Go Wild
Free Your Body and Mind From the Afflictions of Civilization
John J. Ratey, MD and Richard Manning

Hachette
June 2014/ ISBN 9781478977292
Nonfiction/ Health/ Fitness / Audio Book - Unabridged / 9 hours on 8 CDs

Reviewed by Leslie C. Halpern

Citing historical data on early hunter/gatherers and numerous research studies on some of today’s more primitive cultures, this book concludes that modern life is making us fat, sick, and stupid. Our carb-rich and high-processed diets, sedentary lifestyle, stress-filled days, reliance on technology and artificial light, lack of face-to-face socialization, and erratic sleeping schedules combine to lower our quality of life. Harvard Medical School Professor John Ratey, MD and journalist Richard Manning make a strong case for living the Paleo lifestyle, a “wilder” approach to eating, moving, thinking, and behaving more naturally, like the early hunter/gatherers.

Read by Dan Woren in a soothing, yet authoritative manner, this book lays the foundation for healthy living. Avoid beans, bread, sugar, corn, and processed foods. Move your body outside in nature, as humans are “the Swiss army knives of movement,” built for running and a huge variety of motion. Cut down on caffeine to enable eight hours and thirty minutes of sleep each night. Share your life and living space with those you love. These are just a sampling of the many pieces of advice contained in this book, which in no way resembles the more common connotation of “going wild” that includes such behaviors as binge eating and other excessive behaviors.

Sometimes the cited examples are overly lengthy – such as the hiking outdoors versus walking on a treadmill scenario – but, the authors appear sincere and enthusiastic about elaborating each point for their readers. One particular case study involving a young woman’s long list of seemingly unrelated illnesses is especially moving. In this instance, it was essential that every detail was revealed in order to fully appreciate the suffering she endured through undiagnosed metabolic syndrome. The authors show how adjusting her diet and lifestyle accomplished what medicine could not. Informative and thoroughly researched, though a tad on the dry side, Go Wild may be all the inspiration needed for readers to adopt a healthier lifestyle.