Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor

2 reviews

mi_chlo's review against another edition

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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

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emusing's review against another edition

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medium-paced
It was an engaging read; I got through it fairly quickly and enjoyed it. I thought the section on panic disorders and possible therapies was very interesting. He acknowledged the successes of mainstream therapies, while also analyzing the problems in the system and offering a solution to look into.  I haven't tried many of the techniques in the back of the book yet, but I will try out some of them, although I'm definitely not doing any of the Breathing+ techniques.

There were some points in the book that just felt intuitive, for instance that using your diaphragm to breathe deeply is good (maybe that's just because I'm a theater nerd). There were some points that cited reputable-looking sources, such as the section on alternate-nostril breathing, although I didn't look deeper at the studies in the endnotes.

HOWEVER, there were also some techniques that seemed to be very dubious, and although Nestor has a disclaimer at the end of his book that you should see a doctor if you are facing serious medical problems, most of the book portrayed these procedures in a very uncritical light. 

Another problem I have with the book is that Nestor doesn't present any "healthy" alternatives to breathing through your nose if you have a deviated septum or other nose problems. While I understand that he may not have come across any methods like this, it would have been nice if he had devoted some time to it. 

tl;dr: An interesting book to read with a healthy dose of skepticism.

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