{"title":"Books by Paul Bloom","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780099548768","title":"How Pleasure Works","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePleasure is one of the most fascinating aspects of being human. But what is it?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eExploring child development, philosophy, neuroscience and behavioural economics, Paul Bloom uncovers how universal habits explain what we like and \u003ci\u003ewhy\u003c\/i\u003e we like it.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe average Briton spends over a day a week watching television. People slow their cars to look at gory accidents and go to sentimental movies that make them cry. Some men pay good money to be spanked by prostitutes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this revealing and witty account, Paul Bloom examines the science behind these curious desires, attractions and tastes, exploring one of the most fascinating and fundamental engines of human behaviour.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘\u003ci\u003eHow Pleasure Works\u003c\/i\u003e has \u003cb\u003eone of the best discussions I've read of why art is pleasurable,\u003c\/b\u003e why it matters to us, and why it moves us so’ Daniel Levitin, author of \u003ci\u003eThis Is Your Brain on Music\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56224137249141,"sku":"9780099548768","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780099548768_32eec301-c2e6-46c8-8e22-514cbd32dff7.jpg?v=1786011607"},{"product_id":"9781529111064","title":"The Sweet Spot","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat if experiencing a good life involves more than just pleasure?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRevealing the surprising roots of lasting happiness,  pre-eminent psychologist Paul Bloom explains why suffering is an essential source of both pleasure and meaning in our lives.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt seems obvious that pleasure leads to happiness - and pain does the opposite. And yet we are irresistibly drawn to a host of experiences that truly hurt, from the exhilarating fear of horror movies or extreme sport to the gruelling challenges of exercise, work, creativity and having a family.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDrawing on ground-breaking findings, pre-eminent psychologist Paul Bloom explores the pleasures of suffering and reveals why the activities that provide the most satisfaction are often the ones that involve the greatest sacrifice. Embracing this truth, he shows, is the key to a life well lived.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Paul Bloom can always be counted on to take your confident assumptions about humanity and turn them upside down' Susan Cain, author of \u003ci\u003eQuiet\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'An exhilarating antidote to toxic positivity, this captivating book will challenge you to rethink your vision of a good life' Adam Grant, author of \u003ci\u003eThink Again\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56303346024821,"sku":"9781529111064","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781529111064_8eadca11-1024-447c-8afa-7fb346af1d97.jpg?v=1786034077"},{"product_id":"9781529925470","title":"The Human Mind","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAre you a human? Do you have a mind? Then this book is for you: a wonderfully entertaining overview of all of psychology by a world-class expert.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Like having the mind's complexities untangled by a witty, eloquent and deeply knowledgeable friend' \u003cb\u003eOLIVER BURKEMAN\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Really wonderful, hugely readable' \u003cb\u003eDERREN BROWN\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘This book is a gem’ \u003cb\u003eROBERT SAPOLSKY\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNothing is more familiar and yet less understood than the human mind. It defines the experience of being human, and yet its workings contain some of the deepest mysteries ever encountered. Written by one of the world's greatest teachers of psychology, \u003ci\u003eThe Human Mind \u003c\/i\u003eprovides a masterful and riveting guide to all that we have learned since modern science began probing those mysteries. It will illuminate everything you think and feel, everything you say and do, everything that makes you \u003ci\u003eyou\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘I don't remember the last time I was this excited about a psychology-related book. \u003ci\u003eThe Human Mind\u003c\/i\u003e is everything a reader wants [and] will delight you’ \u003c\/b\u003eDR SOPHIE MORT (AKA DR SOPH)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘An up-to-the-minute [and] comprehensive journey through what it means to be human’ \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew Scientist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56303962095989,"sku":"9781529925470","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781529925470_77b8e7b2-9bf4-472d-b66a-25e6aa8d6b4d.jpg?v=1786023508"},{"product_id":"9780099597827","title":"Against Empathy","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn a divided world, empathy is not the solution, it is the problem. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe think of empathy – the ability to feel the suffering of others for ourselves – as the ultimate source of all good behaviour. But while it inspires care and protection in personal relationships, it has the opposite effect in the wider world. As the latest research in psychology and neuroscience shows, we feel empathy most for those we find attractive and who seem similar to us and not at all for those who are different, distant or anonymous. Empathy therefore biases us in favour of individuals we know while numbing us to the plight of thousands. Guiding us expertly through the experiments, case studies and arguments on all sides, Paul Bloom ultimately shows that some of our worst decisions – in charity, child-raising, criminal justice, climate change and war – are motivated by this wolf in sheep's clothing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBrilliantly argued, urgent and humane, \u003ci\u003eAgainst Empathy \u003c\/i\u003eoverturns widely held assumptions to reveal one of the most profound yet overlooked sources of human conflict.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56311557226869,"sku":"9780099597827","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780099597827_c0456e88-7b6c-4d04-adac-3b4cee6efecc.jpg?v=1786011715"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-paul-bloom.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}