What Doesn't Kill Us: how freezing water, extreme altitude, and environmental conditioning will renew our lost evolutionary strength: 1
Product ID: 48803664
A book of the year for the Evening Standard and The Times . Our ancestors crossed deserts, mountains, and oceans without even a whisper of what anyone today might consider modern technology. Those feats of endurance now seem impossible in an age where we take comfort for granted. But what if we could regain some of our lost evolutionary strength by simulating the environmental conditions of our forebears? Humans like to be comfortable. When it’s hot we switch on the air conditioning and when it’s cold we crank up the central heating. Yet thousands of us take part in challenges like Tough Mudder, Total Warrior and Survival of the Fittest, which take us well and truly out of our comfort zones. Scott Carney spent his days sitting at a desk staring at a screen. Approaching his mid-30s, he told himself that it was normal for his stomach to sag and for his legs to ache from under-use. Then he came across a picture of a nearly naked man twenty years his senior sitting on a glacier: Dutch guru Wim Hof, whose remarkable ability to control his body temperature in extreme cold has sparked a whirlwind of scientific study. Carney signed up to Hof’s one-week course, not realising that it would be the start of a four-year journey to unlock his own evolutionary potential. From hyperventilating in a dilapidated Polish farm house, to underwater weight-lifting with celebrities in California, What Doesn’t Kill Us sees Carney interview athletes, trainers and scientists about the astonishing and sometimes dangerous world of body transformation. He takes part in the UK’s original ― and most difficult ― obstacle course: Tough Guy, and completes a record-bending, 28-hour climb to the snowy peak of Mt Kilimanjaro, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and running shoes. Above all, he learns that getting a little less comfortable might actually be the key to living a healthier, happier life.
| Dimensions | 15.1 x 2.5 x 23.1 cm |
| Isbn 10 | 1911344196 |
| Isbn 13 | 978-1911344193 |
| Item Weight | 401 g |
| Language | English |
| Print Length | 272 pages |
| Publication Date | 11 May 2017 |
| Publisher | Scribe UK |
User
Really enjoyable plus informative read.
I enjoyed meeting the many characters within this book and hearing the various stories; from stories of amazing athleticism to those of normal people finding relief from their physical suffering. I though Scott blended scientific findings with anecdotal evidence in a way that prevented the book from ever being dry. I was almost sad to finish it and say goodbye to all of the interesting people;including, but not limited to, Win Hof himself.I've been reading it alongside using the method via the Win Big breathing app which I've been enjoying.
User
Otherwise worth the money and useful (I'm a sports coach)
Decent book, lots of information regarding breathing and exercises, sometimes a hard read due to small print and lots of detail! Otherwise worth the money and useful (I'm a sports coach). Most of all the book made me think about certain aspects of sports performance.
User
A fascinating book about the benefits of environmental conditioning.
This book gives a broad outline of modern environmental conditioning techniques which can be used to improve fitness, circulation and has a variety of other health benefits. The book is well written and will appeal to anyone interested in sports and physiology.
User
A good read and also a very interesting area
I had never heard of Wim Hof or his techniques.This book is written by a professional sceptic out to disprove Hof. As he goes through the training of breathing exercises and cold exposure he is astounded by how it works on his own body.Without getting technical it looks at the medical experiments and results. Some of which are astounding including the rewriting of the long held view that we cannot consciously control our immune system.I have started using the techniques myself and two weeks in rather surprised.A good read and also a very interesting area.
User
Interesting Read
Its not a Guide Book, its a fun narrative about the authors journey through environmental training and unlocking the hidden potential of the human body. Very interesting, fun, and a quick read.
User
Insightful
Well written and interesting. This book give specific details of Wim Hof's methods. It also adds some scientific backing to those methods. Which will help the sceptics like myself see beyond Hof's crazy claims and understand that there is now plenty of science to make it well worthwhile to give this stuff a go.
User
Exhilarating book! I have a strong desire to jump in lake covered in ice...
After a dip in an icy lake, what will be next?It’s a fantastic piece of storytelling with a great balance of fact, inspiration and authenticity. I am really looking forward to my own experiments that are fuelled by the great stories that fill this book.Thank you!
User
Inspirational
A really interesting book I have been using the Wim Hof breathing method for some months, that's what attracted me to the book was Scott's interest in Wim. I totally enjoyed reading the science behind the research and in particular how they achieved the summit of Kilimanjaro. Well worth reading!
User
Loved everything about this book.
Loved everything about this book. It talks about how our bodies have changed with all the comforts of civilisation and how to make them stronger again. It takes a scientific approach, but a very easy read. I haven't been able to put it down, highly recommend to anyone who is interested in how their body works and getting stronger.
User
You have an amazing body!
Your body is the result of thousands years of evolution. The thing is confort has become our enemy. 20°C all year round, no more cold exposure, no more sun exposure, no more lifting heavy weights, no more running to eat, no more rain. Confort is killing you!The Wim Hof Method wants you to reconnect with those old mecanisms we all have deep within in order to become better version of ourselves. Oh, and it can have profound effect on those of us with autoimmune diseases.This book is an account of the author's discovering and experimenting of the method. Amazing!
User
Don't Run from the Cold
Have been following Wim Hoff and his breathing techniques for a while now so had to read this book. Very well written and thought provoking. Tells us a lot about ourselves and what we can do as humans to get outdoors and feel the environment. It tells us that the cold will not kill us if we are able to manage it properly. If at all it will improve our senses and invigorate us and stimulate our senses in the right way. So for anyone into Wim Hoff and his methods this book will provide an insight from a third person point of view as to what we can gain when we make the cold our friend.
User
Una guida per esplorare la propria fisiologia
Da ingegnere abituato ad un approccio scientifico ero un po' scettico sul modo in cui sarebbero stati trattati questi temi. Invece Scott Carney fa un ottimo lavoro citando fonti, esempi e mantenendo sempre quell'approccio critico che e' l'ingrediente fondamentale per dare credibilità a quanto riportato. Lettura consigliata.
User
Te cambia la perspectiva
Lo que me llevo de este libro es que el cuerpo humano esta diseñado para adaptarse, el comfort y la tecnología nos han llevado al sedentarismo y este libro ofrece algunas opciones para lograr algunos cambios que nos pueden traer muchos beneficios y mejorar nuestro sistema inmunológico, vale la pena leerlo!
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