Imagine a medical treatment that can decrease heart disease, boost immune function, relieve depression, and block pain--whose only side effect is that it makes you feel good. It's safe, inexpensive, and readily available, No, it's not a miracle drug; rather, these benefits come from the experience of pleasure itself. And this pleasure prescription is filled in the internal pharmacy of the brain.Psychologist Robert Ornstein and physician David Sobel deliver the latest scientific evidence that pleasures--from saunas to siestas, chocolate to charity--and positive attitudes--from happiness to...

The Healing Brain presents an easy to read, amusing, entertaining - yet highly authoritative account of how our brain "minds" our body - actively guarding and defending our health and well-being. Robert Ornstein, a neurologist, and David Sobel, a physician, highlight the themes most important to understand this fascinating science. They explain that, contrary to many of our assumptions about the main purpose of our brain - that it evolved primarily for "higher-thinking" - in fact, the brain works tirelessly to adapt to the changing world around us. This essential reference book helps us...