Jay Schulkin (1952–2023) was the author or coauthor of dozens of books on a vast range of subjects. He held academic and research positions at Georgetown University, the University of Washington, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the National Institutes of Mental Health. His previous Columbia University Press books are Mind Ecologies: Body, Brain, and World (2020, with Matthew Crippen) and The Brain in Context: A Pragmatic Guide to Neuroscience (2019, with Jonathan D. Moreno).Bryce Huebner is a professor of philosophy at Georgetown University.

• PrefaceIntroduction: A Complex Story About Biology and Culture1. Effort and Decision Making2. Cravings and Other Motivations3. Regulation: Emotion and Angst4. Social Histories and Social Constraints5. Managing Pain6. Accountability and Reducing HarmConclusion: Pursuing FreedomNotesReferencesIndex

Schulkin and Huebner expertly blend neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, and the history of medicine to explore the brain’s mechanisms of desire and addiction. Drawing parallels between opioid dependence and natural cravings, this book offers an illuminating perspective on how our brain reshapes pleasure, pain, and the pursuit of fulfillment.

Jay Schulkin (1952–2023) was the author or coauthor of dozens of books on a vast range of subjects. He held academic and research positions at Georgetown University, the University of Washington, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the National Institutes of Mental Health. His previous Columbia University Press books are Mind Ecologies: Body, Brain, and World (2020, with Matthew Crippen) and The Brain in Context: A Pragmatic Guide to Neuroscience (2019, with Jonathan D. Moreno).Bryce Huebner is a professor of philosophy at Georgetown University.

• PrefaceIntroduction: A Complex Story About Biology and Culture1. Effort and Decision Making2. Cravings and Other Motivations3. Regulation: Emotion and Angst4. Social Histories and Social Constraints5. Managing Pain6. Accountability and Reducing HarmConclusion: Pursuing FreedomNotesReferencesIndex

Schulkin and Huebner expertly blend neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, and the history of medicine to explore the brain’s mechanisms of desire and addiction. Drawing parallels between opioid dependence and natural cravings, this book offers an illuminating perspective on how our brain reshapes pleasure, pain, and the pursuit of fulfillment.

Jay Schulkin (1952–2023) was the author or coauthor of dozens of books on a vast range of subjects. He held academic and research positions at Georgetown University, the University of Washington, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the National Institutes of Mental Health. His previous Columbia University Press books are Mind Ecologies: Body, Brain, and World (2020, with Matthew Crippen) and The Brain in Context: A Pragmatic Guide to Neuroscience (2019, with Jonathan D. Moreno).Bryce Huebner is a professor of philosophy at Georgetown University.

• PrefaceIntroduction: A Complex Story About Biology and Culture1. Effort and Decision Making2. Cravings and Other Motivations3. Regulation: Emotion and Angst4. Social Histories and Social Constraints5. Managing Pain6. Accountability and Reducing HarmConclusion: Pursuing FreedomNotesReferencesIndex

Schulkin and Huebner expertly blend neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, and the history of medicine to explore the brain’s mechanisms of desire and addiction. Drawing parallels between opioid dependence and natural cravings, this book offers an illuminating perspective on how our brain reshapes pleasure, pain, and the pursuit of fulfillment.