That's Disgusting: Unraveling the Mysteries of Repulsion [Hardcover]

Rachel Herz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 23, 2012 | ISBN-10: 0393076474 | ISBN-13: 978-0393076479

An entertaining and revealing look at the science behind the emotion of disgust.

Disgust originated to prevent us from eating poisonous food, but this simple safety mechanism has since evolved into a uniquely human emotion that dictates how we treat others, shapes our cultural norms, and even has implications for our mental and physical health. That’s Disgusting illuminates the science behind disgust, tackling such colorful topics as cannibalism, humor, and pornography to address larger questions: Why do sources of disgust vary among people and societies? Where does disgust come from in our brain and what deeper fears does it reflect? How does disgust influence our individual personalities, our daily lives, and our values? It turns out that disgust underlies more than we realize, from political ideologies to the lure of horror movies. Drawing on surprising research in psychology and evolutionary biology, That’s Disgusting shows us that disgust mirrors human nature and, as a result, is as complex and varied as we are.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

If a visceral response triggers memory, then readers are unlikely to forget Herz’s paean to yuckiness. Whether she’s writing about the notion of cleaning up somebody else’s bodily fluids or sleeping in a bed where someone died the night before, Herz pulls no slime-covered punches. Why might we want to know the what, the why, and the wherefore of our response to nauseating stuff? Because it is important. Because everybody, from youngsters on up, has to be taught that contact with certain things—such as a coworker’s soggy, used handkerchief or an unflushed toilet—should be avoided. Yup. Disgust, the psychologist says, must be taught. It is the only emotion that requires instruction. And we must learn it in order to avoid myriad things in which unseen yet life-threatening hazards reside. Beyond that, there is moral disgust, which we feel when others overstep the boundaries of acceptable behavior. Everyone’s disgust threshold is unique, and it changes throughout life. Although overly sensitive readers may be cautioned, for goodness’ sake, don’t miss Herz’s informative, entertaining book. --Donna Chavez

Review

“[Herz's] strength as a researcher and author are apparent in her ability to cite and explain academic studies in a conversational manner.” (Becky Krystal - Washington Post )

“...[Herz] manages it quite admirably: to be vivid and true to her subject without getting so revolting that her readers react the way we react to anything that disgusts us, which is by trying to get as far away as possible.” (Robin Marantz Henig, author of Pandora's baby: How the First Test Tube Babies Sparked the Reproductive Revolution - New York Times Book Review )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (January 23, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393076474
• ISBN-13: 978-0393076479
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 1 x 9.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #144,808 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #69 in Books > Medical Books > Psychology > Cognitive

More About the Author

Dr. Rachel Herz is on the faculty at Brown University and a professional consultant. She has been working on the psychology of smell since 1990 and is considered to be one of the world's leading experts. Her book, The Scent of Desire: Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense of Smell (William Morrow/Harper-Collins) was published in 2007 and selected as a finalist for the "2009 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books." Her intellectual interests recently took a turn and she is now studying the emotion of disgust. Her latest book is, That's Disgusting: Unraveling the Mysteries of Repulsion (W.W. Norton & Co).

Rachel Herz serves on several advisory boards, including The Fragrance Foundation, and consults for many of the world's leading multinational flavor and fragrance companies. Her expertise has led to legal work as an expert witness in cases involving the sense of smell, and numerous appearances on national media, including ABC News, The Discovery Channel, The New York Times, New Yorker, Time magazine, Rolling Stone, Salon.com and O, the Oprah Magazine. Please visit her blog at Psychology Today and her website: www.rachelherz.com.

Rachel Herz is a dual citizen of the US and Canada. She grew up in Montreal Canada and received her Ph.D. from the University of Toronto. Rachel Herz is fascinated by human nature and loves all things scented and sensory. She lives in New England with her canine and human family.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating read on disgust January 14, 2012

By BLehner

Format:Hardcover

What do you find disgusting? Let me rephrase the question. Ever wondered why your own spit doesn't bother you, but if someone spits at you you're disgusted? Or how about feeling like you might have to throw up when you see an accident and there's someone lying on the street with a severed limb, yet you're thrilled when someone gets butchered in a horror movie?
Drawing on research in psychology and evolutionary biology, Rachel Herz presents fascinating and informative insights in her book That's Disgusting. While most of us know that disgust originated to prevent people from eating poisonous food, making it a survivalist emotion, it is in fact very complex, highly individual, and shaped by the culture we grew up in. And unlike other emotions disgust is not innate, but an instinct that has to be learned.
Starting out with the most obvious topics - food as source of disgust - Rachel leads the reader down some unexpected paths. Disease, pornography, cannibalism, humor. All of these can be perceived as disgusting, while some may, oddly enough, even turn out to be fun and entertaining (unless you dislike stand-up comedians making jokes about bodily functions, that is). Especially the chapter on moral disgust intrigued me. Influenced by culture, it evokes the same emotion as physical disgust, yet it is clearly different.
If you're interested in the topic, this book is definitely a must-read!
In short: A truly absorbing and well researched book on the mysteries of repulsion!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the NetGalley.com book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars This Book in Brief January 29, 2012

By The Book Reporter

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

*A full executive summary of this book is available at newbooksinbrief dot com.

At first glance it may seem like our sense of disgust is a fairly marginal and narrow aspect of our everyday experience (not to mention being a little icky), and therefore, not the most appetizing candidate for deep exploration. Nevertheless, in her new book 'That's Disgusting: Unraveling the Mysteries of Repulsion', psychologist Rachel Herz demonstrates that there are in fact several aspects of disgust that make it unique among the basic human emotions (which include happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise and disgust), and worthy of closer attention.

To begin with, it is clear that what disgusts us is culturally relative to a degree. For instance, while many of us enjoy the foods of other cultures (no matter what culture we are from), there are normally at least some dishes that people of other cultures eat with relish that we would not want to come anywhere near--and even the most culinarily adventurous among you have probably come across at least a few culturally specific comestibles that at least initially made you think twice.

Nevertheless, despite the fact that disgust is clearly culturally relative to a degree, there are also aspects of disgust that are universal to all human beings. To begin with, it is universal among human beings to find diseased and festering bodies disgusting, and bodily fluids such as urine, feces, vomit, mucous, phlegm, pus and blood also tend to be universally repulsive (the one notable exception here are tears--which universally elicit empathy rather than disgust).

Paradoxically, no matter what we find disgusting, there is occasionally (or at least in some of us) the inclination to expose ourselves and even indulge in what we find repulsive, such as when we slow our cars and crane our necks to catch a glimpse of any possible carnage in an automobile accident, or when we go out to enjoy a gory movie, or one that features more than its fair share of potty homour. Beyond these examples, the phenomenon of indulging in what is disgusting is taken to a whole other level with sado-masochistic sex and pornography (and particularly the variety that [bafflingly] features the presence and playful use of excrement). Even further at the extreme in this regard are serial killers such as Jeffrey Dahmer who indulge in acts that most of us are likely to think of as representing the very epitome of what is disgusting (such as mutilating a dead body, and then having sex with and eating it).

Interestingly, even aside from the physically disgusting things that Dahmer did, we are likely to think of his confining and killing his victims itself as being a disgusting act. That is, aside from experiencing physical disgust, it is also universal for humans to think of certain acts as being morally disgusting. And again, while different cultures may differ to some degree in what they consider to be morally disgusting, there are also some practices that are universal in inspiring disgust, such as incest.

How and why is it that some things are universal in inspiring disgust among us, while others are dependent on the culture in which we happened to be raised? Why is that sometimes we are drawn to what we find disgusting (and why is it that some people are more drawn to this than others)? How and why is it that disgust has both a physical and a moral dimension? These are just some of the questions that Herz explores in her new book. In answering these questions, Herz not only gives us a new understanding of our sense of disgust, but of our human nature as well.

In the course of the book, Herz does an excellent job of exploring the various aspects of our sense of disgust, and of reporting on the latest findings in the research. Her analysis of the causes of our disgust is, in my estimation, sometimes very balanced and measured, but at other times represents a bit of a stretch (such as the contentious claim that our sense of moral disgust may ultimately be understood in terms of our fear death). Nevertheless, this is my one and only criticism of a book that is otherwise very engaging, and very enlightening. And to Herz' credit, she does most often present the alternatives to her explanation of the causes behind our sense of disgust. A full executive summary of this book is available at newbooksinbrief dot com.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars So interesting and an easy, fun read! January 18, 2012

By Tmanstey

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I LOVED this book! Not only was the topic covered thoroughly but the sequencing, from information you likely are already aware of regarding disgust, through to more novel facts was done seamlessly. I loved that the academic information presented was done in an accessible way which kept my interest but didn't overwhelm me. And the writing was brilliant! So well written! I can't recommend this more, whether you have a current interest in disgust or are just looking for a riveting read - this is your book!