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The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest
by
Dan Buettner
A New York Times Bestseller!
With the right lifestyle, experts say, chances are that you may live up to a decade longer. What’s the prescription for success? National Geographic Explorer Dan Buettner has traveled the globe to uncover the best strategies for longevity found in the Blue Zones: places in the world where higher percentages of people enjoy remarkably long, full...more
With the right lifestyle, experts say, chances are that you may live up to a decade longer. What’s the prescription for success? National Geographic Explorer Dan Buettner has traveled the globe to uncover the best strategies for longevity found in the Blue Zones: places in the world where higher percentages of people enjoy remarkably long, full...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
March 25th 2008
by National Geographic
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i am ashamed to say that i am writing this review of a book that is all about healthier living and living longer with a cigarette in hand. well, it is an american spirit light. those are healthier, right? i firmly believe in Harm Reduction as a model for living.
this is not the sort of book i usually read, although it is actually published by National Geographic (which somehow automatically gives it credence in my mind. why is that?). and it probably would have remained on my desk for who-knows-h...more
this is not the sort of book i usually read, although it is actually published by National Geographic (which somehow automatically gives it credence in my mind. why is that?). and it probably would have remained on my desk for who-knows-h...more
14 likes · like · see review
view all 6 comments
Jul 29, 2009
Lauren
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone who wants to live a long and happy life
Recommended to Lauren by:
National Geographic Adventure
Seriously one of the best (life-altering) books I have ever read. Much like "Omnivore's Dilemma" in the way that I think this book will have a serious effect on how I view things from this point on, and how I will live my life. It is nothing absolutely revolutionary, no, but the fact that it is all gathered in one place, and so accessible makes this book stand out for me. I have read many books like this, but this one seems one of the most palatable and the easiest to share... perhaps because of...more
9 likes · like · see review
Interesting book looking at populations from around the world with the most people living to be 100. Basics seem to be:
5. Diet - lower in animal products (though they are included) and higher in fruits and veggies and whole grains
4. Work that incorporates being physically active versus no exercise or over exercising which wears out the joints.
3. Feeling that you are still valubly contributing to society
2. Religon/spirituality - not any one in particular but rather a feeling that a higher power i...more
5. Diet - lower in animal products (though they are included) and higher in fruits and veggies and whole grains
4. Work that incorporates being physically active versus no exercise or over exercising which wears out the joints.
3. Feeling that you are still valubly contributing to society
2. Religon/spirituality - not any one in particular but rather a feeling that a higher power i...more
4 likes · like · see review
Aug 08, 2011
Neeraj Bali
added it
Why do some people living in certain geographical pockets of the world tend to live very long, often in excess of a 100 years? What factors encourage longevity? Is it merely accident of birth? Something in the 'water' perhaps? It is genetic, surely? Or are there lessons for all of us that can be learnt and adopted for good results?
The author, assisted by a team of scientists, set out to study the lives and life-styles of such people living in three pockets of the world - a village in Sardinia in...more
The author, assisted by a team of scientists, set out to study the lives and life-styles of such people living in three pockets of the world - a village in Sardinia in...more
I had heard of these places; where there is an inordinate number of centenarians, the Blue Zones. Or at least I had heard of Okinawa.
A friend works for Pfizer, the giant pharmaceutical company. He told me about a study Pzier had done, examining this area's people. If I remember correctly, they were trying to ioslate a blood factor os some similar chemical aspect that coud account for why there were so many Okinawans 100 or older. The idea, of course, was that they'd be able to isolate it, decan...more
A friend works for Pfizer, the giant pharmaceutical company. He told me about a study Pzier had done, examining this area's people. If I remember correctly, they were trying to ioslate a blood factor os some similar chemical aspect that coud account for why there were so many Okinawans 100 or older. The idea, of course, was that they'd be able to isolate it, decan...more
The blue zones: 9 lessons for living longer from the people who've lived the longest by Dan Buettner
Stories of the different areas worldwide and strategies of how the people live with excellent health into triple digits.
This book gives you options that you can select how far you want to go to your own longevity.
Interesting to learn all the things that do effect our lives...
Goat's milk is a food that might help, walk a bunch, whole grains, olive oil, fruits and beans are also clues.
The one thing...more
Stories of the different areas worldwide and strategies of how the people live with excellent health into triple digits.
This book gives you options that you can select how far you want to go to your own longevity.
Interesting to learn all the things that do effect our lives...
Goat's milk is a food that might help, walk a bunch, whole grains, olive oil, fruits and beans are also clues.
The one thing...more
An excellent and easy read about four areas of the world where there is a significant percentage of the population that live to be centenarians+. You may be aware of Okinawa. I have read the Okinawa Diet book a time or two. The other four places were a mountainous area of Sardinia, a remote area in Costa Rica, and a Seventh Day Adventist population in Loma Linda, California, of all places. I was so grateful that we had the Costa Ricans in the mix - at least that added corn tortillas, rice, and b...more
Friend at work loaned this to me. We're both committed to improving our health by improving our diets, and so I was optimistic about what the authors found studying the "blue zones" (communities with the longest-lived inhabitants). Turns out, not much. It's the same old advice (good advice, I'm convinced) repackaged and re-branded: sensible (plant-based diet), exercise, good work, time for play, sleep, friendship, community, spiritual values and sex -- and everything in moderation. But the premi...more
Mar 23, 2012
Georgina Ortiz
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Georgina by:
Joyce Suficiencia
Growing up, I have always been wishy-washy about my dreams. At different points in my childhood/young adulthood/adulthood, I have wanted to become a scientist, an archeologist, a brain surgeon, a supermodel (haha), an ambassador, a museum curator...and so goes on the list. But I have recently realized that until now, I would give everything up to be a writer for the National Geographic Society/Magazine/Channel (well, not really everything, but you know what I mean).
Reading D. Buettner's Blue Zon...more
Reading D. Buettner's Blue Zon...more
What a fascinating read! Buettner does a fabulous job of reporting on Blue Zones and providing easily understandable conclusions regarding the lives of the centenarians the group had studied and their habits after years of research. I learned a lot from this book on not just potentially being able to live longer but to live better. The life styles and practices in this book should definitely be reenforced in more cultures today and if everyone were to read this book I think health care costs wou...more
I picked this book up on a whim because I was intrigued with the concept of "Blue Zones" and the people and lifestyles explored in this book. The cover is deceptive. It looks like one of those many, many "self-help" "guru" books that have flooded the market for decades now. The inclusion of a quote from Dr. Oz on the cover almost kept me from buying the book at all.
Really, this book is more of one man's personal exploration into the cultural and sociological factors that create pockets in the w...more
Really, this book is more of one man's personal exploration into the cultural and sociological factors that create pockets in the w...more
One of the most striking things in this book was how incredibly simple it is to have the type of lifestyle that favors longevity. The centenarians featured in the book are from simple, almost primitive, cultures with strong family ties and daily sense of purpose -- that is, they feel a sense of importance and purpose from the moment they wake up in the morning (usually at sunrise) till they go to bed at night, well in to their later years. They don't have elaborate rituals or search for obscure...more
5 likes · like · see review
I received this as an ER copy, and I found this book pretty neat. There are lots of books on how to “expand your youth” but it’s really good to see a book that actually talks to the people who have done so. The book focuses on four distinct and different regions of people who have all lived beyond the average life expectancy (usually 100+). I was glad to see one was in America, even. The book brings to light some hard truths, though. Collectively, as Americans, we are not on our way to being cen...more
This book is about the secrets of longevity.
We complicate our lives too often with the expensive gym membership, bottles of overpriced supplements, and magic-in-a-bottle skin care products that we hope would improve our well-being(I delude myself sometimes too!).
But reading this book reconfirms my belief that many of the best things in life are not only simple things, they also do not have to cost a lot of money.
It is more about keeping active with daily chores, walking more, eating simply and...more
We complicate our lives too often with the expensive gym membership, bottles of overpriced supplements, and magic-in-a-bottle skin care products that we hope would improve our well-being(I delude myself sometimes too!).
But reading this book reconfirms my belief that many of the best things in life are not only simple things, they also do not have to cost a lot of money.
It is more about keeping active with daily chores, walking more, eating simply and...more
I seriously just read this entire book in one sitting. It's certainly not a book I would pick up based on the title alone - I only read it on my Sociology instructor/Sustainable Food Production program director's recommendation.
WOW. What a trip I've just taken! In one night this book has enabled me to travel from Sardinia, Italy, to the town of my birth (Loma Linda, California), to Okinawa, Japan, to Nicoya, Costa Rica, to uncover (along with the author/journalist Dan Buettner) how other people...more
WOW. What a trip I've just taken! In one night this book has enabled me to travel from Sardinia, Italy, to the town of my birth (Loma Linda, California), to Okinawa, Japan, to Nicoya, Costa Rica, to uncover (along with the author/journalist Dan Buettner) how other people...more
I received this as a gift--normally I steer clear of actually buying health/diet/lifestyle books (I would improve my health dramatically by eating less cookie dough.) But apparently, so says the giver, I tend to latch on the little health advice trinkets and fling them out at my friends, things about how healthy coffee and orgasims (enjoyed seperatly...I assume) can be for people. This book is a more organized version of these advice trinkets. Four examinations of very healthy lifestyles (health...more
Okinawa, Japana. Sardinia, Italy. Loma Linda, California. Costa Rica. And Greece. All had small, insular communities in these areas that have an extremely high proportion of 100+ yr old centenarians relative to the rest of the world. The author and his research team traveled to these areas to find out why.
Some is not particularly groundbreaking (be active, eat your veggies) but it does offer an interesting look with in-depth interviews of these centenarians, most of whom "felt" younger as you re...more
Some is not particularly groundbreaking (be active, eat your veggies) but it does offer an interesting look with in-depth interviews of these centenarians, most of whom "felt" younger as you re...more
This is a really great informative read. You will be introduced to four of the most successful Blue Zones in the world; Sardinia, Okinawa, Loma Linda California, and Costa Rica. These locations each boast a high density of centenarians in their population. You will follow the author and his team around these blue zones as they interview and experience the lives of the oldest people in the world. At the end of each blue zone chapter you will get a guideline on how to change your life to improve y...more
This book was simply AMAZING! The author gave a detailed description of people all over the world who are living in the "Blue Zones"...living past 100 and REALLY living, not just in a vegetated state. Dan proved how this is possible with his well researched findings/interviews that ranged from location, diet, exercise, and lifestyles.
Key ingredients for a long life: Feel valued and be an active part of a community/family, active lifestyle which didn't include marathon running and extreme weight...more
Key ingredients for a long life: Feel valued and be an active part of a community/family, active lifestyle which didn't include marathon running and extreme weight...more
This was a very interesting read. I enjoyed hearing the authors experiences of visiting with centenarians. Rather than just plying the readers with data, he did a good job of bringing the individuals and their lifestyles to life. [return][return]One review of this book that I read gave it a poor rating, as there was no real new or astounding data. I think that was one of the best things about the book. People are always looking for a miracle cure, one magical thing that they can do to live forev...more
BLUE ZONES contains four case studies of populations around the globe--Sardinia; Okinawa; Loma Linda, CA; and Nicoya, Costa Rica--where exceptional numbers of people live to be 100 or more and large numbers of other old people remain physically and mentally sharp until unexpected ages. The case studies were undertaken to test the hypothesis that something besides genetics (namely long-term behavior and habits) is responsible and that lifestyle commonalities can be found linking longevity across...more
2 likes · like · see review
Jan 02, 2009
Emilie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Overstressed urbanites, Boomers
Recommended to Emilie by:
Mama Oprah
The most important thing a health book can do is inspire me to make positive changes, and Buettner has achieved that especially well with this study of four centarian communities throughout the world. He approaches it with the enthusiastic, adventurous spirit of a National Georgraphic journalist who once spent several months biking from Alaska to Argentina. The book is engaging and gives life to a list simple behaviors that could translate into a much healthier and more emotionally fulfilling li...more
1 like · like · see review
Veeeeery interesting. This dude (Dan Buettner, presumably) traveled to different places around the world to look at populations of people who live really long and try to figure out what they're doing that makes them live so long. It doesn't seem very scientific because I'd imagine that all the people nearby who didn't live so long kept similar habits (they're mostly in small, isolated communities without a lot of variation in lifestyle), but most of what he talked about made sense as things that...more
I learned some good things and found some of the characters mildly entertaining. Would have been happy to have read a summary of the findings instead of all of his tales from the journey. If you want to do quick read, you can read summary at end of each chapter and the end summarizes common findings across the blue zones. In all, not surprised to learn that the places where people still live the longest are places quite untouched by western influences, places where people still eat what they gro...more
I find the whole idea of Blue Zones fascinating and definitely worth investigating. I think there is a lot to be learned from people who live simpler, healthier, more active lives. But I wish the book had focused more on the lessons learned from these people and the longevity habits they practice. As it is, the lifestyle habits and suggestions are presented as sort of an afterthought in the last chapter. I thought too much time was spent explaining how the researchers found these people, as well...more
While interesting, this book is not as original or well-written as much of what I've been reading lately, so it was a little bit of a let-down. It also fails to meet any standards of evidence-based health recommendations, although much of what it says is probably true and is pretty consistent with a lot else that's out there. It is a brief look at the 4 sites on earth known to have the highest concentrations of centenarians--Sardinia Italy, Okinawa Japan, just outside of LA in the U.S., and in t...more
This book is part adventure/travel narrative, and part scientific discussion of the habits of those cultures where individuals seem to live the longest. Only 25% of our longevity is determined by genes?! Astounding. Overall, the book highlighted informaiton that I had probalby heard before (vegetarian diet, social support, effective stress management, purpose) it did so in a way that was impactful and made the idea of increasing those factors in one's life feel doable. It does feel a little gimi...more
A book that explores 4 groups of people in the world who have an extremely long lifespan. It takes a look at the possible lifestyle factors that result in such long lifespans. The four people groups are: (1) on the island of Sardinia, (2) on the island of Okinawa, (3) in a province in Costa Rica, and in Loma Linda, California.
Genetics apparently is only 25% of the longevity picture. The other 75% is in the lifestyle.
This book was kind of slow (it reads like a National Geographic article). But ea...more
Genetics apparently is only 25% of the longevity picture. The other 75% is in the lifestyle.
This book was kind of slow (it reads like a National Geographic article). But ea...more
Aug 01, 2009
Jonna
added it
I have really enjoyed this one, since one of my new goals is to live to be 100 so I can see my great-grandchildren. Also I just think it would be fun (The author of _The Hours_ said it best, that when it comes to life, "what we want, mostly, is more," -- or one of the characters in _Catch 22_, who did things he hated because it made the time pass more slowly and he wanted to live longer; when someone asked him why, he said, "What else is there?"). Lessons learned: eat mostly fruits and vegetable...more
Very interesting findings, however seems to point out that we are doomed as a civilization to not live long. The book points out various foods and lifestyles that modern individuals can incorporate to better their chances of longevity. But it also mentions that all four 'Blue Zones' are disintegrating as modern life and technology take over. At the end, the book mentions a website vitality test. I was pleased to find out I'd live a long life...especially if I drink more red wine. Overall, a good...more
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National Geographic Explorer Dan Buettner has traveled the globe to uncover the best strategies for longevity.
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