“Pleasure, Lustig said, is fleeting; happiness is long-lived. Pleasure comes from taking or getting; happiness comes from giving. Pleasure is achieved alone; happiness with others. Pleasure comes from substances or things; happiness does not. Pleasure releases dopamine in our brains, the constant search for more; happiness releases serotonin, producing feelings of contentment, an end to consumption. All of which means, Lustig said, that pleasure can prod our reward pathways into addiction; happiness cannot.”
― The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth
― The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth
“Any fool can criticize, complain, and condemn—and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.”
― How to Win Friends & Influence People
― How to Win Friends & Influence People
“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive.”
―
―
“Spend Christmas with little children and old people. One hasn't forgotten the true meaning of the season and the other still remembers it's about love.”
―
―
“America has devolved,” Lustig once wrote, “from the aspirational, achievement-oriented ‘city on a hill’ we once were, into the addicted and depressed society that we’ve now become. Because we abdicated happiness for pleasure. Because pleasure got cheap.” The supply of it was everywhere. Like street dope.”
― The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth
― The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth
Our Shared Shelf
— 223197 members
— last activity 4 hours, 25 min ago
OUR SHARED SHELF IS CURRENTLY DORMANT AND NOT MANAGED BY EMMA AND HER TEAM. Dear Readers, As part of my work with UN Women, I have started reading ...more
SpecFic Buddy Reads
— 98 members
— last activity 10 minutes ago
We want to read fun stuff as a group and do lots of buddy reads on the side. And we like to chat a bit, too. Friends don't let friends read alone:) ...more
Jessica’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Jessica’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Polls voted on by Jessica
Lists liked by Jessica





























