Touch Matters, Michael Banissy
Touch Matters, Michael Banissy
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Touch Matters
Handshakes, Hugs, High Fives, and the New Science on How Touch Can Enhance Your Well Being

Author: Michael Banissy

Narrator: Michael Banissy

Unabridged: 7 hr 27 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/25/2023


Synopsis

An exploration of the new science behind our most underappreciated sense and why we need to harness the power of touch for our health and well-being.

Every day, we use our sense of touch to navigate the world. A handshake, a pat on the shoulder, a hug—all essential touches that make up our daily lives. In Touch Matters, Professor Michael Banissy brings together diverse scientific insights from the world's largest study on touch with takeaways on how to enhance your levels of touch for a happier, healthier life. The book explains why touch is essential to our well-being, the role it plays in our relationships, friendships, in the bedroom, workplace, in team activities such as sports, and much more.

Banissy's latest research explores: Our "touch personalities" Touch starvation How touch defines our relationships and self-esteem The impact of touch on our physical and mental health This is a fascinating window into one of our most important and basic senses and how to harness its power.

FEATURES ORIGINAL RESEARCH FROM "THE TOUCH TEST": Touch Matters is based on one of Banissy's most recent projects—the Touch Test—a science and broadcast collaboration with the BBC and Wellcome Collection. This project explored attitudes and experiences of touch via the world's largest contemporary survey on the topic, public exhibitions, and a series of broadcast programs focused on the topic of touch that received worldwide attention. The project had approximately 40,000 participants from 113 countries.

OFFERS GUIDANCE ON COMMUNICATING AND CONNECTING IN OUR DAILY AND PROFESSIONAL LIVES: As we return to office work and live in a world where touch has become loaded with meaning, this book will help people understand how important touch is and the role it plays in every aspect of our lives, from relationships and friendships to the workplace and team activities and much more.

Perfect for: Readers interested in science, psychology, and self-help Fans of James Nestor's Breath, Marc Brackett's Permission to Feel, Bill Bryson's The Body, Mark Miodownik's Stuff Matters Adults and parents of children resuming in-person activities including going back to the office, returning to school, traveling, and socializing Those interested in learning more about the science of touch, touch starvation, and how important touch is to child/human development People struggling with depression or anxiety around physical contact

Reviews

Goodreads review by Richard on December 26, 2022

The odds are fairly strong that if you pick up a copy of Michael Banissy's "Touch Matters" that you're exploring your own relationship with touch whether that be positive or negative. I've always had a mixed relationship with touch and even sought therapy for what I called a "fear" of touch when I w......more

Goodreads review by Alice on January 08, 2023

The connection between the physical realm and our mental states and health is fascinating. This book delves into science of touch and how that effects us. I was most aware when preparing for having a newborn and learning about skin to skin contact, etc., and how important touch is to basic human wel......more

Goodreads review by Mark on March 10, 2024

You know you’re reading a good book when it makes you consider your own behavior in a new light. “Touch Matters” is such a book. Being human means being tactile, and touching is an important part of our lives. It can help us stay healthy and stay connected. And it can spread germs and make us feel t......more

Goodreads review by Peter on January 06, 2024

Banissy does a fabulous job of exploring the importance of touch in our everyday lives. While we may understand, intuitively, that touch generally feels positive, there are obviously complications and complexities that arise when touch is unwelcome, or, worse still, predatory. Loved this book and hi......more

Goodreads review by Cassie on June 23, 2023

This book was full of information. I found it fascinating to learn about the physiological responses to touch and how we were made to sense touch and the impact its presence or absence plays in our lives. I did find the first part of the book more interesting and keeping my attention more than the l......more