The Rabbit Effect: Live Longer, Happier, and Healthier with the Groundbreaking Science of Kindness
Written and Narrated By: Kelli Harding MD MPH
Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
YES! Compassion toward yourself, loving kindness to all make a huuuuge difference!
My husband and I were watching The Iron Man contest on TV, and my husband was eating a kale and beet sandwich after he did yoga and lifted some weights. I, on the other hand, was planted firmly on the sofa, plucking delightful Kettle-Cooked Jalapeño-flavored potato chips outta the bag. A contestant in his 80s said he was constantly asked how to be as fit and healthy in ones 80s as he was. The answer he said? Ya wanna be like this in your 80s, watch what you do in your 40s. Did I mention I was around 44?
Dang those chips were good!
So imagine how delighted I was when I stumbled upon The Rabbit Effect as a New Release, a book that touted “the Groundbreaking Science of Kindness.” Kindness I can do! 50 stomach crunches, not so much.
What I loved about the book was, while it very much ran the whole line of diet, exercise, blah blah blah—it overthrew MUCH of that with ideas that are NOT common sense. We’re not taught to seek purpose in our lives; and nowadays connection means hitting Facebook or Twitter. (I know, I’ve totally dated my age by mentioning Facebook!). Whouda thunk that being lonely could be worse for your health than smoking 15 cigarettes a day? Whoulda thunk that by being in nature, you’re actually doing not only your racing brain a service, but your whole-body health a great deal of good also.
Separated into chapters that touch on issues/ideas focused on Community (Ask those 100+ year old people how they do it, and studies will show that being part of a community, visiting friends, talking to people over meals has a heckuva lot to do with their happy longevity), Work (Stressing about stress’ll KILL ya!), Education (Stay curious throughout your whole danged life), and even Fairness (Not listening to others who are different is actually a form of micro-aggression and prejudice… NOT healthy for the person who suffers such slights on a daily basis).
There are scientific studies galore, each fascinating, and there are whole discussions which, while quite involved, are written so the layperson can understand and absorb the material. Even I (Meeee!) could follow studies on genetics and such all.
And through it all, everything is firmly planted in the human experience. We feel for the individuals who had trauma in their childhoods, never seeing them as statistics even tho’ there are plenty which cite how adversely things can turn out for those people, how letting go, and maybe writing things down can help.
Kelli Harding narrates this herself, and she has a warm and friendly voice. The only thing is, bless her heart, the woman can’t deliver a funny line to save her life. There was plenty of humor in the book, lots of levity, but seriously, poor thing: You simply have to get it from context and not from delivery. Other than that, I’d say she did a jolly decent job narrating her own work, scientific stuff and all.
You wanna be healthy? Look at whom you love, how often you get to share, and whether you have a sense of purpose in your life. Look to nature, even if you’re in an urban area and can get only a potted plant (Caring for it gives purpose also! And look at how beautiful it truly is!).
And for heaven’s sake! Yes, maaaaybe stop after 1/4 of a bag of those much-loved jalapeño potato chips…!
Or not; just give someone a big ol’ hug.
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