That's Disgusting
Unraveling the Mysteries of Repulsion
by Rachel Herz
Mem. Ed. $21.99
Pub. Ed. $26.95
You pay $1.99
That's Disgusting
Disgust originated as a way to prevent us from eating poisonous food, but this safety mechanism has since evolved into a uniquely human emotion. That’s Disgusting illuminates the science behind disgust in all of its forms.
The book shows, for example, that there are specific fermented foods—okay, rotting foods—that certain cultures consider to be delicacies even as they disgust others. Many Westerners would probably be grossed out by the fermented soybean dish natto, big in Japan, even as many Asians report finding cheese of any kind—which uses bacteria to acquire its taste—to be stomach-churning.
The book shows how, where and why disgust is elicited psychologically and neurologically, and it’s filled with disgusting insights. Herz notes that women, while pregnant, report disliking foreigners at a higher rate, and explains the possible reasons why. Elsewhere, she spotlights the curious case of various individuals who are incapable of feeling disgust at all. We also learn that incest and cannibalism are upheld in some traditions as part of the privileges of royalty or the rites of religion.
How do politicians use disgust to win votes? To win the 2010 New York Republican gubernatorial nomination, Carl Paladino sent voters a flier that smelled like garbage, urging them to get rid of governmental rot—and it worked. Why do some people find pornography to be titillating while others find it disgusting? How useful is it to put photographs of diseased lungs on cigarette cartons? And by the way, did you know that necrophilia is not technically a crime in many American states?
Drawing on an impressive range of research in psychology and evolutionary biology, That’s Disgusting analyzes an emotion as complex as we ourselves are.
Hardcover : 288 pages
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co. ( January 23, 2012 )
Item #: 13-515632
ISBN: 9780393076479
Product Dimensions: 6.125 x 9.25 inches
Product Weight: 16.0 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Copyright © Bookspan. Scientific American® is a registered trademark, used under license. Unauthorized use prohibited. All rights reserved.
45007201205ADFL
Card Security Code
The card security code is an added safeguard for your credit/debit card purchases. Depending on the type of card you use, it is either a three- or four-digit number printed on the back or front of your credit/debit card, separate from your credit/debit card number. To make shopping at Scientific American Book Club® even more secure, we require that you enter this number each time you make a credit/debit card purchase. Please note that your security code will not be stored with us even if you have saved your credit/debit card information.
