The Blue Zones

A colorful survey examines why people in four communities in California, Japan, Italy, and Costa Rica are happier and live significantly longer than most Americans. The author's careful research, guided by epidemiologists and other scientists, found that living longer and more enjoyably was associated with nine familiar practices, such as eliminating processed food; reducing stress; exercising more; and staying connected to family, a spiritual community, and a big-picture life purpose. Michael McConnohie's smooth vocal resonance and natural-sounding dialect interpretations make this lesson fun to hear. His delivery of the dialogue reported between the subjects and the author makes the core principles in this research captivating. With its concise, down-to-earth recommendations, this is one of the most hopeful and motivating quality-of-life audio lessons available. T.W. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine