The Hungry Book Club

A 3-week series featuring renowned experts on human behavior, the impact of technology, well-being, and food and lifestyle trends.

Author Eve Turow-Paul and guests discuss the impact of ANXIETY, LONELINESS, and a search for PURPOSE on food and lifestyle trends—past, present and future — featuring exclusive content from the Hungry Study !

ANXIETY & CULTURE

Part 1: Introduction-Chapter 3

How are trends such as the anti-GMO movement, interest in supplements, and the gluten-free diet, related to record high stress levels? How is COVID-19 anxiety re-shaping culture? Join us to discuss the role of technology and COVID-19 on record high rates of anxiety, globally, and how this emotional angst is showing up in food and lifestyle trends.

Dr. Daniel Levitin

Daniel J. Levitin, Ph.D., is James McGill Professor Emeritus of Psychology at McGill University and Founding Dean of Arts and Humanities at the Minerva Schools at KGI. 

He is the author of the five consecutive international bestselling books This Is Your Brain on Music, The World in Six Songs, The Organized Mind, and Successful Aging, as well as the international bestseller A Field Guide to Lies.

Levitin has published more than 100 scientific articles in leading journals, and is credited with fundamental discoveries about the nature of musical memory and absolute pitch, the neural correlates of musical structure, and the role of the cerebellum in mediating musical emotion.

Prior to entering academia, Levitin was a record producer and engineer with artists such as Blue Öyster Cult, Santana, and Stevie Wonder.

LONELINESS & CULTURE

Part 2: Chapters 4-7

Can a virtual relationship ever fulfill us in the same way as an in-person interaction with touch and eye-contact? How does social media impact human bonding and self-esteem? Contribute to the conversation about the impact of technology on belonging and the long-term repercussions of isolation on culture.

Dr. Brian Primack

Brian A. Primack, Ph.D., is Dean of the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas. Prior to moving to the University of Arkansas, Primack was Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics, and Clinical and Translational Science at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. There, he also served as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research on Health and Society and the Leo H. Criep Endowed Chair in Patient Care. He was also founding director of the University of Pittsburgh's multidisciplinary Center for Research on Media, Technology, and Health, which is widely regarded as the most influential center of its kind globally.

Primack is the author of the upcoming book, You Are What You Click: How Being Selective, Positive, and Creative Can Transform Your Social Media Experience (August, 2021). Pre-Order the title, below.

PURPOSE & CULTURE

Part 3: Chapters 8-Conclusion

How, in the era of screen time, do we develop a sense of fulfillment in life? How is a disconnect from nature related to the popularity of ASMR videos, the DIY movement and gardening? And how can we find a true sense of meaning in life—through food culture and beyond? Learn about the impact of time outdoors, awe, and gratitude on emotional well-being.

Dr. Dacher Keltner

Dacher Keltner, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology at University of California, Berkeley, Director of the Berkeley Social Interaction Laboratory, and the founding director of the Greater Good Science Center. Keltner is also the host of the Greater Good Science Center’s award-winning podcast, The Science of Happiness and is a co-instructor of the GGSC’s popular online course of the same name.

In addition, he is also the best-selling author of The Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence and Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life, and a co-editor of The Compassionate Instinct: The Science of Human Goodness.

More About the Book

In Hungry, Eve Turow-Paul provides a guided tour through the stranger corners of today's global food and lifestyle culture and looks at the connections among top trends, the Digital Age, and human well-being. How are 21st century innovations and pressures redefining people’s needs and desires? How does “foodie” culture, along with other lifestyle trends, provide an answer to our rising rates of stress, loneliness, anxiety, and depression?

Weaving together evolutionary psychology and sociology with captivating investigative reporting from around the world, plus findings from an original survey conducted with market research firm Datassential, Turow-Paul reveals the modern hungers—physical, spiritual, and emotional—that are driving today’s top trends.

From gluten-free and paleo diets to meal kit subscriptions, and from mukbang broadcast jockeys to craft beer, Hungry deepens our understanding of why we do what we do and helps us find greater purpose and joy in today’s technology-altered world.

More About the Author

Eve Turow-Paul is a globally-recognized thought leader, and founder and Executive Director of Food for Climate League. Through her writing, consultancy, and nonprofit leadership, Eve focuses on explaining the "why" behind the biggest food and lifestyle trends and helps companies and organizations utilize food culture as an avenue for mental, physical, and environmental health. @EveTurowPaul