THE ART OF RISK:  THE NEW SCIENCE OF COURAGE, CAUTION & CHANCE is a look inside the art and science of risk-taking behavior.

What people are saying about THE ART OF RISK:

“THE ART OF RISK begins with an admission: Kayt Sukel’s lost her mojo — and like any great journalist, to find it again, she researches her way to the root of the issue. This entails interviewing adrenaline junkies, uncovering the psychology, and delving into the complicated neuroscience. (She’s the only writer I know who can make terms like mesocortical limbic pathway and DRD4 variants downright titillating). An engrossing look at at fascinating issue by one of the most fearless science writers in the business.”

-Susannah Cahalan, New York Times bestselling author of BRAIN ON FIRE: MY MONTH OF MADNESS

“In THE ART OF RISK, Kayt Sukel deftly probes the neverending push-pull struggle within our brains between wanting to be safe, wanting not to be hungry, wanting sex, wanting money–and the willingness to take a chance that will lead to even more of the same. We weigh risk based on what is in our heads, in our genes, and our hearts. This smart, impeccably researched book travels easily between the realms of advanced neuroscience and everyday experience. Intelligent, informed, and deeply curious, THE ART OF RISK is a revelation.”

-William Souder, Pulitzer finalist and author of UNDER A WILD SKY, ON A FARTHER SHORE, and A PLAGUE OF FROGS.

“A blithe and personable guide to risk-taking.”

–Kirkus Reviews

“A fascinating and beautifully written tour de force on the curious ways our brains weigh decisions, and how we can hack our biology to risk smarter. Kayt Sukel writes with warmth and candor, like a girlfriend over drinks, giving us insight into the research and minds of thrill seekers, adventurers and high-risk professionals to answer once and for all: when is it worth the risk?”

-Christine Gilbert, 2014 National Geographic Traveler of the Year, founder of Almost Fearless, and author of the upcoming MOTHER TONGUE:  A GLOBETROTTING FAMILY’S QUEST TO DREAM IN MANDARIN, LAUGH IN ARABIC, AND SING IN SPANISH.

“Great accomplishments are impossible without substantial risk-taking. Yet, risk-taking is equally important for the everyday decisions, when we never know the threats and rewards that await. You should read this book because it is a road map for understanding boldness. And just maybe, you will become committed to a bolder lifestyle.”

-Todd B. Kashdan, author of THE UPSIDE OF YOUR DARK SIDE:  WHY BEING YOUR WHOLE SELF – NOT JUST YOUR “GOOD” SELF – DRIVES SUCCESS AND FULFILLMENT and professor of psychology at George Mason University.

“Kayt Sukel combines true stories from colorful risk-takers with scientific
explanations to produce a terrific book that is engaging, full of up-to-date science, and always interesting. Whether you believe you put yourself in danger way too much, or worry that you play everything too safe, THE ART OF RISK will help
you understand what’s going on inside you. You’ll learn a lot, and have a great
time doing it.“

-Jim Davies, Associate Professor of Cognitive Science and
author of Riveted: The Science of Why Jokes Make Us Laugh, Movies Make Us
Cry, and Religion Makes Us Feel One with the Universe.

“A smart, lively book about risk that makes you want to reexamine the decisions
you’ve made in your own life.  Sukel gives us great insight into when it makes sense to take a risk and how to parlay uncertainty into potential.”

-Jena Pincott, author of Do Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies?:  The Surprising Science of Pregnancy. 

Watch the book trailer:

What people are saying about DIRTY MINDS/THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON SEX:

“Sukel’s [book] is a serious, informative and highly entertaining survey of the neurobiology of sexual attraction.” –The Washington Post

“A fun and insightful read, [this book] manages to evoke the feel of both a wine-laden conversation with an old friend and a great neuroscience lecture from your favorite college professor.” –Scientific American Mind

“It was the cotton-top tamarin monkeys that did it for me…Sukel’s book fairly bristles with such causes to reflect on our erotic complexity…” –Ben Dickinson, ELLE magazine (January, 2012: page 107)

“Science journalist Sukel is certainly intrepid. What else could you call a woman who volunteered to have her brain scanned while experiencing a self-stimulated orgasm? And precisely because there’s little places she won’t go — new mind research, her painful divorce and role as a single mom — the book is a blast. Her spicy mix of tongue-in-cheek wit and hardcore neuroscience, which is still in its infancy, makes science fun.” –The New York Post, Required Reading

“Journalist Kayt Sukel delves into the latest neurobiological research to explore what, exactly, love is and why it makes us do crazy things. This is no self-help book, however. In exploring such topics as monogamy, the parent-child bond, pheromones, and male and female responses to pornography, Sukel reveals just how complex and mysterious our brains really are.” –Scientific American, Recommended Reading

“Remarkable for the breadth of ground it covers in exploring this still-relatively-new area of study, [this book] is a terrific introduction to the hard sciences’ approach to sex research. Readers need not have any pre-existing knowledge of the subject, only an appetite for information and an openness to questioning convention. Highly recommended.” –The Book Lady's Blog

“Sukel leaves no stone unturned as she delves into the complex, cerebral world of relationships…[her] background in psychology allows her to discuss highly technical topics in a way that will be accessible to a broad audience, including armchair scientists and sociology buffs.” –Publishers Weekly

“[Sukel's] account of her experience inducing an orgasm while hooked up to an fMRI scanner adds spice to her quest, but the science she reports, though still inconclusive, is fascinating in its own right.” –Kirkus Reviews

“With humor and flair, Sukel takes us through the whole human drama — loving, hating, cheating, losing, orgasming, parenting, punishment, and reward — and at the end we realize something truly startling: it’s all in our minds.” –Jena Pincott, author of Do Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies?: The Surprising Science of Pregnancy

“Kayt Sukel merges the bracing realities of science with the mysterious thrill of love and attraction. Provocative,well-researched, and compulsively readable, this book opens the mind (dirty or otherwise) and stirs the soul.” –Lily Burana, author of Strip City, Try, and I Love a Man in Uniform

“Love and sex are two of the eternal mysteries of the human experience—but in her compelling new book, Kayt Sukel lifts the curtain to give us a fresh and fascinating look at our intimate lives. Sukel shows us how neuroscientists are venturing into the realm once reserved for poets and songwriters, and returning with bold new knowledge about the brain in love and in the throes of pleasure. After reading this seductively interesting book, you’ll never think about a date or a kiss or a breakup the same way again.” –Annie Murphy Paul, author of Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives and The Cult of Personality Testing: How Personality Tests Are Leading Us to Miseducate Our Children, Mismanage Our Companies, and Misunderstand Ourselves

“You sure did a lot of research. It was an absolutely fascinating read, honey, even for someone who knows nothing about the science. But will any of it help improve your taste in men?” –Kayt's Mom

DIRTY MINDS/THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON SEX is available wherever books are sold.