Hurts So Good: The Science and Culture of Pain on Purpose

"A thoughtful, funny, and at times lyrical" (Wall Street Journal) exploration of why people all over the world love to engage in pain on purpose--from dominatrices, religious ascetics, and ultramarathoners to ballerinas, icy ocean bathers, and sideshow performers

Masochism is sexy, human, reviled, worshiped, and delightfully bizarre. Deliberate and consensual pain has been with us for millennia, encompassing everyone from Black Plague flagellants to ballerinas dancing on broken bones to competitive eaters choking down hot peppers while they cry.

At its core, masochism is about feeling bad, then better--a phenomenon that is long overdue for a heartfelt and hilarious investigation. And Cowart would know: They are not just a researcher and science writer, they're an inveterate, high-sensation seeking masochist. In Hurts So Good, Cowart unveils how our minds and bodies find meaning and relief in pain--a quirk in our programming that drives discipline and innovation even as it threatens to swallow us whole.

Author: Leigh Cowart
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Published: 07/18/2023
Pages: 256
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.50lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.40w x 0.80d
ISBN13: 9781541798038
ISBN10: 1541798031
BISAC Categories:
- Science | Life Sciences | Neuroscience
- Psychology | Neuropsychology
- Science | Cognitive Science

About the Author
Leigh Cowart is a researcher and journalist whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, New York Magazine, BuzzFeed, and other outlets. Before becoming a journalist, Cowart was immersed in academia, doing research on subjects like sexual dimorphism in leaf-nosed bats and resource allocation in flowers. They live in Asheville, NC.