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369th out of 2,660 books
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7,702 voters
Drop Dead Healthy: One Man's Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection
by
A.J. Jacobs
From the bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically and The Know-It-All comes the true and truly hilarious story of one person’s quest to become the healthiest man in the world. Hospitalized with a freak case of tropical pneumonia, goaded by his wife telling him, “I don’t want to be a widow at forty-five,” and ashamed of a middle-aged body best described as “a pyt...more
Hardcover, 402 pages
Published
April 10th 2012
by Simon & Schuster
(first published 2012)
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After this book I rate AJ Jacobs as one of my favourite authors. The book contains enough facts to make it a credible read. However, it is his OCD that adds the humour to his readers (but not necessary to his long suffering family). Well worth a read.
Now, this is a writer with whom I can sit down and drink organic smoothies. I consider myself a bit of a closet health nut -- I say closet health nut, because you might not be able to tell by the size of my thighs that I am much of a health nut at all. But A.J.'s humble quest to become the strongest, most virile hunk of masculine flesh alive is one that I'd empathize with. At the very least, I can read his book and feel justified in his inevitable conclusion that THIS is the reason why one shoul...more
This book is the latest stunt memoir by AJ Jacobs, the man who previously worked on his mind by reading the encyclopedia and his spirit by living according to the Bible. Now it's time for the body, and Jacobs spent two years focusing on how to be healthier in all areas from his teeth to his toes.
When it comes to matters of health, everyone has an opinion, and they usually contradict each other. Jacobs does a decent job of providing a balanced look at many of his subjects, including whatever actu...more
When it comes to matters of health, everyone has an opinion, and they usually contradict each other. Jacobs does a decent job of providing a balanced look at many of his subjects, including whatever actu...more
In general, I'm not a fan of self-help or nutrition books. However, "Drop Dead Healthy" is not only informative, it's hilarious, honest and touching. Needless to say, this book has inspired me more than any other to focus on my health. Thanks to Jacobs' experiences with dieting, exercise and alternative health ideas, I've purchased a Fitbit, started drinking more water and am even logging my food and sleep patterns.
The only thing that kept this from being a 5-star book was that it left me wanti...more
The only thing that kept this from being a 5-star book was that it left me wanti...more
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Reading this book made me realize how paranoid I really am, because, as I was reading it, the author kept talking about how much he was freaking out his family members with the drastic things he was doing, and I just kept thinking "Well, that's reasonable." In fact, the book might have made me MORE paranoid for a little while, just because I realized all of the things that I hadn't considered. Unlike Jacobs, I do read The Cat in the Hat to my son, but I do think the Cat could make a pretty infam...more
For "The Know-It-All," A.J. Jacobs read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. For "The Year of Living Biblically," he attempted to follow every rule in the Bible for a year. For "The Guinea Pig Diaries," he did a whole bunch of crazy stuff, including practice Radical Honesty and attend the Academy Awards disguised as a movie star. Now, in "Drop Dead Healthy," he chronicles his latest endeavor: trying to become the healthiest person alive. Basically, this means doing a ton of research and meeting w...more
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May 23, 2012
Angie
added it
This is a fun, shallow read on Jacob's attempt to become the healthiest man possible. If you keep up with health news, there isn't anything really new or noteworthy in this book. As a means of organizing, Jacob's tackles one body system or organ per chapter which is effective, but sort of forced and some of his transitions seem artificial/corny as a result. However, his voice is entertaining and engaging, he achieved some measurable results, and he offers some practical and up-to-date health adv...more
I read AJ Jacobs mostly for the entertainment value but I always learn a lot. This book was a good one to read in resolutions season! I read about some health issues/suggestions that I nearly wish I hadn't, but I like the overall message of moderation and honoring your future self by making the best choices you can. I also really like the role Jacob's family play in the story, especially his 96 year old grandfather, whose life story deserved a book of his own.
Jacobs is back with a book to round out his quest to be a better person. In his first book “The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World” Jacobs reads through the Encyclopedia Britannica in one year in an effort to increase his intelligence. In his second book “The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible” Jacobs spent a year researching and living according to the Bible to develop spirituality. In this b...more
I am working on being a healthier person. To look at me, people would ask why. I look thin and I seem to have energy. What people do realize is I know how to dress flatteringly (you can't see the fat if I hide it properly) and I fake a lot of my energy. In fact, if I'm not a work, I'm generally found at home on the couch either watching t.v., reading a book, or playing video games. And eating. I have quite a tolerance for insanely rich food. You know those Oreo truffles made with cream cheese an...more
The same author wrote the book "A Year of Living Biblically", which I also want to read. This one is about the two years he spent researching the best ways to maintain optimal health by trying the various suggestions in the health-minded world. As you can imagine there were several "correct" ways to choose from and many of them contradictory. He isn't a fitness buff, by any means, so this is written so the average person can relate. The chapters are divided into whichever body part or function h...more
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This is an entertaining read with thousands of ideas to contribute to health. This is a book that was good to listen to while doing laundry, driving etc... it's easy to pick up at almost any point in the book.
I would say on the whole, it's practical value isn't as high as other more focused books.
These were the things I personally felt most interesting that I have adopted or would like to adopt as part of my own healthy living regimen:
A lower calorie diet (you probably already know about the stu...more
I would say on the whole, it's practical value isn't as high as other more focused books.
These were the things I personally felt most interesting that I have adopted or would like to adopt as part of my own healthy living regimen:
A lower calorie diet (you probably already know about the stu...more
1 like · like · see review
I guess I shouldn't be surprised that this book was a little melancholy. Even though it was written by a humorous author. More than just about trying out different types of diet and exercise, it was about the idea of maximizing your health, so that you can live a longer life. Of course, the problem with that is that even a person with a healthy lifestyle can be betrayed by their body. And, frankly, we all die eventually. And if that's the case, then what's the point? The author ends up trying to...more
I think I can safely say that I will read any book A.J. Jacobs writes, no matter the subject. He embraces his quests whole heartedly and writes about them with such lightheartedness and humor that the books are a delight.
In this book, Jacobs tackles the world of health and all the crazy fads and trends as well as some of the old tried-and-true. Each month for two years he tries working on a new aspect of his body (his mind, his sex life, his heart, etc.). Most of the things he tries, he sheds, a...more
In this book, Jacobs tackles the world of health and all the crazy fads and trends as well as some of the old tried-and-true. Each month for two years he tries working on a new aspect of his body (his mind, his sex life, his heart, etc.). Most of the things he tries, he sheds, a...more
Drop Dead Healthy is fun to read. Two types of readers will pick it up: those who are fans of A.J. Jacobs, a regular writer for Esquire who wrote The Know-It-All and The Year of Living Biblically, and those who want health tips. People looking for health tips have probably learned everything in here except the more outlandish things (like “Paleo running”) but they will keep reading because of the humorous way A. J. presents these healthy-life endeavors and reports on his progress. In his 2 years...more
AJ Jacobs took on the HUGE task of tackling the cosmos of health information available to us and actually implementing changes in his daily lifestyle to get him on the road to 'healthy'. Working as a healthcare practitioner, I truly appreciated his open-minded but with a dash of sarcasm attitude of evidence-based medicine. As a mom and woman in her late 30's, I really enjoyed his conversational cadence on how and why he decided to make lifestyle changes and his choices he incorporated esp that t...more
A.J. Jacobs is getting tired and flabby--and I'm talking about his book writing, not his physical condition. He has done the same gimmick for a number of books now, where he transforms his life by giving his all to a specific subject, and it's just not that interesting any more. It lacks creativity and proves him to be somewhat dim-witted.
In this case he tries to follow all the advice books, diets and research on health. The problem is that there are thousands to choose from and many of them are...more
In this case he tries to follow all the advice books, diets and research on health. The problem is that there are thousands to choose from and many of them are...more
After my own dizzying attempts to sort out what experts agree we should eat, how to best use my body, and the different details that makes up ones health, I had worked myself into a tight knot of stress! Studies conflict with each other, books written by experts disagree with each other, health telemercials and documentaries, it seemed to all have nearly opposite advice.
Apparently, what I really needed to release all that health tension, was this book.
A.J. takes a wide view of the available sc...more
Apparently, what I really needed to release all that health tension, was this book.
A.J. takes a wide view of the available sc...more
As with Jacobs' other books, there is a breadth of laughs and aha moments, and less so on the depth. You won't learn the full ins and outs of every health fad, but it's good entertainment, and at least this book comes with appendices summarizing the health tips he really thought were worth keeping.
The sections with his grandfather are touching, and Jacobs' sons are friggin' adorable. Their logic puzzles are great:
The sections with his grandfather are touching, and Jacobs' sons are friggin' adorable. Their logic puzzles are great:
The trick is, instead of offering three or four items, Lucas gives only two options...more
A.J. Jacobs speaks to me in a certain way. I'm not the most devout Jew, the smartest nerd, or particularly in the best shape. Yet, I aspire to a greater sense of mind, spirit, and body. After reading Know it All (Jacobs reads the entire unabridged Encyclopedia Britannica in a 'humble attempt to become the smartest person in the world) and Year of Living Biblicaly (Jacobs spends an entire year trying to follow every single law and ritual in the Bible in a 'humble attempt to become the most devout...more
I liked this book. While I cannot say I loved it, it was very interesting, but at time seemed simplistic~like taken from a blog.
Some of the things to get healthy you've heard "eat more veggies" "don't microwave in plastic" and "BPA free plastic" and "drink lots of water." He debunked some myths such as some people say warm water is better for you than ice cold that is the norm.
Anyway, I don't wan to continue with a list of what he writes about, but he researched what would make you healthy and...more
Some of the things to get healthy you've heard "eat more veggies" "don't microwave in plastic" and "BPA free plastic" and "drink lots of water." He debunked some myths such as some people say warm water is better for you than ice cold that is the norm.
Anyway, I don't wan to continue with a list of what he writes about, but he researched what would make you healthy and...more
This was a fun book, although it was amusing to read this past week when I was very sick. Jacobs has a similar shtick for all of his books, he basically takes something (the bible and the encyclopedia for his past two books,) and goes ridiculously overboard on them.
For this book he tried to be as healthy as possible for two years. He did this by focusing on one area each month, so one month he would read all the scientific studies on noise pollution, talk to doctors, talk to alternative medicine...more
For this book he tried to be as healthy as possible for two years. He did this by focusing on one area each month, so one month he would read all the scientific studies on noise pollution, talk to doctors, talk to alternative medicine...more
another AJ jacobs stunt memoir. this time, his quest is to become the healthiest man on earth, following a holistic interpretation of "health". he factors in everything from his body mass index to his gum health to the thickness of his hair. i went through a little phase where i really hated this dude's books, but i guess i'm over it. now that i've read so many mediocre-to-downright-terrible books in the stunt memoir genre, i can better appreciate the fact that this dude is actually not such a b...more
A.J. Jacobs is amusing as always, and had I come away feeling that I'd learned some relevant health tips, I'd have given the book more stars. Part of that may be my personal issues though, reading about a mostly healthy, if somewhat neurotic and underexercised man pursue ultimate health doesn't necessarily translate to a nutritionally challenged woman with Crohn's disease! So when he's talking about dried mangoes as his vice and I'm eating cheetos, I'm thinking he's already ahead of me in the di...more
When will I learn? I knew I shouldn't read another A.J. Jacobs stunt book, but I did anyway. In this one, he spends two years trying various methods to improve his health. The book is dull with few insights that a reader can adapt to his/her own life. Much of the book is given over to descriptions of faddish workouts or people who run laughter workshops.
Jacobs intersperses the pieces on his self-improvements efforts with descriptions of two of his relatives, his 90-something grandfather and h...more
Jacobs intersperses the pieces on his self-improvements efforts with descriptions of two of his relatives, his 90-something grandfather and h...more
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Dear A.J. Jacobs. I just love the fact that you are willing to devote years of your life for my education and amusement. Your "One Man's Humble Quest" series is a delight of the first order. I've talked about your first two books in the series, "The Know-It-All" and "The Year of Living Biblically" until my friends have asked me to stop. But "Drop Dead Healthy" is going to get that conversation going again. An excellent job. Congratulations. For those that I won't be seeing in the next few days--...more
"Having sanctified himself in The Year of Living Biblically and sharpened his mind in The Know-It-All, A. J. Jacobs had one feat left in the self-improvement trinity: to become the healthiest man in the world. He didn't want just to lose weight, or finish a triathlon, or lower his cholesterol. His ambitions were far, far greater: Maximal health from head to toe.The task was massive. He had to tackle a complicated web of diet and exercise advice, much of which was nonsensical, unproven, and cont...more
Oh, AJ Jacobs—how I love reading your books! Let me consider the ways. First, they are chock-full of interesting facts, studies and expert opinion. In this one, he consults health professionals, eccentrics and innovative (or quack) practitioners that help him explore the world of the body, its enemies and its allies—from creating a treadmill desk, working out like a caveman to exploring raw food diets. Second, Jacobs is clever and laugh-out-loud funny. His intelligence and self-deprecation alway...more
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This was a really good and really fascinating read. It probably helped that I'm in a similar (albeit way toned down) quest myself in trying to improve my overall life. But I thought Jacobs approached his project from a pretty rationale standpoint.
The whole point of the book is that Jacobs decides he wants to become the healthiest person in the world and focus on the health of his whole body - all the way from diet to noise cancellation to finger exercises. He looks into a bunch of ideologies on...more
The whole point of the book is that Jacobs decides he wants to become the healthiest person in the world and focus on the health of his whole body - all the way from diet to noise cancellation to finger exercises. He looks into a bunch of ideologies on...more
I like to rate books the way I rate food; books and food can be (1) delicious and (2) nutritious. Some books, like chick lit and mysteries, are mostly just delicious. Some books, like history books, are mostly just nutritious.
A. J. Jacobs’ books are a little of both. Yummy and good-for-you.
Especially this book. Drop Dead Healthy, like all of Jacobs’ books, is the story of Jacobs attempting to challenge himself to do something very difficult. This time Jacobs takes on the challenge of becoming v...more
A. J. Jacobs’ books are a little of both. Yummy and good-for-you.
Especially this book. Drop Dead Healthy, like all of Jacobs’ books, is the story of Jacobs attempting to challenge himself to do something very difficult. This time Jacobs takes on the challenge of becoming v...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Hudson Bookseller...: April 2012 ROTM- Drop Dead Healthy | 1 | 5 | Apr 09, 2012 06:49am |
A.J. Jacobs is a New York Times bestselling author, Esquire editor and human guinea pig.
Among Jacobs’ life experiments:
--The Know-It-All. The bestselling memoir of the year he spent reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica in a quest to become the smartest person in the world.
--The Year of Living Biblically. The bestseller about his life as the ultimate biblical man. He followed every rule of th...more
More about A.J. Jacobs...
Among Jacobs’ life experiments:
--The Know-It-All. The bestselling memoir of the year he spent reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica in a quest to become the smartest person in the world.
--The Year of Living Biblically. The bestseller about his life as the ultimate biblical man. He followed every rule of th...more
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“The key to making healthy decisions is to respect your future self. Honor him or her. Treat him or her like you would treat a friend or a loved one.”
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4 people liked it
“...Med students panic their first year when they learn all the diseases. It's not until the second year that they learn the cures.”
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3 people liked it
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