How the world works

Health, body & sleep

Sleep, breath, food and movement — what the evidence actually says.

Read your way in

  1. Sleep is not one long, even state — Matthew Walker · Why We SleepA glance
  2. An ordinary breath does not empty the lungs — James Nestor · Breath: The New Science of a Lost ArtA glance
  3. Digestion is not performed by human cells alone — Bill Bryson · The Body: A Guide for OccupantsA glance
  4. Sleep timing is pulled by two different processes — Matthew Walker · Why We SleepA glance
  5. Exercise is a signal the body answers — John J. Ratey & Eric Hagerman · Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the BrainA glance
  6. Food structure can change the speed of eating — Chris van Tulleken · Ultra-Processed PeopleA glance
  7. Sitting is not “the new smoking” — John J. Ratey & Eric Hagerman · Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the BrainA glance
  8. A biomarker is not a countdown clock — Peter Attia · Outlive: The Science and Art of LongevityA glance
  9. The machine that turned breath into a trace — James Nestor · Breath: The New Science of a Lost ArtA glance
  10. A paper tube created clinical distance — Bill Bryson · The Body: A Guide for OccupantsA glance
  11. A risk estimate always has a horizon — Peter Attia · Outlive: The Science and Art of LongevityA glance
  12. An ingredient list is a map, not a verdict — Chris van Tulleken · Ultra-Processed PeopleA glance

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The books behind it

  • Matthew Walker, 2017. Why this book: A sweeping invitation to take sleep seriously, best read alongside corrections to its disputed claims.
  • James Nestor, 2020. Why this book: A lively investigation of breathing history and physiology, with clear room left for clinical evidence.
  • Bill Bryson, 2019. Why this book: A humane anatomy tour that makes ordinary physiology feel newly strange.
  • John J. Ratey & Eric Hagerman, 2008. Why this book: An energetic account of movement and brain health, usefully tempered by newer evidence.
  • Chris van Tulleken, 2023. Why this book: A compelling inquiry into how industrial formulation and food environments shape eating.
  • Peter Attia, 2023. Why this book: Attia makes a strong case for prevention while candidly marking places where his practice outruns consensus.