"New York Times "bestselling author and king of "immersion journalism" A.J. Jacobs tackles his most challenging experiment yet: a yearlong mission to radically improve every element of his body and mind--from his brain to his fingertips to his abs.Having lifted his spirit in "The Year of Living Biblically" and sharpened his mind in "The Know-It-All," A.J. Jacobs had one feat left in the self-improvement trinity: to become the healthiest man in the world. He doesn't just want to lose weight, or finish a triathlon, or lower his cholesterol. His ambitions were far, far greater.

The task was massive. First, he had to tackle a complicated web of diet and exercise advice, most which is nonsensical, unproven, and contradictory. Second, he had to consult a team of medical advisers. And finally, he had to subject himself, over the course of two years, to a grueling regimen of exercises, a range of diets and nutritional plans, and a brutal array of techniques and practices to improve everything from his hearing to his sleep--all the while testing the patience of his long-suffering wife.

This latest book""bursts with hilarity and warmth, all the while testing our culture's assumptions and obsessions with what makes good health and allowing the reader to reflect on his or her own health, body, and eventual mortality.