“The myth of eight hours”: why you may not need as much sleep as you thought

8-hrs-myth-main-image-1800×1200.jpg

Features

The Science of Physical Activity, Rest and Health

Exercised

'Endlessly fascinating and full of surprises. Easily one of my books of the year' BILL BRYSON 
 
The myth-busting science behind our modern attitudes to exercise: what our bodies really need, why it matters, and its effects on health and wellbeing. 
 
In industrialized nations, our sedentary lifestyles have contributed to skyrocketing rates of obesity and diseases like diabetes. A key remedy, we are told, is exercise - voluntary physical activity for the sake of health. However, most of us struggle to stay fit, and our attitudes to exercise are plagued by misconceptions, finger-pointing and anxiety. 
 
But, as Daniel Lieberman shows in Exercised, the first book of its kind by a leading scientific expert, we never evolved to exercise. We are hardwired for moderate exertion throughout each day, not triathlons or treadmills. Drawing on over a decade of high-level scientific research and eye-opening insights from evolutionary biology and anthropology, Lieberman explains precisely how exercise can promote health; debunks persistent myths about sitting, speed, strength and endurance; and points the way towards more enjoyable and physically active living in the modern world. 
 
'Myth-busting, illuminating, brilliant - Lieberman will completely change the way you think about your body' Professor ALICE ROBERTS, presenter of Our Incredible Human Journey

Endlessly fascinating and full of surprises. Lieberman strikes a perfect balance of scholarship, wit and enthusiasm for his subject. This is easily one of my books of the year

Myth-busting, illuminating, brilliant - Lieberman will completely change the way you think about your body

presenter of Our Incredible Human Journey

Entertaining and informative... The book is full of helpful tips - you'll build muscle faster by extending muscles under load rather than contracting them; the kind of chair you sit on doesn't matter as long as you strengthen your back muscles and move regularly - conveyed in a humorous and sympathetic style

Part user manual for the human body and part detective story exploring our evolution, Exercised will change the way you think about exercise, diet and your own wellbeing

A surprising, erudite and revelatory look at the natural history of physical activity and why exercise is both so necessary for us and so unnatural. A must-read for anyone with a working body and mind

New York Times-bestselling author of The First 20 Minutes

A fascinating read, and one that could nudge you toward a healthier (and longer) life

Excellent - well written, amusing and touching on the lives of all who read it

Eye-opening, mind-expanding and potentially body-shaping

Daniel Lieberman&rsquo;s work is so incredibly impressive

Daniel Lieberman is Edwin M. Lerner II Professor of Biological Sciences and a professor of the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. He is a leading figure in the field of human evolution and its relevance to health. He is especially renowned for his research on the evolution of running, which he also enjoys himself. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles, many of them in Nature and Science. His previous books include The Story of the Human Body and Exercised. He lives in Massachusetts.

In industrialized nations, our sedentary lifestyles have contributed to skyrocketing rates of obesity and diseases like diabetes. A key remedy, we are told, is exercise - voluntary physical activity for the sake of health. However, most of us struggle to stay fit, and our attitudes to exercise are plagued by misconceptions, finger-pointing and anxiety. 
 
But, as Daniel Lieberman shows in Exercised, the first book of its kind by a leading scientific expert, we never evolved to exercise. We are hardwired for moderate exertion throughout each day, not triathlons or treadmills. Drawing on over a decade of high-level scientific research and eye-opening insights from evolutionary biology and anthropology, Lieberman explains precisely how exercise can promote health; debunks persistent myths about sitting, speed, strength and endurance; and points the way towards more enjoyable and physically active living in the modern world.

Evolution, Health and Disease

The Story of the Human Body

In The Story of the Human Body, Daniel Lieberman, Professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard, shows how we need to change our world to fit our hunter-gatherer bodies 
 
This ground-breaking book of popular science explores how the way we use our bodies is all wrong. From an evolutionary perspective, if normal is defined as what most people have done for millions of years, then it's normal to walk and run 9 -15 kilometres a day to hunt and gather fresh food which is high in fibre, low in sugar, and barely processed. It's also normal to spend much of your time nursing, napping, making stone tools, and gossiping with a small band of people. 
 
Our 21st-century lifestyles, argues Daniel Lieberman, are out of synch with our stone-age bodies. Never have we been so healthy and long-lived - but never, too, have we been so prone to a slew of problems that were, until recently, rare or unknown, from asthma, to diabetes, to - scariest of all - overpopulation. 
 
The Story of the Human Body asks how our bodies got to be the way they are, and considers how that evolutionary history - both ancient and recent - can help us evaluate how we use our bodies. How is the present-day state of the human body related to the past? And what is the human body's future? 
'Monumental. The Story of the Human Body, by one of our leading experts, takes us on an epic voyage' - Neil Shubin, author of Your Inner Fish 
 
'Riveting, enlightening, and more than a little frightening' - Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run 
 
Daniel Lieberman is the Chair of the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard and a leader in the field. He has written nearly 100 articles, many appearing in the journals Nature and Science, and his cover story on barefoot running in Nature was picked up by major media the world over. His research and discoveries have been highlighted in newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Boston Globe, Discover, and National Geographic.

Monumental. The Story of the Human Body, by one of our leading experts, takes us on an epic voyage that reveals how the past six million years shaped every part of us - our heads, limbs, and even our metabolism. Through Lieberman's eyes, evolutionary history not only comes alive, it also becomes the means to understand, and ultimately influence, our body's future

No one understands the human body like Daniel Lieberman or tells its story more eloquently. He's found a tale inside our skin that's riveting, enlightening, and more than a little frightening

Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run

Daniel Lieberman

This could — should — be the last diet book you will need. It’s colourful, readable, personable, richly informed, expert and just, well… right... demolishes diet myths and brings some much needed rigour to the healthy eating debate

Wise, witty, and full of unexpected insights — a perfect book for anyone who cares about living well

A terrific book that cuts through the noise of fad diets and nutrition advice by turning to the most reliable guide we have: the deep history of the human body. The result is a wise, accessible, and evidence-based framework for eating well in a world that has made eating badly all too easy

Michael Moss, author of Salt, Sugar, Fat

Humorous and relatable...it's a whirlwind ride. Fed Up is an excellent and wide-ranging book

What Evolution Reveals about Food, Diet and Eating Well

Why is it so hard to decide what to eat? We are bombarded with conflicting advice on weight and health, fad diets and food pyramids. No wonder so many of us feel confused and guilty. 
 
In Fed Up, Daniel Lieberman tackles this confusion head on with his trademark blend of lively storytelling and myth-busting science. Drawing on evolutionary biology, anthropology and physiology, he explains how humans first evolved to eat; how fire, farming and industrialization transformed our diets; and what that history combined with rigorous medical science can – and cannot – tell us about what to eat today to stay healthy and manage our weight. In each chapter, Lieberman explores what different diets – from Paleo to veganism to intermittent fasting – tell us about nutrition and health, even putting these diets to the test himself. His conclusion is liberating: there is no optimal diet. What matters instead is variety, moderation and finding out what works for you. 
 
Clear-eyed, humane and always entertaining, Fed Up gives us the tools to make wiser, kinder choices about what we eat.

Daniel Lieberman

Books by Daniel Lieberman

Articles featuring Daniel Lieberman

“The myth of eight hours”: why you may not need as much sleep as you thought

Videos

5 Common Exercise Myths Debunked | Daniel Lieberman

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter