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Why are men less faithful than women? Why are some people altruists and others cold-hearted bastards? Why do some businesses succeed while others collapse? In his entertaining and groundbreaking book, Paul Zak uses neuroscience and the fundamentals of economics to answer essential questions about human nature and explore exactly what 'goodness' is. Oxytocin, a hormone generally associated with childbirth, is present in all of us: this is the moral molecule that makes us empathetic, and is therefore the fundamental control mechanism that orchestrates morality. From his unusual 'vampire studies', which involve taking blood from wedding guests to see if the romantic ritual increases oxytocin (it does), to working with US Military troops to balance oxytocin with testosterone, this study takes us from corporate offices to Buddhist monasteries. In doing so Zak demonstrates how businesses and whole economies are affected by oxytocin, and his studies into an oxytocin based drug that could treat autism, anxiety and post-traumatic-stress disorder, show us its potential influence on society as a whole.
Fascinating and full of great stories, "The Moral Molecule" makes for compelling reading and will leave you with new knowledge of human nature, why we do what we do, and how we connect to each other.