Robert sapolsky why zebras

Takes up a mic and continues: "The stress response is incredibly ancient evolutionarily. Fish, birds and reptiles secrete the same stress hormones we do, yet their metabolism doesn't get messed up the way it does in people and other primates.

Just look at the dichotomy between what your body does during real stress—for example, something is intent on eating you and you're running for your life—versus what your body does when you're turning on the same stress response for months on end for purely psycho-social reasons. You mobilize energy in your thigh muscles, you increase your blood pressure and you turn off everything that's not essential to surviving, such as digestion, growth and reproduction. You think more clearly, and certain aspects of learning and memory are enhanced.

All of that is spectacularly adapted if you're dealing with an acute physical stressor—a real one. Any further attempts to waller in viscera will be met with extreme electrification, Jim. If you're chronically shutting down the digestive system, there's a bunch of gastrointestinal disorders you're more at risk for as well. Also, neurons in the parts of the brain relating to learning, memory and judgment don't function as well under stress. That particular piece is what my lab has spent the last 20 years on.

If you plan to get stressed like a normal mammal, you had better turn on the stress response or else you're dead. But if you get chronically, psycho-socially stressed, like a Westernized human, then you are more at risk for heart disease and some of the other leading causes of death in Westernized life. What really matters is that I'm the captain of my softball team or deacon of my church'—that sort of thing. It's not just somebody sitting here, grooming you with their own hands.

We can actually feel comfort from the discovery that somebody on the other side of the planet is going through the same experience we are and feel, I'm not alone. We can even take comfort reading about a fictional character, and there's no primate out there that can feel better in life just by listening to Beethoven.

So the range of supports that we're capable of is extraordinary. Normal people, the people that walk the streets every day, we cannot understand. The family that I live for only breathes the air that smells of combat. With or without the face-paint I am the Ultimate Warrioooooorrrr!!! How must I prepare, you must ask yourself. Should I jump off the tallest building in the world?

Should I lay on the lawn and let them run over me with lawn-mowers? Should I go to Africa and let them trample me with raging elephants? In my final meeting with the gods from the heavens above, they spoke to me and hit me with the power of the Ultimate Warrior. They told me: action stage left, action stage right. There is no place to run, all the fuses in the exit signs have burnt out.

Aaaaarrgghhh, you can feel it dude! You can feel it! Full of the juice that carries the spaceship as far as it wants to go! Because when the moon is blood red the heavens have opened up from above and the Warriors have spoken. In the sheets of the wind, then I will survive.

Load the spaceship with the rocket fuel, load it with the Warriors. Dig your claws into my organs, scratch into my tendons, bury your anchors into my bones, for the power of the Warrior will always prevaaaaaiiiiiilllll.

By now all the little Warriors know that the power of the Ultimate Warrior is something that you want to feel, that you want to taste. Now you must deal with the creation of all the un-pleasantries of the entire universe as I feel the injection from the gods above.

I only know that the Ultimate Warrior is totally out of controoooooooolllll. Come on in where nightmares are the best part of my daaaaaaaayyyyyy. I live for anger and frustration. Combat is where I will be. View all 24 comments. Jun 10, Punk rated it really liked it Shelves: non-fiction , science. Twelve chapters on how stress is going to kill you, followed by six chapters on why stress is stressful, when it's not, and what we can do about it.

If you're a worrier, this may not be the book for you. I won't lie, it upset me in the beginning. There are so many ways that stress can affect your health, your memory, the way you age, how you deal with stressors, and even how your children deal with stressors.

The book can become a source of stress itself, one that far outweighs the f Non-Fiction. The book can become a source of stress itself, one that far outweighs the few methods it gives for dealing with stress. But it addresses a lot of important issues, like the economics of stress and the way poverty and pay inequality have life-long health ramifications. It's not just about stress on a personal level, but a social, cultural, and political one.

It also looks at the role stress plays in mental illness, pain, infertility, and addiction. The science can be quite dense at times, but Sapolsky is good at walking you through it and recalling topics he introduced earlier so you never have to feel like you're studying for something. He makes this easy to read, even if the subject is a difficult one. He's a great writer with a sense of humor, an obvious love of science, and respect for views that aren't his own.

He offers multiple approaches for any given problem and points out questions we don't have answers for yet. Four stars. Good science writing that challenges assumptions and doesn't take itself too seriously.

Also includes extensive end notes and an index. If you read this, get the third edition; it's revised and updated. View all 3 comments. Apr 06, carol. A very interesting book, but probably not one to read during a pandemic.

Yeah, I know; you would think it would help. But somehow, talking about stress response, cortisol and anxiety during a time of world-wide physical and psychological stress response is actually a bit stressful. It's somewhat technical, but readable. It walks the reader through different aspects of the body and normal physiological response. Although he relies on the extreme examples "ancestors confronting lions" , the infor A very interesting book, but probably not one to read during a pandemic.

Although he relies on the extreme examples "ancestors confronting lions" , the information contained is valid. I suppose that's one of the troubles with science-translation. It's been updated twice since original publication. I feel like most of what it is saying isn't surprising, but I last intensively looked at stress response in the late 90s, so I'm wondering what more current thinking is.

View all 10 comments. The author spends 22 chapters beating us to death with hundreds of studies about how and why stress is bad for us. He focuses strongly on the chemistry and physiology of stress in animals and humans. He then spends 1 chapter on things we can do about it. Basically: don't be born poor, don't have a bad marriage, exercise and be religious. Now you don't have to read the book. Sep 21, John rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: anyone.

Shelves: non-fiction. I encountered a link to a speech by Sapolsky on Pharyngula, I think, and was immediately engaged by his speaking style. His books, or this one at least, is similarly easy to get into, and manages to discuss topics of fair complexity in an incredibly approachable way.

He's clearly aware that his book might be read by a wide range of audiences, and strives to provide something for everyone. I'll definitely be working my way through the rest of his catalog. The book is fascinating, too, although as I encountered a link to a speech by Sapolsky on Pharyngula, I think, and was immediately engaged by his speaking style. The book is fascinating, too, although as he notes many times, thinking about and addressing stress is difficult, because trying to act to reduce stress can itself be stressful.

As he elucidates what's currently known about the links between stress and disease, a lot of interesting things emerge, some of which are essentially throwaway trivia, like the idea that anti-depressant medication takes a while to work on people that are clinically depressed because of the physiological nature of depression; he doesn't really spell it out, but the obvious corollary is that is someone takes AD medication and instantly feels better, they're probably not actually depressed.

This insight was immensely powerful to me in this over-prescribed age of ours. Feb 09, Chung Chin rated it liked it. This is a book packed full of information on how stress can cause our body to go haywire. You will find explanation for how stress affects your weight, sleep, and health in general. Although there are still lots of jargon and terms in the book that you will find alien, the explanation is given in the most simple way possible, making it an accessible material in general.

However, after reading through all the chapters on how stress can wreak havoc to our body, you don't actually get a lot of materi This is a book packed full of information on how stress can cause our body to go haywire.

However, after reading through all the chapters on how stress can wreak havoc to our body, you don't actually get a lot of materials on how you can counter them. So, this is a book on how stress can cause damage to your body. If you're looking for a solid book on recommendations to deal with stress, this might not be it. To the author's credit, he is trying to be as accurate as possible, and therefore I believe he is trying his best to recommend the most scientifically accurate practice to deal with stress; and sadly, there may not be many, although there is a few practical one such as exercise and meditation.

Dec 21, susan rated it it was amazing. This is hands down the best medical book I have ever read. In a series of memorable and highly amusing stories and anecdotes Sapolsky explains the complex biology behind why well known principles of psychology, religion, new age philosophy and even voodoo curses work.

The central story of the book is how the fight or flight response — the most powerful force that has shaped vertebrate evolution for hundreds of millions of years - is now being turned against modern humans through chronic stress a This is hands down the best medical book I have ever read. The central story of the book is how the fight or flight response — the most powerful force that has shaped vertebrate evolution for hundreds of millions of years - is now being turned against modern humans through chronic stress and anxiety.

He outlines how modern stress triggers that have nothing to do with immediate survival - whether brought on from traffic, bad bosses, bad relationships - can be linked to exacerbating the development of almost every modern epidemic from cancer to colitis, depression to dwarfism, diabetes to diarrhea, heart disease to infertility to immune disorders.

Aug 28, janille n g rated it it was amazing Shelves: all-time-favourites , non-fiction , favourites. I have it written down in several notebooks, typed out on a sticky note on my laptop that I frequently scroll over, and even had it framed on the wall of my room when I lived with my parents. From the time I first read it, back in second year university, it became a sort of mantra for me, providing me with comfort and reassurance that even if times seemed particularly bad and I felt incredibly stressed, my mind was strong enough to control those feelings and to get me through whatever stressors I encountered.

Robert M. In fact, I rarely read them, if ever. However, it seems that this year I have done a lot of reading of non-fiction and the main reason for this is that I have felt empowered and motivated recently to finally try to understand my anxiety.

When it became evident, towards the end of my third trimester of pregnancy back this past March, that my anxiety was going to be made much more severe by my pregnant condition , I knew partly because my doctors were telling me that something had to give and that I needed to get a better handle on my anxious condition once and for all.

Part of this process has involved seeing a psychiatrist and learning about meditation and mindfulness techniques. I next delved into a book recommended by my psychiatrist, Mind Over Mood , and this was of course a huge eye-opener to me in that it taught me the basics of cognitive behavioural therapy and worked wonders to help me reframe my insecurities and fears and better manage my heightened emotions.

What I felt these two books lacked, though, was an explanation of what was going on in my brain, of the chemical, biological and physical mechanisms that were clearly contributing to my anxious state and probably had been since my birth.

This type of text could easily become overwhelming, but Sapolsky is very careful to keep things manageable for his reader, and he even infuses dry humour, jokes and wit into the text especially in his often unexpectedly hilarious footnotes, which are a must-read in themselves.

I also made a conscious effort to take my time while reading this book, not because it felt dense at all, but because it did feel heavy. I admit, it was an emotional read for me because I could so easily and fundamentally relate to the findings that Sapolsky examined; I became one of the test subjects he discussed because I recognized how my experiences fit into the results and conclusions.

On the one hand, it was nice to know that there is a scientific explanation for why I feel a certain way, but it was also jarring and terrifying to be confronted with so much evidence and research to explain something that I have kind of taken for granted for my entire life. It made my anxiety feel that much more real and that much more difficult to ignore.

Chapter 15, thus, became an incredibly meaningful chapter for me as it investigated anxiety disorders and the personality types that lend themselves to these sorts of disorders.

Needless to say, I checked pretty much every box, and that was, as I mentioned, both liberating and scary. There was this sense, as I read, that Sapolsky just understood ME, on a fundamental level, and again, while it was nice to know that I am not alone in any of my feelings, it was also emotional. Sapolsky posits that, whereas chronic stress is normally a response to an actually perceived external stressor whether physiological or psychological , anxiety can arise due to stressors that are entirely imagined.

What I did gain, most definitely, was a better comprehension of the biology of anxiety and a greater appreciation of the fact that it is a physical, scientific condition rooted in the brain. That is, after all, what Milton suggests and that quote from Paradise Lost is still one of my favourites. It made me realize that, just as I would seek help for a broken leg, there is nothing at all embarrassing or shameful about seeking help for a troubled mind.

On the contrary, it is actually quite important and necessary. It is one that has undoubtedly changed my life in so many ways and I would not hesitate to recommend it to those who wish to get to the root of what their brains might be undergoing on a daily basis.

Life consists of the concrete, agitated present of solving a problem that someone else might not even consider exists. But sometimes it consists of being a blade of grass, buffeted and bent by the wind but still standing when the wind is long gone. View 2 comments. Mar 28, Brendan Monroe rated it it was amazing Shelves: science , anxiety , stress , non-fiction , melancholia , depression , essential.

I'm a major stresser. I stress over big things, over little things, over all things. Because I'm a stresser, I'm all too often a stressor i.

It sucks, really. I don't like stressing, something that all those who are constantly telling me to "calm down," "chill out," "relax!

It's not like I can just flip a switch here. If only! It worries me, because of course, along with stressing, I'm also anxious. Yes, an I'm a major stresser.

Yes, anxiety is a constant companion. I worry all the time that I don't have enough time, so I spend all my time worrying. Time, money, people I worry because I stress. Mainly because, if I get so stressed going to the grocery story and I very much do , how will I handle something truly monumental?

Like, say, the death of a loved one, or bad health news? I have, for now, been incredibly fortunate to not to have had to deal with either. My stress sometimes starts off over small things, not emailing a friend who emailed me a month ago, say, forgetting to pick up toothpaste, and then spirals into greater stresses, what I call "tomorrow stresses" though my stress is happening very much in the present moment. I don't have health insurance, so what if something happens to me and I need to go the doctor?

What if I can't pay my rent? What if I am forced forced to work in an office again? No, I won't take anxiety medication. I flat out refuse to even consider the prospect of anti-depressants or the like I'm not really depressed anyway I don't think. I've always viewed pills as the worst sort of coping mechanism well, aside from harder drugs like alcohol or heroin, that is.

Always having to constantly up the dosage to maintain the same feeling of No thanks. No disrespect intended to anyone who takes prescription meds, by the way. Whatever you need to get you through the day. I just know that it's not something I can envision for myself So I've tried other things. I've downloaded a meditation app and one of these days — tomorrow, let's say, as I do every day — I will actually start it.

I bought and read this book, which I otherwise wouldn't have done. It's a very good book. I liked it a lot and I'm glad I read it. Boiling down stress to various chemical elements, leading to an over abundance of glucocorticoids, leading to umm, bad things , helps I think. It takes the emotional component out of it, makes it feel more mechanical, like a broken chain on a bicycle that can, maybe, be fixed. Some might complain that of the 18 chapters that make up "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers," only the final one, "Managing Stress," actually tells you how to, uh, manage stress.

But those 17 former chapters are equally as important. For one thing, they give you a better idea of the effects of stressing out spoiler: they're not good , which was, yes, stressful to learn about.

But for another, the cumulative effect of all the various stressors, of learning the hows and the whys of it all, is oddly comforting. Many would likely consider a book about stress a particularly timely read, in light of, well, the times.

Which is a funny thing, because I've found — pathologically? In some way, it again goes back to the idea of time, of missing out on life, on things. Misery does love company, and the fact that so many people are, sadly, miserable at the current moment — isolated in their homes, unable to attend any sort of gatherings or events as they've all been canceled — comforts me as I know that 1.

I'm not alone and 2. I'm not missing out on anything. Yes, maybe I'm a villain ripped straight from a comic book. At least credit me for my honesty. And that's the one aspect I wish Robert Sapolsky — who I feel I'd very much like as a person — had covered, albeit my edition the third, released in may have been slightly too old for that, Millennial that I am.

Which is whether there is any truth to the idea that anxiety and stress may be not just individual, but generational as well. You often hear, or at least I do, that Millennials are more prone to stress, more anxious, than their generational predecessors. There are, of course, many very reasonable explanations for this.

Student debt. Gross inequality. Global warming. Helicopter parenting. Stricter moral upbringings. Growing up in the age of global terrorism.

General disenchantment with modern politics. Untempered capitalism. Doubts as to whether one can truly make a difference, etc etc etc, ad infinitum. Because when I talk to my Millennial counterparts, I don't feel unique in my anxiety, in my stress over how to survive, how to make a living, in Nobody seems to have the answers, and the general advice from our elders seems to be "don't worry so much" when indeed there seems to be so much to worry about.

It's an anxiety stemming not from a fear of nonexistence, of our mortality, but of existence itself, of reconciling with the fact that a human existence bears no more meaning than an animal one, because we are, after all, just animals.

We struggle to reconcile with this fact, to cope with the reality that there is no meaning to any of it. The only answer, then, is to make our own meaning. To find it in books, in relationships, in writing, in forms of expression that will outlast ourselves. You may even find it here. View all 4 comments. Feb 23, hayden rated it it was amazing. Jun 17, Laura rated it it was amazing Shelves: read-in-english , neuroscience , science , psychology , non-fiction , read A brilliant and incredibly well-written book.

Every time I read something by Sapolsky I get amazed with how prodigious he is. No matter what he's talking about, everything he says is interesting and engaging. Saplosky related a story about a boy from a very psychologically-abusive setting who was hospitalized in a New York hospital with zero growth hormone in his bloodstream. Over the next two months he developed a close relationship with the nurse at the hospital—undoubtedly the first normal relationship he had ever had—and soon, amazingly enough, the growth hormone levels zoomed back to normal.

The nurse then went on vacation and the levels dropped again, rising once more immediately after her return. Total nightmare situations that turn out often in history. The student cramming for a final exam initially benefits from increasing oxygen delivery and nutrients to the brain. But by the six-hour mark that student would be thinking less clearly, the neurons not working as well and the capacity for memory retrieval fading.

So what happens over the long haul to a stressed individual? The revolutionary process Sapolsky was referring to involves the capacity of the atrophied hippocampus to renew itself, to return to normal size.

Until recently, this was thought impossible—it was commonly believed that if you lost brain cells they were lost forever. But stress will block the formation of new neurons. People who have endured horrible stress, such as Vietnam combat veterans and victims of prolonged childhood sexual abuse, are often fated to suffer permanent damage to the hippocampus, resulting in memory loss. Massive long-term depression, he said, was almost certain to cause permanent damage in the form of memory loss.

Everything I just told you about adult stress on the brain. Rat studies, Sapolsky said, have demonstrated several things about dealing with stress.