What Doesn't Kill Us

By: Scott Carney

Narrated by: Scott Carney

Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's Summary

What Doesn't Kill Us, a New York Times best seller, traces our evolutionary journey back to a time when survival depended on how well we adapted to the environment around us.

Our ancestors crossed deserts, mountains, and oceans without even a whisper of what anyone today might consider modern technology. Those feats of endurance now seem impossible in an age where we take comfort for granted. But what if we could regain some of our lost evolutionary strength by simulating the environmental conditions of our forbears?

Investigative journalist and anthropologist Scott Carney takes up the challenge to find out: Can we hack our bodies and use the environment to stimulate our inner biology? Helping him in his search for the answers is Dutch fitness guru Wim Hof, whose ability to control his body temperature in extreme cold has sparked a whirlwind of scientific study. Carney also enlists input from an army scientist, a world-famous surfer, the founders of an obstacle course race movement, and ordinary people who have documented how they have cured autoimmune diseases, lost weight, and reversed diabetes. In the process he chronicles his own transformational journey as he pushes his body and mind to the edge of endurance, a quest that culminates in a record-bending 28-hour climb to the snowy peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro wearing nothing but a pair of running shorts and sneakers.

An ambitious blend of investigative reporting and participatory journalism, What Doesn't Kill Us explores the true connection between the mind and the body and reveals the science that allows us to push past our perceived limitations.

©2017 Scott Carney (P)2017 Scott Carney

Awesome book

What did you love best about What Doesn't Kill Us?

I'd heard of Wim Hof already however, I realized that Scott Carney used Hoff as an anchoring idea to then launch off in a number of different directions around the idea of tempering your body/mind to endure discomfort.

What was one of the most memorable moments of What Doesn't Kill Us?

The trek up Kilmanjaro was a very memorable chapter. I won't spoil the story but suffice it to say it was a very human moment to realize that even 'hero's' have ego's and are prone to being self centered.

Have you listened to any of Scott Carney’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No but it has made me intensely interested in learning more. I appreciated the fact that Scott showed that a regular guy can put these ideas and techniques to use and have some significant benefit.

Any additional comments?

There are a host of podcast episodes out there on Wim Hof, Brian Mackenzie, and Laird Hamilton among others. More than enough fodder for someone interested in learning more.

32 of 33 people found this review helpful

Entertaining and Inspiring

Loved this

Listened to the whole thing in 3 days of house painting. Scott connects the dots between methods taught by Wim Hoff and some of the most inspiring athletes and teachers in the health and fitness space. He brings his humble character to make this incredible journey accessible to the rest of us mortals and dispels his own healthy scepticism.

it is an intelligent exploration into reclaiming the innate capacity within an ordinary human that put his life on the line.

Thank You Scott.

25 of 28 people found this review helpful

Weak science with narrative

This story is supported by weak evidence and essentially is a narrative of the authors journey to changing his physiology and him climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Here is the jest of the book: breathing more elevates your oxygen saturation, exposure to cold burns more kilocalories and provokes your body to create more mitochondria.

45 of 54 people found this review helpful

Inspirational!!

The structure of the storyline of this book made the point of how beneficial mastery of specific physical and mental techniques are to achieve a robust physical capacity without a major time commitment. I am convinced and perhaps seduced. Well done

17 of 20 people found this review helpful

correlation is not causation

I checked out this book Because of its introduction to Colf therapy for personal development: physically, mentally, emotionally, and as an immune suppressant or autoimmune conditions. It is an excellent introduction to those things along with an ongoing narrative. It is based on evolutionary theory which I'm willing to listen to and consider Arguments for but give me good science and don't talk about science that you don't really understand. I do teach biology and some Liberties were taken in connecting biological processes to assumed evolutionary origins of those processes. In addition, I was not interested in the authors connection to Evolution and global climate change. That's not what this book was about. I can buy and read books about that. Stay on topic. Because two things appear to be happening at the same time does not mean one caused the other, correlation is not necessarily causation. It is false logic to assume that because things are happening at the same time that one must have caused the other. Provide evidence if you're going to make that assertion rather than assuming I'm going to agree with that conclusion. The author introduces us to several good programs related to cold Therapy and Fitness in general. I'll probably listen to it again because I now own it on audio. But, the topic wondering does not rate the full five stars.

93 of 113 people found this review helpful

Good listen

New to the theme? then your in for a treat.

If you are fully aware of WIM HOF, and coldwater treatment etc.. then this wil be slightly boring, especially the last 5 chapters. theres some cool history in here, talking about different wars, and how climatization were a critical factor.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Excellent book!

I really enjoyed the book and clarity at which the author read it. This book was the validation that I was looking for after reading and listening to many sources on cold exposure and focused breathing. I had an expectation based on listening to an interview with the author before purchasing. My expectations were exceeded with the product. Well done.

15 of 18 people found this review helpful

Revelatory

A balanced and entertaining look at heightening the capabilities of your body in a completely different way.

8 of 10 people found this review helpful

Amazing and it works!

Great book. Great method. I've started cold therapy and breathing meditation and without hesitation can confirm that something is definitely at work. I feel more alert, have lost weight, and have increased work capacity. I'll be listening again and recommending this book and Wim Hof method to anyone that will listen.

13 of 17 people found this review helpful

Wow!

All I can say is wow book was amazing love the story I've already started doing some of the breathing techniques!

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

10% interesting 90% padding

didn't really glean anything from this. the VICE video on Wim Hof online gives you everything you need to know. this book is filled with unnecessary filler to bulk it out into a book.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Great story meets self development

Wonderful hole hearted story about Scott's journey with Wim Hof's method, endurance trials, meetings and experiments with world class athletes. Scott also knows his physiological science. I just loved the detailed descriptions of events and the personalities. Wish there was more chapters. Don't buy if you are in a hurry just to learn the methods. Must be enjoyed like chocolate - slowly. This is one of my favorite self growth books ever.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Absorbing and informative examination of environmental conditioning

A must read for anyone interested in the secrets that have allowed Wim Hof and his acolytes to achieve feats of cold resilience and natural healing.
Scott’s approach is humorous, sceptical, scientific and ultimately inspirational. Super well read, both me and my wife were hooked from the start.

Great content Well read Expertly authored

Does what it says in the tile, just writing enough words to post the review.

An exciting and inspiring read

I loved this book. I feel inspired to learn more about the Win Hof method .

very inspiring

After learning about and practicing the Wim Hof method, I found this book an excellent resource that gave me more inspiration and background knowledge about the subject. It is a very well written book from personal experience of Scott's journey into trying the WHM to see if there is any truth to the claims made by others.

Good book

I am a big fan of the Wim Hof Method and I have already read "Becoming the Iceman" by Justin Rosales. Scott Carney goes a lot more in depth in revealing the scientific evidence to back up the effectiveness of the method. I like the idea that he describes Hof not as a prophet but as a man with his own flaws which makes him all the more interesting. I found this book as an invitation to pursue your own journey towards a better connection with the elements and our inner strenghts.

Super book

Great book, really well written and thoroughly interesting. I’ve had an interest in the Wim Hof Method and cold immersion, and this book is thoroughly well written and thought out.

Couldn’t recommend it enough if hacking your body is in any way interesting to you.

Will definitely be listening to this again and checking out the authors other books.

Very nteresting!

An interesting read on the the use of cold water plunges and fast connected breath will reset your immune system whilst simultaneously boosting your health. The author explores the theory, tests it over a period of time in practice and medical examinations including completion of a daunting 2 day climb up Mt Kilimanjaro. The founder Wim Hof, is a complex character and the author takes pains to write a balanced critique of the man and the theory which left me wanting to try the system for myself. Overall, well-written and well narrated. Entertains and interesting throughout, I didn’t want to stop listening.

Though provoking and inspiring, yet realistic

What did you like most about What Doesn't Kill Us?

As most people who hear about Wim Hoff and all his accolades and achievements, I was very skeptical of the method and not just of everything that he claimed it was or could be, but also the fact that he claimed he could teach anyone and everyone his techniques. Scott did an amazing job of balancing out the skepticism of his own perspective with the absolutely awe-inspiring feats of the Ice Man. He added the humanizing elements necessary for me as a reader to not simply write the narrative off as a marketing scheme to an expensive and exclusive 'health fad' costing thousands of dollars without methods that could be founded in science and research. It goes without saying then, that Wim Hoff is a mad man just as much as he is a guru in unlocking ancient evolutionary and biological traits we've had for millennia. It's mind blowing to hear of the human body's capabilities, terrifying to hear how disabling it is to engineer our comfort environments and refreshing to hear it coming from a skeptic who's personally experienced the method for himself.

Who was your favorite character and why?

If was fascinating learning not only about Wim, but about the variety of other figures in his story who have been suffering an array of ailments along the way, and attribute their well-being and cure either wholly or partially to Wim and his bio-hacking method connecting the central nervous system to the immune system.

What does Scott Carney bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Scoot Carney adds his own personal experience not only through tone, but through the realistic skepticism as well. Refreshingly so.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The title of the book of course. "What Doesn't Kill Us"

Any additional comments?

Recommend to anyone who's evenly remotely curious about how the environment plays a massively significant role in the manner in which we develop and how we go about defeating things that would have ended us otherwise.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful