Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
National Geographic (2008), Edition: 1, Hardcover, 304 pages
Description
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 lives. Here he discloses the recipe, blending this unique lifestyle formula with the latest scientific findings to inspire easy, lasting change that may add years to your life. Buettner's research effort, funded in part by the National Institute on Aging, has taken him from Costa Rica to Italy to Japan and beyond. In the societies he visits, it's no coincidence that the way people interact with each other, shed stress, nourish their bodies, and view their world yields more good years of life. By observing their lifestyles, Buettner's teams have identified critical everyday choices that correspond with the cutting edge of longevity research--and distilled them into a few simple but powerful habits that anyone can embrace.--From publisher description.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member CenterPointMN
A long, healthy life is no accident. The secrets to longevity are widely debated and sometimes misunderstood--yet remarkable groups of people manage to achieve it naturally, enjoying longer life spans while remaining active and vital well into their 80s, 90s, and 100s. These people can be found in
Journalist and longevity expert Dan Buettner, in conjunction with the National Institute on Aging and top researchers in the field, has done exhaustive research to locate these communities. Buetter personally visited each of the four Blue Zones to meet these remarkable people, observe their lifestyles, and understand what makes them thrive. Following their example, The Blue Zone shows you how to make simple adjustments to your lifestyle that may add years to your life. These easily followed lessons are no longer the secrets of people a world away. In The Blue Zone, they become yours to follow for life!
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the world’s “Blue Zones,” extraordinarily long-lived communities where common elements of lifestyle, diet, and outlook have led to an amazing quantity--and quality--of life.Journalist and longevity expert Dan Buettner, in conjunction with the National Institute on Aging and top researchers in the field, has done exhaustive research to locate these communities. Buetter personally visited each of the four Blue Zones to meet these remarkable people, observe their lifestyles, and understand what makes them thrive. Following their example, The Blue Zone shows you how to make simple adjustments to your lifestyle that may add years to your life. These easily followed lessons are no longer the secrets of people a world away. In The Blue Zone, they become yours to follow for life!
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LibraryThing member forkyfork
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
What I really liked about the book was that it not only told you the behaviors of these people, but how you can apply it to your own life. It really helps put things in perspective. While it’s not the perfect go-to book for how to live your life, it’s certainly a great starting point.
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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 centenarians ourselves with our current lifestyle. Even worse, we are affecting other countries with our bad habits. What I really liked about the book was that it not only told you the behaviors of these people, but how you can apply it to your own life. It really helps put things in perspective. While it’s not the perfect go-to book for how to live your life, it’s certainly a great starting point.
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LibraryThing member ndejong
I really enjoyed reading this book. It is well written and reads along at a good pace. I really liked the little side bars that gave useful tips about a particular food that is part of the diet of that particular Blue Zone. I found that I did not have to radically change my diet or routine to be
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living healthier but improve my health through small adjustments. Show Less
LibraryThing member vg2001
"The Blue Zone," by Dan Buettner, is founded on an intriguing concept. Certain people live longer than others. That's not quite as interesting as the next part: certain parts of the world have greater concentrations of these longer-living people. Why is that? Dan Buettner set out to discover the
Using what he learned in each of the five areas he studied, Buettner distills the lessons into options we all can adopt to add years (and/or quality) to our lives. My favorite part is that he states specifically that, if we should choose to try something from the book, we don't need to adopt all of these suggestions. We can try one or two, five, seven, ten, or none, depending on what we want to do. There is no self-righteous, "Do all of this or die tomorrow" doomsday prophecy speech. What a comfort in a self-help book!
I really wanted to like this book. I really did. It's written in a conversational, non-academic, unpatronizing tone. Even the technical stuff, while I got lost a little bit in the details, was at least somewhat interesting. The people are fascinating. His skill at describing their lives was tantamount to being there myself.
I believe that we should all be good stewards of the bodies we've been given, treating them well, with kindness, and not being self-destructive. That's what the book is about! But my foundational worldview is the polar opposite of Buettner's foundational worldview - Christian vs. evolutionary. I have to say this because anything else that I say will be colored by that. If you come from an evolutionary worldview, I think you'd really enjoy this book. But at every turn, our foundational differences (WHY should we want to live longer? WHO is living longer about? WHAT is really important in life?) colored his writing, and my digestion of it. I found myself thinking, "Yes, but..." over and over. If your worldview is in agreement with his, then you will definitely enjoy reading and learning from this book. For me, it was just too hard to separate it.
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answer.Using what he learned in each of the five areas he studied, Buettner distills the lessons into options we all can adopt to add years (and/or quality) to our lives. My favorite part is that he states specifically that, if we should choose to try something from the book, we don't need to adopt all of these suggestions. We can try one or two, five, seven, ten, or none, depending on what we want to do. There is no self-righteous, "Do all of this or die tomorrow" doomsday prophecy speech. What a comfort in a self-help book!
I really wanted to like this book. I really did. It's written in a conversational, non-academic, unpatronizing tone. Even the technical stuff, while I got lost a little bit in the details, was at least somewhat interesting. The people are fascinating. His skill at describing their lives was tantamount to being there myself.
I believe that we should all be good stewards of the bodies we've been given, treating them well, with kindness, and not being self-destructive. That's what the book is about! But my foundational worldview is the polar opposite of Buettner's foundational worldview - Christian vs. evolutionary. I have to say this because anything else that I say will be colored by that. If you come from an evolutionary worldview, I think you'd really enjoy this book. But at every turn, our foundational differences (WHY should we want to live longer? WHO is living longer about? WHAT is really important in life?) colored his writing, and my digestion of it. I found myself thinking, "Yes, but..." over and over. If your worldview is in agreement with his, then you will definitely enjoy reading and learning from this book. For me, it was just too hard to separate it.
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LibraryThing member providencia
I began reading this book thinking that there would be some unified theory based on certain foods. What I found was simple and refreshing. I feel that the researchers were able to come up with a unified theory on best practices. There is certainly an interest in developing awareness around what we
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put into our bodies. This book gives added perspective of culture, ancestry and environment. Show Less
LibraryThing member realbigcat
The book differs from the typical fare of longetivity offerings whereby the author has determined that there are specific areas of the world "Blue Zones" where people are known to live significantly longer than the normal life expectancy of an industrialized nation. The book focused on interviewing
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these octagenarians in there home and seeing what they had in common that distinguished them from other nations. This unique approach was interesting and pointed out a common them. Many of people lead a very simple life. They grow their own food, have deep family roots, work and stay active all their lives and live more or less stress free. While I found this book interesting, anyone that really wants to benefit from the findings can just read the final chapter that tells how to incorporate the findings into your lifestyle. Ultimately, the final rersults are the basis of which all the thousands of health books have in common. Don't smoke, drink in moderation, eat natural foods and exercise. Follow these rules and you can live longer. Unfortunately for us Americans our lifestyles of fast food and high stress work will never let us achieve our optimum life span. If you are interested in longevivity study then you would probably enjoy this book. If not, just read the last chapter if you have the opportunity. Show Less
LibraryThing member Clara53
Loved it. Will try to implement some of the things described in the book into my life as much as possible. Some of them I already do - like eating a lot of bitter melon :), and my love of walking...
LibraryThing member SmokeyOkie
The 2008 version of the book is informative. It has numerous stories of actual centenarians from each of four areas in the world. Readers are introduced to specific individuals and allowed to understand how they have eaten, exercises, and socialized throughout their lives. This helps the reader to
However, despite these stories, the human interest connection that the author tries to create is overshadowed by the book's numerous editing errors and the author's commentary that often seems to conclude without conveying a specific point. Unfortunately, both of these problems crop up often enough to detract from the understanding and general enjoyment of the information provided.
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better internalize the information being provided. At the end of section, the author lists the locales' customs and traditions that contribute to their longevity, and the science that proves it. However, despite these stories, the human interest connection that the author tries to create is overshadowed by the book's numerous editing errors and the author's commentary that often seems to conclude without conveying a specific point. Unfortunately, both of these problems crop up often enough to detract from the understanding and general enjoyment of the information provided.
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LibraryThing member oldmanriver1951
This was an enjoyable read. Having traveled around the globe more than few times I was always intrigued how certain races or cultures seemed to have the longevity factor far outpacing the normal lifespan. In 'The Blue Zone' you'll find ways to live as much as a decade longer, thereby leding one to
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live a longer and fuller lifespan. Inside you'll find habits that can and will develop habits to leading a more productive life! Show Less
LibraryThing member jepeters333
Living a healthy life well into your 90's - and possibly your 100's - may be easier than you think. Award-winning author and researcher Dan Buettner has traveled the world to meet the planet's longest-lived people, and learned nine powerful yet simple lessons that could put you on the path to
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longer life. Where did he find them? In the Blue Zones - Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, California; Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica. Show Less
LibraryThing member amandaking
A great philosophy on living life healthier and longer, Dan Buettner's Blue Zone something that everyone concerned about aging in modern society should take a look at. Learn from the places on the Earth where people live the longest how they do it - what makes them tick so long.
LibraryThing member lisalouhoo
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.
One review of this book that I read gave it a poor rating, as there
One review of this book that I read gave it a poor rating, as there
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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 forever. I found it comforting that all of the conclusions they found in studying the people in these Blue Zones are things that we all can do, and things that we pretty much know we should be doing. Show Less
LibraryThing member tgraettinger
This book was good, but I think it could have been condensed considerably. The narratives were mildly interesting, but not terribly compelling (to me). I did like the last chapter on "Your Personal Blue Zone" that summarized the findings into digestible bits. My most important take-away was that
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there is no silver bullet for longevity. Rather, a constellation of factors are at work - especially including social factors that I don't expect to show up in pill form anytime soon. Show Less
LibraryThing member hereandthere
I don't care much about longevity, but this is a book about living well as much as long. The secret? You already knew it. Eat more plants than animals, have a purpose in life each day when you rise, stay socially connected, move your body every day, keep your sense of humor. (There are nine major
The authors describe four visits to Okinawa, Sardinia, Loma Linda California (a Seventh Day Adventist community), and Costa Rica, and in each place they visit communities with an unusual number of centenarians. They interview them about their lives, now and in the past, and look at younger people (as in, age 60 and 70) in the community who are living in similar ways.
There are interesting details that emerge in conversations with scientists and anthropologists who provide a guide to each local community. Some communities drink red wine and some do not. One group keeps the Sabbath. Each has some special foods, mugwort, fish oil, whatever. Good genes will get you 25% of the way there too. But from these details the author synthesizes some good general principles that are really as much about living well as living long.
How long we live is really a trivial detail. The goal is not to live long but to live well, and to die quickly when the living is done.
This book is a bit too chatty for my taste. I prefer more science and examples and less detail about the cafe in which the author held a conversation with a local researcher. Nonetheless, you can skim through it and hear some interesting voices and stories of good living -- well worth reading.
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recommendations in all, with numerous sub-components.) The authors describe four visits to Okinawa, Sardinia, Loma Linda California (a Seventh Day Adventist community), and Costa Rica, and in each place they visit communities with an unusual number of centenarians. They interview them about their lives, now and in the past, and look at younger people (as in, age 60 and 70) in the community who are living in similar ways.
There are interesting details that emerge in conversations with scientists and anthropologists who provide a guide to each local community. Some communities drink red wine and some do not. One group keeps the Sabbath. Each has some special foods, mugwort, fish oil, whatever. Good genes will get you 25% of the way there too. But from these details the author synthesizes some good general principles that are really as much about living well as living long.
How long we live is really a trivial detail. The goal is not to live long but to live well, and to die quickly when the living is done.
This book is a bit too chatty for my taste. I prefer more science and examples and less detail about the cafe in which the author held a conversation with a local researcher. Nonetheless, you can skim through it and hear some interesting voices and stories of good living -- well worth reading.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jbarr5
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
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 I found was to be with family, grandkids, etc it will keep you on your toes and others younger will look up to you, respect you. It does keep you young.
Power naps for 30 mins, herbal teas lower blood pressure. Each of the zones has their own specialty. it's what works for them.
Loved hearing how they discover a blue zone-all the numerology involved.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
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
Show More
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 I found was to be with family, grandkids, etc it will keep you on your toes and others younger will look up to you, respect you. It does keep you young.
Power naps for 30 mins, herbal teas lower blood pressure. Each of the zones has their own specialty. it's what works for them.
Loved hearing how they discover a blue zone-all the numerology involved.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Show Less
LibraryThing member Schmerguls
I read the second editon of this book, which was published in 2012. The author, a writer for National Geographic, tells of his visits to Sardinia, Okinawa, Loma Linda, CA, Costa Rica, and the island of Ikaris, Greece, where he and his fellow researchers interviewed the many 100-year-olds living in
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those places in an effort to see why they were able to live so long. He spends a lot of time on their diet but also empasizes their non-fast-paced style of living. Many of their lives do not seem too interesting but they are satisfied and they live longer than people who live more exciting lives. Anybody can pick up some hints as to what might one live longer. I liked the fact that there was emphasis on eating nuts regularly. Since I for some years have eaten 16 almonds every day, I took a little satisfaction in learning about that. There are lots more interesting things one can learn from this book, written of course in Natioal Geographic prose. Show Less
LibraryThing member LaPhenix
A great balance of fun and heartwarming anecdotes interspersed with data from research and studies.
LibraryThing member sanyamakadi
Despite the book having a quote from Dr. Oz on the front, I found this book to be very interesting and informative. It was a great mix of science and personal stories, mixing qualitative and quantitative evidence. Th author had a few missteps, such as the fact that, despite longevity research
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having been predominantly focused around women, in none of his expeditions did he include a single female longevity expert. And him drawing conclusions about things that are true for "most of the population (except pre-menopausal women)"--yes, technically the number of males and women who are peri- or post-menopausal in the United States is greater than the rest of the female population, but it is not like females under the age of 45ish make up an insignificant portion of the population. But despite there being a few moments which led to me argue with the author in the margins, in general this book provided excellent food for thought (and discussion with my family, whether they liked it or not), and I would highly recommend. Show Less
LibraryThing member creighley
Buettner discusses the health, fitness, diet, and aging process by researching the blue zones globally. The blue zones are places where there is an inordinate number of centenarians. Interesting concept with lots of ideas to live not only a longer life, but one with quality.
LibraryThing member Neale
Its a pity many of the Blue Zones (high life expectancy areas) are disappearing due to the expansion of western ideas - except for the Blue Zone in the US (the Adventists). Many common themes come out of each of the Blue Zones and these are summarised in the 9 factors that lead to a long life. Hard
You can log onto BlueZones.com to take a longevity survey. Funnily enough the site mentions consuming fish which is not one of the 9 findings.
Recommended reading.
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physical work apparently doesn't kill you.You can log onto BlueZones.com to take a longevity survey. Funnily enough the site mentions consuming fish which is not one of the 9 findings.
Recommended reading.
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LibraryThing member JorgeousJotts
I'm always interested in longevity and lasting good health, so this was interesting. Lots of solid advice.
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
304 p.; 9.1 inches
ISBN
1426202741 / 9781426202742
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