I read two more books on my Kindle app. One was good, one wasn’t.
The Mindful Way to Study
The Mindful Way to Study is a book I wish I would have had when I was a student. It tailors the message of mindfulness with the goals and challenges of being a student. I’ve read other books on Mindfulness, but I had never considered how much it could benefit when it comes to studying. The definition of Mindfulness from Wikipedia:
the intentional, accepting and non-judgmental focus of one’s attention on the emotions, thoughts and sensations occurring in the present moment
The book goes into how we collectively use terms to define studying as a battle. Hitting the books is the first one that comes to mind. We focus on the results and not learning. This makes us anxious and stressed. Part 2 is the part I found most interesting. Each chapter walks us through a different stressful obstacle a student can face and how to approach it using mindfulness.
Like I said earlier, I wish I would have been exposed to these ideas when I was younger. I would have been a better student and enjoyed the process of learning much more. The only thing I think could make this book better would be to have a chapter written for parents. If it is an overbearing parent that is the cause of result-driven stress, convincing them to support their child as they practice mindfulness would be highly beneficial. My guess is most parents have not been exposed to these ideas and still view studying as they did when they were in school. Aligning their goals would greatly increase the chance that the techniques taught in this book will work.
Check out the book if you are a student that is looking for a way to embrace learning and reduce the common forms of stress associated with studying. I also think parents of students should give this a read.
The Mindful Way To Study by Jake J. Gibbs and Roddy O. Gibbs
The Ray Peat Survival Guide
The second book was The Ray Peat Survival Guide. I bought it for three reasons.
- I was looking for a book that would clarify some of Ray Peat‘s writings. His articles on nutrition can be overwhelming. I understand a lot more than I did a year ago, but I’m always eager to learn more and improve my understanding.
- I liked another book Joey Lott wrote, so I figured he would do a good job explaining a complex topic.
- As much as Ray Peat is worshiped by some on the internet, there is an absence of well-written summaries of his research. Danny Roddy shut down his website and went all newsletter. Foolish move. Functional Alps is just a useless dumping ground of abstracts with no analysis. I’ve stumbled on other sites, most used writing more complex than Peat himself, so I found them of no use.
The book was a disappointment and maybe it is my fault for buying it. I just ignored the word “Survival” in the title. Instead of being a book to explain complex ideas in easy to understand language, it assumed you knew the principles of the diet and why you did them. The book was primarily about not being super strict with the diet. Since reducing stress is a key component of the Peat diet, it is wise not to get stressed about following the diet perfectly. If that is a message you need to hear, get the book. If you want a deeper understanding of the reasons for Peat’s recommendations, the Ray Peat Survival Guide isn’t going to help you.
By Joey Lott The Ray Peat Survival Guide: Understanding, Using, and Realistically Applying the Dietary Ideas of D [Paperback] by
Disclosure: I received a Kindle copy of The Mindful Way to Study with a request to review it, which did not influence this post. I paid for the Ray Peat Survival Guide.
Lynne
Aug 12, 2014 — 7:06 pm
Pity about the Guide. A good Peat guide would be something I’d be very interested in :/
Brock in HK
Aug 13, 2014 — 4:44 am
The Survival book cover looks like a ransom note out of a B grade movie. What does that say about the author’s opinion of Ray and living by his principles?
Marcelo
Aug 13, 2014 — 4:56 am
Michael, sorry to go off topic here, but i need.
Yesterday i had the most intense Hillfit bodyweight workout in months.
I put all effort, resulting in a TRUE HIT workout (catching breath on the floor). Like you said, it “clicked”.
The workout was around 3:30 PM.
But, going to bed at 10:30 PM, when i was falling asleep, i had a surge of adrenaline (the same when i was in low-carb diet), my hearth pounded (think a heart punch in my chest) that lead me to insomnia until, i guess, 4:00 or 5:00.
Well, after some years battling poor sleep, i know that the main factor is elevated cortisol. This puts the adrenals into “fight or flight” mode, releasing adrenaline on the system.
Today i feel like hit by a truck too (just remembered that you said about the after day ina TRUE HIT training).
But, my question is, could the instensity be too much? Did you felt these symptoms too?
P.S.: i did bodyweight focusing on unilateral exercises, just supporting and helping with the other member. The instensity was new to me and multple times harder.
BigTex
Aug 13, 2014 — 6:45 am
Thanks for the heads up on The Mindful Way to Study…I just bought a copy and had it shipped to my grandson…he is starting his 1st year of college this month…
Hopefully I can get him to read it…
MAS
Aug 13, 2014 — 7:14 am
@Marcelo – After my first real HIT workout, legendary trainer Greg Anderson told me that I would likely go home and take a nap. As someone that almost never naps, I didn’t consider his words to mean anything. But once I got home I was out cold.
The intensity can be too much if you don’t allow time to fully recover. Maybe a trainer could add some additional comments. You will adapt. You will learn to deal with that intensity better.
mrfreddy
Aug 13, 2014 — 8:21 am
Thanks for the heads up on the mindful studying book, I bought it and read the first half last night already. I’m working on learning some technical skills, like HTML5, CSS3, javascript, java, etc. – I think the mindful approach can help a lot. I’m also a low intermediate level surfer, I’m thinking a mindful approach to that sport makes a lot of sense as well.
Marcelo
Aug 13, 2014 — 12:06 pm
Thank you MAS. After the workout i felt my body a little shaking and the need for complete rest! I will extend the rest for complete 7 days, trained last wedsneday then yesterday, maybe the recovery was impaired.
Nigel Kinbrum
Aug 14, 2014 — 6:04 am
@Marcelo: Are you on a LC or VLC diet?
Tom
Jun 19, 2023 — 12:08 am
I just read this on vacation and couldn’t agree more.
For a true Peatatarian overview, I cannot recommend Kate Deering’s “How to Heal Your Metabolism”.
Kate is a brilliant researcher and synthesiser of a range of fields (including stress theory i.e. Hans Selye) and was in communication with Ray for ~12 years.
I’d put her squarely in the middle of the Paleo – WAPF – Peat venn diagram; organs, raw milk and OJ, rather than Mexican coke and aspirin.
Tom
Jun 19, 2023 — 12:17 am
*typo: highly enough.