The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self

This book was recommended by a friend, it isn't the kind of book that I normally read. Often, when I read nonfiction I read a chapter or so at a time and mix it in with some fiction that holds my interest a little better. The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter, however, grabbed me just like good fiction does. I didn't want to put it down after just one chapter, but instead just kept on going.Lots of good research and information on the importance of spending real time in nature, the benefits of boredom now and evolutionarily, hunger, recognizing impermanence and acknowledging the reality of death, evolutionary biology and how the way humans evolved still effects us, and the benefits of exercise and what kind of exercise is best. Overarching all of this is the idea that humans evolved to live in discomfort and how the comfort that we experience in our modern society is making us sick.I found the whole thing fascinating and will be turning in my library copy of this book and ordering a hardcopy for myself so I can reread it and make notes. Thought-provoking and informative, while still being entertaining. 5 solid stars

Favorite Quote: Scientists are finding that certain discomforts protect us from physical and psychological problems like obesity, heart disease, cancers, diabetes, depression, and anxiety, and even more fundamental issues like feeling a lack of meaning and purpose.Synopsis: Michael Easter’s The Comfort Crisis is part memoir and part exploration into human history and the situation we find ourselves in today. Easter explains that humans have become increasingly comfortable over the last 100 years. Between climate-controlled homes and being further away from where our food comes from, we experience very few true discomforts in life. Easter then explains how our lack of discomfort creates real physical issues for us, including rising rates of chronic diseases. Easter discusses the comfort crisis as he is on a month-long caribou hunting expedition in Alaska, allowing himself to experience extreme amounts of discomfort and relay this experience to readers.Why does this book beguile? I first heard of this book after reading Peter Attia’s Outlive. Easter embarks upon a month-long caribou hunting trip in the extreme reaches of Alaska. Through his trip, Easter chronicles his trip in Alaska and peppers his research into human comfort and discomfort. By interviewing experts on screen time, burnout, anxiety, and physiology, Easter makes a compelling argument for readers to spend more time outside, move more like our ancestors, and embrace things that make us uncomfortable so we are more unflappable in everyday life.

I highly recommend this book for just about everyone. I think there is a little something in it for everyone to benefit from and/or enjoy. The main point being that we as a society have just gotten all too comfortable with all our conveniences and Mr. Easter posits that we would do well to step away do something "really hard." Along the way there are side journeys to meet and learn aspects of ourselves from various experts that are just fascinating.It was - at least for me - a fast read and I found myself immersed in the book at just about all free moments. I finished the book is just a couple of days and found myself looking for the next read in this vein immediately.

What a great book recommended to me by a friend. Great research and strong writing. Love flipping between an engaging story and interesting interactions and research from experts.

Thank you for this book, it’s truly life changing.I’d write more, but I need to grab my pack and go ruck.

I first learned about Michael Easter in a short blog from Mike Rowe who was addressing the damage our “comfort” society has done. Easter has done great work in his research to examine how we used to live very different and more wholesome/healthy lives when we had to perform uncomfortable physical tasks to survive. Excellent!

This book inspired me to push my limits, be stronger, to ruck (love it), put down my phone and even leave it home when out on walks, embrace discomfort and then push even more. Highly recommend.

This might be my favorite book I can ever recall reading. Life changing and so inspiring.

Really a game changer for life, reading this book can open your mind on a new perception of life. The core of the book is an awesome Alaska Backpacking Hunting adventure that the author use to analyze the moden way of life from a lot of points of view introducing new ways of thinking, act and more.Absolutely suggested.

This was a really great read. A good blend of research/science with the story of a fantastic trip to Alaska. I’d really recommend it.But, if you’re looking for a “do this” prescription of how to live better in the modern world, this ain’t really it. The clues are there, but much of what he’s done, like going to Alaska, isn’t practical for most people. So you’ll have to figure out for yourself how to take the comfort out of your own life, to whatever extent you want to or can.

Inspirador y revelador respecto a conservar el contacto con la naturaleza

Un libro que cuenta una historia de superación personal a la vez que está llena de estudios, preparación, conocimientos de otras fuentesMuy completo, interesante y reveladorSi te gusta SAPIENS, este también te encantará

As someone who thinks it’s important to attempt to be comfortable with the uncomfortable, this book resonates on more levels that I could imagine. Michael’s right in that life is far too easy these days and people are becoming far to comfortable with convenience. This book is great for anyone stuck in a rut and just plodding along in life and really wants to (I think) push themselves to levels beyond what they believe is capable. The fact he’s undertaken these uncomfortable tasks and the book explains his journey makes what he’s saying relatable and also give a good indication on ways you can implement these steps yourself. Well worth a read and one I’ll probably return too