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eBook editions

Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream: A Day in the Life of Your Body

by Jennifer Ackerman

Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream: A Day in the Life of Your Body Cover

ISBN13: 9780618187584
ISBN10: 0618187588
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
All Product Details

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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

The acclaimed science writer Jennifer Ackerman lends her keen eye and lively voice to this marvelous exploration of the human body. Taking us through a typical day, from the arousal of the senses in the morning to the reverie of sleep and dreams, Ackerman reveals the human form as we've never seen it: busy, cunning, and miraculous.

Advances in genetics and medical imaging have allowed us to peer more deeply inside ourselves than ever before, and one of the most amazing recent discoveries is that we are intensely rhythmic creatures. The human body is like a clock — actually an entire shop of clocks — measuring out the seconds, minutes, days, and seasons of life. Weaving pieces of her own life with that of Everyman, Ackerman shows the importance of synchronizing our actions with our biological rhythms — and how defying them can cause us real harm.

We learn the best time of day to drink a cocktail, take a nap, run a race, give a presentation, and take medication, along with a host of other curious facts, such as why you succumb to a cold and your spouse doesn't, even though you've both been exposed to the same sick child.

Did you know that you can tell time in your sleep? Or that up to half of the calories you consume can be burned off simply by fidgeting? That women have more nightmares than men? That tuna, sardines, and walnuts may ease depression?

At once entertaining and deeply practical, this fascinating book will make you think of your body in an entirely new way.

Review:

"A fascinating look at what modern science tells us about who we are." Elizabeth Kolbert

Review:

"Such wide-ranging material has the potential to get out of hand, but here it is nicely tamed by the book's lucid structure....Ackerman's illuminating and hospitable book helps ensure that the inner life of our bodies will receive its fair share of wonderment." Kyla Dunn, The New York Times Book Review

Review:

"An insightful text celebrating just how clever is the machine we call the human body." Kirkus Reviews

Review:

"A skilled and personable science journalist, Ackerman has hit her stride in her third book....[O]ne can't help but note that scientific breakthroughs are proving the veracity of age-old adages about how to live right." Booklist

Synopsis:

Acclaimed science writer Ackerman lends her keen eye and lively voice to this marvelous exploration of the human body, and reveals the body as its never been seen — as an amazing, rhythmic creature.

About the Author

Jennifer Ackerman is the author of Notes from the Shore and Chance in the House of Fate. She writes regularly for National Geographic, the New York Times, and other publications. As a journalist, she has tracked the rare red-crowned crane in Hokkaido, interviewed a chimpanzee and "raced" him on a treadmill, chased a hurricane with geologists on a North Carolina barrier island, crossed the Pacific in a research vessel studying the effects of global warming, and searched for dinosaur and early bird fossils in the remote Liaoning province of western China. The recipient of an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Grant and Bunting Fellowship, she is married to the novelist Karl Ackerman and has two daughters. She resides in Charlottesville, VA.

Table of Contents

PROLOGUE xi

MORNING 1. AROUSAL • 3 2. MAKING SENSE • 16 3. WIT • 27

MIDDAY 4. THE TEETH OF NOON • 43 5. POST-LUNCH • 54

AFTERNOON 6. THE DOLDRUMS • 73 7. STRUNG OUT • 84 8. IN MOTION • 98

EVENING 9. PARTY FACE • 119

NIGHT 10. BEWITCHED • 135 11. NIGHT AIRS • 145 12. SLEEP • 157 13. HOUR OF THE WOLF • 175

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 191 NOTES 195 INDEX 237

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:

Taylor, January 2, 2009 (view all comments by Taylor)
This is a really intriguing book that examines how the physiology of the body changes throughout an entire day. The reader learns a lot more about the different cycles that the body undergoes, which dependent on the time of day as well as how to make his or her habits work around and with the cycle of the body to produce healthier benefits.

What I found particularly fascinating was the detailed look at different parts and functions of the body such as digestion and sleep. As I read this book, I came to appreciate the miracle of my body even more, as well as how I can consciously work with it in order maximize the life I'm living. I definitely think that this book offers a lot of exploration for people who wish to work with their bodies on a conscious level.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780618187584
Subtitle:
A Day in the Life of Your Body
Author:
Ackerman, Jennifer
Publisher:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Location:
Boston
Subject:
Physiology
Subject:
Human Physiology
Subject:
Body, human
Subject:
Life Sciences - Human Anatomy & Physiology
Subject:
Human Body.
Copyright:
Edition Description:
Trade Cloth
Publication Date:
20071002
Binding:
Hardback
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Pages:
272
Dimensions:
9 x 6 x 0.63 in 1.01 lb

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Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream: A Day in the Life of Your Body Used Hardcover
0 stars - 0 reviews
$9.95 In Stock
Product details 272 pages Houghton Mifflin Company - English 9780618187584 Reviews:
"Review" by , "A fascinating look at what modern science tells us about who we are."
"Review" by , "Such wide-ranging material has the potential to get out of hand, but here it is nicely tamed by the book's lucid structure....Ackerman's illuminating and hospitable book helps ensure that the inner life of our bodies will receive its fair share of wonderment."
"Review" by , "An insightful text celebrating just how clever is the machine we call the human body."
"Review" by , "A skilled and personable science journalist, Ackerman has hit her stride in her third book....[O]ne can't help but note that scientific breakthroughs are proving the veracity of age-old adages about how to live right."
"Synopsis" by , Acclaimed science writer Ackerman lends her keen eye and lively voice to this marvelous exploration of the human body, and reveals the body as its never been seen — as an amazing, rhythmic creature.
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