Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art

Why I'd hand it to you

James Nestor, a journalist, set out to understand why so many modern people breathe poorly, and what that does to sleep, anxiety, fitness and even the shape of our faces. He tests breathing methods on himself, including taping his mouth shut at night, and visits researchers and practitioners. It is fun to read, and many of the techniques are easy to try. A word of caution: some claims rest on small studies or older research, and his own experiments are anecdotes, not science. Check with a doctor before trying anything aggressive. As an invitation to pay attention to something basic, it works.

— Matt Jordan