Bibliograph

Hurts so good, the science and culture of pain on purpose, Leigh Cowart

Type

Label

Hurts so good, the science and culture of pain on purpose, Leigh Cowart

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references and index

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Hurts so good

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

1230230249

Responsibility statement

Leigh Cowart

Sub title

the science and culture of pain on purpose

Summary

Masochism is sexy, human, reviled, worshipped, and delightfully bizarre. From ballerinas dancing on broken bones to ultramarathoners shitting their pants mid-race to competitive eaters scarfing down hot peppers, masochism is a part of us. Leigh Cowart is not just a researcher and science writer, but also inveterate, high-sensation-seeking masochist. Cowart tries to answer some questions: Why do people engage in masochism? What are the benefits: social, psychological, physiological, and otherwise? What are the costs? What does masochism have to say about the human experience? By participating in many of these experiences herself, and through conversations with psychologists, fellow scientists, and people who seek pain for pleasure, Cowart learns how our minds and bodies are engineered to find meaning and relief in pain--a quirk in our programming that drives discipline and innovation even as it threatens to swallow us whole

Classification