American Idle: A Journey Through Our Sedentary Culture (Captial Ideas)

** The American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) awarded AMERICAN IDLE an Honorable Mention in the Non-Fiction category of their 2010 annual writing awards!! Congratulations to Mary! ** For 99 percent of our history, humans have lived as a species on the move, but modern life has stopped us in our tracks. AMERICAN IDLE: A Journey Through Our Sedentary Culture offers the first comprehensive look at the social, cultural, moral and physical consequences of living in a sedentary culture that has immobilized us as effectively as a shattered body part. As author Mary Collins recovers from a devastating bicycle accident, she begins a journey to find out more about America’s wounded national body. She discovers: * Why humans are meant to move. * What social changes led us to our current state. * Why past efforts have been so ineffective, and why will power isn’t the problem. * How our impaired physical selves impact our social lives and moral judgment. In her pursuit, Collins: * Visits the Olympic Center, factory floors, archeological sites, city planners, health experts, and even the National Zoo. * Explores the hazards of a society centered on desk jobs. * Looks into why organized sports have made kids less fit and advocates for more free play. * Uncovers remarkable new research about how physical activity impacts the adult brain. * Talks with experts about the growing imbalance between our overactive minds and our underused bodies. * Offers advice on how to integrate movement into the natural flow of our daily lives again. In sum, AMERICAN IDLE offers readers a road map back to physical grace.

REVIEWS

American Idle: A Journey Through Our Sedentary Culture by Mary Collins is such an interesting take on our way of life in North America. The physically active author had a severe bike accident, which drastically impaired her health. In her eagerness to regain some mobile abilities she began a study of movement and its ability to empower us. She began to realize how important being outdoors in green space is and that adults and children in our culture live almost entirely indoors and don't move their bodies any more than necessary. Collins has spent years studying the importance of movement and outdoor exercise to our overall health and writes about her findings, including physical, mental, and spiritual. Many interesting findings and simple ways to alter our family lives are included in this astonishing book. A must read!
Bonnie Neely, Amazon Top 1000 Reviewer & Real Travel Adventures, 2009/10/23