Hurts so good : the science and culture of pain on purpose / Leigh Cowart.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cowart, Leigh, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Pain--Psychological aspects.

Pain.

Masochism.

Suffering.

Pleasure.

Physical Description:

vii, 237 pages ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : PublicAffairs, Hachette Book Group, 2021.

Summary:

"Masochism is sexy, human, reviled, worshipped, and delightfully bizarre. From ballerinas dancing on broken bones to ultramarathoners shitting their pants mid-race to competitive eaters scarfing down hot peppers, masochism is a part of us. It lives inside workaholics, tattoo junkies, and all manner of garden variety pain-seekers. At its core, masochism is about feeling bad, then better -- a phenomenon that is long overdue for a heartfelt and hilarious investigation. And Leigh Cowart would know: she is not just a researcher and science writer-she's an inveterate, high-sensation-seeking masochist. And she has a few questions. Why do people engage in masochism? What are the benefits: social, psychological, physiological, and otherwise? What are the costs? What does masochism have to say about the human experience? By participating in many of these experiences herself, and through conversations with psychologists, fellow scientists, and people who seek pain for pleasure, Cowart learns how our minds and bodies are engineered to find meaning and relief in pain-a quirk in our programming that drives discipline and innovation even as it threatens to swallow us whole." -- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: ch. One From the Top

ch. Two The Wet Electrics of Pain

ch. Three The Fuffering of the Faints

ch. Four Lava Mouth

ch. Five The Name of Things

ch. Six When the Lights Go Dark

ch. Seven Social Creatures

ch. Eight The Ultramarathon

ch. Nine Serious Playtime

ch. Ten Bliss.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 211-224) and index.

ISBN:

9781541798045

154179804X

OCLC:

1230230249