Friday, January 10, 2020

Book Review: Go Wild

Go Wild: Eat Fat, Run Free, Be Social, and Follow Evolution's Other Rules for Total Health and Wellbeing, by John J. Ratey and Richard Manning, is thankfully a lot less gimmicky than it sounds.  After reading Spark a couple weeks ago, I approached this book with substantial dread, but it reads a lot more clearly than its predecessor.  This one was written for a lay audience, and it's so much more coherent as a result.  In this sub-300-page book, the authors describe a lifestyle, or perhaps a philosophy, for living a happier, healthier life. 

While autism is only mentioned in passing here and there in the chapters, it's been noted that autistic people function as the "canary in the coal mine" in terms of problems... in short, we're the first to suffer when things are systemically wrong, and we tend to suffer more than most people do.  Alternative lifestyles are much more commonplace in the autism community, including the very common dairy-free/gluten-free restriction which has helped so many of us thrive, rather than simply survive.

There are seven points of change or improvement that they address, as well as some failings of modern life and what the human lifestyle used to be like.  For each of his points (obvious things like sleep and food, but also a section on tribe/sociability and your central nervous system), they back up the ideas with references to research as well as personal stories.  I say references because the actual citations are not in evidence.  Not even at the end of the book in the horrifying mishmash of fine text that usually accompanies such things. 

This lack of citations is a little concerning, but I feel that to most readers, it doesn't make that much of a difference whether the citations are there or not.  Few people have time and inclination to hunt down every cited reference to be very sure it's accurate and appropriate to the text.  I'd personally be happier with the references at the end, but there is enough information in each chapter to look up the scientists or research in question.  Assuming a certain level of Google-fu (know-how with a search engine), I guess. 

The ideas in the book flowed fairly logically, given the evidence presented and my own experiences with the various topics.  Mostly, the thoughts put forth were expansions of stuff my doctor has already been telling me, though a bit more explicit or more thoroughly described.  There were a couple surprises, such as the section that covers (but is definitely not limited to) meditation, and parts of the section on food.  There were also some interesting thoughts about cancer and asthma in the chapter on civilization and its results.

If anyone was wondering, no, this book does not tell you to quit your life, go into some extremely rural area, and live off the grid.  The authors aren't so obtuse as to think that's reasonable for their readers.  They do suggest basic changes in the modern lifestyle that, while difficult in some cases, are doable.  And if they work as advertised, definitely worth the effort. 

The authors are also smart enough to realize that lives are highly individualized.  Thus, in the final chapter they give you a framework with which to start your journey towards a happier, healthier you, but don't give you precise numbers, specific exercises, or a list of meals you can or can't have.  They give you basic suggestions, which you can use to try things and find what works for you.

Read This Book If

You're someone looking for better wellness for yourself or your loved ones.  This is a great read for the new year, honestly.  It's particularly relevant for those of us with less stable bodies and minds (like myself), whether that's autism, ADHD, depression, anxiety disorders, or something else entirely.  I'm fairly certain neurotypical and mostly-healthy people will also find food for thought in these pages.  

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