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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
Why We Sleep is a (mostly) excellent book about sleep in the animal kingdom (mostly among humans)--its history, its mechanics, its various important functions. I read this book because I am a big fan of the mysterious phenomenon of sleep and wanted to unravel some of its mysteries. I really enjoy the daily rest and oblivion. Nobody needed to sell me on how important it is to consistently get enough quality sleep--I've had difficulty in this arena as long as I can remember and realized by the time I was in college that I function very badly under a sleep deficit.
While I was pretty fascinated by the topic, I wasn't completely sold on the author's execution. For example, during the discussion of the evolution of sleep in animals Walker's phraseology suggests that he is unclear on how evolution by natural selection functions--the cause/effect relationships seem muddled and he seems to take a teleological view of things. However, this muddled expression may be because the author is unaccustomed to discussing such matters, particularly for a non-scientist audience, not necessarily because he does not understand. I also found that in various spots, the author becomes extremely preachy. Although I understand that he's passionate on the subject, nobody enjoys being lectured.
While I was pretty fascinated by the topic, I wasn't completely sold on the author's execution. For example, during the discussion of the evolution of sleep in animals Walker's phraseology suggests that he is unclear on how evolution by natural selection functions--the cause/effect relationships seem muddled and he seems to take a teleological view of things. However, this muddled expression may be because the author is unaccustomed to discussing such matters, particularly for a non-scientist audience, not necessarily because he does not understand. I also found that in various spots, the author becomes extremely preachy. Although I understand that he's passionate on the subject, nobody enjoys being lectured.
I reread this because there was so much good information in it, I wanted to absorb more the second time around. One of the few books I will definitely read a third time!
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
informative
slow-paced
informative
fast-paced
Audiobook read by Steve West
The author describes scientific studies exploring what happens when we sleep, what happens if we don't sleep, and what a world that was better designed for sleep might look like. I found his language to be clear and accessible for a broad audience. I had no idea how serious the consequences of too little sleep - even missing just one hour - could be. At times it was scary to listen to, but it definitely made me think about how I can structure my life to sleep well so that I can be well. I listened to the audiobook from the library, so I couldn't see any of the figures or pictures, but they were described pretty well by the text. For me the main detractor of the book was the number of animal studies it described, especially in the first part of the book. As someone who is vegan and loves animals, some descriptions were heartbreaking. It seems unnecessary, especially since there are so many people who are willing to disturb their sleep patterns, and can be studied without inflicting torture. In the second part, the focus shifts to studies done on people who give consent, and on observational studies (for example, millions of people missing one hour of sleep for daylight savings time). The author does mention that scientific opinion on animal testing is changing, and studies on extreme sleep deprivation are now considered too cruel for people and maybe even for animals. I would just warn vegans or people who are sensitive to graphic medical descriptions that they may want to skip some descriptions of these studies in the early chapters.
The author describes scientific studies exploring what happens when we sleep, what happens if we don't sleep, and what a world that was better designed for sleep might look like. I found his language to be clear and accessible for a broad audience. I had no idea how serious the consequences of too little sleep - even missing just one hour - could be. At times it was scary to listen to, but it definitely made me think about how I can structure my life to sleep well so that I can be well. I listened to the audiobook from the library, so I couldn't see any of the figures or pictures, but they were described pretty well by the text. For me the main detractor of the book was the number of animal studies it described, especially in the first part of the book. As someone who is vegan and loves animals, some descriptions were heartbreaking. It seems unnecessary, especially since there are so many people who are willing to disturb their sleep patterns, and can be studied without inflicting torture. In the second part, the focus shifts to studies done on people who give consent, and on observational studies (for example, millions of people missing one hour of sleep for daylight savings time). The author does mention that scientific opinion on animal testing is changing, and studies on extreme sleep deprivation are now considered too cruel for people and maybe even for animals. I would just warn vegans or people who are sensitive to graphic medical descriptions that they may want to skip some descriptions of these studies in the early chapters.
informative
slow-paced
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
informative
reflective
slow-paced
informative
fast-paced