Listen free for 30 days

  • The Pleasure Trap

  • Mastering the Hidden Force That Undermines Health & Happiness
  • Written by: Douglas J. Lisle, Alan Goldhamer
  • Narrated by: Chef AJ
  • Length: 9 hrs
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (77 ratings)

1 credit a month, good for any title to download and keep.
The Plus Catalogue—listen all you want to thousands of Audible Originals, podcasts, and audiobooks.
$14.95 a month plus applicable taxes after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
The Pleasure Trap cover art

The Pleasure Trap

Written by: Douglas J. Lisle,Alan Goldhamer
Narrated by: Chef AJ
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $20.15

Buy Now for $20.15

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

The authors offer unique insights into the factors that make us susceptible to dietary and lifestyle excesses and present ways to restore the biological processes designed by nature to keep us running at maximum efficiency and vitality.

©2003 Douglas J. Lisle and Alan Goldhamer (P)2018 Douglas J. Lisle and Alan Goldhamer

More from the same

What listeners say about The Pleasure Trap

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    62
  • 4 Stars
    12
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    48
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    47
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Interesting

Great info on the psychology and physiology of what causes some people to have addictions to things such as drugs, alcohol or food. Food is one you don’t often hear about in regards to addiction and this book gives explanation of the problem and a solution to food addiction too.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A Life-Changer

Sometimes we just take for granted all the luxuries we have when it comes to food. Combine that with how many of us were raised with information our well-meaning parents thought was accurate about healthy eating, and we have a situation responsible for widespread health trouble. This book is well worth the time and will cast light on things we may not have considered, but will go forward being glad we consider them now! Well done.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A MUST READ for Everyone that has Even the Smallest Interest in Personal Health

The authors of this book have extreme talent. Many people will comment on the content of this book which is of the highest standard. Information that will not only save lives, but improve the quality of peoples lives. If a person has an open mind, this book is a GameChanger.

Where this book really shines is in how it is written. The anecdotes, and set up for the scientific facts and realities of our lives are brilliant. Direct but not preachy. Informing and entertaining. Well done.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

True to form

Some analogies were interesting. Nothing wrong with water fasting to correct the results of gluttony. But I think it’s more a philosophical issue, when all is said and done. We are pounded with information from early age on from self serving purveyors of all things,some of highly questionable benefit some downright poisonous. Our heads are swimming with advice and threats from all directions…how can one help but to fall into the old pleasure trap chasm just to escape it all….I mean…

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very informative, interesting and eye-opening book

People who read this will get the information needed to potentially improve the quality and quantity of their lives.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Great information worth listening to regularly as you are making changes to your lifestyle. Chef AJ did a fantastic job narrating,

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting but major fixation on meat is bad

Positive :
Very interesting book with a lot of good information. I actually learned, or understood, many concepts in this book.

Negative :
Ok, meat is bad, common, it's a book about the pleasure trap, does every chapter need to finish turning into a debate about how meat will kill you. Book would be better if it was focused on the subject at end, in its current form, it almost feels like hidden propaganda.

Overall :
Would read again, but on paper, so it would be easier to skip to pertinent sections.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic

I think anyone would benefit from listening to this book. It makes you realize why we do the things we do.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

a lot of mainstream propaganda... barf.

scientism at its finest.
reiterating lies doesn't make them true.

Viruses have never been properly isolated and Kochs postulates have never been satisfied to prove contagion.

Einstein was a fraud who married his cousin.

The earth is motionless and bodies of water don't bend 66.6 feet at 10 miles, despite your assurances to the contrary.

next time, stay in your lane and stick to the topic at hand.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Where are the brass tacks?

Sorry Chef AJ, I think you are great BUT in this case, you are not reading a children’s bedtime story book. Your narration style in this book did not flow. It was difficult to understand and grasp what was been read because it was soooo S. L. O. W. You’re voice inflection accents just created confusion not flowing ideas and concepts. But then, you’re just reading the book, you didn’t write it!
The material was so very basic up to at least chapter 5. I don’t think I LEARNED anything, and I’d say that this information in this book was disseminated in high school and I graduated in 1983.
Overall, I was disappointed with this book, but thank you anyhow. I didn’t hit a home run every time I stepped up to the plate either when I played baseball.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Marathon
  • Marathon
  • 2018-07-30

Very interesting information

This book contains information we all can learn from. It was interesting to listen to once. The problem is that I would like to review all the points within the book, but do not want to listen to the whole book again. All the stories are interesting but I am not interested in hearing them again. I think it would help the audio reader if there was a summary at the end where it would be possible to go back and reveiw all the points

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

50 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Erin Greener
  • Erin Greener
  • 2018-07-11

The single best read on healthy living

Thank you Dr Alan Goldhamer and Dr. Doug Lisle for this amazing document, you have captured essence of human nature so eloquently when it comes to the struggle of healthy lifestyle decision making and made it understandable and achievable for all of us. Thank you Chef AJ for pushing for the audiable version and doing such a lovely job narrating this incredible body of work, you should be in the Veganism Hall of Fame, oh wait, you are! All of you please keep creating new content, we adore you guys and find it so motivational. J. Greener

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

33 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Holly G. Stone
  • Holly G. Stone
  • 2019-05-10

Painful to listen to and dogmatic

There is very little information here and it is simply repeated over and over. At least through the first half of the book. I couldn't get through the whole thing. The narrator is difficult and stiff to listen to and the content is so simplified with little basis in fact that you keep waiting for it to reveal the "secret". But it never does, or at least nothing that I have not heard before nor anything surprising. The constant harping on how animals automatically control their weight with no issues and "never" have weight problems is dogmatic and stupid. I see plenty of overweight pets who have succumbed to the evils of "fake" food via their humans feeding it to them. And lots of them have our modern illnesses too. Overall, there are a few simple concepts here and an underlying bias for a plant based diet/low fat diet. That's all fine if that's what helps you.

The "satiation" theories are not backed up by science, at least not that I can see. The idea that our bodies can count calories is pretty silly. There is no proof of that.

I would not recommend this book to anyone who has done any research into the modern diet and it's pitfalls. There is nothing new for you here.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for clandestine
  • clandestine
  • 2018-12-23

By far the BEST health & nutrition I've read

I am truly amazed at how comprehensive this nutrition book is. I plan to listen to it again from an entertainment perspective alone. The authors go through in detail how we humans went from gathering food to eating highly processed food. It covers science, medicine, biology, the animal kingdom, our microbiomes, nutrition, fitness, sleep, drugs (including caffeine), societal pressures, socio-economic factors, making the transition, handling unsupportive friends and loved ones, debunking myths. They talk about addictions and how food addiction is a very real thing as well. And just like how most addicts need complete abstinence from the drug of choice in order to be completely free of the effects, they recommend a complete and immediate overhaul in eating habits and to abstain from unhealthy eating as well. Yes, they do recommend a way of eating, that of a Whole Food, Plant Based diet, which is one I support and do with reasonable success, even after trying other meat diets like paleo and keto. But this book is much, much bigger than the way you eat. The authors explore many philosophical and theoretical examples to support their claims, as well as hard facts and raw science. I will definitely recommend this book to others.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Amazon Customer
  • Amazon Customer
  • 2018-07-31

Now I know it’s not my fault

All my life I thought I was weak willed and morally flawed. Thanks to this book I understand that I’ve got a body beautifully programmed to survive a famine but I’m in an environment of abundant crap food. It’s a relief.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Sarah Boone
  • Sarah Boone
  • 2018-09-18

Best book I've ever had the pleasure of reading!

Oh my God! Where do I start! Such a mind blowing read! But confirms what has been in the back of my mind all along! Whole foods plant based diet is how we were meant to eat. I've read Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Eat to Live Book and Super Immunity, and read his Fasting and Eating For Health book as well. This book goes hand in hand with what Dr. Fuhrman teaches. I highly recommend this book. It's non bias, scientic approach is greatly appreciated! If you're someone who is worried about your health, struggle with binge eating, counting calories, depression, anxiety, this book is for you! I strongly believe that it will be the turning point in helping to give you a strong foundation and motivation to start on this new healthy lifestyle journey. You won't be able to stop listening this book! It talks about the life saving benefits of water only fasting as a powerful way to help cure the pleasure trap. Don't hesitate, just read it as soon as possible!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for kerrin
  • kerrin
  • 2020-02-28

Annoying narration! OMG!

Chef AJ is NOT a narrator! So terrible! Over-enunciation, slow, just weird. Awful!

The content should have been 1 hours worth! The rest is stuff and bother! “My editor said I had to beef up here, and here, and here...”

We aren’t idiots! Don’t bang us over the head with a cast iron frying pan! Just get on with it! And hire a real narrator!

If evolutionary, man came from apes, BS is your bag, then this book is for you. Otherwise, go to YouTube for fast, concise, and tolerable explanations of this information are easy found.

Save yourself the money AND the pain!

Now, I need to go heal my bleeding ears.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Anonymous User
  • Anonymous User
  • 2018-09-25

A book worth multiple reads.

Very informative. Easy to listen to and follow the points. Contains many life changing inspirations. A book worth listening to / reading multiple times.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for JLS
  • JLS
  • 2018-08-28

Great life altering content. Highly recommend!

The content is rich with evidence backed information. This can save your life in profound ways. The reader was a pleasure to listen to.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for JOSEPH A. LYNCH
  • JOSEPH A. LYNCH
  • 2018-11-28

Facebook is worthless unless you want to learn abo

this book is worthless unless you want to read about the theory of evolution. it does not go into how to fast what to do the proper way.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

.