I read the book and listened to the audio book. Both were very good.

I enjoyed how the author organized the information. We took a look at each of the "Deadly Sins" and dove into the biological and psychological reasons humans partake in these behaviors. The book highlights the science behind the behavior and highlights that avoiding these "sins" may be more difficult for some than others. Explaining the chemical imbalances in the brain that may cause someone to feel more tired leads to sloth or how a person who has been exposed to violence is more likely to become violent helps create understanding. Though the course of the book the reader can see each of the "sins" from a cultural norm perspective then digs into the "why" behind it. Fascinating read when learning about the causes for human behavior.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ARC of
Seven Deadly Sins: The Biology of Being Human

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Non-fiction isn't my go to genre but I devoured this audio book within a day! Dr Guy Leschziner walks through real life examples of his patients, correlations to the deadly sins, and explanations on how DNA / Brain Trauma shapes our behaviors.

Each chapter represents a different deadly sin with several patient stories. My favorite chapters were wrath, gluttony, lust, and pride.

In wrath, one of the examples Dr. Leschziner covers how much testosterone an embryo is exposed to in the womb can help predict how an individual processes and responds to anger. (There's also a coloration of the size of your index vs ring finger to determine testosterone exposure).

Gluttony there is a story of a patient whose DNA strain causes her brain not to recognize satiety which ultimately leads to her death.

One story we follow in lust shows a soldier with brain trauma to the hypothalamus and how it influenced his sexual appetites.


The audiobook started off a little monotone but once we got past the introduction chapters I was locked in! I would recommend this to anyone who loves psychology and the age old question, nature vs nurture?