Body Electric

The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being

By: Manoush Zomorodi

From the award-winning journalist and NPR TED Radio Hour host comes a timely investigation into how screens and sitting are reshaping our bodies—and how a simple shift can change everything.

In today’s world, a normal day means sitting in front of a screen for eight to ten hours. Meeting after meeting. Email after email. We leave our desks drained, overstimulated and unfocused, only to go home, sit down again, and scroll some more. The result? Headaches, back pain, restless sleep, and rising rates of preventable disease. We know technology is breaking us down—so why can’t we break away? It’s a question that Manoush Zomorodi has always wanted to answer. As the host of the NPR's TED Radio Hour and Body Electric podcast, she has interviewed experts, conducted citizen experiments, and sought out research about how our digital lives are changing the way we think, learn, and feel. Now, in Body Electric, she presents an eye-opening investigation into the impact technology and sedentary living has had on our bodies and brains, from breath and eyesight to blood pressure, posture, and productivity, and shares what science (and tens of thousands of participants in a groundbreaking study with Columbia University Medical Center) have taught her—it’s the small shifts, not the digital detoxes, that will make us healthier. And all we need is five minutes.

Filled with perspective-shifting data and real-life applications and tools, Body Electric is the next must-read for fans of Four Thousand Weeks and The Anxious Generation, and anyone else feeling trapped by their technology.

Critic reviews

“Manoush Zomorodi explains with clarity and wit how our tech-filled lives are draining our energy and offers actionable advice for strategic disconnection—without forcing you to give up your phone or TV time. Body Electric will help you reclaim focus, health, and attention at work, at home, and even with your kids. Engaging and essential reading for the digital age!” —Dan Harris, New York Times bestselling author and host of the 10% Happier podcast

"Body Electric not only brilliantly unpacks the silent toll our screens are taking on our minds and bodies but also offers a science-backed path toward reclaiming our well-being. This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to build a healthier, more intentional relationship with technology." —Laurie Santos, Professor of Psychology at Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab podcast