Book Reviews
How Not to Die Review: Michael Greger on Diet, Evidence, and Advocacy
Michael Greger's How Not to Die is the strongest book on preventive nutrition - and its most advocacy-driven. What holds up, and how to read it.
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The section
Book Reviews
Health books read properly and reviewed honestly — what each one gets right, where it runs ahead of the evidence, and who should actually bother.
How these are written
Every book here has been read or listened to in full. Nothing is reviewed from a summary or a publisher’s blurb.
Where a book makes a health claim, that claim is checked against published guidance from bodies like the NIH, the NHS and the World Health Organization, and the sources are listed at the foot of each review. When a book overreaches, the review says so — see the editorial policy for the full standards.
7 reviews
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Book Reviews
Atomic Habits Review: James Clear on Why Systems Beat Goals
James Clear's Atomic Habits is the rare behaviour-change book that works without willpower. What holds up, where it falls short, and who should read it.
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Book Reviews
The Good Gut Review: The Sonnenburgs on the Science of the Microbiome
Two Stanford microbiome researchers wrote the most rigorous gut health book for general readers - and its greatest strength is what it refuses to claim.
7 min read·Read →
Book Reviews
Ultra-Processed People Review: Chris van Tulleken on What Industry Did to Food
Chris van Tulleken wrote the best nutrition book of the decade by refusing to write a diet book. What holds up, where NOVA falls short, and the three questions worth taking to the supermarket.
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Book Reviews
Why We Sleep Review: What Matthew Walker Gets Right, and Where He Overreaches
Matthew Walker convinced the world that sleep matters - and drew real criticism for how he presented the evidence. What holds up, where he overstates certainty, and who should read it.
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Book Reviews
Outlive Review: Peter Attia on the Science and Art of Longevity
Peter Attia's Outlive is the strongest longevity book available - and its monitoring advice runs ahead of clinical guidelines. What holds up, what to treat cautiously, and who it suits.
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Book Reviews
Gutfull Review: Dr Joanna McMillan on What to Eat for a Happy Gut
Dr Joanna McMillan's four-hour Audible Original is one of the few gut health books from 2020 that has aged well. What it gets right, what is now dated, and who it suits.
8 min read·Read →