How Sexual Desire Works: The Enigmatic Urge, by Frederick Toates
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How Sexual Desire Works: The Enigmatic Urge, by Frederick Toates
Free Ebook How Sexual Desire Works: The Enigmatic Urge, by Frederick Toates
There are countless books on sex and an endless fascination with the subject. Varieties and vagaries of sexual desire have long been documented, but there has been little engagement with cutting-edge scientific research to uncover the biological and psychological bases of sexual desire. Here, Frederick Toates uses the insights of modern science to show how a wide range of desire-related phenomena - fantasy, novelty-seeking, sexual addiction, sex-drug interactions, fetishes, voyeurism, and sexual violence and killing - start to make sense. For example, the role of the brain's neurochemical dopamine can now be much better understood in terms of wanting, and a distinction between wanting and liking has been established. Also, an understanding of the layered organization of the brain, sometimes described as hierarchical, can be used to explain temptation and conflict. This is a fascinating book with great social relevance to society and its problems with sexuality.
How Sexual Desire Works: The Enigmatic Urge, by Frederick Toates - Amazon Sales Rank: #5355431 in Books
- Published on: 2015-09-03
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.98" h x 1.18" w x 5.98" l, 1.83 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 500 pages
How Sexual Desire Works: The Enigmatic Urge, by Frederick Toates Review "In this fine book Toates gives a lively tour of the psychology behind 'how sexual desire works'. As a pioneer in motivation theory himself, Toates is an ideal guide into how incentive motivation processes work to produce sexual desires. Beyond psychology, he leads the reader on forays into neuroscience, and includes many excellent quotations as case samples, all to help put the psychology of human sexual desire into better perspective. This is a highly readable and illuminating book." Kent Berridge, University of Michigan"A balanced and highly accessible book on the enigma of sexual desire, highlighting the vast range of different sexual desires and the many unanswered questions in this area of research. Borrowing from fictional depictions of desire, as well as a wealth of scientific data, this book will appeal to academics and clinicians across a variety of disciplines as well as the general public." Cynthia A. Graham, University of Southampton, and Research Fellow, The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction"In this eminently readable and enticing book, Fred Toates weaves a golden thread through the disarming topic of sexual desire, linking its many faces - literary, clinical and scientific - together. The implications of his analysis to our understanding of sexual problems and disorders are immense and will likely help create important paradigms for their study. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in motivation and sex, and how we are able to get what we want and like, despite living in a world full of imposed sexual values and inhibitions. A real tour de force!" Jim Pfaus, Concordia University"Bringing together all of the latest scientific research on the topic of sexual desire, Frederick Toates somehow manages to combine a scientific tone with an uncanny ability to engage the reader. An illuminating and beautifully written text by one of the world's leading writers on biological psychology today." Lance Workman, University of South Wales and co-author of Evolutionary Psychology"Toates' book makes an important contribution to a debate that society can't afford to ignore as we struggle to balance individual rights with protecting the vulnerable." Fortean Times"This sounds like a useful self-help manual but is actually an all-round examination of the core aspect of human experience from one of psychology's leading experts in motivation. Theory and data are entertainingly balanced by examples from life and the arts, so that it works as a textbook or as an example of popular science that is especially well evidenced." Times Higher Education"The book is worth it for its bibliography alone." New Scientist"This book offers a broad and thorough view, including the latest research in psychology and neuroscience, as to the how and why of sexual desire and urges. It also offers suggestions for how to help people with problems in this area and should be seen as a valuable contribution to an improved attitude that will lead to a healthier and safer society." Breathwork Science (breathwork-science.com)"I came away from this book enriched by being exposed to Toates' insights regarding basic aspects of our human sexual experience. Issues surrounding sexual desire are commonplace among many of the clients who seek out sex therapy and understanding the causes of sexual desire is the first step to being able to help them. Wonderfully researched, with many insightful explanations, this book is an important contribution to the field of sex research with many practical ramifications for the sex therapist." Sexual and Relationship Therapy"This book offers a broad and thorough view, including the latest research in psychology and neuroscience, as to the how and why of sexual desire and urges. It also offers suggestions for how to help people with problems in this area and should be seen as a valuable contribution to an improved attitude that will lead to a healthier and safer society." Scientific and Medical Network Journal"Those who want to gain an overview of models of sexuality from the standpoint of a perspective that integrates especially the more recent research on the importance of the "behavioral approach system" are very well advised with this book." Harald Walach, translated from Verhaltenstherapie
About the Author Frederick Toates is Emeritus Professor of Biological Psychology at The Open University and Vice-President of the Open University Psychology Society.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Indispensible update for psychologists and sexologists By Marnia Robinson "How Sexual Desire Works" bridges the echoing chasm between neuroscience research and psychology/sexology tenets by documenting the relevance of neuroplasticity for nearly every aspect of human sexuality. As Toates explains, the "hedonic intensity of sex" makes it a prime candidate for "incentive salience."In other words, throughout our lives sex and learning are intertwined. Of course, early sexual events have an especially powerful impact on our future sexual proclivities, which suggests that children should indeed be protected from sexual stimulation that stands to alter profoundly their innate sexual trajectories. But, even as adults, the degree to which we choose to pursue certain forms of arousal throughout our lives also dictates, or at least channels, future sexual desires. The more we reinforce a sexual behavior the stronger the associations we form.The downside is that too much can lead to brain changes that produce recurring dissatisfaction rather than satiety. This may increase the need to seek more intense stimulation, thus "[displacing] more reliable means of raising hedonic tone over the longer term." This shift is one risk factor for the tragic outcomes of addiction, sexual aggression, hazardous sexual behaviors, and even serial crime - topics that Toates addresses with the same meticulously referenced detail that characterizes his entire book.Toates is not your typical sexology author. Rather, he is a "grand master" of various aspects of motivational theory with 40 years experience. Even so, this must have been a daunting book to produce. It required sifting through an abundance of sexology research, most of which was constructed without asking the questions that would have revealed the impact of "incentive salience." The dubious result of such tunnel vision is a body of research that often claims to reveal global aspects of human sexuality when, in fact, it may simply chronicle a cultural slide into more extreme stimulation and consequent neuroplastic change among a surprisingly narrow slice of WEIRD (Western, Educated, and from Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic countries) study subjects gathered on college campuses.For example, take the newly popularized concept of "asexuality." It is defined as a lack of attraction to another person. Yet many purported asexuals who give up internet porn discover that real people grow noticeably more attractive. Were they really asexuals, or just casualties of reversible "incentive salience" (neuroplasticity)? Similarly, is male sexuality really set in stone, or is it more plastic today in the face of sexual stimuli that exceed the intensity of any our ancestors faced as human brains evolved? These are important questions to resolve lest we mislead ourselves about our species' sexuality. It's possible that "authentic" human sexuality cannot be isolated in today's atypical sexual environment.In any event, Toates's long-term perspective is especially valuable for his readers. With an even hand and admirable academic objectivity he dispels some popular myths about sexual desire. For instance, did you know that adverse effects from sexual frustration arise in only one body organ - the brain/mind - and stem from psychological processing of thwarted sexual goals? Similarly, excessive sexual behavior is not a function of bodily deficit or high desire, but rather of "incentive salience," in other words, changes in the brain brought on by sensitization.Here are some other fascinating tidbits from Toates's trove of carefully referenced sexual lore:* Fear can enhance sexual arousal because it (also) activates the autonomic nervous system. This makes it possible for people to misattribute the source of their arousal and become aroused in response to anxiety-producing stimuli.* Food and sex as presented in the 21st century constitute "supernormal stimuli," leaving our brains more liable to switch into addictive mode.* Although all addictions are both physical and psychological, addicts often show no psychological problems apart from addiction.* Given the early plasticity of the brain, adolescents are likely to be particularly vulnerable to powerful visual images.* Sexual fantasy increases with sexual activity, not deprivation.* Porn use is not cathartic (that is, not a safety valve). The more one uses, the more drawn one typically is to future use.I hope that in a future edition Toates will also consider the implications of the many studies showing a neurochemical cycle after orgasm and address how this cycle might influence sexual desire.~Marnia Robinson, author "Cupid's Poisoned Arrow: From Habit to Harmony in Sexual Relationships"
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Some words of motivation to read about sexual motivation By G4bbi Everything you wanted to know about sexual desire but were too afraid to ask. Everyone who picks up this book and ponders whether to read it will do so because they are interested in sex. This book bridges the gap between a formal psychological textbook and reading for pleasure. Frederick Toates has an unique talent for sharing knowledge to make this book both interesting and easily readable for academics, undergraduates and quite frankly anyone without a deep knowledge of psychology but a keen interest in sexual behavior or motivation in general. It can be easily read on different levels. Toates integrates cognitive and social psychology. This allows the reader to combine their knowledge gained from different aspects of an undergraduate psychology course with their knowledge gleaned from the university life, to understand different sexual behavior and why some people are drawn to specific behavior. To do this Toates draws on both historical and contemporary research to back up his conclusions and possible reasons for the different sexual paths people take.He postulates possible reasons for why unacceptable sexual practices occur and by understanding the mind of say, a rapist, better rehabilitation and successful reintroduction to society can occur. In this way this book should not be taken lightly as it contains important messages about our societal norms. In conclusion, in this, his latest book, Toates aims to help the diversity of sexual desire to be better understood in terms of genetic differences, classical conditioning and other factors within a sociocultural context.He succeeds.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Brilliant! By Adam Safron I've been researching human sexuality for nearly 15 years (focusing on the brain), and I'm grateful to Fredrick Toates for writing this magnificent book. Sexual orientation? Gender differences? Pornography? Compulsive sexuality? Fetishes? How Sexual Desire Works covers all of this and more in way that is both comprehensive and fun to read. I strongly recommend this book for both scientists and non-scientists alike.
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