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)

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.

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.

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.

Excellent audio book with great supporting website

The message is one of hope and practical advice on how to maximise both length and quality of life. An excellent book, well read and easy to listen to, with great supporting website. At first I thought the findings might be summarised more quickly, and wanted to just go to the last chapter. Perhaps I would have if I had a paper copy. However, in hindsight, I have the concepts more firmly committed to memory by listening to the case studies. Like church sermons or university lectures, the stories serve me as hooks on which to pin the lessons.

I love the way the reader attempts to use appropriate accents for the different nationalities of the people he refers to. I am a Kiwi, and so had to laugh a bit at his New Zealand accent attempt, but then I am sure he would laugh at my take on an American accent. Good on ya mate for having a crack at it!

Is it easy to put this advice into practice? I would say yes. I bought a bag of Almond nuts and enjoying this new addition to my diet. My own recommendation is whole grain porridge with sultanas and apple mixed into it.

Read it today ... you will get this time investment back many times over I expect. Cheers.

Nice collection of stories - but not much more

I guess this is one of those books that you could actually get the abridged version and probably get the most out of it more efficiently. Ironically enough, that's probably just the thing the book talks about that people should avoid :)

Based on the book cover this looks like one of those annoying self-help books which almost turned me away from this. But since I googled out Dan Buettner and looked at his credentials of writing to the National Geographic, it somehow made me convinced that this might be worth checking out. I still wish they'd make a different cover, even it seems shallow or non-important thing for many.

And the book kinda was worth checking out. The stories from people Dan interviews are fascinating and their lifestyles are worth investigating. This really made me think of how modern people live their lives and how much time have changed things that are important to us. Not all of us can live in the mountains and herd sheeps and not have any income at all, but there's still lessons top be learned.

It's also fascinating to think of how much these people have actually seen throughout their lives. How very much times have changes during the past century. I mean some of these people have been living post WWI era, seen the Titanic being built and lived through the Great Depression, WWII to the birth of the modern science and all. It's also funny that in one of the people Dan interviews, the centenary man says he picked up some sweets from the market place to his son, who likes'em a lot. For some reason I automatically imagine someone's child to be a giddy schoolboy who is excited to get some candy from his father. Turned out that his son was over 80 years old :)

If you're not interested in the stories of old people or are just expecting a list on how to add more years to your life, just google it out. There's no magic pill or solution obviously, but Dan makes a pretty decent list at the end of the book to summarize the things science either knows or suggests that add up to a healthy life. They all make sense.

I have to say that throughout the book the religious part somehow annoyed me, even it was kept at bay most of the time. It is said in the book that being religious or having spiritual habits adds up to more years, mostly through routines and social contacts, and it's never even suggested that afterlife has anything to do with it. Yet it sill bothers me how big part the religion seems to be in all of this, but that's probably subjective and not a real problem.

Just try it!

Teh book is pretty good and surprising. One can learn a lot about life and priorities.

Informative and helpful

I binge listened to this book on Audible. I loved the authors storytelling experiences with Centenarians around the globe. Some parts even had me tearing up upon self reflection of what kind of family and life I would love to create for myself. Wonderful book....thank you.

Excellent book and excellent narrator

Amazing book. You don’t need me to tell you. What else is amazing is the Narrator O love his voice. Much better than the narrator for Blue Zones of happiness. Both are great books and highly recommended.

Great Book- Very interesting and enlightening!

This book was a fantastic read. It was very interesting to hear about these blue zones and ended up being very informative. The storytelling nature of the book makes it an easy listen and you will learn a lot!

The Blue Zones

enjoyed it. written like a travel novel cross documentary. Full of fascinating facts about longevity and many characterful sentenarians. I was thrilled that the book summarises practical ways of implementing longevity practices as part of our own daily existence. The performance was entertaining as each character came to life in their authentic personality and quirks.