Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art is not just a book about breathing; it is a journey into the scientific, cultural, spiritual, and evolutionary history of this most fundamental practice. Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Big Magic and Eat Pray Love, describes it as a long overdue look at the importance of this simple act.

Journalist James Nestor takes readers around the world to uncover the mysteries of breath. From ancient burial sites and secret Soviet facilities to New Jersey choir schools and the streets of São Paulo, Nestor seeks out those who are uncovering the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices such as Pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, and Tummo.

As it turns out, the way we breathe affects everything from athletic performance to the health of our internal organs. Nestor's exploration reveals that slight adjustments to our breathing can have profound impacts on our health, including halting snoring, asthma, autoimmune diseases, and even correcting scoliotic spines.

With insights drawn from medical texts spanning thousands of years and cutting-edge studies in pulmonology, psychology, biochemistry, and human physiology, Breath challenges the conventional wisdom about the biological function that we thought we knew so well. After reading this book, you might just find yourself breathing in a whole new way.

The Story of the Human Body offers a fascinating exploration of how the human body has evolved over millions of years. Daniel E. Lieberman, a leader in the field of human evolutionary biology, presents a lucid and engaging account of the evolutionary transformations that have shaped our bodies.

The book delves into the rise of bipedalism, the shift to a non-fruit-based diet, and the advent of hunting and gathering, which led to our superlative endurance athleticism. Lieberman also discusses the development of our large brains and the emergence of cultural proficiencies.

Moreover, the book examines how cultural evolution differs from biological evolution and how it has further transformed our bodies during the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions. While these changes have brought numerous benefits, they've also created conditions to which our bodies are not entirely adapted, leading to increased incidences of obesity and new, avoidable diseases like type 2 diabetes.

Lieberman introduces the concept of "dysevolution," where only the symptoms of chronic illnesses are treated rather than their causes. He advocates for using evolutionary information to help create a healthier environment.