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A New York Times Bestseller A Washington Post Notable Nonfiction Book of 2020 Named a Best Book of 2020 by NPR “A fascinating scientific, cultural, spiritual and evolutionary history of the way humans breathe—and how we’ve all been doing it wrong for a long, long time.” —Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Big Magic and Eat Pray Love No matter what you eat, how much you exercise, how skinny or young or wise you are, none of it matters if you’re not breathing properly. There is nothing more essential to our health and well-being than breathing: take air in, let it out, repeat twenty-five thousand times a day. Yet, as a species, humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly, with grave consequences. Journalist James Nestor travels the world to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. The answers aren’t found in pulmonology labs, as we might expect, but in the muddy digs of ancient burial sites, secret Soviet facilities, New Jersey choir schools, and the smoggy streets of São Paulo. Nestor tracks down men and women exploring the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices like Pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, and Tummo and teams up with pulmonary tinkerers to scientifically test long-held beliefs about how we breathe. Modern research is showing us that making even slight adjustments to the way we inhale and exhale can jump-start athletic performance; rejuvenate internal organs; halt snoring, asthma, and autoimmune disease; and even straighten scoliotic spines. None of this should be possible, and yet it is. Drawing on thousands of years of medical texts and recent cutting-edge studies in pulmonology, psychology, biochemistry, and human physiology, Breath turns the conventional wisdom of what we thought we knew about our most basic biological function on its head. You will never breathe the same again. Read more
Publisher : Riverhead Books
Publication date : May 26, 2020
Edition : Later prt.
Language : English
Print length : 304 pages
ISBN-10 : 0735213615
ISBN-13 : 16
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 6.44 x 1.09 x 9.32 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #1,578 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1 in Anatomy (Books) #95 in Health, Fitness & Dieting (Books)
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Top Amazon Reviews
Format: Hardcover
This is less of a review and more of a personal anecdote, but I promise I have a point to make! I don't like to use hyperbole to describe things in my life, so take this for face value when I say: this book changed my life. I've suffered from a number of sinus-related issues my entire life. I was born with a severe deviated septum, and would suffer from several sinus infections (think 4 to 6 a year). I've suffered from sleep apnea, a small jaw, TMJ, and wear a mouthguard because I clench my teeth at night. A few years ago, I was at the dentist for my regular check up when the hygienist recommended this book to me. She told me how how informative it was, especially for someone who works in the dental field (and thus deals with mouths). I took out the audiobook from Libby, and the rest of history. Of course, there needs to be a level of skepticism when dealing with any pseudo-science. However, Nestor backs up his claims with his own research and evidence, and makes for a very compelling argument. It is also presented in a fantastic way so that the reader understands the terms and definitions - and not to mention, Nestor himself is an incredible charming narrator. (He narrates his own book, and I can't recommend listening to it enough.) But you may ask, "How did this change your life?" After reading this book, I finally understood the importance of breathing. It seems like such a basic concept, but it is something I overlooked for my entire life. After reading Breath, I began to realize that my sinuses issues were more than just a inconvenience - they were likely impeding my quality of life. After reading this book, I got the courage to go through with a septoplasty and finally got my deviated septum fixed. Through the process, my doctor said it was one of the worst deviated septums she's ever seen, and agreed that the procedure would, in fact, change my life. I am now six months post surgery, and I can't tell you how much my quality of life has improved. I am finally able to breath through both nostrils (what a foreign concept!), am no longer suffering from sleep apnea, have the most energy I've ever had in my life, and haven't gotten a sinus infection since the surgery. This book proof that knowledge is power. I actually bought this hard copy for my surgeon to read, too! All of this is to say: there is a very important lesson to be taken from this book, and that is do not underestimate the importance of proper breathing.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2025 by Chella
Format: Hardcover
I am a 75 year old dentist, in practice for 50 years, the last 20 of which have been devoted to improving our patients' oral health and total bodily health by addressing their structural, functional and behavioral problems caused by impaired growth and development of their jaws , faces, and airways, resulting in dysfunctional breathing, chewing, and swallowing..... and a myriad of health problems that are mostly managed by medications from their physicians rather than addressing and correcting the cause. The lines between dentistry and medicine are getting blurrier every day now. James Nestor's great book will help move this change forward, to the benefit of everyone. He obviously didn't do all this work for the money. He was on a quest and is now sharing what he learned and how it helped him personally with everyone who will read this book. Our interdisciplinary team is part of a growing movement in our profession which embraces the principles in James Nestor's book and applies them daily with positive measurable and documentable improvement and elimination of as many as 20 symptoms of chronic inflammatory disease processes including hypertension, anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, upper airway resistance/snoring, obstructive sleep apnea, gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, atopic dermatitis, tmj pain, neck pain, poor posture and, yes, ADHD, which is almost always related to mouth breathing and poor quantity and quality of sleep. Oddly, this movement is not being led by physicians but by a growing group of enlightened dentists who, once they've seen the truth, can no longer ignore what's been right there before our noses for so long, used to be part of dental and medical treatment, somehow faded after WWII, and finally is back in full flower, with science to support what's wrong and how to fix it. Thanks to our movement, The American Dental Association has now mandated that every dentist should screen every new patient of any age, especially young children, for disordered breathing. This is the future of Health Care, and the future is now.. For the first time in our history, a child born today will not live as long as its parents. We are breeding ourselves to extinction due to the post-industrial cultural changes beginning about 500 years ago with regards to proper diet, starting with lack of breast feeding. These changes, due to Epigenetic alteration of the expression of DNA, have now, as Nestor accurately states, have now become inheritable traits. All based on science. The flattening of our faces with incompetent jaws and airways, is the most rapid change in the evolutionary history of Homo Sapiens. The book and his website contain 500 references to science supporting what he says and what we're now doing on a daily basis to improve the health and quality of life of ourselves, our families, our friends, and our patients. His book is a great public service in spreading awareness of the TRUTH. We've been hoping for years that someone exactly like James Nestor would come along without a conflict of interest and with the speaking and writing skills and the knowledge and charisma to take this message virally to the public, which will in turn demand that their health care providers forget their education and open their minds to this truth. Every dentist and physician should read this book. Anyone who snores or has a child or spouse who snores should read this book. Mothers, grandmothers, and wives should read this book as they are the Noticers and Motivators for family members who need help and don't know where to get it. Nestor asked basic questions to try to understand and correct his own breathing problems and went on a search for the answers, following the exact trail (and more) of evidence and anthropology and knowledge that has brought our movement to where we are today. He ended up in the office of Dr. Ted Belfor, who provided him with a Homeoblock appliance which he wore nightly with his mouth taped for a year while working on naso-diaphragmatic breathing. He now breathes better, has more endurance, feels better, and has a more symmetrical face as shown in CT scans made before and after his self-treatment. I know exactly how this helped him, because I treated myself at age 68 with the same regime with Homeoblocks designed for me by Dr. Belfor. Our education taught us that growing bone in the human face was impossible after age 30. Colleagues told me I was just wasting my time. This is the same contempt before investigation seen in some of the negative reviews of his book on Amazon. This happens with all revolutionary ideas... First rejected, then violently opposed, then finally accepted as the truth after years, according to Schopenhauer and Jules Verne, the futurist of his generation. We made CT scans and facial photographs and casts of my teeth and jaws and sleep breathing recordings before and after my 18 month self-treatment, so that any positive changes could be measured and documented. I was a typical chronic mouth breather with poor head and shoulder posture. I had Central Sleep Apnea, caused by over-exhalation of CO2, as he discusses. I would just quit breathing during sleep until my CO2 levels got high enough to enable proper Oxygen transport to my body and brain. I had chronic respiratory illness and exzema as a child and was obese, topping out at 290 pounds at age 18. 5 hospitalizations and 3 surgeries for Crohn's Disease. Stroke in my 40s .Advanced heart failure with permanent atrial fibrillation despite implanted pacemaker-defibrillator. Chronic Atopic Dermatitis with some lesions on my ankles for more than 30 years. Anxiety, Depression, Fatigue. What did I have to lose by trying this unusual approach? After 18 months with Homeoblocks, saline nasal spray before bed, mouth taped during sleep, and consciously working on posture, chewing, swallowing, and breathing through my nose with my mouth closed and my tongue in the roof of my mouth... I went from 245 pounds to 198 pounds without dieting. Still there after 6 years. Blood pressure normalized. No Chron's symptoms anymore. All my skin lesions have completely healed. Better attitude and energy. More symmetrical face with measurable growth in all three dimensions in my airway and face. I'd call this something of miracle, and having lived it, we now use these same principles every day and have scores of documented case studies that show how successful it can be to help folks learn to breathe 24/7/365 from their noses and diaphragms while also improving their chewing and swallowing functions and behaviors. Nestor is a gift to us. This book and his appearances are the key to spreading the truth nationally and internationally so that the public can grasp this information and lead to a tidal wave of sea change in our current broken system of "sick care" as it becomes true Health Care by focusing on the importance of nasal breathing from the cradle to the grave. Six Stars!
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Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2020 by Tom C.
Format: Hardcover
I have been loving this book so far and was gripped by this book immediately and fascinated by the lost art of breathing as I felt my health declining further in my middle age. It’s very well written and the humor James uses throughout brings a much needed levity to a very serious subject that has life or death consequences and massive implications for health and quality of life. One star less for by far the most comical and fantastical nonsense in chapter 1 about human beings coming from primordial soup got the best laugh out of me. The simplest life form is so wildly complex and the fact that we can’t even intelligently create life in a laboratory with our intelligent minds and setting up perfect conditions (which would prove intelligent design even if we were able to produce life) have failed miserably. I’m not sure is James actually believes the insanity written in chapter 1 or if it’s meant to be more levity and trolling people with common sense? Perhaps we should keep the disproven and flat out outrageous ideas far away from a book about biological function and provable facts? Or perhaps credit the Creator who breathed the first breath into human beings and designed an INCREDIBLE AND MARVELOUSLY COMPLEX system and the ability for us to adapt and learn to use it to its full capacity for our health and His glory. Enough of the Godless nonsense that has been disproven over and over again. Since he is from San Francisco, I can’t say I’m surprised. Just saddened because the book other than this really is this good and the proven research fantastic. More actual science please and less pseudoscience and bad philosophy.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2025 by James S. Defazio