The New York Times-bestselling author of The Compass of Pleasure examines how our sense of touch is interconnected with our emotions Dual-function receptors in our skin make mint feel cool and chili peppers hot. Without the brain's dedicated centers for emotional touch, an orgasm would feel more like a sneeze-convulsive, but not especially nice. From skin to nerves to brain, the organization of our body's touch circuits is a complex and often counterintuitive system that affects everything from our social interactions to our general health and development. In Touch, neuroscientist and bestselling author David J. Linden explores this critical interface between our bodies and the outside world, between ourselves and others. Along the way, he answers such questions as: Why do women have more refined detection with their fingertips than men? Is there a biological basis for the use of acupuncture to relieve pain? How do drugs like Ecstasy heighten and motivate sensual touch? Why can't we tickle ourselves? Linking biology and behavioral science, Touch offers an entertaining and enlightening answer to how we feel in every sense of the word.
David J. Linden is a professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The author of The Accidental Mind (2007) and The Compass of Pleasure (2011), he served for many years as the chief editor of The Journal of Neurophysiology. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland with his two children.
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The New York Times-bestselling author of The Compass of Pleasure examines how our sense of touch is interconnected with our emotions Dual-function receptors in our skin make mint feel cool and chili peppers hot. Without the brain's dedicated centers for emotional touch, an orgasm would feel more like a sneeze-convulsive, but not especially nice. From skin to nerves to brain, the organization of our body's touch circuits is a complex and often counterintuitive system that affects everything from our social interactions to our general health and development. In Touch, neuroscientist and bestselling author David J. Linden explores this critical interface between our bodies and the outside world, between ourselves and others. Along the way, he answers such questions as: Why do women have more refined detection with their fingertips than men? Is there a biological basis for the use of acupuncture to relieve pain? How do drugs like Ecstasy heighten and motivate sensual touch? Why can't we tickle ourselves? Linking biology and behavioral science, Touch offers an entertaining and enlightening answer to how we feel in every sense of the word.
David J. Linden is a professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The author of The Accidental Mind (2007) and The Compass of Pleasure (2011), he served for many years as the chief editor of The Journal of Neurophysiology. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland with his two children.
Show moreDavid J. Linden is a professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The author of The Accidental Mind (2007) and The Compass of Pleasure (2011), he served for many years as the chief editor of The Journal of Neurophysiology. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland with his two children.
“[Linden is] an able guide to the world of touch, with a true gift
for simplifying the complex. (The illustrations and diagrams
throughout the book help, too.) The book is packed with
cocktail-party trivia—scientists believe that touch is the first
sense to develop in utero; some people with schizophrenia can
tickle themselves—and satisfying explanations of everyday tactile
experiences.”
—Emily Anthes, The Washington Post
“With a novelist’s flair for anecdote, Linden unpacks the science
behind touch by revealing how the sense informs and motivates us in
everyday situations.”
—Bob Grant, The Scientist
“A book for the non-expert on the neuroscience of touch is very
welcome, and I recommend this one enthusiastically. It's full of
facts and explanations, many of which are totally cool and, some,
even astonishing . . . . But what endears me to the book is not its
clarity and its informativeness. What I love is its openness, and
occasional insightfulness, about all the things we don't know.”
—Alva Noë, NPR.org’s 13.7: Cosmos & Culture blog
“Touch: The Science of Hand, Heart and Mind, is a treasure trove
for anyone wanting to decode the frisson of a lover’s caress. After
all, the skin, says Linden, is a social organ.”
—Cat Auer, Playboy
“The best science writers infect you with their fascination for the
subject—that’s exactly what Linden achieves here.”
—Christian Jarrett, BBC Focus
“This book is about the sense of touch, it’s by a professor
of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and it’s
excellent. It will tell you why footballers hug each other when a
goal is scored, why they are like vampire bats in this respect, and
why some people like being the recipients of anal sex while others
don’t. David Linden tells us all of this with exactly the right
degree of scientific dryness.”
—William Leith, The Spectator (UK)
“Linden explores touch in depth, from itches to orgasms . . . and
it makes for compelling reading.”
—Orlando Bird, Financial Times
“Being out of touch, the American neuroscientist David J Linden
argues in his absorbing book, is not just something that happens to
cabinet ministers . . . The human brain contains 500 billion nerve
cells and does not give up its secrets lightly. But following
Linden’s thread is profoundly worth it.”
—Oliver Moody, The Times (London)
“An engrossing book . . . This book has changed my own life in a
small but significant way. My family joke that I’m the woman who
put the ‘sal’ into ‘salad’ as I’ve spent my life grazing on
uncooked veg. I now gulp down hot soup and feel the better for it.
Thank you, David Linden.”
—Salley Vickers, The Guardian
“David J. Linden’s Touch is a charming read that explains the
science of touch in easily understandable terms. Anyone who is
interested in human interactions and emotional connections will
find this book interesting. Just as important, men and women who
deal with intimacy disorders – including love and sex addiction—are
likely to find this book enlightening from a disease and recovery
standpoint.”
—Scott Brassart, Addiction.com
“The Johns Hopkins neuroscientist leads us on a delightful tour of
the science of touch, sharing discoveries that shed new light on
this highly under-appreciated sense.”
—Jill Suttie, Greater Good
“If you’re interested in the mechanics of your mind or you want to
know why you itch and what you have in common with koalas, read
this and you won’t be disappointed. Touch: The Science of Hand,
Heart, and Mind is a book to get your fingers on.”
— Terri Schlichenmeyer, Rockdale Citizen
“The book is highly readable and laced with stories that are
fascinating, funny and surprising!”
—Viviane Crystal, The Best Reviews
“Though the author includes a host of entertaining anecdotes, his
narrative is consistently backed by solid science. So surpassing
does Linden make touch seem that even turning the pages of his book
becomes a pleasurable experience.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Why does sexual touch feel good? What is the difference between
being touched on one’s palm or
shoulder? Of all the senses, touch is by far the most underrated,
according to Johns Hopkins neuroscience professor Linden (The
Compass of Pleasure, 2011) . . . .This in-depth, awareness-raising
discussion of the effects of touch from head to toe and back again
sheds light on a fascinating yet overlooked topic.”
—Donna Chavez, Booklist
“The sensation of touch, so ubiquitous in how we interact with our
world, gets a sensualist pop-biology treatment from Linden (The
Compass of Pleasure), a professor of neuroscience at the Johns
Hopkins University School of Medicine… Though it’s not exactly a
neurobiology primer, Linden sandwiches a surprising amount of
anatomical information between the stories of bad hand jobs and
children who die young because they can’t feel pain.”
—Publishers Weekly
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