Hooked: The Brain Science on How Casual Sex Affects Human Development
Written by Joe S. McIlhaney, Jr., MD and Freda McKissic Bush
Narrated by Natalie Budig
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
How sex is rewiring your brain - for good and for bad
What does a three-pound brain have to do with one’s sex life? A lot, actually.
Hooked is about what’s happening to your brain when you’re having sex. With scientific data put in layman’s terms, this book demonstrates that:
- Sexual activity releases chemicals in the brain, creating emotional bonds between partners. This is great news for marriages!
- Once formed, however, breaking these bonds can have damaging effects on the brain, such as depression and difficulty bonding with someone else in the future.
- The continual forming and breaking of these bonds can have permanent effects on a person’s brain.
Plus, this updated edition also includes a brand new chapter about the effects of pornography on the brain.
All this data about bonding, sex, and pornography has important implications in a casual sex culture. Regardless of what we wish were true, the facts tell us “safe sex” isn't as safe as it seems. Learn about your brain, the positive effects of sex within permanently committed relationships, and how you can protect yourself (especially your brain) from the dangers of casual sex.
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Reviews for Hooked
26 ratings5 reviews
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Incredibly biased and purposely misleading. This is supposed to be a book based on scientific data, yet:
1. Speaks of ‘your soul’ and needing ‘spiritual’ guidance —which is by definition NOT scientific
2. Draws conclusions from comparisons between stats of sexually active, unmarried people vs. happy, healthy marriages without defining their criteria for such
3. Presents stars with no context of the studies they derive from
4. Purposely introduces data followed by moral statements/assumptions to give the idea these are scientific
5. Mentions depravity although depravity, by definition, is a purely moral concept
6. Speaks uniquely of heterosexual romantic and sexual relationships
7. Uses opposing arguments at different times so they can make their point that a certain behaviour and lifestyle is idea
8. Presents not only monogamy, but marriage as the ideal human sexual style as though it were a scientific fact
And more I can’t remember...
Some early language red flags that also allow you to tell this is biased:
-Marriage is widely mentioned
-Soul and spiritualism are mentioned
-Pregnancies outside of wedlock (and not couples) are deemed dangerous risks of sex —although they may very well be planned for and looked after by established unmarried couples
-Depravity is mentioned
-Welfare (in relation to teen pregnancy) is mentioned —clearly targets a certain demographic
In summary, marketed to be a book with scientific data when in reality it’s a book pushing a moral agenda2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Usually, we receive this kind of material from church material, full of bible references, etc. I'm surprised by the amount of good research suggesting that we should wait for sex after marriage.
Great material.1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Incredibly biased book whose ultimate goal is to scare people away from engaging in premarital sex. The author cherry picks studies and skips over any details that might contradict their message. This author is writing their own opinion under the guise of science in an effort gain some undeserved authority on the subject.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I enjoyed this book for so many things including understanding how my body works, why I am struggling with porn and how GOD made this body to be in relation to others. This is a good book and I pray I will have a change of how I view sex based on this. GOD BE GLORIFIED
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The first third of the book is quite interesting but takes a turn when it gets very preachy about sexual abstinence until after marriage. I couldn't listen to the last 3 chapters.