"A thoughtful tour through the still dimly understood state of being asleep. Snooze is no snooze. A reflection of its author’s evident intellect and charm."
Description
Michael McGirr always had trouble sleeping. The arrival of baby twins, however, made him realize that he’d never before known true exhaustion. And while he celebrated these small children who brought him so much joy and tiredness, he found himself on a desperate and bone-weary journey in search of just a few extra winks a night. It was an adventure that would teach him more about what exactly sleep is, why we need it, and what it means when we don’t get enough of it.In Snooze, McGirr delves into the mysterious world of sleep, including its many benefits, its stubborn elusiveness, and exactly what our brains really get up to while we’re in bed. He offers readers a tour through the odd sleep patterns of some of history's greatest minds, including Aristotle, Homer, Shakespeare, Florence Nightingale, Thomas Edison, and more. He looks, too, at the demise of sleep in our increasingly fragmented modern world—and examines what that means for everyone from the Average Joe in the workplace to those with serious sleep disorders.The result is both entertaining and enlightening—the perfect book for those sleepless nights.
Reviews
"Examines the way shut-eye—or lack of it—affects us on and off the pillow. If you’re among the flock who counts sheep most nights, these pages reassure. As McGirr notes, ‘Insomnia is nothing to lose sleep over.’"
"A delightful eye-opener. Its blend of memoir, science history, mythological lore and cultural commentary is a constant delight."
"In urbane and graceful prose, McGirr successfully integrates autobiography, literary criticism, historical anecdote, popular science, low-key theology, and lucid social commentary. His gentle wisdom, born of broad life experience, imbues every sentence."