I have this wonderful Kindle Fire that seems to be used more for reading blogs and even a little work on-the-go. When I read over on Julie’s blog, Peanut Butter Fingers, that Drop Dead Healthy- One Man’s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection by A.J. Jacobs was the June Book Club decision, I was excited and figure now was as good as time as any to do some actual reading on my Kindle Fire. Plus, I have always liked the idea of a book club and this book just gave me the added push I needed to give the whole book club thing a try.
As someone who spends 40hrs a week writing articles, blogs and wellness plans for a living while working on completing a second Masters degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion, I must say that I was extremely excited to be reading a man’s quest to becoming healthy as oppose to writing telling others what they need to do to become healthier!
Having never read an A.J. Jacobs book before, I was excited to see what he was all about.
The first thing I noticed while reading was that this book was initially a little hard to get into. If you are used to books with suspenseful story lines, it can be a bit of a struggle to get into this book at first. When you turn the page (or in my case touch the screen), it’s sometimes hard to tell what you are going to be reading next. Fortunately for me, I’m so used to reading textbooks that I didn’t need suspense to keep me interested.
I really love Jacobs laid-back style of writing. It’s witty and very conversational — when I write I have a tendency to write in a very conversational tone so I was easily able to relate to the style of this book! I loved the fact that Jacobs spent two years of trying to get healthy and focuses on a different part of the body in each chapter.
This book was an “experiment in getting healthy.” With a population that seems to be less-than-healthy these days, I think this is the perfect read for anyone looking for a little extra motivation. While it wasn’t always easy, Jacobs managed to have fun along the way. I loved the mix of his personal encounters mixed with various health, fitness and nutrition facts. Any one could learn a thing or two from this book even if you are a fitness fanatic. For example, did you know that the average human used to walk 8-10 miles per day? Funny how things have changed! Now it seems like we pick up a phone or send a text even when the person we need to talk to is in the next room. (Are you guilty of this).
I also loved the fact that this book — in away — provides a comprehensive list of some many fad diets available to today’s consumer. Barefoot running, the Paleo Diet and Pilates are all “trends” in the health and fitness industry today and they make there way into Jacob’s’ book. His concept is to try a little bit of everything and see what works. I think that attitude is what makes this book perfect for the average person out there who has tried it all and just can’t seem to find a plan that works!
This book is actually LOL funny! Deciding to run down to the store while wearing jeans and a big puffy coat and a woman pushing a stroller asking you is everything okay gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “running errands.”
Overall, I’d definitely recommend this book to a friend, whether that friend was a health and fitness nut or not!
