Rannoch Donald, our Health & Wellness Editor, selects five books that will help get you moving in the new year.
Here are a few suggestions. They are books that I have read over the last year that provide skills, drills, recipes and information that the average guy can use.
Mad Skills Exercise Encyclopedia – Ben Musholt has accomplished exactly what he set out to do with this massive book. We have everything from Yoga, Kettlebells and Barbells to Stretching, Plyometrics and Handstands. Mad Skills is not an instructional, rather it’s a lucky dip of drills and skills to inspire your training. This book is very much for the movement maverick, someone who likes to train and could use some help to mix it up. Highly recommended.
Fitter Food – Keris Marsden and Matt Whitmore are personal friends. (Full disclosure and all that jazz) But I am no nutritionist, I am just a guy who likes it explained with cartoons and likes his recipes quick and simple. These guys have put together the one book I consistently recommend to anyone when they ask me “What should I eat?” Fitter Food (Available as Paleo Primer in the USA) bundles the science together with a bunch of great recipes in one package.
Instinctive Fitness – Oliver Selway and Charlie Packer have done a great job demystifying the whole Paleo Fitness thing. I for one have little time for trends or dogma when it comes to fitness. These guys have produced a great introduction to movement-based training with a focus on getting out of the gym and into the wild, something we like to do at Earth Strength in Tarifa.
The Story of the Human Body – Dan Lieberman’s incredible new book is not a conventional fitness tome, it’s a complete history of the human body, how we got here and what we need to do to get back to the health and well-being we all deserve. Lieberman may well be the “go to” academic when it comes to Evolutionary Fitness, but he explains it in an engaging and enthralling way. Uber-recommended.
Mindfulness For Health – A follow up to the excellent Mindfulness with Professor Mark Williams, this is an excellent introduction to mindfulness with a focus on pain and stress reduction. A fantastic, practical program that includes a CD of guided meditations. For anyone interested in an integrated and holistic approach to wellness, no Om-ing required, this is an excellent choice.
And last but not least, Lee Saxby is the man Chris MacDougal, author of Born to Run, calls “The World’s Best Running Coach.” Lee has made his excellent book Proprioception – The Barefoot Running Book available free as a download (yes, you have to register to the site but you can easily unsubscribe and the Ebook is well worth reading).
One book I would recommend is Men On Strike by Helen Smith. The premise is that men are not
opting out of marriage and college because they are immature or irresponsible, but out of simple
self preservation. Being male has become something that is looked on as a joke at best, and at
worst, potentially dangerous. She also exposes the White Knights and Uncle Tims like Dr Phil
who keep castigating other men to gain favor with women.
Rannoch, Thanks for the offerings. I’m particularly interested in The Story of the Human Body. Please say more about why you think this book is worthwhile, particularly for guys. (Also, the link isn’t right on it, and you might consider links to Amazon U.S.) We certainly need an evolutionary understanding of men and men’s health.
I might also suggest my new book, coming out in April, 2014, Stress Relief for Men, which people can check out here: http://www.northatlanticbooks.com/catalog/results.pperl?title_subtitle_auth_isbn=Jed+Diamond
Thanks for your continuing good work and may 2014 be an especially good year for good men.