The Science of Sin: Why We Do the Things We Know We Shouldn't

Why do we do things we know we shouldn't?

The Science of Sin brings together the latest findings from neuroscience research to shed light on the universally fascinating subject of temptation--where it comes from, how to resist it and why we all succumb from time to time. With chapters inspired by the seven deadly sins, neurobiologist Jack Lewis illuminates the neural battles between temptation and restraint that take place within our brains, suggesting strategies to help us better manage our most troublesome impulses with the explicit goal of improving our health, our happiness and our productivity.

Anyone who has ever wondered why they never seem to be able to stick to their diet, who marvels at how little work some of their colleagues get away with doing, who despairs at the anti-social behavior of their teenagers, who can't understand how cheaters can juggle extra-marital affairs, who struggles to resist the lure of the comfy sofa and the giant bag of chips, or who makes themselves thoroughly bitter by endlessly comparing themselves to others--this book is for you.

Jack Lewis is a neurobiologist and television presenter. He earned a PhD in neuroscience from University College London, continuing his research using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging to investigate how human brains integrate sound and vision as a post-doc at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics. For the past 10 years he has focused on bringing the latest neuroscience research to the attention of the widest possible audience. He has co-authored two popular science books, Sort Your Brain Out and The Mice Who Sing for Sex.

His TV career kicked off in 2008 as a presenter on the BBC series People Watchers, which involved roaming the streets of London conducting secretly filmed social psychology experiments on unsuspecting members of the public. He went on to make regular appearances as an expert on ITV's This Morning, and presented Discovery Science's The Tech Show, the ITV series How to Get More Sex, and the second series of his latest show, Secrets of the Brain, is currently airing in 20 countries from the United States to South Korea. His Geek Chic Weird Science podcast is careering towards its 100th episode, and his brain blog www.drjack.co.uk recently celebrated its 8th birthday.