""The ‘dopamine drive� is typically quick, automatic and unconscious. It raises questions about how much choice and free will over our behaviours we really have. Are we truly as in control of our actions as we think we are?
And what can we do to resist the pull of dopamine, which can be a very primal force?"

The Dopamine Brain was a mixed bag for me. I am very interested in neurobiology and psychology, so I put this one on my list when I came across it. Although I enjoyed some of the book, I had a few gripes. From the books' title, I was expecting a scientific examination of dopamine in the body. That's not really what this book is. More below.

Author is a clinical psychologist and founder of the Australian Institute for Human Wellness in Sydney, Australia. Her main areas of clinical work and research is in addictions, with a specific focus on gambling.

Anastasia Hronis:


Hronis opens the book with an engaging intro. She then provides a bit of background, by telling the reader about a few common neurotransmitters, and their relevant roles in the brain.

In this short quote, she tells the reader about the ubiquity of dopamine in the natural world:

"Dopamine, like all neurotransmitters, contains the basic building blocks of life: oxygen, hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen. It exists not only in humans, but in all animals. Primitive lizards and reptiles living tens of millions of years ago had dopamine as part of their neurochemistry. What’s more, dopamine serves a similar role in animals as it does in humans: it modifies behaviours by playing a crucial function in learning and reinforcement from rewards."

In Chapter 2, she examines some common myths about dopamine, including dopamine "detox," and "anti-dopamine parenting" being an effective way to raise children.
The book has a summary at the end of every chapter, which is a literary tool I find helpful in retaining the information. Too bad more books don't include these, as I feel they are conducive to effective learning.

Ok, so now on to my gripes. She says early on: "We understand neurogenetics and the ways in which specific genes are associated with neurological disorders. We understand neuroplasticity and the brain’s ability to repair and rewire itself." I don't know why a science book would use language like this. Saying we "understand neurogenetics" implies that science fully understands the intricate relationship between genetics and mental pathology. This is not true.

Science has a very limited and narrow view of how genetics and brain disorders relate. For example, there is still no current consensus on the biological mechanisms of action responsible for most mental pathologies: Schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety; to name a few. Science only "understands" the causality of single-gene disorders like Huntington's, cystic fibrosis, hemochromatosis, Tay-Sachs, and sickle cell anemia. But many diseases are multifactorial, and have both a genetic and environmental causal component. Not to mention that the genetic components of many diseases are spread out across many genes in the genome, and even the epigenome. These complex interactions are far from "understood."

She also mentions the "chemical imbalance theory" of depression and mental disorders. This theory has been widely discredited years ago, by many of the world's leading psychological associations. See for more.

The author spends quite a bit of time in the second part of the book walking the reader through some simplistic exercises designed to get them to identify their values. She also talks extensively about delineating goals and values. I felt that this entire chapter was superfluous to this book. I was hoping for a more detailed scientific examination of dopamine in the body, not a book about values and goals. This section was pulled straight out of many other self-help books.

She also devotes a large chunk of the writing in the last half of the book covering case studies of some of the clients from her clinical practice. I was becoming bored. Nothing here is new, or even interesting. From here, she takes a sharp turn into the practice of mindfulness. Although I enjoy mindful practices and have read many books on the topic, I did not expect (or appreciate) the addition of this material to this book.

Finally, as touched on briefly at the start of this review, the title of the book had me expecting a sceitific examination into dopamine. While the science of dopamine is covered here, it takes a backseat to all her talk of self-help and mindfulness.



The Dopamine Brain didn't live up to my expectations; for the reasons above. Thankfully it was not any longer, as I probably would have put it down.
2.5 stars."