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Loretta Graziano Breuning

Goodreads Author

Born

in New York, The United States

October 30, 1953

Website

http://www.innermammalinstitute.org

Twitter

innermammal

Genre

Health, Mind & Body, Social Sciences, Self Help

Influences

David Attenborough

Member Since

May 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/loretta_breuning

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Loretta is the author of Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin and Endorphin Levels. She's Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute and Professor Emerita of Management at California State University, East Bay. Dr. Breuning's many books, videos and podcasts explain the brain chemistry we've inherited from earlier mammals. She shows that our "happy chemicals" are not designed to be on all the time. They evolved to do specific jobs, so we always have to do more to get more. Dr. Breuning's work explains the natural way to enhance our power over these chemicals. Her nine books have been translated into sixteen languages. Before teaching, Loretta worked for the United Nations in Africa. Today, she gi ...more

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Loretta Graziano Breuning’s books

Average rating: 3.98 · 7,114 ratings · 694 reviews · 17 distinct works • Similar authors

	Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, & Endorphin Levels 4.02 avg rating — 6,019 ratings — published 2015 — 28 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Science of Positivity: Stop Negative Thought Patterns by Changing Your Brain Chemistry 3.58 avg rating — 499 ratings — published 2013 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Tame Your Anxiety: Rewiring Your Brain for Happiness 3.59 avg rating — 170 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	I, Mammal: How to Make Peace With the Animal Urge for Social Power 4.22 avg rating — 127 ratings — published 2011 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Status Games: Why We Play and How to Stop 3.81 avg rating — 132 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Why You’re Unhappy: Biology vs. Politics 3.97 avg rating — 36 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	How I Escaped Political Correctness And You Can Too 3.97 avg rating — 34 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Anxiety: What turns it on. What turns it off. 3.83 avg rating — 30 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Jak w 45 dni zmienić nawyki mózgu i odzyskać dobry nastrój 3.86 avg rating — 21 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	14 Days to Sustainable Happiness: A Workbook for Every Brain 4.53 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2021 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Loretta Graziano Breuning's Blog

The Harsh Truth About Dopamine

Your brain turns on the excitement of dopamine when you approach a reward, but it defines "rewards" with neural pathways built from your dopamine past. New paths to dopamine await.

View more on Loretta Graziano Breuning's website »

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Published on June 17, 2021 13:08

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Loretta is Currently Reading

Loretta Breuning is currently reading

Zoonomia : Or the Laws of Organic Life, Volume I (Illustrated)

by Erasmus Darwin

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Oct 25, 2021 09:00AM

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On My Mind: Reflections on Animal Behavior and Learning

by Karen Pryor

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Feb 17, 2019 05:42PM

Loretta Breuning is currently reading

It's Time to Re-Vere the Works of "Shake-Speare": A Psychoanalyst Reads the Works of Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford

by Richard M. Waugaman (Goodreads Author)

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Nov 26, 2017 07:25PM

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Loretta’s Recent Updates

Loretta Breuning made a comment on I, Mammal: How to Make Peace With the Animal Urge for Social Power — Social Comparison: why do we have such strong feelings about it? " I think this book solves all the big dilemmas of our times. We have strong feelings about how we stack up against others because the mammal brain is d ...more "
Jul 12, 2025 01:50PM
Loretta Breuning made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — my new book is not connected to my author page topic " Greetings, Please help me get my new book onto my author page. I ran a Giveaway for the Kindle. The book is available in all formats, but on Goodreads ...more "
Jan 26, 2025 05:54PM
Loretta Breuning rated a book it was amazing The Science of Positivity: Stop Negative Thought Patterns by Changing Your Brain Chemistry by Loretta Graziano Breuning (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 26, 2025 05:27PM · 1 like · like
Loretta Breuning rated a book it was amazing The Jane Goodall of Goats by Loretta Breuning	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 18, 2025 12:36PM · 1 like · like

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Quotes by Loretta Graziano Breuning (?)

“Each happy chemical triggers a different good feeling. Dopamine produces the joy of finding what you seek– the “Eureka! I got it!” feeling. Endorphin produces the oblivion that masks pain– often called “euphoria.” Oxytocin produces the feeling of being safe with others– now called “bonding.” And serotonin produces the feeling of being respected by others–“pride.”
― Loretta Graziano Breuning, Meet Your Happy Chemicals: Dopamine, Endorphin, Oxytocin, Serotonin

13 likes

“When a monkey loses a banana to a rival, he feels bad, but he doesn't expand the problem by thinking about it over and over. He looks for another banana. He ends up feeling rewarded rather than harmed. Humans use their extra neurons to construct theories about bananas and end up constructing pain.”
― Loretta Graziano Breuning, Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, & Endorphin Levels

tags: brain, neuroscience, psychology

10 likes

“A lizard never thinks something is wrong with the world, even as it watches its young get eaten alive. It doesn't tell itself "something is wrong with the world," because it doesn't have enough neurons to imagine the world being other than what it is. It doesn't expect a world in which there is no predators, so it doesn't condemn the world for falling short of expectations. it doesn't condemn itself for failing to keep its offspring alive. Humans expect more, and we do something about it. That's why we end up focused on our disappointments instead of saluting our accomplishments.”
― Loretta Graziano Breuning, Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, & Endorphin Levels

tags: brain, neuroscience, psychology

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Loretta’s Quotes

“You may say you're "anti-status," but if you filled a room with people who said that, they would soon form a status hierarchy based on how anti-status each person claims to be.”
― Loretta Graziano Breuning, I, Mammal: How to Make Peace With the Animal Urge for Social Power

tags: career, relationships, self-help, stress

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