''Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, Or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do'' is a bestselling
book by
marine biologist
Marine biology is the scientific study of the biology of marine life, organisms in the sea. Given that in biology many scientific classification, phyla, family (biology), families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others th ...
Wallace J. Nichols about the effects
bodies of water
A body of water or waterbody (often spelled water body) is any significant accumulation of water on the surface of Earth or another planet. The term most often refers to oceans, seas, and lakes, but it includes smaller pools of water such as p ...
have on human health and well-being.
Contents
The book covers "therapeutic landscapes" as they are referred to in
medical literature
Medical literature is the scientific literature of medicine: articles in journals and texts in books devoted to the field of medicine. Many references to the medical literature include the health care literature generally, including that of denti ...
, specifically ones that are near, in, or on the water.
The book analyzes studies that suggest living or simply being near bodies of water can have powerful psychological and even physiological effects.
Human condition
''Blue Mind'' considers the impact of water on the
human condition
The human condition is all of the characteristics and key events of human life, including birth, learning, emotion, aspiration, morality, conflict, and death. This is a very broad topic that has been and continues to be pondered and analyzed fr ...
.
The book considers the impacts of water on mental health. Nichols told
Quartz
Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical form ...
:
Research
''Blue Mind'' compiles and analyzes recent
scientific research
The scientific method is an empirical method for acquiring knowledge that has characterized the development of science since at least the 17th century (with notable practitioners in previous centuries; see the article history of scientific m ...
that has shown water's favorable
cognitive
Cognition refers to "the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses". It encompasses all aspects of intellectual functions and processes such as: perception, attention, thought, ...
and physical impacts being quantified by experts. The book shows proof that living near the shore, for example, has been shown to boost
physical health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
and well-being. It also provides evidence that water generates a
meditative state, which makes us happier, healthier, calmer, and more creative.
Reception
The book was received well by critics, and made
''The'' ''New York Times'' Best Seller list.
A review from ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' labeled ''Blue Mind'' "popular psychology", calling it "a study in water and why it makes us happy".
A review from the
Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography
The Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), formerly known as the Limnological Society of America and the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, is a scientific society established in 1936 with the goal of advan ...
said "''Blue Mind'' is an interesting read and presents a different perspective on water than we typically think about during the course of our hectic days."
[{{Cite journal, last=Filstrup, first=Christopher T., date=2019, title=Nichols, W.J. 2015. Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do. Reprint Edition. New York: Back Bay Books / Little, Brown, and Company. ISBN: 978-0-316-25211-9. (Paperback). Suggested Retail Price: $9.98 for Paperback on Amazon.com, url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/lob.10338, journal=Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin, language=en, volume=28, issue=3, pages=114, doi=10.1002/lob.10338, issn=1539-6088]
References
Non-fiction books
Self-help books
Books about science