A. J. Jacobs - Drop Dead Healthy: One Mans Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection

From the bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically and The Know-It-All comes the true and truly hilarious story of one persons quest to become the healthiest man in the world.

Hospitalized with a freak case of tropical pneumonia, goaded by his wife telling him, I dont want to be a widow at forty-five, and ashamed of a middle-aged body best described as a python that swallowed a goat, A.J. Jacobs felt compelled to change his ways and get healthy. And he didnt want only to lose weight, or finish a triathlon, or lower his cholesterol. His ambitions were far greater: maximal health from head to toe.

The task was epic. He consulted an army of expertssleep consultants and sex clinicians, nutritionists and dermatologists. He subjected himself to dozens of different workoutsfrom Strollercize classes to Finger Fitness sessions, from bouldering with cavemen to a treadmill desk. And he took in a cartload of diets: raw foods, veganism, high protein, calorie restriction, extreme chewing, and dozens more. He bought gadgets and helmets, earphones and juicers. He poked and he pinched. He counted and he measured.

The story of his transformation is not only brilliantly entertaining, but it just may be the healthiest book ever written. It will make you laugh until your sides split and endorphins flood your bloodstream. It will alter the contours of your brain, imprinting you with better habits of hygiene and diet. It will move you emotionally and get you moving physically in surprising ways. And it will give you occasion to reflect on the bodys many mysteries and the ultimate pursuit of health: a well-lived life.

Praise for Drop Dead Healthy

I couldnt wait to get my hands on this book, and once again, the brilliant A.J. Jacobs had me laughing out loudand also deciding to change the way I live. Drop Dead Healthy is a rare mixture of the hilarious, the absurd, and the scientifically sound. Who knew it could be so entertaining to read about broccoli puree and shoeless jogging?

GRETCHEN RUBIN, author of THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

We can become healthier by learning from A.J.s discomfort in this very funny book. He moves us from theory to practice by dragging his body through all the longevity practices.

DR. MEHMET OZ, host, THE DR. OZ SHOW

A.J. Jacobs is very, very bad for your health. He will keep you up reading til 2 a.m., disturbing your circadian rhythms, making you sleep through breakfast and overeat at lunch. He is delicious. Hes habit-forming. He will give you infectious titters and terminal glee. Dont let that stop you. Indulge.

MARY ROACH, author of BONK and PACKING FOR MARS

Who wouldnt want to be fitter, happier, more productive? In this riotous, madcap book, A.J. Jacobs sets himself an ambitious goal: to become the person we all wish we could be. Its vintage A.J. Do your future self a favor and read this book.

JOSHUA FOER, author of MOONWALKING WITH EINSTEIN

Can one man go from a python that ate a goat physique to perfect specimen? From Roman soldier workouts to areca palm plants, from the sublime to the absurd, A.J. has tried it all. I laughed my ass off the whole way and learned a ton... including about my ass.

TIMOTHY FERRISS, author of THE 4-HOUR BODY

A. J. JACOBS is the author of The New York Times bestsellers The Year of Living Biblically, My Life as an Experiment , and The Know-It-All . He has been called inspired and inspiring ( Vanity Fair ), entertaining ( The New York Times ), and hilarious ( Time ). He is the editor at large of Esquire magazine, a contributor to NPR, and has written for The New York Times , The Washington Post , and Entertainment Weekly . He lives in New York City with his wife and kids. Visit him at AJJacobs.com and follow him on Twitter@ajjacobs.

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COPYRIGHT 2012 SIMON & SCHUSTER

ALSO BY THE AUTHOR

The Know-It-All

The Year of Living Biblically

My Life as an Experiment

Simon & Schuster

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Copyright 2012 by A.J. Jacobs

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Simon & Schuster Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition April 2012

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Designed by Ruth Lee-Mui

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Jacbs, A.J., 1968

Drop dead healthy : one mans humble quest for bodily perfection / A. J. Jacobs.

p. cm

1. Jacobs, A.J., 1968 Health. 2. Health. 3. NutritionBiography. 4. Exercise. 5. HealthHumor. I. Title.

RA776.5.J265 2012

613.2092dc23

[B]

2011039172

ISBN 978-1-4165-9907-4

ISBN 978-1-4391-1015-7 (ebook)

To Julie and my sons

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