The Blue Zones

Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest

By: Dan Buettner

Narrated by: Michael McConnohie

Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Award-winning author and researcher Dan Buettner has traveled the world to meet the planet’s longest-lived people, and learned nine powerful yet simple lessons that could put you on the path to longer life. Where did he find them? In the Blue Zones.

Blue Zones are communities where common elements of lifestyle, diet, and outlook have led to an amazing quantity – and quality – of life. Dan Buettner shares the secrets from four of the world’s Blue Zones. Buettner’s extensive study uncovers how these people manage to live longer and better, but found in the everyday things they do: the food they eat, the company they keep, and their very perspectives on life. In The Blue Zones, they become yours to follow for life!

©2010 Dan Buettner (P)2010 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Critic reviews

"One of the most hopeful and motivating quality-of-life audio lessons available." ( AudioFile)

Interesting

Makes me want to travel. Makes me want to love better. Makes me want to eat better.

Learn how to pronounce lived!!!!!

Great content and great to hear such positivity.

The only issue with this audio book is the pronunciation of lived. They keep pronouncing it like you would alive. Unless this is the authors intension which it may well be as it’s pronounced the same way in the second audio book by the same author.

calming

This was easy listening. McConnohie was an excellent reader. The stories gave the feeling of well researched information, that was presented in a clear and concise format. I enjoyed the book very much. it presented me with information I will incorporate in my daily life as food for thoughts and as an impetus for future actions.

Worth a listen

I was on the fence about this book because I saw the reviews were mixed. But I very much enjoyed this book and was glad I decided to listen. The stories highlighted and interactions with all the centenarians were fascinating. They really helped to highlight why the conclusions from the Blue Zones study are what they are. The stories helped the conclusions come to life. Yes, you can get this same information elsewhere by googling the blue zones but if you’re genuinely interested in the topic and really want to understand why the Power 9 recommendations are what they are, then you’ll enjoy this book. Also the accents didn’t bother me. Nothing was over the top or overly stereotypical/offensive. I thought the narrator did a great job.

A must read!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes It is a great book to help with your life and well being.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Blue Zones?

All of it!

What does Michael McConnohie bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

a great story and insight

If you could give The Blue Zones a new subtitle, what would it be?

Live long and prosper

Any additional comments?

I have all my friends reading it. It can save your life.

This book is an authority

I've started to read a lot of books and listen to a lot of podcasts on healthy eating and living and no matter what I read and listen to, it's just a matter of time before this book is referenced or cited. I finally decided to go to the source.

I found myself wanting more details and maybe one of his other books will provide them, but the stories and data presented are interesting and I can see why others cite it as an important study on healthy lifestyles.

Notable to me is the notion that we should eat a lot less meat and a lot more vegetables and be more social, but that isn't shoved down anyone's throat. but rather presented as one observation among many.

Green Light for Blue Zone

What made the experience of listening to The Blue Zones the most enjoyable?

This book's merit rests on its interesting content, in my opinion, rather than its prose or overall delivery. The speaker was OK but the performance was not as important as having something worthwhile to contribute on this important subject.
I was surprised to discover some of the societies and cultures referred to in the book are under attack by modern lifestyles and are in danger of disappearing. For example younger Okinawans are no longer blessed with the probability of living to 100+ years anymore because the majority have adopted western ways and so have succumbed to modern health issues like heart disease etc.. Therefore the book is a useful reference source for a vanishing world.
I am sure there are 'drier' academic papers on specific Blue Zones but this effort was engaging as it gave an all round view of the subject from a humanistic viewpoint.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Although efforts at storytelling were appreciated I really wanted facts and on this point the book was able to deliver. However the author did also make mention of some fascinating centenarians and that helped keep the momentum going.

Any additional comments?

Anybody who has reached an age when longevity seems important will benefit from this book as the authentic research it includes, whilst not strictly speaking "scientific" is full of anecodotal advice which I think many will find useful. I say this because I did. For example now I always bring a bag of nuts with me to work as a snack rather than eat biscuits or pastries. Its a small change but add them all up and its greater than the sum of its parts.
Granted some things like a glass of red wine indulged by Sardinians daily is now common knowledge but overall there were enough suggestions to keep me busy with further research for some time to come.

loved it

This book was entertaining and useful. The performance was interesting. Story mixed in with research.

Great Book with a strong message

This is a must-read for every person. It dispels the misconceptions regarding health and lays out, in a very simple way, what one needs to do to optimize their health.

Good book with valuable info.

Good book with valuable info. I take all advice with a grain of salt, and there are good nuggets in this book.