Alexandra W. Logue (2004). The psychology of eating and drinking (3rd ed.). New York: Brunner-Routledge.
This is an interesting introduction to the variables, both inside and outside the body, that affect hunger, thirst, and the ways they are expressed in behavior. The book also discusses major eating and drinking disorders.
Joann Rodgers (2001). Sex: A natural history. New York: Holt.
This engaging 500-page book, written for nonspecialists, deals with almost every aspect of sex that one can imagine: meiosis, gametes, the physiology and psychology of orgasms, differences between males and females, determinants of sexual orientation, brain mechanisms, species differences, cultural influences, alternative sex, physical and psychological underpinnings of attraction, and foundations for long-term mating attachments. Rodgers is a science writer, not a scientist, but she prepared well by reading much of the research literature and interviewing many of the leading researchers concerned with various aspects of sexual drive and behavior.
Jim Horne (2006). Sleepfaring: A journey through the science of sleep. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
This well-written, simple account of current knowledge of sleep, by a leading sleep researcher, includes chapters on animal sleep, brain control of sleep, measures and stages of sleep, effects of sleep deprivation (including an account of Randy Gardner’s record-setting performance of 11 straight days without sleep), dreams, and sleep problems. Horne argues that many people worry more than necessary about lack of sleep; most people, he says, do fine with less sleep than they think they need.
Nadine Käthe Monem (Ed.) (2007). Sleeping and dreaming. London: Black Dog Publishing.
This 175-page book presents brief summaries of some of the major scientific findings regarding sleeping and dreaming. But the book’s real joy comes from its lavish illustrations and many quotations, culled from works of art and literature having to do with sleep and dreams. The book was originally developed to accompany a museum exhibit on sleeping and dreaming at the Deutsches Hygiene-Museum, in Dresden.
243
Dacher Keltner, Keith Oatley, Jennifer M. Jenkins (2014). Understanding Emotions. New York: Wiley
This is a well-written, up-to-date introductory textbook on emotion by longtime leading researchers on that topic. The book examines evolutionary and cultural perspectives, new findings on emotion and the central nervous systems, and studies on the role of emotion in moral judgment. It offers a nice integration of empirical research and makes emotion research come alive and relevant to our everyday lives.
Carl Hart and Maia Szalavitz (2013). High price. New York: HarperCollins.
Trailblazing neuroscientist Carl Hart takes a personal look at addiction and the brain. He explores his rough background on the streets in the context of his current research in neuroscience and brain activity. In this 350-page book, you can see how drugs, the brain, and motivation interact with each other and how they are affected by our society at large.
National Institutes of Health (2013). Calculate your body mass index. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm
This website provides a quick way to estimate your body mass index based on your height and weight. You can also download a chart (in PDF format) of height-weight relations and their corresponding body mass index ratings. On this page, you can also find links to a number of weight-and health-related topics including assessing your weight and health risks, menu planners, and family resources.