Naked Reader Book Club Discussion: Crazy Little Thing - Why Love and Sex Drive Us Mad, by Liz Langley (December 27, 8-10 PM EST)

Contributor: Liz Langley Liz Langley
Quote:
Originally posted by RTx
Hey Liz!
Okay, I used to think I was a bit of a joker at love in my twenties, like a chimp, in my thirties a bit of a sentimental chump....but chapter three of your book confirms that I am really a bashful Bonobo...pg 51 what other animals are out ... more

I love your take on that! I'm more bonobo myself...if only all problems could be solved with intimacy! But then sometimes intimacy is the problem...
12/27/2011
Contributor: Sacchi Sacchi
Hi D. Kitty!
12/27/2011
Contributor: winterseve winterseve
Hi everyone! Finally made it.
12/27/2011
Contributor: LicentiouslyYours LicentiouslyYours
Quote:
Originally posted by Willow Wand
Never got this assignment
Hi Willow - I am not sure I've ever received a request to review from you. Can you email me at nakedreaderbookclub@ g mail.com ?
12/27/2011
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by Sacchi
Yes, Liz Langley will be there, but I'm going to be lost without Liz Nume keeping track and welcoming everybody joining in. Everybody just welcome everybody else, okay?

Meanwhile, here's Liz Langley's preface to the book, delivered ... more
Hehe! This is awesome
12/27/2011
Contributor: Diabolical Kitty Diabolical Kitty
Hey Sacchi thanks for the welcome!
12/27/2011
Contributor: Liz Langley Liz Langley
Quote:
Originally posted by Sacchi
Hi Laurel. I wouldn't call Christmas relaxing, exactly; I suppose an analogy could be made between the excitement and stress of holidays and the way we feel about love and sex.
Oh, definitely! Actually it's an excellent analogy....the anticipation, the wondering if we're doing all the right things, living up to expectaitons, trying not to get our expectations too high...and sometimes forgetting that it's supposed to be fun! It sounds crazy but I've definitely had that happen....
12/27/2011
Contributor: RTx RTx
Quote:
Originally posted by Liz Langley

I love your take on that! I'm more bonobo myself...if only all problems could be solved with intimacy! But then sometimes intimacy is the problem...
Yes...after looking at afew profiles of contibutors here...I think I should ask Tampa girl to be my safe sex partner and skip the rest!!!
12/27/2011
Contributor: Sacchi Sacchi
Hi wnterseve. I was just thinking how appropriate your screen name for this time of year, and then I noticed that your icon has a rather summerly look.
12/27/2011
Contributor: Liz Langley Liz Langley
Quote:
Originally posted by Diabolical Kitty
Hi there all I'm here!
Hello Kitty! (I bet you get that a lot...)
12/27/2011
Contributor: Diabolical Kitty Diabolical Kitty
Quote:
Originally posted by Liz Langley
Hello Kitty! (I bet you get that a lot...)
Sadly more lately then ever! Hello Liz
12/27/2011
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by Sacchi
Preface, continued:

Now scientists are showing us how. Psychologists, academics, and analysts of culture continue to offer us better understanding of ourselves in love and other areas, but neurologists and other specialists have taken the game ... more
So what originally got you interested in neuroscience? When did you first hear/read something that made you say "Ah! This might be interesting!" ?
12/27/2011
Contributor: winterseve winterseve
Bonobos? That's awesome! I study anthropology so that makes me want to read even more. We study chimps and bonobos and other apes while studying humans. I didn't get a request in in time to get this for an assignment. I'll hopefully have it on my next order.
12/27/2011
Contributor: LicentiouslyYours LicentiouslyYours
Quote:
Originally posted by Sacchi
Hi Laurel. I wouldn't call Christmas relaxing, exactly; I suppose an analogy could be made between the excitement and stress of holidays and the way we feel about love and sex.
Ha! Yes, definitely. Probably they both cause us to produce all those mood altering brain chemicals in one fashion or another.

I know most people don't have anything close to a "relaxing holiday" which, I suppose, why I started wishing and hoping for everybody that they do...
12/27/2011
Contributor: LicentiouslyYours LicentiouslyYours
Quote:
Originally posted by winterseve
Hi everyone! Finally made it.
Hi Winterseve!
12/27/2011
Contributor: winterseve winterseve
Quote:
Originally posted by Sacchi
Hi wnterseve. I was just thinking how appropriate your screen name for this time of year, and then I noticed that your icon has a rather summerly look.
Yah. I created the name years ago (it's also my gamer name). I live in Florida so that picture was actually taken on the beach on Christmas a couple years ago.
12/27/2011
Contributor: Sacchi Sacchi
Quote:
Originally posted by Liz Langley
Hello Kitty! (I bet you get that a lot...)
I noticed that cats (kitties) didn't get their love and sex habits analyzed, which is probably just as well. Although the old "cat on a hot tin roof" analogy certainly strikes a chord sometimes.
12/27/2011
Contributor: Liz Langley Liz Langley
Quote:
Originally posted by tim1724
I might be called away to go pick someone up at the airport, so I want to make sure to post now while I can.

I found the book a very fun read. So many interesting people to read about. I'm not sure that reading it would particularly help ... more
Took me a second to figure out how to reply so I hope you get this, Tim1724! I said below that I really did want this to be a good read for anyone, even if they weren't having a crazy or troubled love life. I wanted the narrative parts to really be a fun read.
12/27/2011
Contributor: Liz Langley Liz Langley
Sorry, everyone - I got a little lost, not realizing we were on the second page of comments!! I was on page one thinking "Uh-oh....this have stalled out!
12/27/2011
Contributor: Sacchi Sacchi
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
So what originally got you interested in neuroscience? When did you first hear/read something that made you say "Ah! This might be interesting!" ?
I was wondering about that, too. The whole book was fascinating, but I especially liked the images from the neuroscience studies, like this part:

"Dr. Fisher wanted to test whether the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin were components of romantic love, since they inspire all the behaviors we think of in someone who’s been hit by Cupid, including addiction, anxiety, exhilaration, loss of appetite, and obsession. She was right. When the subjects looked at photos of their beloved, specific parts of their brains lit up like pinball machines. Or better, like an Indian summer evening sky.

“When I first looked at those brain scans, with the active brain regions lit up in bright yellow and deep orange, I felt the way I feel on a summer night when I gaze at the sparkling universe: overwhelming awe,” she writes.

This is beautiful not just because we can empathize with her feelings (with our intact Theory of Mind) but because it shows how alienated people are from their own bodies. Our bodies perform so many functions we never see; we are fascinated by them and want to see them. That’s why museum shows like Bodies: The Exhibition are so popular. We are Narcissus. We want to see ourselves. We want to know. Now fMRI scans are able to show us more about the mystery we carry around in our heads. Awe is the perfect word for it."
12/27/2011
Contributor: tim1724 tim1724
Quote:
Originally posted by Liz Langley
Took me a second to figure out how to reply so I hope you get this, Tim1724! I said below that I really did want this to be a good read for anyone, even if they weren't having a crazy or troubled love life. I wanted the narrative parts to really ... more
Well, I think you succeeded.

And it turns out that the person I was going to pick up missed her flight and got put on a later one, so I shouldn't have to go anytime soon.
12/27/2011
Contributor: RTx RTx
Quote:
Originally posted by Liz Langley
Sorry, everyone - I got a little lost, not realizing we were on the second page of comments!! I was on page one thinking "Uh-oh....this have stalled out!
like on a first date when the conversation lags....
12/27/2011
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by Sacchi
I was wondering about that, too. The whole book was fascinating, but I especially liked the images from the neuroscience studies, like this part:

"Dr. Fisher wanted to test whether the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine, and ... more
Neat!
12/27/2011
Contributor: Liz Langley Liz Langley
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
Hehe! This is awesome
Glad you're enjoying! Some of the subject matter does get a little dark....obsessiveness, murder and other criminal acts...but where I was able to keep it light I really wanted to. I like to read comic non-fiction a lot so that's what I really like to write.
12/27/2011
Contributor: winterseve winterseve
Does the book go into bonding and Oxytocin? I love neuroscience when it's not for a grade.
12/27/2011
Contributor: Liz Langley Liz Langley
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
Hehe! This is awesome
Actually, there's some funny stuff in the dark chapters, too...
12/27/2011
Contributor: Sacchi Sacchi
Liz, I find that I don't always see posts that come after mine on the same page, so I frequently go back a page and then forward again to see if I've missed anything. In theory clicking "go to last post" (above on the right) will help with that.
12/27/2011
Contributor: RTx RTx
Quote:
Originally posted by winterseve
Does the book go into bonding and Oxytocin? I love neuroscience when it's not for a grade.
It totally goes there!Hi winterseve...
12/27/2011
Contributor: tim1724 tim1724
Quote:
Originally posted by winterseve
Does the book go into bonding and Oxytocin? I love neuroscience when it's not for a grade.
Yep, that's in there.
12/27/2011
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by Liz Langley
Actually, there's some funny stuff in the dark chapters, too...
Usually my favorite sort.
12/27/2011