If I got to make a list of people on this planet I'd like to meet, Robert Sapolsky would be one of them. This guy is brilliant, hysterical, accessible, and informative in thousands of different ways. His writing can be extremely technical, explaining the details of hormones and neuroscience on every page --- but then goes on to give vivid, delightful illustrations of how those "invisible" forces in our bodies show up in the real world. In us. And in baboons. Other animals. And zebras (hence, the title.)
The purpose is to illustrate why we, as individuals, and a Western society, experience stress, and how it manifests as sickness in so many ways. Real sickness, with short term results and long term diseases. In our bodies, not "in our minds", not something we should just "get over". His words and proof is validating scientifically, and a call to action. Our behavior, and the structure of our society, is making us sick. It's not humane to do what we do to ourselves. And we can change this.
I'd like to see this book as mandatory reading for every policy-maker in health and human services. But I certainly wouldn't stop there. Managers, top to bottom, need it to understand the pressures on their employees and organizations. Scientists who work with people, or whose work affects people. Anyone who causes, or experiences, stress. Hmmm....does that leave anyone out?
Okay, not everyone will want to read this book, because it's pretty technical, not designed for an uneducated reader. But the lessons in it are for everyone. I understand Sapolsky is regarded as one of the top neuroscientists in the world, and that's no surprise. What I'm grateful for is that he shares his knowledge in something other than a scientific journal, and it's an amazing read. It will be on my reference shelf permanently, but unlike the others which I use for "reference" --- I will also read it often just because it's a great read. Imagine that.
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Popular Highlights in this book
A stressor is anything in the outside world that knocks you out of homeostatic balance, and the stress-response is what your body does to reestablish homeostasis.Highlighted by 4,443 Kindle readers- A stressor can also be the anticipation of that happening.Highlighted by 3,673 Kindle readers
- With sufficiently sustained stress, our perception of pain can become blunted.Highlighted by 2,713 Kindle readers
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What Can Stress do to You?
Stress can take its toll on the human body. This isn’t a new idea- most everyone agrees that prolonged exposure to stressful situations can have negative impacts on overall health and well- being. Just how, exactly, does stress affect our bodies and is there a way to reduce its harm? These are subjects tackled in Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers.This book combines social science with traditional science to explain how stress impacts our lives. The book serves up a healthy dose of science as it explains the different body chemicals that are released in response to a stressful event. It explains what these different hormones do and offers up studies and evidence that show what can happen if stress isn’t brought under control.The title of this book is one that gets your attention and convinces many to read. It’s a metaphor that continues to pop up throughout the reading. It effectively drives home many of the books key points, using a zebra being pursued by a lion as its basis. The book serves up a healthy dose of humor, too, which helps keep things interesting and keeps your attention.As I read this book, I started thinking more than usual about my own levels of stress and whether I have been negatively affected by stress to a noticeable degree. I feel like I have stress under control, at least better than I used to. I don’t overreact to things like I once did and it’s a good thing I don’t. After reading this book and discovering what stress can do to you, I was tempted to quit my job, sell my urban home, and move to a secluded part of the country.Stress is detrimental and it is something we all need less of in our lives. Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers is a highly useful book for understanding the science behind the stress and all the harm that stress can inflict. It’s a well- written book that explains the science with a dash of humor to keep it entertaining enough that you want to continue reading. I learned quite a bit and it has piqued my interest to continue pursuing more knowledge about stress and its impact on our bodies.
