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69 reviews for:
Chasing the Sun: The New Science of Sunlight and How it Shapes Our Bodies and Minds
Linda Geddes
4.05 AVERAGE
69 reviews for:
Chasing the Sun: The New Science of Sunlight and How it Shapes Our Bodies and Minds
Linda Geddes
4.05 AVERAGE
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Decent Exploration Of The Topic. A couple of caveats to this review up front: This book was released in 2019, and I've read at least a handful of books on the same general topic of human circadian rhythms both before and since. I also read it via Audible, so I have no way of knowing if its documentation is adequate or lacking. These caveats noted, to me this book was more a decent introduction to the general topic than a truly in depth or ground breaking look at it. Most of the things it covered were things I was already generally aware of and even knew a bit of the specifics of due to those other books. So to me, there truly wasn't much "new science" here at all. And yet, the book was very much approachable and enjoyable, and indeed seemed great for someone less read in the subject at hand. Geddes herself reads the Audible version, and it is quite clear she both knows her subject well and is genuinely passionate about it, so those are definite bonuses in my take on the book. Overall a truly solid introduction to the topics at hand, told in a very approachable manner even for those less familiar with them. Very much recommended.
informative
medium-paced
Interesting topics but not as much was new to me as I'd hoped.
informative
I recommend this book to everyone! Altough undeniably there is a long way to for research in this topic that is still being continued , this book gives a very wide insight in how we are affected by light, the importance of sleep the dangers of shift work, possible uses of light therapy in medicine and just understanding our bodies better in general. It's entertaining, educating and the author has done a lot of research and massive work creating this book.
informative
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
Pretty solid pop science book. Made me consider my relationship with sunlight and light in general
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Suicide
"Chasing the Sun" describes the impact of the sun and sunlight on our lives. Not only does being out in the sunshine make us calmer, but it also has a beneficial effect on our health.
The effect of sunlight on our patterns of sleep is dealt with in much detail. As someone who has travelled across multiple time zones over the years with work, I found the chapter entitled "Fine-tuning the Clock" with strategies for dealing with jet lag particularly useful.
Recommended reading.
The effect of sunlight on our patterns of sleep is dealt with in much detail. As someone who has travelled across multiple time zones over the years with work, I found the chapter entitled "Fine-tuning the Clock" with strategies for dealing with jet lag particularly useful.
Recommended reading.
Really interesting overview of how sunlight affects human minds and bodies. Includes a history of the sun in (mostly Western) science and medicine, as well as reports of more recent medical and sociological research. (And made me feel kind of validated about how I structure bedtime/outside time, too!)
This is a fascinating look into all the ways our lives are affected by the sun. I learned things about my body and modern lifestyle that I had never contemplated before. As a "sun worshipper," I often have to defend my enjoyment of being in the sun. This book gave me a ton of information I can now use to educate others on the benefits of sunshine. But that's not all the author covers here. She goes into every aspect of human living, from eating to sleeping to travel, to work and school, to even how medicines work in our body, all in relation to the sun. It's dry at times, and dense with scientific language, though the author explains things well. I recommend it for readers of scientific non-fiction, and anyone who feels drawn to it based on the topic!