The Hacking of the American Mind

The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains

By: Robert H. Lustig

Narrated by: Robert H. Lustig

"Explores how industry has manipulated our most deep-seated survival instincts."—David Perlmutter, MD, Author, #1 New York Times bestseller, Grain Brain and Brain Maker

The New York Times–bestselling author of Fat Chance reveals the corporate scheme to sell pleasure, driving the international epidemic of addiction, depression, and chronic disease.

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 culture of addiction and depression from which we may never recover.

Dopamine is the “reward” neurotransmitter that tells our brains we want more; yet every substance or behavior that releases dopamine in the extreme leads to addiction. Serotonin is the “contentment” neurotransmitter that tells our brains we don’t need any more; yet its deficiency leads to depression. Ideally, both are in optimal supply. Yet dopamine evolved to overwhelm serotonin—because our ancestors were more likely to survive if they were constantly motivated—with the result that constant desire can chemically destroy our ability to feel happiness, while sending us down the slippery slope to addiction. In the last forty years, government legislation and subsidies have promoted ever-available temptation (sugar, drugs, social media, porn) combined with constant stress (work, home, money, Internet), with the end result of an unprecedented epidemic of addiction, anxiety, depression, and chronic disease. And with the advent of neuromarketing, corporate America has successfully imprisoned us in an endless loop of desire and consumption from which there is no obvious escape.

With his customary wit and incisiveness, Lustig not only reveals the science that drives these states of mind, he points his finger directly at the corporations that helped create this mess, and the government actors who facilitated it, and he offers solutions we can all use in the pursuit of happiness, even in the face of overwhelming opposition. Always fearless and provocative, Lustig marshals a call to action, with seminal implications for our health, our well-being, and our culture.

Critic reviews

"Our health, resistance to disease, and ability to function on a day-to-day basis have essentially been hijacked, all in the name of corporate profits. Dr. Lustig explores how industry has manipulated our most deep-seated survival instincts to motivate our food choices in a way that directly undermines our ability to survive. But more importantly, The Hacking of the American Mind eloquently reveals how we can disengage from this influence and re-establish ourselves on a path to wellness."
—David Perlmutter, MD, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Grain Brain and Brain Maker

“A provocative, persuasive plea to stop seeking the wrong kind of happiness. Take it from the neuroscientist/endocrinologist who sounded the alarm about sugar: chasing rewards is far less rewarding than finding contentment.”
—Adam Grant, author of New York Times bestsellers Originals and Give and Take, and coauthor of the New York Times bestseller Option B

"Robert Lustig takes on one of the greatest paradoxes of our time: how can it be that we have more sources of pleasure than ever before in human history, and yet are increasingly sick, broke, and unhappy? By deftly weaving together neuroscience, history, economics, and more, he provides a much-needed explanation of how the 'pernicious peddling of pleasure' causes real happiness to elude so many of us — and also provides a desperately needed roadmap for escaping the pleasure trap."
—Sharon Begley, coauthor of the New York Times best seller The Emotional Life of Your Brain

"Pleasure and happiness are not the same thing – as our addictions to everything from unhealthy food to cellphones show. In this book, Dr. Lustig unpacks the science of pleasure versus happiness to explain the true causes of the last 40 years of addiction, depression, and disease. The good news is that the solution is easy — well, maybe not so easy — put down your cellphone. And sleep. You’ll be happier, and you’ll live longer!"
—Arianna Huffington, author of the New York Times best seller The Sleep Revolution

"Dr. Robert Lustig examines our culture of illness, an industry-created fog that, despite our best efforts to cope, has left us stressed, isolated, addicted, and depressed. With The Hacking of the American Mind, he empowers us with the science of mind, brain, and love in a delightful, insightful, and humorous way. You can live by pursuing pleasure, sugar-coated as 'happiness,' or you can read this book."
—Elissa Epel, coauthor of the New York Times best seller The Telomere Effect

Practical View of How Our System has Failed Us

It is true, we have become more overweight, more stressed, less content and less happy. We are just in a bad spot. Robert Lutsig tells it like it is. He isn't someone without any experience, he is an endocrinologist who learns every day of the human condition and where it is left at. Thus - this book is made. The Hacking of the American Mind explores why the aforementioned problems are happening and why we are where we are.

a must read for all humans

good narrator, a lot of very good information, I will need to listen to it again

Not Too Late

... to make changes. I was riveted, informed, shocked, stunned and was fooled about sugar, etc. i wish this book was available years ago so that I could be a more educated younger version of myself...
A must read

One of the most important books I’ve read

There are books that are enjoyable to read/listen to, books that are pure entertainment, books that are informative etc. Every once in a while a book comes along that is just straight up important. I keep a running list of these books in my head and always suggest them first when asked for recommendations. They are books that I think EVERYONE needs to read, such as; Why We Sleep (Walker), Blowout (Maddow), The Obesity Code (Fung), Get Well Soon (Halpern), Caffeine (Pollan), Catch and Kill (Farrow), and now this book. As a scientist studying the biochemistry of eye disease, I can vouch for the science and the research behind the information presented in this book and feel that it is SO IMPORTANT for everyone to read that I will be giving copies out as gifts for the coming year. Do yourself and your family a favor and put this in your cart now.

I wish Everyone would read this book

Well done on all counts. Great information, backed by research and thought provoking. Makes me wonder if our government and FDA truly care about our well-being.
Makes me determined to learn more about how to be in control of my health, happiness and LIFE to live a long time and in good health!