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mi_chlo's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
This is the first non-fiction book I've read that has actually really captured my attention and taught me new things which I've actually absorbed and been able to tell others about
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Medical content, Sexual content, Chronic illness, Death, and Animal death
Minor: Eating disorder, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Mental illness, Rape, Suicide, Alcohol, Cancer, Sexual violence, Cursing, and Drug use
erinwolf1997's review
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Sexual assault
theyellowbrickreader's review against another edition
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Medical content
Minor: Suicide
sarasreading's review
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.75
Probably around 3.5 but I'll bump it up because I read this in one day. There's some great info in here, some great feats of human endurance, and also some potentially misleading advice and pseudoscience.
To say, for instance, that ADHD symptoms can be managed with breathing, when it has far more to do with dopamine receptors in the brain than just about anything else, is unhelpful.
Still, it's a fun read, and if you practice yoga, several of the breath techniques will be familiar to you. The audiobook has a half hour instruction at the end on several breathing techniques, many I knew and some I didn't. I didn't know the 3-9 technique, and that one lowered my heart rate over 10 points with only a few rounds. By far the most effective one for me with my current health issues.
I saw a pulmonologist for the first time just before starting this book, and had several lung function tests done, and that helped add a personal layer to this reading experience. (Suffering from long COVID since being diagnosed last August.)
All that to say I do recommend it, but with several grains of salt.
To say, for instance, that ADHD symptoms can be managed with breathing, when it has far more to do with dopamine receptors in the brain than just about anything else, is unhelpful.
Still, it's a fun read, and if you practice yoga, several of the breath techniques will be familiar to you. The audiobook has a half hour instruction at the end on several breathing techniques, many I knew and some I didn't. I didn't know the 3-9 technique, and that one lowered my heart rate over 10 points with only a few rounds. By far the most effective one for me with my current health issues.
I saw a pulmonologist for the first time just before starting this book, and had several lung function tests done, and that helped add a personal layer to this reading experience. (Suffering from long COVID since being diagnosed last August.)
All that to say I do recommend it, but with several grains of salt.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content, Chronic illness, and Animal cruelty
euphemiajo's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Animal death, Cancer, and Chronic illness
montyalmoro's review against another edition
funny
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Medical content
nere's review
informative
fast-paced
4.0
wednesday, january 18, 2023
method: audiobook, ebook
rigorously researched and also happens to admit to the shortcomings of research in medicine, as well as the naturalistic realm. without dismissing either one outright. it’s rare i leave a nonfiction book of this type actually feeling like i looked at a topic from all sides. a breath of fresh air… so to speak
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
katrinarose's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
The author relied very heavily on anecdotal evidence, I was hoping for more of an exploration of what we know through scientific research. I did appreciate learning the history of many of the breathing practices though, and the author had an engaging way of writing which made it fun to listen to (makes sense since he is a journalist, not a scientist). Would recommend only if you don’t take everything he claims at face value.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Panic attacks/disorders, Chronic illness, and Medical content
c_dmckinney's review
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
2.25
I don't strictly speaking think this author is really especially qualified to make some of the judgements and conclusions he does. His whole experiment seems steeped in confirmation bias and some of the conclusions seem a little stretched. This is definitely an under-researched field and Nestor invites the reader to think about things most people generally do not. But I would feel less skeptical if James Nestor had a prior career history in biology or physiology or pulmonology or medicine in any capacity instead of "just" being a journalist.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Racism, Chronic illness, and Medical content
kelly_e's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Title: Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
Author: James Nestor
Genre: Non Fiction / Science
Rating: 4.0
Pub Date: May 26, 2020
T H R E E • W O R D S
Interesting • Enlightening • Straightforward
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Breath puts forth the idea that breathing is the most important aspect of our health and well-being. Author James Nestor spent years travelling the world trying to understand what went wrong with human breathing and trying to find ways to fix it. This book turns what we thought we knew about the most basic biological function on its head.
💭 T H O U G H T S
As someone who recently started learning about the benefits of breathwork, and the importance of breathing I was instantly intrigued, and decided to pick it up. I enjoyed the practical application and guidance of some of the breathing exercises put forth. This is definitely where the audiobook came into play for me.
What I enjoyed (aside from the practices)? The evolutionary viewpoint of human breathing - it was absolutely fascinating to me to learn how our breath has changed over time. The writing is pretty basic and easy to understand making this more accessible than I originally thought it was going to be.
What I enjoyed less? All the personal evidence and the author's own personal experiments. At times I was bored by these sections, and just wanted to get back to something a little more practical. I definitely wanted a little more of the science and empirical evidence.
I, personally, benefitted from the ideas and practices found within this book. For instance, I've noticed a connection between my breathwork and my sleep patterns and anxiety levels. But I know this isn't a cure all and won't necessarily work for everyone. I'd advise proceeding with caution and checking out some of the other reviews and information out there.
Overall, an interesting read on breathing that taught me something new and piqued my interest in the topic even more. I do highly recommend tandem reading/listening for this one.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers who like learning
• anyone interested in breath
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"In a nutshell, this is what we've learned.
SHUT YOUR MOUTH
BREATHE THROUGH YOUR NOSE
EXHALE
CHEW
HOLD YOUR BREATH
BREATH MORE (ON OCCASION)
HOW WE BREATHE MATTERS."
Author: James Nestor
Genre: Non Fiction / Science
Rating: 4.0
Pub Date: May 26, 2020
T H R E E • W O R D S
Interesting • Enlightening • Straightforward
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Breath puts forth the idea that breathing is the most important aspect of our health and well-being. Author James Nestor spent years travelling the world trying to understand what went wrong with human breathing and trying to find ways to fix it. This book turns what we thought we knew about the most basic biological function on its head.
💭 T H O U G H T S
As someone who recently started learning about the benefits of breathwork, and the importance of breathing I was instantly intrigued, and decided to pick it up. I enjoyed the practical application and guidance of some of the breathing exercises put forth. This is definitely where the audiobook came into play for me.
What I enjoyed (aside from the practices)? The evolutionary viewpoint of human breathing - it was absolutely fascinating to me to learn how our breath has changed over time. The writing is pretty basic and easy to understand making this more accessible than I originally thought it was going to be.
What I enjoyed less? All the personal evidence and the author's own personal experiments. At times I was bored by these sections, and just wanted to get back to something a little more practical. I definitely wanted a little more of the science and empirical evidence.
I, personally, benefitted from the ideas and practices found within this book. For instance, I've noticed a connection between my breathwork and my sleep patterns and anxiety levels. But I know this isn't a cure all and won't necessarily work for everyone. I'd advise proceeding with caution and checking out some of the other reviews and information out there.
Overall, an interesting read on breathing that taught me something new and piqued my interest in the topic even more. I do highly recommend tandem reading/listening for this one.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers who like learning
• anyone interested in breath
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"In a nutshell, this is what we've learned.
SHUT YOUR MOUTH
BREATHE THROUGH YOUR NOSE
EXHALE
CHEW
HOLD YOUR BREATH
BREATH MORE (ON OCCASION)
HOW WE BREATHE MATTERS."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content