A provocative and counter-intuitive look at human behaviour from world-leading psychologist and author of the influential Against Empathy

Why do we seek out painful experiences? From horror movies and roller-coaster rides to marathon running, from S&M to religious violence and - most painful of all - parenthood, humans are drawn irresistibly to activities that they know are going to hurt.

In The Pleasures of Suffering one of the world’s best known psychologists gathers together the latest science to explain why, and to present a radical new account of human behaviour. Drawing on studies of the evolutionary value of play and the science of morality, he identifies the desire for meaning as being far greater than our desire for happiness, overturning long-held assumptions about our species.

Endlessly fascinating and counter-intuitive, this is a deeply humane and enlightening enquiry, packed with unexpected insight into the human condition.