Friday Fixations (Bianca’s Version)

What my wife is into right now

Happy Friday, my fellow suffering beings. Each week, I share two things I’m digging right now (books, TV shows, movies, music, and the like) plus one online video of nearly zero cultural merit.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I’m handing the reins to my wife, Bianca. If you think she should be writing more stuff for Substack, please let her know in the comments.

• Dopamine Nation, by Anna Lembke. This is a fascinating dive into the universal quest for dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with anticipating and receiving rewards. It is what all of our addictions are based on—from full-blown addictions to drugs to our everyday compulsions around scrolling and snacking. What makes this book truly effective is that it’s part memoir. Even though Lembke is an expert, she is also candid and raw. The book is also useful; the author offers practical antidotes to our over-reliance on dopamine.

• Age of Vice, by Deepti Kapoor. After hearing so many people (including my husband) recommend this book, I decided to give it a go. It’s a great read in terms of plot and suspense, but it’s also nested in amazing character development and a compelling setting (Delhi’s criminal underworld). I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by a man. I was surprised, when I eventually looked at a physical copy of the book, to learn that it was actually written by a woman. Kapoor captures the male POV so well that I never would have guessed. Highly recommend.

• Love this.

Thanks, Bianca! Maybe for Father’s Day, I should let my son take over Fixations? Get ready for video game recs and fart jokes.

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