The Comfort Crisis

Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self

By: Michael Easter

Narrated by: Michael Easter

Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

“If you've been looking for something different to level up your health, fitness, and personal growth, this is it.” (Melissa Urban, Whole30 CEO and New York Times best-selling author)

Discover the evolutionary mind and body benefits of living at the edges of your comfort zone and reconnecting with the wild.

In many ways, we’re more comfortable than ever before. But could our sheltered, temperature-controlled, overfed, underchallenged lives actually be the leading cause of many our most urgent physical and mental health issues? In this gripping investigation, award-winning journalist Michael Easter seeks out off-the-grid visionaries, disruptive genius researchers, and mind-body conditioning trailblazers who are unlocking the life-enhancing secrets of a counterintuitive solution: discomfort.

Easter’s journey to understand our evolutionary need to be challenged takes him to meet the NBA’s top exercise scientist, who uses an ancient Japanese practice to build championship athletes; to the mystical country of Bhutan, where an Oxford economist and Buddhist leader are showing the world what death can teach us about happiness; to the outdoor lab of a young neuroscientist who’s found that nature tests our physical and mental endurance in ways that expand creativity while taming burnout and anxiety; to the remote Alaskan backcountry on a demanding 33-day hunting expedition to experience the rewilding secrets of one of the last rugged places on Earth; and more.

Along the way, Easter uncovers a blueprint for leveraging the power of discomfort that will dramatically improve our health and happiness, and perhaps even help us understand what it means to be human. The Comfort Crisis is a bold call to break out of your comfort zone and explore the wild within yourself.

©2021 Michael Easter (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Changes the way we think about the modern world and how everyday conveniences are eroding our understanding of what it mean to be human.” (Richard Dorment, editor in chief, Men’s Health)

“I read The Comfort Crisis in three straight sittings and was so motivated and inspired that I immediately made changes to my daily routines. Two months later, I've never been fitter, more self-confident, or happier. If you've been looking for something different to level up your health, fitness, and personal growth, THIS IS IT.” (Melissa Urban, Whole30 CEO and six-time New York Times best-selling author)

“Entertaining and enlightening, Easter’s quest for a ‘rewilded’ diet, creative boredom, and other sensation - restoring discomforts is chock-full of solid science as well as a rollicking adventure.” (Dan Fagin, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation)

Essential information for anyone looking to lead a healthier, happier life

I found the information in this book so incredibly interesting! I especially enjoyed the discussions of all the research which led to the suggested lifestyle enhancements. The author’s own personal adventure woven into the topics made this book really enjoyable to listen to.

Epic journey

Great book! Really makes you really want to sit and reflect about how you live your life, how crazy society has gotten and how humans must have live for centuries before we got to this point. The performance was okay, some noticeable edit chops here and there but I’m an audio engineer so I hear those kind of things. It doesn’t take sways from how epic this book is tho. This book is a must for anyone that wants to break out of the norm and take an outside look at oneself.

Story and Statistics

A very well told story and statistics that are motivating, eye opening, scary, and potentially life changing when applied to changing my lifestyle

Riveting and Inspirational!

I absolutely loved this book. I loved that the author read his own book, it really put a personal touch and really made me feel like I was right next to him throughout this journey. Definitely made me question if I've become "comfortable" in my life and whether I should make myself "uncomfortable" in order to obtain the best that this life has to offer. A MUST READ!!!!

Very informative

This is a very informative book with a good story and also has some educational aspects for diet and exercise.

Life Changing Book

This book is exactly what the Western world needs. I personally thought that I was at least partially comfortable being uncomfortable. After listening to this book I realize I have a lot of work to do and am excited to get started.

Huge fan of the mindset this book builds

A book that lays a great groundwork for building grit. There are plenty of books out there (and most of them are great) written by ex operators or heroes who had lives of grit, fitness, doing badass things and all the work that made them a badass, but this is one written by someone who simply wanted to go on the journey of becoming better. I appreciated that perspective and I think it is one that is worthwhile.

Read this book and go out and do something awesome. You’ll be inspired to.

Wild

Great book, lots of depth and detail. Loved examples of getting outside! The story of the trip to Alaska was unlike anything I ever heard.

Informative and Entertaining

Changed my outlook on health, fitness and modern lifestyle habits. Highly recommend to anyone who would like a new perspective on how they view the world.

MUST READ

this book has changed my entire perspective on how I want to live my life