Aroused: The History of Hormones and How They Control Just About Everything

by Randi Hutter Epstein M.D.

Overview

A Science News Favorite Science Book of 2018

“A sweeping, glorious story of hormones, threaded through with sex, suffering, neurology, biology, medicine, and self-discovery.” —Siddhartha Mukherjee

Metabolism, behavior, sleep, mood swings, the immune system, fighting, fleeing, puberty, and sex: these are just a few of the things our bodies control with hormones. Armed with a healthy dose of wit and curiosity, medical journalist Randi Hutter Epstein reveals the “invigorating history” (Nature) of hormones and the age-old quest to control them through the back rooms, basements, and labs where endocrinology began.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393357080
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	06/18/2019
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Randi Hutter Epstein, M.D., M.P.H., the author of Aroused and Get Me Out, is an adjunct professor at Columbia University, a lecturer at Yale University, and writer in residence at Yale Medical School. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times and the Psychology Today blog, among others. She lives in New York.

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

1 The Fat Bride 1

2 Hormones … As We May Call Them 14

3 Pickled Brains 34

4 Killer Hormones 54

5 The Virile Vasectomy 72

6 Soul Mates in Sex Hormones 89

7 Making Gender 102

8 Growing Up 126

9 Measuring the Immeasurable 148

10 Growing Pains 160

11 Hotheads: The Mysteries of Menopause 174

12 Testosterone Endopreneurs 194

13 Oxytocin: That Lovin' Feeling 214

14 Transitioning 230

15 Insatiable: The Hypothalamus and Obesity 246

Epilogue 257

Acknowledgments 261

Notes 267

Index 299

Editorial Reviews

"An invaluable guide.… [Epstein] cleverly moves back and forth through time, avoiding any hint of dry recitation."

Science News

"Well-written and informative."

New York Times Book Review

"Well-written and informative."— New York Times Book Review

"The field of endocrinology, as this compelling history shows, has manifested extremes of ingenuity and hubristic error."— The New Yorker

"An invaluable guide.… [Epstein] cleverly moves back and forth through time, avoiding any hint of dry recitation."— Science News

"Engaging.… [Epstein] writes with a wry sense of humor, balancing historical facts and poignant tales of real people."— San Francisco Book Review

"In her funny, eye-opening book, Randi Hutter Epstein demystifies [hormones], while taking away none of their amazing power."— Carl Zimmer

"A simply riveting read that is as informed and informative as it is well written, organized, and presented."— Midwest Book Review

"Epstein brings a savvy background to a book rich in clever digressions as well as scientific know-how and historical fact.… A history of endocrinology as entertaining as it is informative, Aroused adroitly covers the basic science, clinical application and dubious commercialization of hormones."— Shelf Awareness

"A fine, poignant survey of ‘what makes us human, from the inside out.’"— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Epstein winningly writes about the science of endocrinology, the history of hormone science, and the individuals pivotal to our understanding of the chemical substances that make us who we are.… Aroused is indeed stimulating reading: instructive, thought provoking, and fun."— Booklist (starred review)

"Lucid and entertaining.… [Epstein’s] beguiling prose… makes for a lively and accessible introduction to hormones and the important work they do in the lives of humans."— Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

★ 2018-04-03
A tour of the history of endocrinology, highlighting progress but also the hype that has promoted the curative abilities of hormones.Epstein (Get Me Out: A History of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank, 2010), who has a medical degree and masters of public health, explores the long-held beliefs in the power of glandular "juices," but she credits two British researchers at the dawn of the 20th century as the founders of the science of endocrinology. Their canine experiments showed that a chemical released by the pancreas aids digestion without the involvement of the nervous system. By 1905, the word hormone had been coined, and the science took off. In successive chapters the author highlights selected hormones, but not before she introduces the "Fat Bride," a 517-pound sideshow star who, along with giants and bearded ladies, is now considered a victim of hormones gone awry. Epstein devotes a chapter to Harvey Cushing, the brain surgeon who described the hormones secreted by the pituitary gland that also stimulate secretions of other glands. By the 1920s, hormones were touted as being responsible for emotions and behaviors. The '20s also saw the launch of a long fad for vasectomies, touted as the sure cure for declining libido and other aging male ills. Later chapters also deal with sexual themes. At one time, it was decided that babies born with ambiguous sexual organs should be assigned either a male or female sex designation and have corrective surgery in the first year of life. This is wrong, given current understanding of the complexity of sex determinants; Epstein makes this clear in a sensitive chapter on trans individuals. As for the sex hormones themselves, the hype continues. Not so long ago, estrogen was the dream hormone that would cure hot flashes and ward off heart disease and Alzheimer's. It's true for hot flashes, but forget the rest. As for the virtues of testosterone, the hype goes on.A fine, poignant survey of "what makes us human, from the inside out."

Kirkus Reviews