I think this book should be absolutely essential reading for every thinking American who cares about their well-being. It is deep science, but written in an engaging, entertaining fashion, so easier to read that I would have expected.

I have seen criticisms of Lustig's 2nd half of the book, where, after he has laid out the scientific framework of understanding the critically important difference between happiness and pleasure, he launches into an exposé of the toxic industrial storm that keeps us sick, miserable, and addicted.

Yes, addicted to the many extremely destructive (but slow and subtle) killers, like sugar, chronic stress, fake food, and other dopamine pipelines that are burning us out and destroying our minds and bodies.

The critics say he is just another conspiracy theorist, but I believe he makes very, very clear he is not. He does not believe that big pharma and corporate gather in secret cabals, plotting the destruction of us all. But the outcome is nearly identical just the same.

But WE have the power to stop them. The government will not do it for us, because they so obviously own the government (again, he lays this out in meticulous detail and vast footnoting).

And the first step it to really, really understand the dilemma. It's a big one, but the solutions are in our hands.

This book may have changed my life. May it enhance yours, too. ( )

Wish Lustig would focus a little less on negativity towards fat people as the absolute pinnacle of unhealthiness, although he does make the effort to bring up there are healthy fat people and unhealthy skinny people. Putting that aside, though, he wrote the most accessible explanation of dopamine, seratonin, and how they work with and against each other I've ever seen. I think this book is full of very useful and important information, once you get past the focus on weight. As someone with a history of disordered eating, the focus on weight was very uncomfortable for me, but Lustig's work to dispel the concept of 'a calorie is a calorie', calories-in-calories-out mindset of weight loss, which is significantly less toxic than most diet advocates. Diet is in fact only a quarter of the answer to healthier minds and bodies in Lustig's opinion. I've recommended this book to several friends who frequently admit to seeking out easy hits of dopamine (via food, microtransactions in video games, whatever) without actually understanding what that means for their brains in the long-term - I'm guilty of it as much as anyone. ( )

The thinking-mind operates as a self-justification system of support for a sense of segregate self that is more of a sense of narrative overlay to what has already happened. The mystery - or indeed unfolding revelation - of being is of an inner recognition or discernment. The job of the narrative continuity in self-usurping consciousness is to 'hide' - and render unacknowledged - a feared intimacy of being, by focusing within falsely framed self-definitions - through which 'reality' seems to conform and comply with its image or model.

Direct knowing, intuition, inspiration, guidance, recognition, revelation, being moved, extended and met trust, relational honesty - are all suppressed or subverted and taken credit for by a false sense of control OVER - rather than the true acceptance of balancing within a wholeness of being.

There are neurological correspondences with psychic-emotional choices - such as illuminated in Robert Lustig's “The Hacking of the American Mind - The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains”.

But regardless the inducements or deceits by which we may choose to 'sell our (intimacy of) Soul-awareness' for what seems like power and self-specialness, or seems to make a sense of powerlessness more tolerable... we remain free to accept or not - that is - to choose - where we give our attention. And in recognizing, discerning and accepting that the false is false and costs us the true - it no longer attracts or compels attention or allegiance. Accounting for such a decision is unnecessary - for it is simply restoration of a clear channel of communication and relationship - which is anathema to the 'Wizard of Oz' behind his curtained booth.

Some neuroscientists might be saying the opposite - in the sense of what would often be called mindless behaviour or the seeming abnegation or lack of thinking capacity. This is not true. The subconscious operates an automatic response to conditioned triggers and mind-capture or mind-control relative to the conditioning agent meets an agreement with self-security or protection for the fear-conditioned attempt to escape or mitigate fears it chooses not to face as a result of the framing of its thinking. While it accepts the 'language' of such framing, it's 'choices' are predetermined by who it has chosen to accept itself to be - in terms of the world it has yet experienced. The denial and hatred of a true intimacy of being is the hallmark of deep-seated guilt - that runs through the generations as a collective cultural 'conditioning' that if questioned at all is called 'the human condition'.

The mind in the world is ever aware of where NOT to go - and yet operates such filters without noticing. So in the theme of putting a hot issue into the long grass - or setting up insoluble problems in which to 'use up' or engage huge resource, we 'search for the truth' - but actually - only for patents and memes by which to seem to become 'more' powerful or 'more' privileged and protected' .

This mind is not your friend - because it empowers and protects the 'problem' from true resolution under seemingly opposable banners of righteous campaign.

While 'War on this, that and the other' may seem worthy, they always operate war on freedom, communication, and informed consent. Doublespeak. ( )

Comprehensive and well-researched. He leaves the reader with a little hope for counteracting the corporate damage. Covers many issues. Exhaustive but tough read. Learn a lot about the biochemistry of the brain. ( )

I heard a talk by him (https://youtu.be/x4sRsb0a30Y titled: "Dr. Robert Lustig The Hacking of the American Mind at the San Francisco Public Library" on YouTube) and was impressed enough to get the book and read it.

There are so many other comprehensive write-ups on this book that I don't need to say much except that it is has the same topics as the video. Of course, the book has more detail.
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