By Jena Lynde-Smith
A new book by Carleton journalism professor Sarah Everts – The Joy of Sweat – has already attracted high praise from the likes of the New York Times, Time magazine and Oprah Daily.
The Joy of Sweat is an in-depth look at the science, culture and history of perspiration. Everts debunks many misconceptions about this vital biological function, and takes readers on a whirlwind tour around the world, visiting Moscow for a sweat dating event, going to Amsterdam for a sauna theater competition, and trekking to New Jersey suburbs to visit a professional sniffer who assesses armpit odour on behalf of deodorant companies. She tackles such taboo questions as why sweat stinks, why we sweat when we’re stressed and why some people produce colorful sweat.
“It is stinking hot out, so what better way to chill out than with a book exploring the glory of sweat,” the Oprah Daily gushes. “Be sure to soak up Sarah Everts’ exhumation of the science of perspiration and why some of us are more odiferous than others.”
Everts joined Carleton’s journalism program in 2019 as the CTV Chair in Digital Science Journalism after more than a decade in Berlin, where she reported on science and technology for such publications as Scientific American, New Scientist, Smithsonian, Chemical & Engineering News and others. Her work has garnered numerous awards and accolades, such as inclusion in the 2017 Best American Science and Nature Writing anthology.
Everts said she was inclined to research sweat for a number of reasons, including her own insecurities.
“For much of my life, I worried that I might sweat more than average – I am already sweating during most warmups, and I’m the first in any workout class to reach for a towel. So, I decided to use my journalism skills and my chemistry background to dig into the science of sweat, to be curious about perspiration instead of anxious,” she said.
“Also, when I lived in Berlin, I discovered that locals are VERY keen on going to the sauna. At first I thought this was a bit bananas. Why on Earth would anyone sweat for fun? But then I discovered the catharsis of a great sauna sweat and now it’s one of my favourite past-times — even though many spas make a lot of spurious health claims about sweating benefits, which I debunk in the book.”
Among The Joy of Sweat’s many accolades, The Oprah Daily describes it as “a glowing, revelatory account that belongs on the same shelf with works by Ed Yong and Carl Zimmer,” and included it in the recommended summer reading list.
The New York Times endorsed the book as well, including it on their list of most anticipated books of the summer.
Fellow authors have also praised The Joy of Sweat.
Alex Hutchinson, best-selling author of Endure, described the sweat tome as “meticulously researched, delightfully told, and—whether we like it or not—universally relatable.”
Good to Go author, Christie Aschwanden, said the book “provides riveting lessons about physiology, hormones, sociology, and even love.”
Publishers Weekly wrote: “Everts has an easy hand with demystifying myths associated with sweat…Packed full of information and unexpected tidbits, this is hard to put down.”
These are only a few of the glowing reviews The Joy of Sweat has had so far. Everts said she is “excited and a bit overwhelmed” by reaction to the book.
“I think there is a lot of suppressed curiosity about sweat,” she said.
“Given that people spend $75 billion a year trying to block sweat and its smelly consequences, I guess there’s an appetite for knowing more about this bodily function that affects, some say afflicts, us all. I ultimately hope people reading the book will find more serenity rather than shame in all the sweating humans do.”
The Joy of Sweat is available for purchase on Amazon, Chapters-Indigo and at your local indie bookstore.
Tuesday, July 13, 2021 in General, Journalism News
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