Meet Your Happy Chemicals: Dopamine, Endorphin, Oxytocin, Serotonin Paperback – February 14, 2012

How does your brain works? How can we rewire our brains? How can you meet your happy chemicals? Dr. Loretta Breuning is the author of the book, who answers all these questions in more details. The author is a Professor Emerita of International Management at California State University, and docent at the Oakland Zoo. Her books include, I, Mammal: Why Your Brain Links Status and Happiness, and Greaseless: How to Thrive without Bribes in Developing Countries. She focuses in her book about the feeling of happiness that comes from four special brain chemicals: dopamine, endorphin, oxytocin, and serotonin. In addition, she explains the roles of these four neurochemicals and how each of them work. The book contains seven chapters and is 203 pages length. Moreover, the book has really great information that can improve your brain function. The writer explains the structure of the brain and how you can reach your happy chemicals.In my opinion, the book is well written and easy to understand. The author uses a good selection of intelligent and eloquent words, which can paint a picture in the reader's mind. The book made a big different to my life style in way of thinking and also what makes me happy and as the author of the book said "Don't worry, be happy". There are a bit of information is complex and difficult to understand, but that does not means the book is not helpful or it's too complicated. I really enjoyed reading this book. I learned a lot about neurochemicals. I recommend this book for younger people, who are interested in knowing how the brain works and also how we can rewire our brains. This will help them when they get older.

I enjoyed reading this book because it teaches how these natural chemicals in the human body affects one's mood, and how to make your body release them naturally. Examples: Endorphins, a natural painkiller, can be released by exercising, laughing, and crying. Oxytocin, a bonding hormone, can be released by social interaction, particularly by touching. (cuddling, kissing, dancing, etc).If you want to regulate your mood by natural means, then this book is for you!

A little about me for perspective: I have a degree in psychology and am currently in a healthcare training program so I have background in neurochemistry and how neurotransmitters affect mood and behavior.I was looking for a book on neurotransmitters to read after college because I missed learning and wanted to keep my brain active. I was worried that this book might be a bit hokey and end up being a self help book in a science facade. It turned out that, while there is definitely a self help component, this book does more than your typical self help book. You learn a bit about the neurochemistry behind each recommendation and you learn just enough that anyone will be able to grasp the science concepts.The one thing that got to me was some of the writing. It did seem a bit childish at time (referring to neurotransmitters as "happy chemicals," for example.) Otherwise, a worthwhile read. You can learn something about the brain and how to apply it to your life!

Motivation, instinct and my three brains.Why do I feel attracted toward something or someone and repelled from something else? Why am I impelled to act some way, sometimes to my benefit and sometimes perversely against my benefit? In this insightful and vulnerable book, Dr. Loretta Breuning, a professor at California State University, tells us.Our brains have been evolving for several million years. As the brain developed, it added functions on top of the old parts -- but those evolutionary leftovers are still in there, and they matter! Dr. Breuning lays it out in the following simple scheme: the oldest and simplest functions are our lizard brain, then the mammal brain built on top of that, and finally the cortex of the primate brain. The lizard brain manages our routine bodily functions. The top level, the cortex is where we do our thinking, remembering, dreaming, and talking to ourselves. It's the middle part, the mammal brain, that's the focus of this book because it's the mammal brain that released various "feel good" and "feel bad" chemicals that motivate our behavior.While the release of these chemicals may provide the motivation for action, they don't actually force us to do anything. Our primate cortex gives us the final decision about whether to run from something or stay put. But the mammal brain does have a powerful influence over our behavior by triggering these chemicals which are responsible for a whole host of feelings, good and bad.The role of serotonin is particularly important because of its impact on how we interact with other humans and its affect on our leadership instincts. In mammalian life, those with higher social status had better mating opportunities. Our brains evolved to give us the motivation to climb the social ladder in order to foster the continuance of our DNA. It is serotonin that encourages this behavior. Even though one could argue that there are plenty of mating opportunities around, we retain this chemical programming for social dominance.I think this is responsible for our ideas of leadership and for the fundamental leader-follower structure. The issue for those who want to create leaders rather than attract followers, and give control, rather than take control, will be that their instincts will signal it's the wrong thing to do. Fortunately, Dr. Breuning explains how we can rewire our brains. Those feelings may never go away, but ultimately the cortex gives us the deliberateness to be in control, not our instincts.Her other book:I, Mammal: Why Your Brain Links Status and Happiness

I recently finished reading this book and loved it! It explains why people do things they do and the chemicals in your brain that make you happy in a very basic and easy to understand form. It is not an overly complicated book and I would say just reading it will make you a more relaxed and less stressed person. It is basic but you can still get your mind twisted around some of the content which was really interesting to me. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to learn a little about the brain and what makes you happy.