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  • Questions Inspired by 'How Pleasure Works'

    By Joshua Kim July 20, 2010 8:14 pm EDT

    --How come I did not know about Yale's Paul Bloom and was surprised to come across his beautiful book, How Pleasure Works: The New Science of Why We Like What We Like?

    --When am I going to find the time to watch his Introduction to Psychology Class on the Open Yale Courses site?

    --Who else in my learning and technology world is also reading this book, and how can I connect with them to discuss and share ideas?

    --Why is it that Audible.com has such terrible social networking features around their audio books, not letting me see who else has downloaded "How Pleasure Works" and the books in their library?

    --Does writing a book like How Pleasure Works that popularizes and synthesizes cutting edge academic research, much of which is done by the author, contribute to the academic career and reputation of the writer as much as a book aimed at a narrow scholarly audience?

    --If reading "How Pleasure Works" provides so much pleasure (and I think opportunities for authentic learning), how come popular nonfiction academic books like this one are rarely features on course syllabi?

    --What is the factor that determines if a nonfiction book will have an audio version, where other books I'd like to read, are available only in paper or e-book format?

    --Where will the next great academic who can write for a popular audience come from and what are the conditions that encourage their development?

    What are you reading?

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Comments on Questions Inspired by 'How Pleasure Works'

  • Posted by Barbara Fister on July 21, 2010 at 8:47am EDT

  • I don't use Audible (perhaps because I walk to work and This American Life episodes are plenty to keep me busy when I don't want to use the time to simply think or channel vegetable life forms) but I'm not sure I'd like everyone to see what I'm reading unless I purposefully and individually opted to share that information. There are 34 people who report having it in their libraries at LibraryThing; fewer at GoodReads.

    Interesting question about course adoption. I know quite a few faculty who seek out fun but solidly researched books written for a popular audience to include on their syllabi (I'll bet Oliver Sacks is on a great many course reading lists) but a lot of people are opting to have students read primary literature - e.g. journal articles in which significant research was originally reported - as a supplement to textbooks, which tend to march students through a body of information that maps to the broad terrain of an undergraduate course. But I do sometimes wonder how well we prepare students for lifelong inquiry when few people would read textbooks or peer-reviewed journal articles for pleasure, but may not have developed a good way to discover good books that will engage their minds - particularly with book reviews being dropped from print media, one of those lifeboat tragedies that isn't going to save the news business.

    I suppose if they read your column and watch the Daily Show, they'll be able to pick up recommendations, though.

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