arlangrey17's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.0


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vstarlight's review against another edition

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emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

4.75


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dmturner's review

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adventurous dark reflective fast-paced

4.5

Though I have a handful of  piercings, I didn’t do it for the pain, but for the pride. I practice a martial art and have had a lot of success, but I don’t like getting hurt, I like winning. I can endure pain if I have to, but I’d rather not. I read this book genuinely curious about why people might seek out pain, and honestly though I enjoyed reading it very much I don’t feel a whole lot more informed. :) 

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theodenreads's review

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challenging

5.0


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joricottone's review against another edition

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emotional funny informative medium-paced

4.75


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lily1304's review

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adventurous hopeful informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.75

I ripped through this book so fast. I loved it.
I was worried the author would be a little too flippant, but she is very clear from the outset that "pain on purpose" can be really healthy or unhealthy, and she devotes a chapter to exploring the difference.
My only complaint is that some of her chapters are a little too long, and I wish she had clear citations with a bibliography - but this is pop science, so she gives brief in-text citations.
Massive trigger warning for both BDSM and eating disorders - she gives extremely vivid descriptions of both.

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meghan_is_reading's review

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informative reflective medium-paced
*unhappy grumbles*

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go2hellstephanie's review

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adventurous emotional informative reflective fast-paced

4.0

This book was so fun to read!

I first heard about Hurts So Good on NPR, driving back to Virginia after Christmas. It was so intriguing to me that Cowart was so curious about pain and why humans seek it, that they went to the extent of doing a polar plunge, eating the world's spiciest pepper, and witnessing the Big Dog Backyard Ultra, where runners run until they are physically unable to.

Cowart makes pain fun to read about. Even the painful bits brought nuance and a deeper understanding to the idea of masochism. They balance the history and science lessons well, interspersed with their or others' experiences with something painful. 

Cowart’s writing focuses on the emotions, and they do it well. During the chapter on the ultramarathon runners, I cried, feeling their desire to push through or their pain as their bodies completed unthinkable human achievements.

They also handle the topic of self-harm and pain outside of pleasure with immense grace. They consistently emphasize that pain outside of one's control isn't masochism and is often abuse. 

I recommend this book if you have an interest in spicy food, long duration running, ballet, or the line that connects pain and pleasure. Such an interesting read!

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