Name: In Praise of Walking
Rating: 3.25 (2 reviews)
ISBN: 9780393652086

Shane O'Mara

A hymn to walking, the mechanical magic at the core of our humanity.

A New Scientific Exploration

In Praise of Walking

In this “wonderful” (John Brandon, Forbes) book, neuroscientist Shane O’Mara invites us to marvel at the benefits walking confers on our bodies and brains, and to appreciate the advantages of this uniquely human skill. From walking’s evolutionary origins, traced back millions of years to life forms on the ocean floor, to new findings from cutting-edge research, he reveals how the brain and nervous system give us the ability to balance, weave through a crowded city, and run 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 aging 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.

As our lives become increasingly sedentary, O’Mara makes the case that we must start walking again—whether it’s up a mountain, down to the park,?or simply to school and work. In Praise of Walking?illuminates the joys, health benefits, and mechanics of walking, and reminds us to get out of our chairs and discover a happier, healthier, more creative self.

Really loved the book. It’s short and has the perfect length. Not too long or short. Straight to the point. In some sections, you could feel like you’re reading an academic paper, but that doesn’t last long. The book explains why walking is good for us, from scientific perspective. 

Fatih Arslan

Jeremy Cote

Note: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.

I thought this was a decent book. It explored the various kinds of walking we do, the effects it has on us, and the benefits provided. O'Mara also briefly talks about how this should affect policy changes when it comes to designing walk-able cities. I thought the book was interesting, but the writing itself didn't necessarily jump out at me. It felt often like the science was handed to me, instead of weaving it within a larger context. As such, I didn't rate it higher than this. Still, as someone who loves walking (and walked while reading most of this book!), I thought the book was nice.

In Praise of Walking A New Scientific Exploration

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