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The Molecule of More

How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity - And Will Determine the Fate of the Human Race

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The Molecule of More

Written by: Daniel Z. Lieberman MD, Michael E. Long
Narrated by: Tom Parks
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About this listen

Why are we obsessed with the things we want and bored when we get them?

Why is addiction “perfectly logical” to an addict?

Why does love change so quickly from passion to disinterest?

Why are some people diehard liberals and others hardcore conservatives?

Why are we always hopeful for solutions even in the darkest times - and so good at figuring them out?

The answer is found in a single chemical in your brain: dopamine. Dopamine ensured the survival of early man. Thousands of years later, it is the source of our most basic behaviors and cultural ideas - and progress itself.

Dopamine is the chemical of desire that always asks for more - more stuff, more stimulation, and more surprises. In pursuit of these things, it is undeterred by emotion, fear, or morality. Dopamine is the source of our every urge, that little bit of biology that makes an ambitious business professional sacrifice everything in pursuit of success, or that drives a satisfied spouse to risk it all for the thrill of someone new. Simply put, it is why we seek and succeed; it is why we discover and prosper. Yet, at the same time, it’s why we gamble and squander.

From dopamine’s point of view, it’s not the having that matters. It’s getting something - anything - that’s new. From this understanding - the difference between possessing something versus anticipating it - we can understand in a revolutionary new way why we behave as we do in love, business, addiction, politics, religion - and we can even predict those behaviors in ourselves and others.

In The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity—And will Determine the Fate of the Human Race, George Washington University professor and psychiatrist Daniel Z. Lieberman, MD, and Georgetown University lecturer Michael E. Long present a potentially life-changing proposal: Much of human life has an unconsidered component that explains an array of behaviors previously thought to be unrelated, including why winners cheat, why geniuses often suffer with mental illness, why nearly all diets fail, and why the brains of liberals and conservatives really are different.

©2018 Daniel Z. Lieberman, MD, and Michael E. Long. (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Publishing by arrangement with BenBella Books.
Biological Sciences Psychology Human Brain Inspiring Mental Health Physical Exercise
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What the critics say

"One might consider it Freakonomics for the mind."— Greg Roth, "The Idea Enthusiast"

"Daniel Lieberman and Michael Long have pulled off an amazing feat. They have made a biography of a neurotransmitter a riveting read. Once you understand the power and peril of dopamine, you’ll better understand the human condition itself.” —Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive and When

"Meet a molecule whose fingerprint rests upon every aspect of human nature—from desire and drugs to politics and progress. Lieberman and Long tell the epic saga of dopamine as a page-turner that you simply can't put down."—David Eagleman, PhD, neuroscientist at Stanford and New York Times bestselling author

What listeners say about The Molecule of More

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This Book Cured My Addictions and Made My Life Wonderful.


I was addicted to Instagram, YouTube, food, and music. I needed constant stimulation to feel good, but in reality, I was miserable. Miserable, I thought the next YouTube video, the next bite of pizza, the next trending song would give me the boost I needed, but it was only an illusion. I listened to this book and applied its principles. I completely stopped my addictions and turned towards the simplicity of life. Taking pleasure in cooking, cleaning, having a coffee. Learning a new language and speaking it with a friend, talking to my family, and distant relatives. Taking a walk, drawing, writing, solving physics problems. Trying new sports like swimming, boxing, basketball, and paddleboarding. Damn, it feels good. I highly recommend Chapter 7: Harmony. In short, a wonderful book.

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A Riveting Dive into Dopamine

The Molecule of More by Daniel Z. Lieberman, MD, and Michael E. Long offers an eye-opening exploration into the powerful role dopamine plays in shaping our motivations, behaviors, and even our fate as a species. From love and addiction to creativity and ambition, this book vividly illustrates how dopamine drives us toward the things we crave and spurs us to chase and chase and...

As someone with a background in clinical nutrition, I found the book’s scientific insights both accurate and compelling, shedding light on how this “molecule of more” affects our desires and decision-making.

One of the book’s standout strengths is its accessible, engaging writing style. Lieberman and Long take complex neurological concepts and bring the science to life. The insights into how dopamine can influence everything from romantic relationships to political movements are not only intriguing but thought-provoking, prompting readers to reconsider their own behaviors in light of dopamine’s hidden influence.

However, while the book presents a captivating argument for dopamine’s dominance, it sometimes leans too heavily on dopamine as the singular driver behind human behavior.

Overall, The Molecule of More is an enlightening and enjoyable read that skillfully unveils the science behind what drives us. Whether you’re a science enthusiast or just curious about what makes people tick, this book is sure to leave you with a deeper appreciation of the brain’s complexities. It’s well worth the read—and a reminder that there’s often more to our motivations than meets the eye.

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A book that explains humanity

This book talks about dopamine in a way that has you hooked! It’s so interesting how one neurotransmitter has such an affect on everything we do. It makes sense of people’s personalities, why they do the things they do, creativity, even psychiatric disorders. It was all fascinating! Also, the narration was very good, which is fortunate for a neuroscience book. I highly recommend this book for anyone - not just neuroscience nerds like me.

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Great overview of the role of dopamine on human behaviour/evolution

Great summary of the neuroscience & research on dopamine. Great storyteller. Makes topic so accessible for lay audience,

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The basics on figuring out people

I didn’t expect such a clear explanation on how to consider people’s tendencies including my own.

Well put together with one idea building on the next.

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Definitely worth listening to

This was an interesting an engaging audiobook - well narrated and well structured. The content was fascinating.

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Very Interesting And Well Explained

Even though I don't have any background in neuroscience, I was able to have a better understanding of what dopamine is. It really makes you look at life in a different way. I highly recommend this book.

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Life Changing

Wow! I just finished this book and the amount of self reflection I received through every bit of info was profound. I will forever be changed in the way that I relate to my motivation and what drives me. There is still a lot to learn, but I am going to start implementing right away. Thank you so much for this book! I will be checking out more of your work! 🙏🙏

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ive listened to only 10% and it already deserves a big 5stars

great great great book wow im so lucky to have fallen on it by accident. love it and you will probably too. big thanks to the author hard work.

Now im at 40% of the book. omg thank you thank you thank you a million times for such an interesting book. I just cant believe those things are not taught in school at young age. I started having a HUGE interest in neuroscience when I first watched few videos of andrew huberman when he was still fairly unknown. I fell on this audiobook by accident and somehow i think it was destiny. I purchased about 50 books on audible. This book is in my top 3 best book ever. buy it, it might seriously change your life for the best. Paying a credit on audible is nothing compared to what this book is bringing in my life. Understanding how your brain works is a must of you want to be successful in life. again a million thanks to both authors. and a million thanks to andrew huberman who changed my life. probably the person who had the biggest impact on my life

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The Up and Down Worlds

This book does for the dopaminergic and h&n circuits what the Master and his Emissary did for the brain's left and right hemispheres. This book will change the way you think about human drives and contentment.

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1 person found this helpful