The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards

William J. Broad, (Illustrator) Bobby Clennell

ISBN 10: 1451641427 / ISBN 13: 9781451641424

Published by Simon & Schuster, 2012

About this Item

Five years in the making, the book draws on more than a century of painstaking research to present the first impartial evaluation of a practice thousands of years old. It celebrates whatâ s real and shows whatâ s illusory, describes whatâ s uplifting and beneficial and whatâ s flaky and dangerous â " and why. Broad illuminates how yoga can lift moods and inspire creativity. William Broad, a lifelong Yoga practitioner, exposes moves that can cripple and kill. As science often does, this groundbreaking book also reveals mysteries. It presents a fascinating body of evidence that raises questions about whether humans have latent capabilities for entering states of suspended animation and unremitting sexual bliss. Bibliography, Index. B&W illus. 298p.

Seller Inventory # 2041105

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication Date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1451641427
• ISBN 13: 9781451641424
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • YOGA/MASSAGE

About this title

Synopsis

A lead science writer for The New York Times—and lifelong yoga practitioner—examines centuries of history and research to scrutinize the claims made about yoga for health, fitness, emotional wellbeing, sex, weight loss, healing, and creativity. He reveals what is real and what is illusory, in the process exposing moves that can harm or even kill.

Five years in the making, The Science of Yoga draws on a hidden wealth of discovery, drama, and surprising fact to cut through the fog that surrounds contemporary yoga and to show—for the first time—what is uplifting and beneficial and what is delusional, flaky, and dangerous. At heart, it illuminates the risks and rewards.

Broad describes yoga as a burgeoning global industry that attracts not only curious scientists but millions of true believers and charismatic hustlers. He takes the reader on a whirlwind tour of unknown yoga that goes from old archives in Calcutta to world capitals of medical research, from storied ashrams to spotless laboratories, from sweaty yoga studios with master teachers to the cozy offices of yoga healers. In the process, he shatters myths, lays out unexpected benefits, and offers a compelling vision of how the discipline can be improved.

About the Author

William J. Broad has practiced yoga since 1970. A bestselling author and senior writer at The New York Times, he has won every major award in print and television during more than thirty years as a science journalist. With New York Times colleagues, he has twice won the Pulitzer Prize, as well as an Emmy Award and a DuPont. He is the author or coauthor of seven books, including Germs: Biological Weapons and America’s Secret War, a #1 New York Times bestseller.