Molecules of Emotion: Why You Feel the Way You Feel
Written by Candace B. Pert
Narrated by Candace B. Pert
4/5
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About this audiobook
Why do we feel the way we feel? How do our thoughts and emotions affect our health?
In her groundbreaking book Molecules of Emotion, Candace Pert—an extraordinary neuroscientist who played a pivotal role in the discovery of the opiate receptor—provides startling and decisive answers to these and other challenging questions that scientists and philosophers have pondered for centuries.
Pert’s pioneering research on how the chemicals inside our bodies form a dynamic information network, linking mind and body, is not only provocative, it is revolutionary. By establishing the biomolecular basis for our emotions and explaining these scientific developments in a clear and accessible way, Pert empowers us to understand ourselves, our feelings, and the connection between our minds and our bodies—or bodyminds—in ways we could never possibly have imagined before. From explaining the scientific basis of popular wisdom about phenomena such as "gut feelings" to making comprehensible recent breakthroughs in cancer and AIDS research, Pert provides us with an intellectual adventure of the highest order.
Molecules of Emotion is a landmark work, full of insight and wisdom and possessing that rare power to change the way we see the world and ourselves.
Candace B. Pert
Dr. Candace B. Pert (1946–2013) was an internationally recognized neuroscientist and pharmacologist who played a key role in the discovery of the opioid receptor. Dr. Pert published over 250 research articles and was featured as an expert in Bill Moyers’s PBS series Healing and the Mind, in PBS’s Healing Quest. She was a significant contributor to the emergence of Mind-Body Medicine as an area of legitimate scientific research in the 1980s, earning her the title of “The Mother of Psychoneuroimmunology,” and “The Goddess of Neuroscience” by her many fans. Translated into over ten languages, her bestselling book The Molecules of Emotion was a groundbreaking provides startling and decisive answers to these and other challenging questions that scientists and philosophers have pondered for centuries.
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Reviews for Molecules of Emotion
132 ratings10 reviews
What our readers think
Readers find this title to be a great book about the human brain and consciousness. They appreciate the feminist elements and the author's story. However, some readers find the ending cheesy and feel that the book focuses too much on the author's life rather than the research and science. Overall, it is highly recommended and considered a must-read for self-awareness and personal growth.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Interesting hearing about the research and science, unfortunately this is a minor focus. Disappointingly very focused on the authors life.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dr. Pert's story grabbed my respect for her as a scientist and for her as a female in a male dominated area of society where conscious and unconscious gender biases still flourish.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I work as a clinical trainer in the substance abuse treatment field. I read and research constantly due to this, and I can say there are not too many books I use in 10+ trainings... This is one of them
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Highly recommended. An absolute must read for all whether you are in the health, wellness or any field or even just for your own self-awareness. This should be core material taught to all.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Cool book. I especially appreciated the feminist elements; in particular the segment about Watson and Crick ripping off the findings of the women who discovered the helix structure before they did. Towards the end of the book things got cheesy though, with the “don’t try too hard” new age platitude and the proclamation about forgiving the man who tried to rip-off the author just like Watson and Crick. Just the same old perpetuation of patriarchy - ultimately excusing reprehensible male behavior so men’s sexism and robbing and lying and abusing goes on and on… ?
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Great book about the human brain and consciousness.
Thanks Candace - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Candace Pert was a remarkable woman and brilliant scientist. I attended a conference at which she spoke when I was in grad school and was impressed by her sincerity and dedication. These qualities, so highly inspiring, are present in her book.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Candace Pert, a neuroscientist and discoveror of the opiate receptor, recounts both the intricate relationship between mind, body, and emotions, and her own career uncovering those connections and the neurochemical basis of them. Beginning her career in the early 1970s, gender was an even bigger obstacle than it is now, which no cultural or legal expectation that it shouldn't be. Sometimes she had to fight for recognition of her contributions; other times she had to fight to be able to do the work at all.But along the way, she made major discoveries, and had life-changing experiences. The mind-body dichotomy was still unquestioned scientific orthodoxy in her early days. She doesn't say, but I will: Rene Descartes has a lot to answer for. Pert's work with neuropeptides and their receptors helps to rebuild the essential unity of the person, mind, body, and emotions, and uncover the connections between our emotional health and our physical health.There are times when this goes right up to edge of woo-woo, but it doesn't cross over. Pert is spiritual, religious, and very much a scientist. No, that's not a contradiction or a paradox. She's quite open about her beliefs, and the interrelations among the different aspects. Her central, guiding principle is a commitment to truth.It's a fascinating story. There are times when I find it quite frustrating. It is, however, well worth reading if you are interested in the topic.I bought this audiobook.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I got this as a free audiobook from audible.com. I am a chemical engineer/chemist by trade and thought this sounded like an interesting read. The book is narrated by the author Candace Pert.The very first thing I noticed is that the author is incredibly conceited, she spends a lot of time bragging about her accomplishments right away. This book is more of an autobiography than an actually book behind the science of emotion.There are some interesting theories in this book, that I think many people would agree with. The main theory is that emotional state is caused by a variety of chemicals, particularly peptids. These molecules not only have an influence on your emotions but on your overall physical health as well, you can't really separate the two. I think this theory was groundbreaking at the time, but much more widely accepted now.There is a also a lot of discussion about the male domination of science and how hard the author had to work to get recognized. I think maybe this might have been more true in the 70's than today. The author also comes to the realization by the end that maybe it was her aggressive attitude and combativeness that caused some of her issues with her male cohorts and I couldn't agree more. Working as a female in a male dominated field I have found that the opinion of those around you (male or otherwise) is fed by your attitude towards them. I have never had a ton of issue with my male coworkers respecting me and treating me as an equal. I had some issues in college, but now that I am working with the people I want to work with and in a field I am comfortable in it just hasn't been an issue. If you have an attitude of competence, but aren't completely arrogant, I don't think you will have much of an issue.Okay stepping off my soapbox now...Overall this was an interesting read, but not exactly what I was hoping for or expecting. It is more an autobiography of Pert’s work and a treatise on the struggles of female scientists than an explanation behind the chemicals that guide our emotional and physical health. It was free so I can’t really complain, but I wouldn’t really recommend it either.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The initial few chapters of the book talks a lot about the 'science' of the human body like the ligands, the opiate receptor, endorphins, effect of Acetylcholine. It was really nice to know that ligands such as dopamine, histamine, GABA, only comprise a tiny fraction of nervous system communication. The peptides, carriers of emotion and other information make up for most of all ligands.The book has portions describing the successes and struggles of the author. Like when Dr. Pert was taken for granted and passed on for a Nobel Prize, though in reading the book, I strongly felt she should've been one of the receivers of the award.The author very well describes how the mind and the body are just one and not separate. She explains how 'information' passage is not just through a synapse, but happens due to a much bigger psycho-somatic network inside our body.There is a bit too much of politics in here for a Science book. This is my only let down for this book.