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chrysemys 's review for:
Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
by Matthew Walker
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.