The hacking of the American mind
by Robert H. Lustig · first published 2017
90% recommend10% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Explains how brain reward pathways respond to dopamine-triggering products like sugar and how that shapes everyday consumer choices. Suits readers curious about addiction, brain chemistry, and the food industry.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"We all know that we can't put down our sodas or our cell phones. But what if these cravings are engineered--by design? And what if these desires actually cause damage--not just to ourselves, but to our families, our friends, and our entire society? While researching the toxic impact of sugar on our health for his New York Times best seller Fat Chance, Robert Lustig made a discovery that reaches beyond the politics of food. Our seemingly innocent addictions are far from it--they are biochemical, and they are damaging our bodies and our brains. With his trademark wit and incisiveness, Lustig re
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…can be hijacked' thread that's on the bottom of the homepage, but I have something that I think people interested in that topic may like. Robert Lustig has written an excellent book on the topic: "The Hacking of the American Mind." I found that reading the book gave me good insights into how to be happier in my daily life. If you're curious, his podcast on FT Alphachat is a good introduction and summary of his ideas: https://overcast.fm/+FaTQX2SRE
on “Tell HN: If you liked 'our minds can be hijacked,' you'll like Robert Lustig” ↗…(according to your definition). Problem is, designers and engineers now understand this and use that purposefully to hook their users. To learn more about this phenomenon I recommend R. Lustig's new book "The Hacking of the American Mind". [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dopaminergic_pathways
on “Skinner Marketing: We're the Rats, and Facebook Likes Are the Reward (2013)” ↗Robert Lustig has written an excellent book on this topic: "The Hacking of the American Mind."
on “Sugar alters hormones and metabolism, sets stage for obesity and diabetes” ↗There's an interesting book on this topic that discusses both how it happened and what that does to our brains and bodies - "The Hacking of the American Mind" by Robert Lustig [1]. The book also is about other ways our brain is affected by a substance or behavior, but mostly about sugar. I highly recommend it. [1] https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/531013/the-hacking-...
on “Sugar industry withheld possible evidence of cancer link 50 years ago” ↗If you haven’t read it, check out The Hacking of the American Mind by Robert Lustig. It might be right up your alley; it opened my eyes as to what influences my dietary choices.
on “Impact of a Night of Sleep Deprivation on Novice Developers’ Performance (2018)” ↗Robert Lustig has written an excellent book on this topic: "The Hacking of the American Mind." I found that reading the book gave me good insights into how to be happier in my daily life. If you're curious, his podcast on FT Alphachat is a good introduction and summary of his ideas: https://overcast.fm/+FaTQX2SRE
on “'Our minds can be hijacked': the tech insiders who fear a smartphone dystopia” ↗…pathways in our brain that drugs do by pumping out little bursts of dopamine, we might not actually have as much of a conscious choice whether to use (or stop using) these products as we think we do. [The Hacking of the American Mind][0] is an interesting exploration into brain chemistry and just how addictive some of these products can be. There's some glimmer of hope for me that these addictive products are admitting just how addictive…
on “Great technology should improve life, not distract from it” ↗Recommended reading: The Hacking of the American Mind by Prof. Robert Lustig https://www.amazon.com/Hacking-American-Mind-Corporate-Takeo...
on “Soybean oil affects hypothalamus, causes genetic changes in mice: study (2020)” ↗A book developing similar ideas: The Hacking of the American Mind. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34237719-the-hacking-of-...
on “Hacking the Hedonic Treadmill” ↗…economy as well, that I'd be willing to limit the impressions sugar gets when every parent brings their kids through a check out. If you're interested at how bad sugar is all in, check out Robert Lustigs "Hacking of the American Mind" on youtube.
…something that goes beyond basic pleasures, cultivate that, and it can lead to much greater happiness. Speaking of pleasure and happiness, these two things are not the same. There's a book called The Hacking of the American Mind which really helped me understand this. Essentially, we have been conditioned to confuse pleasure with happiness. Pleasure is fleeting, a feeling we get from good food, or sex, or drugs, or video games;…
on “Ask HN: I'm in a rut. How did you get out of yours?” ↗…adding it to most products. In short if it has a label (like most processed foods with many ingredients) you should avoid, switch to the ones that don't have (like an apple). This book is also great "The hacking of the American mind" `While researching the toxic and addictive properties of sugar for his New York Times bestseller Fat Chance, Robert Lustig made an alarming discovery—our pursuit of happiness is being subverted by a…
on “Reasons to grow and keep big muscles” ↗…problem like having lunch with strangers or professional huggers. I'm toying with the idea of creating a penpal service because I like to email and I want to solve problems like this. If you have read "The hacking of the American Mind" you'll know that one of the things we can do to become happier is to CONNECT (the others are Contribute, Cope & Cook). The focus of the service would be to "be there" in an empathetic way for the people…
on “Ask HN: Would you pay to have a penpal?” ↗