Home › Books › Hurts So Good: The Science and Culture of Pain on…
Hurts So Good: The Science and Culture of Pain on Purpose
by
7/99
Critics' Rating Index
46/99
Readers' Rating Index
n/a
Scholars' Citation Index
34/99
Volume of Reviews
51/99
Volume of Reader Ratings
Sign in to add to your shelf, rate, or review this book.
About This Book
An exploration of why people all over the world love to engage in pain on purpose--from dominatrices, religious ascetics, and ultramarathoners to ballerinas, icy ocean bathers, and sideshow performers Masochism is sexy, human, reviled, worshipped, and can be delightfully bizarre. Deliberate and consensual pain has been with us for millennia, encompassing everyone from Black Plague flagellants to ballerinas dancing on broken bones to competitive eaters choking down hot peppers while they cry. Masochism is a part of us. It lives inside workaholics, tattoo enthusiasts, 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 they are not just a researcher and science writer—they're an inveterate, high-sensation seeking masochist. And they have a few Why do people engage in masochism? What are the benefits and the costs? And what does masochism have to say about the human experience? By participating in many of these activities themselves, and through conversations with psychologists, fellow scientists, and people who seek pain for pleasure, Cowart unveils how our minds and bodies find meaning and relief in pain—a quirk in our programming that drives discipline and innovation even as it threatens to swallow us whole.
Reviews
"Recycling—of phrases, questions and needless expletives that turn an otherwise engaging conversational voice into what feels like someone texting a friend or sounding off on Twitter—distracts from a deeply vulnerable book with memorable moments ..."
"This is the book's biggest weakness: for race to go entirely unmentioned is to give the impression that racial differences are incidental to the experience of pain."
"Overall, the chapter is a beautiful reflection on the capacity for human endurance, and for pushing yourself beyond what you thought possible."
"Queasy readers need not apply—graphic depictions of masochistic sex, bulimia, and self-mutilation are in no short supply."
Preview
Reader Reviews
0 reviewsSign in to write a review.
No reader reviews yet. Be the first!