Touch: The Science of Hand, Heart, and Mind

By: David J. Linden

Narrated by: John Pruden

David J. Linden, a Johns Hopkins neuroscientist and the best-selling author of The Compass of Pleasure, presents an engaging and fascinating examination of how the interface between our sense of touch and our emotional responses affects our social interactions as well as our general health and development.

Accessible in its wit and clarity, Touch explores scientific advances in the understanding of touch that help explain our sense of self and our experience of the world. From skin to nerves to brain, the organization of the body's touch circuits powerfully influences our lives - affecting everything from consumer choice to sexual intercourse, tool use to the origins of language, chronic pain to healing. Interpersonal touch is crucial to social bonding and individual development. Linden lucidly explains how sensory and emotional context work together to distinguish between perceptions of what feels good and what feels bad.

Linking biology and behavioral science, Linden offers an entertaining and enlightening answer to how we feel in every sense of the word.

©2015 David J. Linden (P)2015 Tantor

Fascinating review of key sense of touch

Clear and great explanation and review, considering a wide array of the aspects on touch. From it's centrality to being human to specific crucial aspects such as sexual touch, pain and itch.

Intriguing science of tactile feedback

This was a very compelling study about human touch, tactile feedback and emotions accompanying our human skin. I wish there was more scientific evidence based on the studies that were conducted and findings.

I would love for there not to be as much foul language so I could share this book with my younger children as they are growing to develop more scientific-based education. Otherwise a fantastic book.

Excellent

Enjoyed this book greatly, but was waiting for discussion of Piezo, the molecule mediating touch and mechanical pain discovered in 2010 (analogous to Trpv1 that senses heat and thermal pain). Also expected some discussion of the heart and arteries that also expresses Piezos that sense the heartbeat and blood pressure. Perhaps a new book on these topics, including the discovery of piezo in brain neurons that sense heartbeat- and breathing-induced changes in intracranial pressure and implicated in underlying the slow-paced breathing associated with meditation (see Wang and Hamill, Journal of Integrative Neuroscience 2021).