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The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest
Average Customer Review : 4.5/5 based on 36 reviews
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List Price : $26.00
Price : $17.16
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Editorial Reviews
A New York Times Bestseller!
With the right lifestyle, experts say, chances are that you may live up to a decade longer. What’s the prescription for success? National Geographic Explorer Dan Buettner has traveled the globe to uncover the best strategies for longevity found in the Blue Zones: places in the world where higher percentages of people enjoy remarkably long, full lives. And in this dynamic book he discloses the recipe, blending this unique lifestyle formula with the latest scientific findings to inspire easy, lasting change that may add years to your life.
Buettner’s colossal research effort, funded in part by the National Institute on Aging, has taken him from Costa Rica to Italy to Japan and beyond. In the societies he visits, it’s no coincidence that the way people interact with each other, shed stress, nourish their bodies, and view their world yields more good years of life. You’ll meet a 94-year-old farmer and self-confessed "ladies man" in Costa Rica, an 102-year-old grandmother in Okinawa, a 102-year-old Sardinian who hikes at least six miles a day, and others. By observing their lifestyles, Buettner’s teams have identified critical everyday choices that correspond with the cutting edge of longevity research—and distilled them into a few simple but powerful habits that anyone can embrace.
Spotlight Reviews
The Blue Zones (2009-01-07)
Customer Review : 5
Ordered it for a Christmas gift and it was here on time. The person I got it for was very pleased and so was I.
THE book to read for a long and healthy life (2009-01-05)
Customer Review : 5
The Blue Zone, Dan Buettner's study of four healthy communities around the world, could be the most important book you will ever read--if you apply it to your life. As one of Buettner's interviewees, Dr. Ellsworth Wareham, states on page 157, "You can tell somebody what to do, but it's up to them whether they do it" Dr. Wareham, by the way, was at the time of the writing of the book, 91 years old and still actively performing open heart surgery.
The Blue Zones are four regions of the world where large numbers of people live long and healthy lives, often past 100 years of age. Buettner, who is an explorer and writer, not a medical or health professional, is noted for his work on longevity that appeared in National Geographic magazine. The zones include the Barbagia region of the island of Sardinia off the coast of Italy, the Motobu Peninsula of the Japanese island of Okinawa, the Seventh Day Adventist community in Loma Linda, California and the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. Each of these areas has a number of centenarians that is substantially greater than normal. It should be noted that each of these communities is relatively isolated--and as modernization encroaches on them the younger generation is losing this healthy condition.
Buettner devotes one chapter of the book to his visit to each place where he and his colleagues interview these people and try to determine the reasons for their longevity. For each zone Buettner lists a variety of factors. The last chapter of the book provides a summary of nine factors that readers can apply to their own lives to live healthier and longer as well as a website to set up their own plan.
I am not going to provide any further information because I really want you to buy the book and apply it to your life. Needless to say some of Buettner's findings are obvious--exercise is good for you, junk food is not. The one negative (one star) review alludes to this idea. But a number of findings may not be so apparent to you without reading the book, and besides, it is fun to read about Buettner's experiences with these old folks!
Longevity is from Lifestyle Much More than Genes (2008-12-18)
Customer Review : 5
I found this book to be very interesting, and often felt I was right there with Dan on his journey of meeting all these centenarians from various parts of the world. What the book pointed out is that it's not so much the genes that provide for longevity as it is the lifestyle. This was proven to be true since most of the younger generation no longer lives the way the traditional ones do, and they are losing the longevity edge found in diet and lifestyle.
Clues to longevity include exercise, but not the tedious kind--rather, the kind that you would integrate into your routine, such as walking or taking the stairs--or some sport or activity you enjoy. Another is diet: fruits and herbs rich in antioxidants, eating light, no processed foods, and little to no meat. Having a purpose, an active role and a family were also vital. A positive attitude was also a common factor, as well as a relatively stress-free life (or at least handling the stress well, and remaining care-free). The last chapter sums up all the tips found among the various blue zones, the common denominators that allowed each to live long and will allow you to live long if you integrate these habits into your life.
I imagined myself going to live a simple life out in a peaceful, pristine village. One thing I kept wondering, though: Would living life less intensely be worth the trade-off for living longer? When we live very busy lives, are we simply packing more life into a shorter time?
The Blue Zones (2008-12-02)
Customer Review : 5
I first learned about this book when Martha Stewart had Dan Buettner on her morning show. I was preparing to lead a study at my church called "Living Fully, Dying Well" and thought that this would be a good resource to include with a study on aging. It proved to be a very fascinating, well-researched book on the four areas of the world where centenarians thrive; and it gives helpful advice for all of us who would like to live life to its fullest potential.
Fascinating stuff! (2008-11-17)
Customer Review : 5
This book was really an eye-opener! It has inspired me to change some of my not-so-healthy habits. This is the only body I've got, and now that I've reached middle age, I realize I need to work some more on the upkeep!
Highly recommended for anyone who cares about health and longevity.
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