User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
In terms of single subject science books, Breath is a bit light on the science and heavy on the anecdotal evidence. Though there doesn’t appear to be anything outrageous or obviously harmful here, there also doesn’t appear to be deeply researched double-blind scientific studies following statistically significant populations either. The observation of one yogi who can seemingly control body temperature doesn’t make much of an observation about humanity at large, and it might just be an aberration or a falsified data point. But again, the recommendations of nose breathing and engaging in yoga-style breathing exercises seem fairly benign and may even improve overall health. But the science seems about as settled as various diet recommendations, the science of which seems to change by the year.
Rating: really liked it
Over-promising, potentially dangerous, pseudo-science book that uses limited to no data to substantiate its claims. We don’t need another rebuke of science in the world these days...Nestor’s sentences like “doctors use scary words to describe breathing like hypercapnia, hypoxia...” undermine actual researchers and physicians. This book uses the classic trope of the medical establishment dismissing obvious, home-remedy style solutions. Friend, if even 10% of the claims in this book were true, physicians everywhere would be prescribing breathing exercises immediately.
What are those claims? The author states that breathing can cure scoliosis, strokes, asthma, bacteremia caused by injecting E. Coli into a patients veins, etc. Nearly every disease category is invoked. Only in his final disclaimers at the end of the book does he say “if you have stage 4 cancer, these breathing exercises won’t cure that.”
This feels like a Theranos-style use of data. The author uses Stanford’s name like he’s a full professor there, but he’s not affiliated at all and merely participated in a study on nose-breathing vs mouth-breathing. He uses qualifiers like “in several unpublished studies”...readers should beware of claims like that. Why would something so effective be unpublished? Oh right, the medical establishment trope. He interviews several “pulmonauts” — a word he created that is an insult to astronauts everywhere. These are people who have tried weird things with breathing and believe they’re effective.
One main thesis is the equivalent of intermittent fasting for breathing...”what if we breathed less?” Look out for future books on things-we-all-do mixed with what-if-we-did-them-less. Book ideas: blinking? itching? moving? Have at it, Mr. Nestor.
Can breathing help calm us down? Probably. Do people have actual breathing problems? Of course. Are we all breathing wrong and nearly all our ailments can be cured by just following this author’s breathing exercises? Doubtful.
If all this is true, put in the effort and run some scientific studies, Mr. Nestor. Prove your claims, get them peer-reviewed, and show the world. It’s too easy to write a misleading book these days.
How is this a NYTimes bestseller? Perhaps it should be in the fiction category...
Rating: really liked it
It seems many of us today, breathe wrong? A planet of open mouthed breathers that has caused a myriad of health issues. So, the author sets out to find how and when this changed. Melding, the historical, the scientific and current practices he takes us way back to a time when things were very different. When our mouths, noses and sinuses, our teeth were very different.
One never knows when picking up a book, that this book could be extremely beneficial to ones own health problems. That is what happened here, as.i both read and tried out the exercises in the book. Due to my severe breathing problems, I own an oximeter and monitor my oxygen levels. After just a short time, doing a few simple breathing exercises, my oxygen level rose quite substantially. I bought the book, the back of the book filled with items, things to do, that can help one strengthen lungs, sinuses and other areas. Aa life changed? We'll see, but right now I'm hopeful.
Rating: really liked it
This was far too new-agey for my tastes, and seemed to cherry pick studies instead of quoting meta-studies. The larger message of the book (nasal-breathing is preferable to mouth-breathing, and slowing down breathing can lead to a host of health benefits) seem to be well substantiated. But portraying breathing techniques as a panacea to everything seemed a little hackneyed.
Quick read, and has some useful snippets. But wouldn't recommend it if you've done some form of breath-work in the past.
Rating: really liked it
One GR reviewer calls this "4 parts good info and 1 part crackpot," which I think is fair. Maybe even a little too kind -- I'd call it 3 parts good info, 1 part chat & anecdotes, and 1 part crackpot. It drove me nuts that there were no footnotes, and the bibliography isn't in the book but on his website.
On his website. Grrrrrrr.
But that doesn't change the fact that for me, this was exactly the right book at exactly the right time. A few days ago I noticed that my breathing pattern was short and shallow and fast and uncomfortable, and I couldn't seem to shift it. It was as if my upper torso was locked, and I couldn't extend my inhales or exhales. It was a strange and disconcerting experience. This library loan came through that same day, and along with a breathing app I'd had on my phone forever, I set to work/play to try to loosen things up.
The resulting changes in my body came so swiftly that I decided I'd better keep a daily log to track them. Otherwise, I knew I'd be looking back on this experience and doubting things could have happened that...
dramatically.Starting with the day I opened the book and began experimenting with its techniques, I've had 4 consecutive nights of good sleep. Four nights. It has been years since I could say that. YEARS. The chronic sinus/nasal congestion that's been a feature of my life forever has moderated by about 50%. And my posture problem, that over the years I've alternately bemoaned and physically struggled against? That resolved itself in 18 hours (half of which I spent asleep).
And it's not like I haven't experimented with breathwork before. I've even done Grof's Holotropic Breathwork, many years ago (which I'd actually forgotten about entirely, until I encountered it in this book -- that's how little impact it had on me). But like I said above, right book, right time.
My experience is just another anecdote, though, so take it for whatever it's worth. Be aware that there's some very fair criticism of the book out there.
For example, here's a 3-star review I agree with: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And here's a 1-star review with a perspective worth considering: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
But for me personally, implementing the breathing advice in this book has been, and is currently in the process of being, transformative. And when the price drops a bit, I'll buy a copy to keep. (I add that last sentence for the benefit of my GR friends who know what a cheapskate I am.)
Rating: really liked it
I've had respiratory problems since I was a child and thus found this book quite fascinating. The author presents various theories on the best ways to improve our breathing and backs up the methods with science. I tried some of the suggested exercises and felt better immediately. I highly recommend this not only to people with breathing problems but anyone at all who is interested in improving their health.
Rating: really liked it
This book has some very important ideas, but goes about them in a roundabout manner - digressing frequently into unnecessary personal anecdotes. The style reminds me of people selling miracle cures who promise a lot, but take a long time to tell what they are selling. The useful ideas of the book can be summed up in a few pages, the rest is unnecessary verbiage. Some of the ideas are dangerous. He talks of inhaling air rich in carbon dioxide as a treatment for many ailments. My fear is the some people my try their hand at self-cure with carbon dioxide after reading this book and come to grief.
The useful ideas of the book are essentially:
Breathing through the mouth is harmful, one should breathe through the nose;
Breathing slowly is best. The ideal breathing rate is 5.5 breaths per minute.
Long exhalations are particularly beneficial.
Rapid breathing is generally harmful, but done with conscious control it can be beneficial.
Carbon dioxide is not metabolic waste, it has an important role in health and well-being.
These ideas could have been expressed more clearly and succintly.
Rating: really liked it
Though I believe there is really good information to help people to better health, the author sometimes supports his ideas with information he got from I-don't-know-where. Example: in 30+ years as a Tibetan Buddhist studying with authentic teachers (not reading new-age or yoga studio versions of Tibetan Buddhism) I've never heard or been taught about repeating om mani padme hum one syllable/second. Where in the world did he get the that idea? I'd love to know.
The fact that he supports his arguments with something highly questionable in this case makes me suspect he does it in other cases that I am less knowledgeable about. This in turn makes me question everything in the book much more than if his arguments had more comprehensive notes/footnotes. I *think* the author knows what he's writing about, but am not sure since he includes what I'm pretty sure is some kind of perversion in the area of my expertise. And though that area of expertise is only peripherally associated with the core of the book still it creates suspicions and doubts in my mind.
Rating: really liked it
Most of the time, we are not aware of our living styles. We don't care about our habits until we become sick and unhealthy.
Some simple things that we can do to avoid part of our health problems but we find them simply not done.
Breathing is a big topic and it is huge enough to maintain our body system to live better and longer.
Breathing by a nose is crucial and well explained in this book. Many scientific reports and experiments support the author’s writings.
Chewing exercise is vital and human face structures don't stop growing in the 20s or till the 70s. This means we influence the size and shape of our mouths and improve our ability to breathe at virtually any age.
I practice mouth tapping when sleeping to let my nose breathe for a few years and the results are fascinating. Disclaimer: Please check with your doctors or professional before doing this action.
Rating: really liked it
I am not normally one to write reviews for books, but I felt I must with this one. I cannot believe how contrary to the scientific process this book is, whilst having the word "science" in the title.
This book is the author's philosophy on breathing, developed by experimenting on himself. It uses anecdotes in place of evidence. It attributes correlation to causation. And it cherry-picks data that supports its position.
Two glowing examples (before I put the book down):
1. Nestor explains that Native American Indians had perfect teeth and very minimal respiratory problems, a fact which he attributes to a cultural practice of breathing through their noses. The "science" that this is based on, is the writings of a painter in 1830. Nestor chooses not to consider the effects that air pollution, physical activity, genetics, population density, etc
2. Nestor also suggests that modern humans are breathing too much and that what our bodies "require to function properly" is "more carbon dioxide". Nestor bases this off experiments conducted decades ago whereby dogs we strapped down to tables, intubated, and physically forced to breathe at a higher rate with bellows until they died. This is the "new science" that Nestor bases his recommendations on. Nestor also seems to neglect to mention that raised blood carbon dioxide levels are a sign of chronic respiratory disease, seen in COPD, OSA, OHS, etc.
Okay, rant over. Time to take some deep breathes...
Rating: really liked it
4 parts good info and 1 part crackpot, this book seems to have a good amount of excellent information that’s well-researched mixed in with some new age nonsense. But on the whole, I’m glad I read this. I am using some of these exercises and am making some (hopefully) lifelong breathing changes based on the principles in this book. I’m glad that this book is pushing forward some good self-maintenance and I look forward to the research that grows out of the author’s compilation of a variety of sources into a slim, easy-to-read volume.
Rating: really liked it
Popular science approach to the physiological effects of breathing, and how we breathe, on the body and mind from the cellular level up. Unsurprisingly, a good bit of attention is focused on yoga techniques, but it also illustrates other techniques utilized by premier athletes and opera singers. Essentially, how to get the most out of life. This doesn't replace modern medicine, it demonstrates what a valuable tool conscious breathing is on the human engine.
Not academic speak, but substantive enough that I'll buy a copy for a healthcare worker friend.
And honestly, I'm a bit terrified of mouth-breathing after reading this.
Rating: really liked it
If you've got serious health issues, breathing exercises may help in a small way, but they're not about to cure you. But what if you have nagging health issues, the kind allopathic medicine can't really cure and really doesn't have time to dig into? In that case, breathing exercises might offer surprising relief.
Credit India, China, and Nepal of long ago. Hindus and Buddhists, chiefly. You know. The guys who practically stop their lungs from breathing or their hearts from beating or their skin from freezing even though they're "OM-ing" in the great outdoors, mid-winter.
But what about your lay-breather? You, me, the mail carrier? In that case, maybe slowing, speeding, holding (to the point of discomfort), or expanding your lung capacity might bring results. All it takes is... practice.
James Nestor has done a lot of practicing. For this book, he offered himself up for most every modern-day doctor, guru, and holy man alive -- all folks building on ancient knowledge and, in many cases, finding modern clues as to why the breathing techniques work. This, then, is the story of his journey.
Could it be your journey? And which breathing technique suits your problem best? I wasn't always clear on that, and descriptions of breathing techniques are no replacement for videos (better) and actual coaching with an expert (best).
Safe to say, though, that we all generally suck (see what I did there?) at the autonomic process of breathing. We should shut our mouths for starters. Always. Even exercising. And, if we don't have sleep apnea but do snore (check with your loved one or your dog), you might keep your unconscious self honest by trying "sleep tape" (it's on Amazon) over your mouth each night.
You see, the evolution of our heads has worked for us and against us. On the plus side, our skulls have made more room for our brains, even though you wouldn't know it reading exploits of your fellow men in the newspaper (many in positions of power). It's also evolved to make more room for the tongue and talking eloquently.
Big tongues don't help your breathing though. Nor does the continually shrinking mouth space overall. We overbreathe like we overeat. Sucking wind on the rapid, shallow breaths we've gotten used to. Often, unbeknownst to ourselves, sporadically holding our breaths.
Ideally, you see, your inhales should be 5.5 seconds followed by exhales of 5.5 seconds (5 or 6 are both acceptable). Try it, though, and you may find yourself breathless in quick order, like you need to "catch up" on your oxygen (pant, pant, shirt, shirt).
Speaking of big-letter O, did you know that CO2 is equally important to your well-being? (So if you feel like a plant sometimes, there's a scientific reason.) Sucking oxygen on the sidelines isn't really doing much for athletes, but hey, if THEY think so, let 'em mask up and gulp their wonder drug....
Ultimately, if you're too busy to think about your breathing, don't bother reading this. But if you're not too busy to think about it for, say, 10-20 minutes a day (practice!), give it a gander.
Or, as a shortcut because you care not about the details, you can take a tour of some of the breathing videos and excellent Q&A video interviews with pulmonary experts on Nestor's website by simply going to
https://www.mrjamesnestor.com/breath
Who nose? It might do you some good.
Rating: really liked it
James Nestor takes a deep dive into the fascinating and surprisingly mysterious world of breathing. "How mysterious could it be, Heidi?" I hear you ask. It's something everyone does without thinking literally a few times every minute every day of their lives.
Well, there's a lot of mysteriousness, as Nestor discovered through his journey from terrible breathing to consciousness-shifting, bone-building, better breathing.
"I do as instructed, and listen as the rushing wind that was pouring through my lungs suddenly stops and is replaced by pure silence, the kind of jarring quietude a skydiver feels the moment a parachute opens. But this stillness is coming from inside." pg 143, ebook
He talks to researchers and mystics from around the globe to access both cutting edge research as well as ancient teachings from such exalted texts as The Upanishads.
What he's discussing here isn't new, but it feels new, perhaps because of the chronic disconnect between the mind and body that seems to haunt modern humanity.
From breathing slower to exhaling more, the dangerous of mouth breathing and the astonishing connection carbon dioxide inhalation has to panic attacks, there's a lot to explore.
And, despite all of the observed benefits and ten years of extensive research, Nestor doesn't forget to mention that breathing isn't a panacea. I appreciated that part as well.
"... what I'd like to make clear now, is that breathing, like any therapy or medication, can't do everything. Breathing fast, slow, or not at all can't make an embolism go away. ... No breathing can heal stage IV cancer. These severe problems require urgent medical attention." pg 184-185, ebook
I bookmarked all of the exercises Nestor gathers together from the text and lists at the end of the book. Each has similar yet slightly different affects according to practitioners of the methods. I may have to try every one to see for myself.
Highly recommended.
Rating: really liked it
This book is ultimately New Agey, yogic-breath metaphysics peddling cultic bullshit.
Pure and simple, based on the end of this book, and what I’ve glommed on reviews of other books, this is a vehicle to promote yogic breathing practices AND the metaphysics behind them, disguised as a vehicle of a “better breathing” book.
It’s quackery and cultism right there. Beyond that, it promotes pseudoscience elsewhere as well as potentially unhealthy and even dangerous practices.
It seems to have lots of interesting insights, but they’re largely anecdotal. It does have lots of problems. These are mostly at the end, but there’s a few early on, and more pile up in the middle of the book even before Nestor goes New Agey.
He does mention the domestication of fire, eons before refined foods, was the first major jaw-shrinkage time. But, he doesn’t go back older, far far older, to our australopithecine ancestors walking upright, and how that affected sinus drainage (as well as backs and fallen arches).
The non New Agey pseudoscience starts on page 60 with emphysema, which, first of all, is not the medical term used to day, rather, of course COPD.
The claim that emphysema is mainly due to poor breathing rather than cigarettes is a howler. So is the hint that COPD is curable. It is not. Its progression can be slowed and some of its symptoms can be ameliorated, in part through breathing exercises and related items, yes. But it can’t be cured.
From here, Nestor drops hints, while carefully avoiding direct statements, that other medical maladies can be cured just by breathing right.
The bad stuff is when he goes New Agey on yoga 30 pages before the end. And yes, dude, that’s what it is.
He talks about the “invisible energy” of our breath called prana in Sanskrit, etc., which he equates to chi and other things, which (setting aside the New Agey bullshit that any of this is real), no, they’re not the same.
He next raves about acupuncture. Reality? As Western medicine, starting in the 1700s, started making scientific discoveries, it started replacing acupuncture in China, which only rose again with the aid of the Great Helmsman (Wrecking the Ship of State), Mao.
He then talks about the spiciness of Chinese and Indian food. In reality, Chinese food, especially, was pretty bland before the Columbian Exchange. Beyond that, a lot of Chinese and Southeast Asian food today isn’t that hot. (Contra the claims of someone on Quora, Szechuan pepper is NOT “hot.” Indian long pepper, of the same genus as black pepper, is somewhat hotter, but not that hot.
He then gushes about Swami Rama, ignoring that good skepticism has shown with other yogis, they’ve never been able to actually stop their heart for more than a second or two; rather, they’ve used body control to muffle their heartbeat and other things. …. And ignoring that outside of that, he behaved like many another modern Indian guru, complete to the point of losing a sexual assault lawsuit.
He then says rocks differ from birds and bees based on the level of energy or “excitability of electrons.” This of course ignores uranium and radium ore rocks in his attempt to put a pseudoscience veneer on things.
After that, no, the Indus Valley Civilization of Harappa et al has nothing to do with pre-Hindu Aryan religious ideas. Since we still can’t translate their language, in fact, we don’t know what it has to do with anything! And, calling the Aryans “black-haired barbarians from Iran” is all wrong. They came from today’s central Asian “stans,” first of all, not Iran. The Indo-Aryans split from Iranians before this migration. And, of course, we have no way of knowing their predominant hair color. And, if this was an attempt to separate Indo-Aryans from Nazi ones, well, the Hindutva-fascism of today’s RSS, the backbone for the BJP political party of Indian PM Narendra Modi, has muddled that back u p.
As for the actual breathing ideas? Why precisely 5.5 seconds? What makes this better than either 5 or 6 seconds? Outside of a modern “app” (the stress of whose use might negate breathing benefits) who’s counting half-seconds?
Beyond that, Nestor misses an even simpler exercise that I’ve known about for years: the 8-8-8 breathing. Breathe in for 8, hold for 8, out for 8, preferably nasally in and orally out. Maybe the orally out doesn’t address mouth breathing, but that’s only one part of his breath focus, so I can go beyond that, too. It does “ground” one by doing it this way, both on the counting which is full seconds (or if you count a bit fast, still 6 seconds or so), and on focusing on breathing by alternating the nasal in and oral out. In addition, the ‘hold’ part mimics Nestor’s push for a long exhale.
Pursed-lip breathing is something else simple, but non-New Agey connected, that Nestor doesn’t mention. Wiki specifically says, per one health thing that Nestor does hammer, that pursed-lip breathing works on the parasympathetic nervous system.
That then said? There’s little controlled evidence for benefits of alternate nostril breathing, and very little for one nostril controlling one nervous system, and the other the other. Most studies that DO claim benefits are of yogic-influenced alt-med research.
Other things not mentioned? Many of Wim Hof’s records have been broken by others. Multiple people have died following the Wim Hof method.
That said, the subtitle of his “Deep” book containing the phrase “renegade science” should say something.
So, I won’t even recommend this book for the breathing exercises. Find another.
