Book Review: Drop Dead Healthy: One Man’s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection by A.J. Jacobs

A.J. Jacobs is known for his experimental style that occupies many of his narratives. The author once again makes his life the center of his experience in Drop Dead Healthy: One Man’s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection. In this case, he composes his entire body to be the focus of his inspection, submitting every cell to scrutiny. He seeks to revamp each part of himself in a pursuit to become the healthiest man alive. Triggered by a medical issue, A.J. aims to make himself more robust so that he will have a better quality of life with his three young sons. Advising him along the way are individuals spanning those in his own family to world-renowned experts. Furthermore, he enlists assistance to make his living environment itself safer for himself and his young family.

He utilizes various tools to encourage him to make satisfactory choices. Some of these methods include aging himself electronically as encouragement to take care of himself for the future and writing a check to a grievous organization so that he will not consume sweets. Additionally, he uses small plates and mirrors to persuade himself to ingest smaller portions and consume fewer calories. To promote his physical fitness, he samples an assortment of gym classes. He even enrolls in a triathlon along his quest. At the end of each chapter, he gives a brief summary of his current progress.

One of the many areas that A.J. explores is the damaging consequences of noise pollution. Around 26 million adults suffer from noise-related hearing loss. Persistent exposure to sound effects stress levels, the cardiovascular system, and concentration. The author implements noise-canceling headphones in his daily routine to protect his ears against the harsh byproducts of noise pollution. Over the course of his research, he encounters a woman who silenced her refrigerator to minimize her exposure to sound pollution in her own home.

Germs are a particularly compelling issue for the author as these microbes are the source of a significant majority of our communicable illnesses. Meeting with a doctor dedicated to microbiology and immunology, A.J. aspires to answer some of his persistent questions regarding germs. He learns bacilli are present in our gut, mouth, and eyebrows. Thus, concluding that most bacteria are harmless. The author observes the benefits of using regular soap and water versus antibacterial soap and when which formula is more appropriate. On the other side of the “germ equation” are those that believe the immune system needs exposure to a certain number of microbes to develop properly. Again, the author interviews an immunologist to support this theory. Thus, there are conflicting views on the need for exposure to pathogens in our daily lives.

Another tract that A.J. examines is skincare. This first line of defense to the outside world acts as a literal barrier to pollen, pollution, microorganisms, U.V.A. and U.V.B. rays and other potentially harmful toxins. The skincare industry is a multi-million-dollar industry with people spending hundreds of dollars each year in an endeavor to appear younger and to prevent skin damage, and potentially skin cancer. He applies shot glasses full of sunscreen to his entire body to avoid the harsh, aging effects of sun exposure, even exposure of sunlight during cloudy days. Over the course of his investigation, A.J. discovers that no single moisturizer is any better than any others.

To assess the importance of sleep on the human body, he performs a sleep study to evaluate his own individual sleep patterns. Irregular amounts of sleep are associated with heart disease, hypertension, immune system issues, even car accidents. While there is the significance of snoring on the body, like heart disease and depression; sleep apnea, in which the air passages become constricted and prevent a person from breathing altogether, is especially detrimental. During these moments, some may noticeably awaken or simply jolt themselves into breathing. Accordingly, approaches for proper sleep are very important and surveying one’s own sleep is highly relevant.

The author leveraging himself as the subject of the experimentation is commendable. In much of his analysis, he goes to the extreme reaches to try out some of the inspected methods. There are lively interactions between the author and his wife. It was fascinating to note how distressed she became by his testing, given that customarily women tend to be more consumed by issues related to fitness, health, and appearance. At times she would participate in the techniques, like trying the juice fast, but predominantly she would roll her eyes in incredulity. Equally valuable was the author’s desire to pass on the lessons learned to his children, thereby giving them a solid foundation for the future. Since he began the research of being the healthiest man alive for the sake of his children, it is deserving he is using that new-found knowledge to better the lives of his sons.

The fact that the author covers all the areas of the body seeking to approach every facet to make each one as strong as possible is noteworthy. It is extraordinary that the author becomes somewhat addicted to the action of becoming healthier, gathering increased data about himself and the ways in which he can become an improved person. This leads to an extremely riveting plot twist.

Altogether, this is a brilliant publication filled with remarkably beneficial information. The author cautions he is not a medical provider. Therefore, the information contained within is for entertainment purposes only. Some of the results elicit practical responses that might direct one to facilitate an informative dialogue with their own medical provider, so that would be a beneficial initiation point. It is a magnificent work in that it traverses all the areas of the body, inside and out. Overall, the story is engaging while being enlightening about areas of health that could be enhanced and the ways in which people choose to make those advancements. The author connects several different philosophies on health and passes that knowledge forward to the readers while keeping the text captivating. This is a particularly splendid title for those involved in learning more about complete wellness or reading about someone who analyzes with their own well-being model.