Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, Third Edition

If I got to make a list of people on this planet I'd like to meet, Robert Sapolsky would be one of them. This guy is brilliant, hysterical, accessible, and informative in thousands of different ways. His writing can be extremely technical, explaining the details of hormones and neuroscience on every page --- but then goes on to give vivid, delightful illustrations of how those "invisible" forces in our bodies show up in the real world. In us. And in baboons. Other animals. And zebras (hence, the title.)The purpose is to illustrate why we, as individuals, and a Western society, experience stress, and how it manifests as sickness in so many ways. Real sickness, with short term results and long term diseases. In our bodies, not "in our minds", not something we should just "get over". His words and proof is validating scientifically, and a call to action. Our behavior, and the structure of our society, is making us sick. It's not humane to do what we do to ourselves. And we can change this.I'd like to see this book as mandatory reading for every policy-maker in health and human services. But I certainly wouldn't stop there. Managers, top to bottom, need it to understand the pressures on their employees and organizations. Scientists who work with people, or whose work affects people. Anyone who causes, or experiences, stress. Hmmm....does that leave anyone out?Okay, not everyone will want to read this book, because it's pretty technical, not designed for an uneducated reader. But the lessons in it are for everyone. I understand Sapolsky is regarded as one of the top neuroscientists in the world, and that's no surprise. What I'm grateful for is that he shares his knowledge in something other than a scientific journal, and it's an amazing read. It will be on my reference shelf permanently, but unlike the others which I use for "reference" --- I will also read it often just because it's a great read. Imagine that.

This is an incredibly engaging and informative book. In just over 400 pages, Sapolsky covers all aspects of stress, from what exactly stress is at the chemical level, to how stress effects sleep, the immune system, and sex, to practical ways of coping with stress.This book contains a significant amount of technical discussion. For example, the author goes into detail about the release of stress hormones such as cortisol and norepinephrine. That being said the writing is still clear and easy to follow, even if you do not have a background in medicine or physiology.In addition to considering the physiological aspects of stress, the author also talks considerably about the psychological aspects of stress. He writes for example about studies of attachment style, and what kinds of childhood environments lead to stress later in life.Surprisingly, another treat about this book is the footnotes. The author shares humorous and informative anecdotes here such as why JFK had a bad back, the inner working of toilet bowls, and why hormones have their names.I've tremendously enjoyed reading this book, and also Sapolsky's other book 'A Primates Memoir'. He makes science fun to read, and is world-class in his field. Granted the book is long, and the fact that the topic is stress all the way through did make it go slowly in some places. Nevertheless, if you have an interest in science, are not thrown off by technical discussions, and are looking for an eye-opening read then I'd recommend you give this book a go.

Although I can see how this book can be a bit difficult (especially in the beginning) to get through for someone with no science background, I still feel that it might be worth the effort, even for them. This is one of those rare books that brings the recent science findings in many different fields to life with wit and anecdotes. Sapolsky has a gift of story-telling. Do not be discouraged if you don't understand every little bit of detail when he goes into a maddening mess of interacting-hormone-descriptions! You really don't need to understand every bit of detail to continue moving forward in the book-- Sapolsky will come back to earth soon enough, and round up the basic ideas to take away for those of us with not enough background to get through the nitty-gritty stuff. I have a science background, and I have read a lot of books on science for laymen. I have to say this is one of the best-written, and best-researched books out there! Definitely a must for any life scientist interested in medical research, any medical professional, and anyone else interested to learn about how stress works, why that response is there, and how to keep things in perspective.