Drop Dead Healthy

One Man's Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection

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From the bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically and The Know-It-All comes the truly hilarious story of one person’s quest to become the healthiest man in the world.

Hospitalized with a freak case of tropical pneumonia and ashamed of a middle-aged body best described as “a python that swallowed a goat,” A.J. Jacobs felt compelled to change his ways and get healthy. To accomplish this epic task, he consulted an army of experts and subjected himself to dozens of different workouts, diets, and devices—from Finger Fitness to Strollercize sessions, veganism to extreme chewing.

The story of his transformation is not only brilliantly entertaining, but it just may be the healthiest book ever written. It will make you laugh until your sides split and endorphins flood your bloodstream. It will move you emotionally and get you moving physically in surprising ways. It will serve you up today’s best health advice. And it will give you occasion to reflect on the body’s many mysteries and the ultimate pursuit of health: a well-lived life.

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Simon & Schuster |
416 pages |
ISBN 9781416599081 |
November 2012

$16.00 List Price

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Praise

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“A.J. Jacobs is very, very bad for your health. He will keep you up reading til 2 a.m., disturbing your circadian rhythms, making you sleep through breakfast and overeat at lunch. He is delicious. He's habit-forming. He will give... ”

– Mary Roach, author of Bonk and Packing for Mars

“We can become healthier by learning from AJ's discomfort in this very funny book. He moves us from theory to practice by dragging his body through all the longevity practices.”

– Dr. Mehmet Oz, host, "The Dr. Oz Show"

“I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book, and once again, the brilliant A.J. Jacobs had me laughing out loud--and also deciding to change the way I live. Drop Dead Healthy is a rare mixture of the hilarious, the absurd,... ”

– Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project

“Can one man go from a 'python that ate a goat' physique to perfect specimen? From Roman soldier workouts to Areca palm plants, from the sublime to the absurd, A.J. has tried it all. I laughed my ass off the wholeway and learned a... ”

– Timothy Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Workweek

“Who wouldn't want to be fitter, happier, more productive? In this riotous, madcap book, A.J. Jacobs sets himself an ambitious goal: to become the person we all wish we could be. It's vintage A.J. Do your future self a favor and... ”

– Joshua Foer, author of Moonwalking with Einstein

“You'll burn calories laughing out loud.”

– Shape

“While Jacobs’s attempts at health enlightenment can be hilarious, visits with his grandfather, famed labor lawyer Theodore Kheel, provide the most revealing glimpse into the secrets of aging well.”

– More

“Jacobs' light touch camouflages the impressive amount of research that goes into each chapter. He reads books and medical reports, interviews experts and scientists as well as enthusiasts on the fringe, then tries everything... ”

– Laurie Hertzl, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

“You'll exercise your abdominals laughing over his adventures.”

– Entertainment Weekly

“Why go to the gym when you can sit and read a funny book about it instead?”

– USA Today

“Bright, funny and even useful... Jacobs is methodical and savvy...”

– Janet Maslin, The New York Times

“An entertaining guide to the skinny on a healthy life.”

– Jay Jennings, The San Francisco Chronicle

“His pursuit of perky pecs is sure to enlighten, but read it at your own risk: Side effects may include involuntary fits of laughter.”

– Spirit (Southwest Airlines Magazine)

“You’ll learn fascinating facts, but really this book is a testament to the joys--and benefits--of moderation.”

– People

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Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1

The Stomach

The Quest to Eat Right

I’VE MADE A LIST of more than a hundred diets. The Mediterranean diet. The USDA diet. The Michael Pollan eat-what-your-grandparents-ate diet. The Blood-type diet. The Paleo diet. The Okinawa diet. Veganism. Raw foodism. Not to mention the more outré ones, like The Cookie Diet. The Rastafarian diet. The Master-Cleanse diet.

I want to try them all. Well, maybe not The Taco Bell Drive-Thru Diet (it exists). But most of the others. Eventually, that is. The thing is, studies show that if you switch habits too rapidly, the...

Hear an Excerpt

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Video

5 Ways to Motivate Yourself to be Healthy

A.J. Jacobs can sum up being healthy in 5 words; do more, eat less, relax. Check out his motivational tips for living the healthiest life possible in his book, DROP DEAD HEALTHY.