weiterso's review against another edition
5.0
Since we live in a world of abundant comfort (reluctance being within our genes), we need to plan non-negotiable daily exercise times for fitness' sake. This book helped me understand that.
clairjoyance's review against another edition
5.0
This book changed the way I look at exercise completely! Highly recommend.
alisarae's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. Science says ~6 hours of exercise a week affects pretty much every part of your life for the better.
purplehulk713's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
This book combines delightful anecdotes with hard research that is presented in an engaging manner. Some books talking about similar topics provide their supporting research in dense clusters of information which numb any interest the reader has in the topic the author is discussing. But Ratey presents all of his supporting evidence in a carefully fascinating style, and I actually enjoying learning about the nitty-gritty of the scientific path to his understandings, instead of wanting to kill myself as I do sometimes with my endlessly tedious readings for class. His anecdotes beginning each chapter, especially the first one about the Naperville physical education model, were always enjoyable to hear about. The one struggle that I faced when reading this book was the discussions of neurology and physiology that I didn’t really understand that I think he could have explained more clearly and in greater detail. I got the gist, but it would have been helpful to know to a larger extent what the foundations of the studies he was talking about were so I could grasp them better. Otherwise, it was an excellent read—inspiring, informative, and just guilt-inducing enough to make you get up and do something productive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Car accident, Dysphoria, Alcohol, Death, Suicide, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Addiction, and Medical content
stephaniectew's review against another edition
5.0
Loved the mix of brain science plus anecdotes and specific stories about the power of exercise in so many different aspects of mental and emotional health.
kransom's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
3.75
Very heavy on data and brain chemistry - so you’ll love it if that’s what you’re into! Super interesting and applicable to everyday life.
johnna_awesome's review against another edition
5.0
This is the kind of book you have to really give a chance. It can be wordy and full of technical speak, but it is really good for inspiring for you get up and moving.