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Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art

James Nestor
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Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art

James Nestor
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Overall rating: 4.8352942 / 5 from 85 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art is a highly acclaimed book that explores the science and history of breathing. It reveals how improper breathing affects our health and offers insights from ancient practices and modern research to improve our breathing techniques.

Summary topics

  • Book Quality: 35%
  • Reading Experience: 25%

Review topics: [book, read, information, breath, account, title, wisdom, written, insight, matter, adjustments].

Review highlights

  • "Amazing Book, who knew that breathing was one of our long lost medicines." — Naza
  • "Great Informative Book!" — Jessica M.
  • "This is an excellent read about the way we can breathe in a more healthy way." — Shari

Reviews

TAKE A BREATHE!

"BREATHE!! No really. Stop and take a breath. This book was extremely enlightening. The power of the breath is so incremental to everyday life. I’ve had a state of euphoria when I’ve meditated before and this book told me the scientific reasons why. Clear takeaways for sure are: Stop breathing through your mouth, exhale a lot, & 5. 5 inhales and exhales are optimal"

— Brett (5/5)

One word that sums up what is needed to live and lead to a healthier life.

"Great book, shows people how to properly breathe which leads to better relaxation and healthier life. Not a school text book but a book that keeps you engaged and curiosity up, with personal stories and actual events."

— Duane (5/5)

A Breath of fresh knowledge . . .

"Loved this book! I generally find “self help” and “health” books hard to focus on with all the convoluted technical and medical terms, but this simple, fascinating, and surprisingly life-changing book shows how something as basic as how we breathe can change our lives, help us sleep better, feel calmer, and even improve our health. It’s easy to read, full of interesting history and facts, and makes you think twice about something you do all day without noticing."

— Susan S. (5/5)

The title really captures the point of the book. It teaches us that our breath is truly the most important thing to focus on.

"Definitely recommend reading this. Oue breath is something that a lot of us don’t think anout but should as it’s one of the most important functions of our bodies. One major take away is stop mouth breathing!!! Breathe slowly and controlled through your nose."

— Fiona (5/5)

Great book!

"Interesting insights and strategies to improve health"

— Traveller (5/5)

The Breath Experience

"Breath is a book that changes your world. it does so by opening your mind to the realm of possibilities associated with the most simple act that we do almost unconsciously. James Nestor's writing style makes this book about breath such a simple mechanism, an epic read. The words flow effortlessly across the pages as does your breath. This book is worth every penny it is made out, it deserves a space on every shelf. The most amazing thing about this book is that no matter your reading interest it will pull you in as if you didn't know that you had to read this book. The book provides James' personal account along with others and delves into a treasure trove of mind-blowing and key knowledge that can only benefit after being read."

— Books M. (5/5)

One of the best books I've read in a long time!

"Had no idea that how you breathe could be so important. Breath is an astonishing book about science, experiments and health, written in an engaging, often humorous way."

— Rosemary (5/5)

A comprehensive work on breath and breathing.

"This book is especially helpful to those conscious of and looking to improve their breathing. It is well researched and written in an accessible style. Highly recommended."

— D. S. (4/5)

A great book

"While I’m pleased with the book the price was high. I am trying very hard to support local however this book is a full $10. Cheaper through Amazon. I don’t mind some difference however this is far too much."

— Joanne G. (2/5)

Breathing is more than just filling one's lungs

"James Nestor's book ""Breath"" helped me to realize that, after back surgery, I had got in the habit of huffing and breathing through my mouth. The account of his struggles to find better ways of breathing for himself were interesting and encouraging for me to get started."

— Deks (4/5)

Q&A

  • Published date: Dec 30, 2025
  • Language: English
  • No. of Pages: 368
  • Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
  • ISBN: 9780735213623
  • Dimensions: 5.2" W x 1.02" L x 7.98" H
“A transformative book that changes how you think about your body and mind.” —Joshua Foer, The New York Times–bestselling author of Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything

“Breath is an utterly fascinating journey into the ways we are wired. No matter who you are, you’ll want to read this.” —Po Bronson, The New York Times–bestselling author of What Should I Do with My Life? and coauthor of NurtureShock

“An eye-opening, epic journey of human devolution that explains why so many of us are sick and tired. A must-read book that exposes what our health care system doesn’t see.” —Dr. Steven Y. Park, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, author of Sleep, Interrupted

“I don’t say this often, but when I do I mean it: This book changed my life. Breath is part scientific quest, part historical insight, part Hero’s Journey, full of groundbreaking ideas, and a rollicking good read. I had no idea that the simple and intuitive act of inhaling and exhaling has taken such an evolutionary hit. As a result, I figured out why I sleep so badly and why my breathing feels so often out of sync. With a few simple tweaks, I fixed my breathing and fixed myself. A transformational book!” —Caroline Paul, bestselling author of The Gutsy Girl

“If you breathe, you need this book. When we undervalue anything, including something so basic as breathing, bad things always happen—and Nestor makes it clear how awful it’s gotten. But he also provides a clear airway back to better, deeper, stronger respirations.” —Wallace J. Nichols, PhD, The New York Times–bestselling author of Blue Mind

“Breath shows us just how extraordinary the act of breathing is and why so much depends on how we do it. An enthralling, surprising, and often funny adventure into our most overlooked and undervalued function.” —Bonnie Tsui, author of Why We Swim and American Chinatown

“A welcome, invigorating user’s manual for the respiratory system." —Kirkus Reviews

“Although we all breathe, there is an art and science to breathing correctly. . . . Full of fascinating information an compelling arguments, this eye-opening (or more aptly a mouth-closing and nostril-opening) work is highly recommended.” —Library Journal
James Nestor is an author and science journalist who has written for Scientific American, The Atlantic, Outside, The New York Times, and more. His 2014 book, Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What The Ocean Tells Us about Ourselves, was a PEN American finalist, an Amazon Best Science Book of the Year, and a New York Times Editor’s Choice. His next book, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, is an international bestseller, with more than three million copies sold in 44 languages. Breath was awarded the Best General Nonfiction Book by the American Society of Journalists and Authors and was a Finalist for Science Book of the Year at the Royal Society. Nestor’s collaboration with The Global Classroom, a partnership with the World Health Organisation and supported by UNICEF, teaches millions of children around the world to breathe better. More at mrjamesnestor.com.

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