Survival Of The Fittest: Understanding Health and Peak Physical Performance

For years I have known about this book, and having read extensively of Dr Mike Stroud's antarctic adventures from works by Ranulph Fiennes and also having read a lot about human physiology in harsh environments, I was wondering to myself whether there'd be much to be gained by getting myself a copy. Well I needn't have worried - it's an excellently written and truly inspiring book that would appeal to all lovers of adventure, physical & psychological challenges, human physiology and what is now quite a well known concept of evolutionary fitness (as popularised by Art de Vany but without the paleo diet elements). As a weekend hiker/runner/climber/cyclist I am in awe of what Stroud has accomplished in his exploits - even if he does try hard to make these achievements seem like they should be within the grasp of most of us - because I feel he underplays his own profound mental strength that puts him amongst the elite of those who have pushed beyond the accepted boundaries of human endurance. In that sense the book is inspirational as it makes you question your limitations and perhaps go on to test them - or at the very least appreciate the latent potential.I can thoroughly recommend it and though the science continues to move on (much in favour and some against what Stroud advocates) it's a truly accessible work that would give a great starting point for anyone looking for an evidence-based guide to health and fitness and for anyone contemplating a serious endurance challenge. Superb.

Just read the updated version of this book. I loved the original book. This includes a section on how Dr Mike Stroud and Sir Ranulph Fiennes (listed by the Guniess Book of Records as the greatest living explorer)complete seven marathons in seven days on seven continents. This was several months after Sir Ralph had heart surgery.These two were also the first two men to walk to both poles unaided. Mike Stroud is a highly acclaimed nutritionist and works with the UK's Famous (or infamous ???) SAS. Together with Helen Klein they also completed the ECO challeng when Helen was 72. A year later Mike had trained his 70 year old Dad who was healthy though only through hill walking to do the ECO challenge also. Its a book about the extremes the human body can be pushed to but at times humourous and highly motivating. An excellent read for anyone even remotely interested in fitness and health.

Nice book plenty to think about in what Mike has written. I enjoyed his commentary on the different events however I would have liked some suggestions and/or ideas for training, nutrition etc. That said if I take the key principle that no matter what age we are built for endurance so get out and move. I should be fine.

If you are interested in fitness - even slightly, then this book is a good buy. Mixing personal experience of physical endeavours (and boy Mike has pushed himself in some mammoth events with the likes of Ranulph Fiennes)with scientific information and findings about the capacity of the human body.I found the book absolutely riveting and inspiring - very re-readable and quite incredible in places. Makes one realise that we were 'born to run' and that keeping agile and active is something we all need to keep in the foreground of our minds. Also makes you realise you are not too old to start... some of the most amazing feats have been conducted by some of the oldest of people. A real eye opener.Mike Stroud is a wonderful host - self effacing, humble, witty, charming and importantly very knowledgable. It is a pity he hasn't written more books, I have enjoyed this so much.No more excuses, get up and start getiing your body working - it will enrich your life.

Based upon solid reviews, and having recently finished reading  Shadows on the Wasteland , I picked up a copy of this.I found it a fantastic read, covering many areas of human physiology and nutrition. Using examples from Mikes experiences as an adventurer, his profession as a doctor, and a couple of hypothetical situations, mechanisms such as the bodys temperature regulatory system asr discussed in some detail. I liked that at several stages he also referred to counter theories that did not agree with his own (i.e. Richard Dawkins)- many authors works whose I have read do not do this, and ramble on, expecting us to believe their theory/opinion as truth.On the negative; though Im sure in Mike Strouds eyes the science within this book is the epitome of simplicity, for me, some of it was still quite difficult for the casual reader, and could perhaps have been explained in a more gentle manner

This is quite possily the most interesting book I have ever read in my life; I struggled to put it down in a way I normaly only get hooked on thriller novels.Mike's use of layman's terms provide a very informative but accessible explanation of how evolution has created the "ultimate running machine" - us!Interspersing his great knowledge of the subject with the stories of his numerous adventures and challenges around the world ensures you are kept hooked from page one to the very end.I'd recommend this book to anybody remotely interested in their fitness, adventures or evolution and have already had requests from numerous friends and family members to borrow it now that I've finished.

An inspirational read with lots of interesting science. However, in the Kindle edition there are numerous errors that I assume are not present in the printed versions. Many examples of "are" being written "arc" which likely indicate some problem in scanning the paper version and running it though Optical Character Recognition - those are pretty easy to correct whilst reading but a few other due can leave you confused until you figure out what the original word might have been. What is much worse however is the placement of the images. It appears that in the paper edition there must be a central set of pages (glossy maybe?) that have all the plates; these suddenly appear mid-chapter around halfway though the book with the captions not really lining up with the images they refer to.

The amount of information Mike has provided in this fascinating account of the physical endurance he and his fellow colleagues endured throughout each challenge is outstanding. I absolutely loved reading this book and totally recommend it to anyone looking to explore what our bodies are capable of achieving and overcoming.

Mike Stroud - de la BBC The Challenge et de SAS: Are You Tough Enough? - dégage la génétique, la diète et les exercices qui rendent l'humain capable d'avoir le maximum de performance.

I have bought three of these books so far as presents for friends as I think it is really interesting and informative read. Well work the money. Just a petty Mike has not written more.

I chose this rating for I'm at enrty level endurance racing and this book tought me the fundamental basics as well as the clear mssage that we were born to run.Recommended to any level of runner/athelete and even my dad who loves travelling Africa in his Land Rover.Its quite interesting

Gives a great understanding of how man has developed to cope (or not) with food, climate and development. Gives numerous examples of outstanding performance. Truly inspirational book which I recommend to folk time and time again