ISBN: 9781847925909

Published: 2019-08

'INFORMATIVEAND PERSUASIVE ENOUGH TO ROUSE THE MOST ARDENT COUCH POTATO' (NEW STATESMAN) IRISH TIMESTOP TEN BESTSELLER Walking upright on two feet is a uniquely human skill. It defines us as a species. It enabled us to walk out of Africa and to spread as far as Alaska and Australia. It freed our hands and freed our minds. We put one foot in front of the other without thinking - yet how many of us know how we do that, or appreciate the advantages it gives us? In this hymn to walking, neuroscientist Shane O'Mara invites us to marvel at the benefits it confers on our bodies and minds. In Praise of Walkingcelebrates this miraculous ability. Incredibly, it is a skill that has its evolutionary origins millions of years ago, under the sea. And the latest research is only now revealing how the brain and nervous system performs the mechanical magic of balancing, navigating a crowded city, or running our inner GPS system. Walking is good for our muscles and posture;it helps to protect and...