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📘 {{Tooltip|'''''{{Tooltip|Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art}}'''''}} is a popular science book by journalist {{Tooltip|James Nestor}}, published by {{Tooltip|Riverhead Books}} on 26 May 2020. <ref name="PRH2020" />
It argues that breathing habits—especially nasal versus mouth breathing and slower, lighter rhythms—shape sleep, cardiovascular and mental health, weaving history, physiology, and self-experiments such as a {{Tooltip|Stanford}} trial alternating enforced mouth- and nose-breathing. <ref name="PWReview2020">{{cite web |title=Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780735213616 |website=Publishers Weekly |date=19 March 2020 |access-date=19 October 2025}}</ref>
The book is structured in three parts and ten chapters (e.g., “Nose,” “Exhale,” “Slow,” “Less,” “Chew,” “Hold It”). <ref name="MarmotTOC" />
== Background & reception ==
🖋️ '''Author & writing'''. Nestor is a science journalist and author of ''{{Tooltip|''Deep''}}'' (2014); the publisher notes that ''Breath'' follows his reporting across labs, ancient burial sites, Soviet facilities, choir schools, and city streets to examine how breathing works and why it went awry. <ref name="PRH2020" /> He frames the book as a “scientific adventure,” linking breathing patterns to health and recounting how recurrent respiratory issues led him to test claims first-hand. <ref name="PWReview2020" /> A central episode is a {{Tooltip|Stanford}}-run experiment overseen by an {{Tooltip|otolaryngologist}} that forced mouth-only breathing for 10 days before switching to nose-only breathing, with diary-style measurements of snoring, apnea events, and blood pressure. <ref name="SleepReview20201204">{{cite news |last=Roy |first=Sree |title=A Popular New Book Elicits Gasps of Delight & Concern from Sleep Specialists |url=https://sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-health/sleep-whole-body/lungs/breath-james-nestor-sleep-medicine/ |work=Sleep Review |date=4 December 2020 |access-date=19 October 2025}}</ref> The book’s voice mixes reportage, history, and practical techniques across three parts and ten concise chapters. <ref name="Kirkus2020" /><ref name="MarmotTOC" />
📈 '''Commercial reception'''. Nestor’s site records that ''Breath'' spent 20 weeks on the {{Tooltip|''New York Times'' bestseller list}}. <ref name="NestorAbout2025">{{cite web |title=About — James Nestor |url=https://www.mrjamesnestor.com/about |website=MRJAMESNESTOR |date=2025 |access-date=19 October 2025}}</ref> In the sales week ending 30 May 2020, ''{{Tooltip|''Publishers Weekly''}}'' reported the book’s debut at #12 on Hardcover Nonfiction. <ref name="PWBestSeller20200608">{{cite news |last=Juris |first=Carolyn |title=This Week's Bestsellers: June 8, 2020 |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/83532-this-week-s-bestsellers-june-8-2020.html |work=Publishers Weekly |date=5 June 2020 |access-date=19 October 2025}}</ref> It was also selected as a {{Tooltip|Washington Post Notable Nonfiction Book of 2020}}. <ref name="WPostNotable2020" /> The publisher attributes more than three million copies sold and translations into 44 languages. <ref name="PRH2020" />
👍 '''Praise'''. ''{{Tooltip|''Kirkus Reviews''}}'' called the book “a welcome, invigorating user’s manual for the respiratory system.” <ref name="Kirkus2020" /> ''{{Tooltip|''Publishers Weekly''}}'' praised it as a “fascinating ‘scientific adventure’” that convincingly argues everyday breathing is “vital to get right.” <ref name="PWReview2020" /> {{Tooltip|The ''Boston Globe''}} highlighted its “entertaining, eerily well-timed” explanations of proper breathing and its potential to change daily habits. <ref name="BGlobe2020" /> ''{{Tooltip|''Library Journal''}}'' deemed it “highly recommended,” noting the clear synthesis of research, interviews, and techniques. <ref name="LJ2020">{{cite web |title=Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art |url=https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/breath-the-new-science-of-a-lost-art |website=Library Journal |date=1 May 2020 |access-date=19 October 2025}}</ref>
👎 '''Criticism'''. In the ''{{Tooltip|''Wall Street Journal''}}'', {{Tooltip|Sam Kean}} faulted the book for not applying enough skepticism to “dicey” evidence and for underplaying placebo effects. <ref name="WSJReview2020">{{cite news |last=Kean |first=Sam |title='Breath' Review: Eager Breather |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/breath-review-eager-breather-11590953832 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=31 May 2020 |access-date=19 October 2025}}</ref> Psychiatrist {{Tooltip|Kate Womersley}}, writing in ''{{Tooltip|''The Spectator''}}'', argued that Nestor leans heavily on anecdotes and makes overbroad claims about nitric oxide and {{Tooltip|CO₂}}, cautioning against turning “enhanced breathing” into a commercial self-optimization trend. <ref name="Spectator20200801">{{cite news |last=Womersley |first=Kate |title=We all breathe – 25,000 times a day – so why aren’t we better at it? |url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/we-all-breathe-25-000-times-a-day-so-why-aren-t-we-better-at-it/ |work=The Spectator |date=1 August 2020 |access-date=19 October 2025}}</ref> A trade article in ''Sleep Review'' welcomed the book’s accessibility but warned that popular practices like mouth-taping should not displace clinical diagnosis and care. <ref name="SleepReview20201204" /> Beyond reviews, a 2023 meta-analysis of randomized trials found small-to-moderate benefits of breathwork for stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, while urging caution due to moderate risk of bias and heterogeneity in studies. <ref name="SciRep2023">{{cite journal |last=Fincham |first=Guy William |author2=Clara Strauss |author3=Jesus Montero-Marin |author4=Kate Cavanagh |date=9 January 2023 |title=Effect of breathwork on stress and mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=13 |pages=432 |doi=10.1038/s41598-022-27247-y |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9828383/ |access-date=19 October 2025}}</ref>
🌍 '''Impact & adoption'''. ''{{Tooltip|''Fresh Air''}}'' devoted a full episode to Nestor on 27 May 2020, amplifying the book’s core ideas to a national audience. <ref name="FreshAir20200527">{{cite web |title=How The 'Lost Art' Of Breathing Can Impact Sleep And Resilience |url=https://freshairarchive.org/guests/james-nestor |website=Fresh Air Archive (WHYY/NPR) |date=27 May 2020 |access-date=19 October 2025}}</ref> The book was shortlisted for the 2021 {{Tooltip|Royal Society Science Book Prize}}. <ref name="RSShortlist2021">{{cite web |title=Shortlist for 2021 Royal Society Science Book Prize revealed |url=https://royalsociety.org/news/2021/09/book-prize-shortlist-2021/ |website=Royal Society |date=29 September 2021 |access-date=19 October 2025}}</ref> Nestor later created a long-form course, “The Power of Your Breath,” for {{Tooltip|BBC Maestro}}, reflecting mainstream uptake of breathwork education. <ref name="BBCMaestro2025">{{cite web |title=James Nestor — The Power of Your Breath |url=https://www.bbcmaestro.com/courses/james-nestor/the-power-of-your-breath |website=BBC Maestro |access-date=19 October 2025}}</ref> Educational outreach also included contributions to {{Tooltip|The Global Classroom}}’s breathing programming for schoolchildren in 2021. <ref name="GlobalClassroom2021">{{cite web |title=The Global Classroom’s Top Five Breathing Techniques for Children |url=https://www.theglobalclassroom.com/the-global-classrooms-top-five-breathing-techniques-for-children/ |website=The Global Classroom |date=25 March 2021 |access-date=19 October 2025}}</ref>
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