Customer Reviews
Ginormously stupendous! - By: Heidi Becket-clinton, 23 Jul 2008 
You know, there are umpteen gazillions of reviewsin & about through Amazon. All of which appear to be so very uptight to me. I read this book & found it to be SO very refreshing. Taking what is NORMALLY writtenin SUCH boring & monotonous writing, THIS guy is absolutely brilliantin his writing. SO creative, talented, funny - creates a VERY good & clear path for the reader to not only read or ingest but DIGEST the information as well.
I'm sitting here with a major cringe - retrospectively all the books I've read thus so far, Well no make that 'cringe' into a brisk shaking head side to sidein disgust with previous authors for not having the BRILLIANCE that Robert Sapolsky has. HOW many times I've read something wanting to SNORE..
On a more sincere level, I couldn't put 6 or 10 stars on this & that's bloody annoying. Like it says on the cover, one of the most brilliant writers (Tho I beg to differ that he be restricted to purely a 'scientific writer' bleah..no no no - much more universal than that).
Robert Sapolsky is totally devoid of the DRY & DULL scientific norm that I seem to incessantly run into. In studying a great dealin stress management & counselling, all I can say is GET THIS BOOK :) You *must* have the patience & persistance however, if/when you run into those BIG WORDS :p (love this book, absolutely love it, maybe people think that the pavement doesn't go all the way out to the sidewalk with me on this one, but sincerely...very much so, read it...just...read it. Sit - read & absorb...*brilliant author*!! Footnotes are *equally* amazing an intense!)
A lively scientific report on stress - By: Rolf Dobelli, 27 May 2008 Your body is a sophisticated machine. If it were an automobile, it would be a top-of-the-line, luxury-class vehicle with all of the latest options. There's just one problem: Your body was designed for the savannas of Africa, not the streets & sidewalks of some urban metropolis. This is a major issue due to one of your body's great fail-safe systems: the stress-response mechanism, also called the "fight-or-flight syndrome." This mechanism provides your body with its best chance to get away safely from sudden peril, such as when a lion attacks you. It immediately floods your muscles with robust energy. Thus strengthened, you are far more able to evade the hungry predator. Unfortunately, this same stress-response also kicksin during psychological stress. In much of modern city life (even without stalking lions), such stress is often chronic, making your stress-response mechanism work dangerously overtime, & putting your body at risk of numerous stress-related disorders & diseases. Robert M. Sapolsky, a leading neuroendocrinologist, explains it allin this lively & entertaining, yet highly informative book. He writes with delightful, ironic verve & dry, irrepressible wit. He details how chronic stress can undermine your health, & explains what you can do about it, evenin the urban jungle. getAbstract feels calmer just suggesting that anyone experiencing stress could benefit from reading this book.
Very useful information about stress - By: Pernille Ianev, 10 Jul 2007 I really enjoyed this book & found that some difficult information could be interesting & fun. He writesin a very personal manner & at the same time scientific. As a psychologist I found that the informationin this book could be applied to clients clinically & my own knowledge on the topic stress has expanded.
Wow, he made stress interesting! - By: , 08 Jan 2005 As a Msc Health Psychology student, with a backgroundin the 'psychology' but nonein the the 'health' I've really struggled to understand all the terms thrown aroundin class. I had no idea how the immune system worked, & to be frank I didn't care.
But the author writesin a way that not only helps your understanding but also makes you laugh & want to learn at the same time.
An absolute must for anyone studying stress, coping & disease, an probably an entertaining read even if you're not.
Understanding the anatomy of stress... and life - By: , 30 Mar 2001 I had the fortune of being introduced to Robert Sapolsky during a lecture he gave to a business course I was attending. Reading his book, I was pleased that his fabulous story telling skills had translated so well to print. His dry humour & alert eye for the unusual guides the reader through the anatomy of stress leaving the reader with a new understanding of what happens to us. I especially enjoy Sapolsky's comparisons between humans & baboons, whom he studies a quarter of the year as well as being professorin biology & neurology at Stanford University. An example of this is that people who workin badly paid jobs, under bullying seniors have a tendency to suffer ulcers.... just like a lowly baboon constantly being picked on.
After taking us through the results of stress - impotence, weight problems, reduced growth, heart trouble & much more - the book thankfully ends with some well researched tips on how to cope with stress... like a zebra.
This is a book that I would read again, just for the entertainment value, & never cease to recommend to friends & colleagues.
