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.
Author(s): Frederick Toates
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Year: 2014
Language: English
Pages: 511
Front Matter......Page 1
Dedication......Page 5
Contents......Page 7
List of Figures......Page 9
Preface......Page 11
Chapter 1......Page 13
Chapter 2......Page 41
Chapter 3......Page 80
Chapter 4......Page 107
Chapter 5......Page 124
Chapter 6......Page 140
Chapter 7......Page 146
Chapter 8......Page 157
Chapter 9......Page 176
Chapter 10......Page 190
Chapter 11......Page 200
Chapter 12......Page 211
Chapter 13......Page 241
Chapter 14......Page 257
Chapter 15......Page 281
Chapter 16......Page 306
Chapter 17......Page 326
Chapter 18......Page 358
Chapter 19......Page 382
Chapter 20......Page 410
Chapter 21......Page 421
Chapter 22......Page 454
Notes......Page 461
References......Page 468
Index......Page 499
