Sapolsky gives you a rundown of the basics of the biology of the stress response, then explains the multifarious impacts of chronic stress on humans (and mice, rats, baboons, macaques, rhesus monkeys, etc.) Most of the facts presented in this book are pretty painful. Little is said without a reference to a specific study, its methods and findings. Sapolsky goes to good effort to note which findings are fairly conclusive, where more research is needed, where studies disagree or where he suspects they are not comprehensive. The sum of my understanding of the endocrine system (today) is basically what I was able to glean from this book. I haven't done a lot of other reading to validate the claims made, but for the most part they don't seem too bold and are mostly cautious suppositions based on available research.

For a book that could be really dry, it's actually _fun_ to read. Sapolsky balances sober explanation with wit and irony throughout. The footnotes are great.

The last four chapters (prior to the final chapter on managing stress) were particularly relevant to me, but I think also the hardest hitting. (14 is stress and depression, 15 is temperament/personality and anxiety, 16 is dopamine, the nature of pleasure and addiction, 17 is socioeconomic status and health outcomes)

The last chapter did not have any magic wands like I was hoping. I will have to resign myself to better understanding the physiology of stress and how I experience it, avoid pushing what buttons I can and learn/develop coping techniques. This is a great book and it has already done a lot for me. ( )

Good descriptions of what happens in your body in case of a stress related disease. The list of the "reasons why" is of course different for each reader. ( )

Not a how to manual to deal with stress, although it does provide some simple, common sense advice to help us cope. More than that, however, this book presents a comprehensive overview of stress as a biological as well as a psycho-social imperative, an indispensable tool in our evolutionary journey. Full of well researched information, surprising findings and rich in informative and colorful examples that help us begin to grasp the complexity of stress responses.

There's a ton here about how stress can make you sick, I was hoping for more about how to combat that tendency. Love the precision vagueness, 'this affects some people, some of the time, in certain circumstances.' ( )

I'll admit it got slightly repetitive. He loves those glucocorticoids. But I had a light bulb moment several times and his research on socialist medicine was fascinating and unexpected. ( )