36 pages • 1 hour read
James NestorBreath: The New Science of a Lost Art
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2020A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Nestor participates in several breathing experiments in the book. Does his participation in these experiments add to or detract from the credibility of his research?
Why does Nestor claim that nasal breathing is superior to mouth breathing? How convincing is his argument?
Nestor begins Breath with a description of his first experience trying a breathing technique called Sudarshan Kriya. He concludes the book by returning to the same class ten years later. What changes for Nestor from the beginning of the book to the end of the book?
How does Nestor present progress in his work? To what extent is progress beneficial to human health and to what extent is it harmful?
How does the work of pulmonauts contribute to the field of respiratory health? Why are their contributions not more widely recognized by the biomedical establishment?
Breath includes an appendix, “Breathing Methods.” How do these methods support the ideas of the book?
Why does Nestor refer to breathwork as both a “lost art” and a “science?”
How and why has human facial physiology changed over time?
From Nestor’s perspective, why is ancient Yôga different from modern yoga? Does he value one more than the other? Why or why not?
Nestor uses a multidisciplinary approach in his study of breathing. How would his research be different if he narrowed his focus to only one or two academic disciplines?
