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'INFORMATIVE AND PERSUASIVE ENOUGH TO ROUSE THE MOST ARDENT COUCH POTATO' (NEW STATESMAN)
IRISH TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER
A captivating exploration of the science of a skill that is uniquely human: how we walk. And a hymn to its many benefits for our mental and physical health, and for our society
Walking upright on two feet is a uniquely human skill. It defines us as a species.
It enabled us to walk out of Africa and to spread as far as Alaska and Australia. It freed our hands and freed our minds. We put one foot in front of the other without thinking – yet how many of us know how we do that, or appreciate the advantages it gives us? In this hymn to walking, neuroscientist Shane O’Mara invites us to marvel at the benefits it confers on our bodies and minds.
In Praise of Walking celebrates this miraculous ability. Incredibly, it is a skill that has its evolutionary origins millions of years ago, under the sea. And the latest research is only now revealing how the brain and nervous system performs the mechanical magic of balancing, navigating a crowded city, or running our inner GPS system.
Walking is good for our muscles and posture; it helps to protect and repair organs, and can slow or turn back the ageing of our brains. With our minds in motion we think more creatively, our mood improves and stress levels fall. Walking together to achieve a shared purpose is also a social glue that has contributed to our survival as a species.
Author: Shane O'Mara
Paperback Published 23 September 2020 224 pages
Originally published in trade paperback 1 August 2019
“It seems like a simple, perhaps the simplest, human activity: Walking. Yet, as O’Mara makes clear, every amble is transformative. It grows brain cells, fires our muscles, unleashes our creative spirit and lifts our moods. This book could―and should―change your life.”- Florence Williams, author of The Nature Fix
“Compelling and wise, In Praise of Walking points the way to the human adventure.”- Richard Louv, author of Our Wild Calling and Last Child in the Woods
“Informative and persuasive enough to rouse the most ardent couch potato.”- Jonathon Keats, New Scientist