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Some really fascinating facts and examples in this book. Good narration and overall good book

Good audiobook

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This is a guide for people who want to understand more about themselves. It shows how pain, which we avoid by chasing pleasure, it's actually fundamental to experience the beauty of life.

Best book I've listen to in years

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Great content combining experiential accounts with data backed science. The use of the author to narrate the text ensures the content is read with the empathetic tonality used to write it.

Top tier

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Loved this audiobook!very insightful and honest. My congratulations to the author and her patients for the courage of sharing their experience so others can reflect about their own life’s if in need to changing or altering course …

The stories

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Totally amazed by those patients’ addiction stories. I am addicted to tv drama and social media, I use these as an escape of the real world, this book made me realise the more I escape with pleasure stuff, the more pain I will feel, which is true. I just somehow need to find the courage to limit my drama watching time and somehow find a worthwhile focus in my life so I don’t escape it with unhealthy habits.

Her patients’ stories are fascinating!

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I found this book incredible relatable and eye opening. Anna does an amazing job getting her message across in empathetic and fun stories. I’ve found Anna through the Huberman Podcasts and am so glad I purchased this book - it has been life changing in how I view the world. Thank you Anna.

Gets better as you listen

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I work in the field and found this book both interesting and insightful despite being familiar with a lot of the information. Highly recommend this to anyone seeking to gain a better understanding of addiction and our pursuit of dopamine in its various forms.

Excellent perspective on our pursuit of pleasure

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