Why We Sleep is about the critical importance of sleep, including the science of how sleep works, and some tips for how we can get better sleep. Modern people often don't realize that getting less than 7-8 hours of sleep daily can significantly decrease our short-term mental abilities and long-term physical health.
"Routinely sleeping less than six or seven hours a night demolishes your immune system, more than doubling your risk of cancer." —Matthew Walker
Food of the Gods says psilocybin mushrooms were responsible for the unusually fast evolutionary growth of the human brain. Also it talks about how our relationships to psychoactive plants (including caffeine, sugar and alcohol) shaped human cultures. Finally, how we may restore personal, social and ecological balance in the world.
"Most people are addicted to some substance and, more important, all people are addicted to patterns of behavior." —Terence McKenna
Behave explains why humans behave the way we do. Sapolsky breaks down complex science into enjoyable explanations, beginning at the level of our brains, then diving into hormones, genes, evolution and even culture and history. By the end, you'll be questioning many long-held assumptions about how much we control ourselves.
"Crucially, the brain region most involved in feeling afraid and anxious [the amygdala] is most involved in generating aggression." —Robert Sapolsky
Sapiens is about how we went from being simple primates 2.5 million years ago... to walking on the moon. Yuval Noah Harari explores the Cognitive, Agricultural and Scientific Revolutions, which made us who we are today. He says common myths like money, laws and nations hold human societies together.
"Just 6 million years ago, a single female ape had two daughters. One became the ancestor of all chimpanzees, the other is our own grandmother." —Yuval Noah Harari
Lifespan is about how to live longer and healthier, according to the latest science. Harvard researcher David Sinclair says that aging is a disease that will be treatable and—perhaps one day—completely preventable. For now, we can boost our longevity with practices like fasting, exercise and cold exposure.
"There are plenty of stressors that will activate longevity genes without damaging the cell, including certain types of exercise, intermittent fasting, low-protein diets, and exposure to hot and cold temperatures." —David Sinclair
The Emperor of All Maladies is about the incredible history of "The War Against Cancer" and helps us to understand this terrible disease. Siddhartha Mukherjee explains the most common cancer treatments, including the science and story behind them.
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Homo Deus offers a thought-provoking look into humanity's future; It talks about how advances in technologies like artificial intelligence and genetic engineering could radically transform us. Yuval Noah Harari proposes the uncomfortable notion that we may try to become like gods to avoid death and unhappiness.
"This is the best reason to learn history: not in order to predict the future, but to free yourself of the past and imagine alternative destinies." —Yuval Noah Harari