''Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers'' is a 1994 (2nd ed. 1998, 3rd ed. 2004) book by

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

biologist

Robert M. Sapolsky Robert Morris Sapolsky (born April 6, 1957) is an American neuroendocrinology researcher and author. He is a professor of biology, and professor of neurology and neurological sciences and, by courtesy, neurosurgery, at Stanford University. In ad ...

. The book describes itself as a "Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping" on the front cover of its third edition.

Background and synopsis

The title derives from Sapolsky's premise that for animals such as zebras, stress is generally episodic (e.g., running away from a lion), while for humans, stress is often chronic (e.g., worrying about losing one's job). Therefore, many

wild animals Wildlife refers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous to game: those birds and mammals that were hunted fo ...

are less susceptible than humans to chronic

stress-related disorders Stress-related disorders can include mental health disorders that are a result of an atypical response to both short and long-term anxiety due to physical, mental, or emotional stress. These disorders can include, but are not limited to obsessive- ...

such as

ulcers An ulcer is a discontinuity or break in a bodily membrane that impedes normal function of the affected organ. According to Robbins's pathology, "ulcer is the breach of the continuity of skin, epithelium or mucous membrane caused by sloughing o ...

hypertension Hypertension (HTN or HT), also known as high blood pressure (HBP), is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms. Long-term high bl ...

, decreased

neurogenesis Neurogenesis is the process by which nervous system cells, the neurons, are produced by neural stem cells (NSCs). It occurs in all species of animals except the porifera (sponges) and placozoans. Types of NSCs include neuroepithelial cells (NECs) ...

and increased

hippocampal The hippocampus (via Latin from Greek , 'seahorse') is a major component of the brain of humans and other vertebrates. Humans and other mammals have two hippocampi, one in each side of the brain. The hippocampus is part of the limbic system, an ...

neuronal atrophy. However, chronic stress occurs in some social primates (Sapolsky studies baboons) for individuals on the lower side of the social dominance hierarchy. Sapolsky focuses on the effects of

glucocorticoids Glucocorticoids (or, less commonly, glucocorticosteroids) are a class of corticosteroids, which are a class of steroid hormones. Glucocorticoids are corticosteroids that bind to the glucocorticoid receptor that is present in almost every vertebr ...

on the human body, arguing that such hormones may be useful to animals in the wild escaping their predators, (see ''

Fight-or-flight response The fight-or-flight or the fight-flight-or-freeze response (also called hyperarousal or the acute stress response) is a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival. It was first des ...

'') but the effects on humans, when secreted at high quantities or over long periods of time, are much less desirable. Sapolsky relates the history of

endocrinology Endocrinology (from '' endocrine'' + '' -ology'') is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions known as hormones. It is also concerned with the integration of developmental event ...

, how the field reacted at times of discovery, and how it has changed through the years. While most of the book focuses on the biological machinery of the body, the last chapter of the book focuses on self-help. ''Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers'' argues that social phenomena such as child abuse and the chronic stress of poverty affect biological stress, leading to increased risk of disease and disability.

Reception

The book received mostly positive reviews. ''

Kirkus reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'' called it an "entertaining explanation of how stress affects the body and what we can do to counteract its effects." Barry Keverne wrote in a review for ''

New Scientist ''New Scientist'' is a magazine covering all aspects of science and technology. Based in London, it publishes weekly English-language editions in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. An editorially separate organisation publishe ...

'': "Everyone can benefit from reading ''Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers'' and gain insights into the workings of the body and mind, and why some of us are more vulnerable than others to stress-related illness."

References

{{reflist

External links

''Stress: Portrait of a Killer''
''National Geographic'' documentary based on ''Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers''
"Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: Stress and Health", lecture by Robert Sapolsky

"Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers"

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

segment from December 3, 1999 from ''

Fresh Air ''Fresh Air'' is an American radio talk show broadcast on National Public Radio stations across the United States since 1985. It is produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The show's host is Terry Gross. , the show was syndicated to 6 ...

'' Biology books 1994 non-fiction books Stress (biology) Zebras