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suppose you're American and you decide
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to lose weight and get healthy awesome
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we Americans are really good at some
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things like building telescopes in space
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but unfortunately we haven't cracked the
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code on staying slim keeping health care
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costs down or living long but we do
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dominate the market for nutrition and
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weight loss books Let's see if our
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best-selling authors now provide a clear
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and consistent message we can all rally
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around to solve our problem I have
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written about agriculture nutrition
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cooking and this is everything I know
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about food the best wisdom we have can
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be reduced to seven words eat food not
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too much mostly plants I'm Dr Ken Berry
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a family physician well I've been
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virtually plant free in my diet for the
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last three and a half years emphasizing
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basically plant Source types of fat
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essentially if you can pour it it's
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going to be a healthy type of fat as
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long as we haven't partially
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hydrogenated it remember oils are rancid
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products they oxidized really easily
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they go rancid and bad they they do they
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don't have no shelf life stability and
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then the Cornerstone of all every
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longevity diet in the world is beans if
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you're eating about a cup of beans a day
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it's probably worth about four extra
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years of life expectancy so the lectins
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particularly in kidney beans are so
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mischievous in making red blood cells
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Clump it was a saturated fat at least
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they're not research in many of my
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colleagues research is the combination
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of these these fats especially in
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combination with too much copper iron
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and zinc that is really harmful to the
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brain next fat let's talk about
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saturated fat well I could write a whole
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book on that in fact I kind of almost
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did called eat fat get thin and how we
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got to the view that saturated fat was
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bad and why it's not the boogeyman
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anymore and they say red meat is bad
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well actually red meat probably is bad
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so why do we believe that red meat
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causes colon cancer I'll tell you why
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the 2015 iarc International Association
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for research on cancer which is a who
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working group that is where most of our
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misconceptions regarding red meat and
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cancer come from the people who consume
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uh between one and two cups of dark
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leafy greens every day have brains that
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perform up to 11 years younger the whole
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produce department is a human invention
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attempt to make plants edible
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if you are an American so the odds are
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stacked against you and you don't have a
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strong Science Background or the time to
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sort out this mess how is it even
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possible to decide who to trust I
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sometimes wonder if we wouldn't have
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less of a problem if we weren't so
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obsessed by the latest diet Trends I
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have had an unnatural fascination with
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nutrition books so somehow I've read
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over 200 of them over the past few
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decades some date back centuries and one
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was published last week with the help of
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Google translate I read a book from a
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Japanese nutrition Professor who was
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sharp until he died at 105. I also read
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a book from his Chinese counterpart who
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was sharp until he died at 110. this is
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just the tip of the iceberg for my book
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problem because only so many would fit
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on this table and most of them are on
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Kindle or audio when I'm running or
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biking or doing chores I almost always
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have a book playing in my ears Tony and
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I also started a technical bookstore in
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our garage in the early days of the
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internet which grew to 100 billion in
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sales in four years went public on the
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NASDAQ and was bought by Barnes and
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Noble when they were riding high so I
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think I know a few things about what
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makes non-fiction books sell but of all
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genres how did I get so fascinated with
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nutrition books for one thing I find the
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question of how we came to our beliefs
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so fascinating and how did we become so
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convinced in them and that that other
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idiot on the Internet is wrong and for
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another so much is at stake with
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nutrition obscene healthcare costs we
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can't afford and so much sorrow when
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nutrition goes badly and so much
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happiness when it goes well so I made a
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spreadsheet of the most influential and
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best-selling authors of recent decades
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Sudden Change in venue I'm at the
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hospital and my daughter's about to have
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a baby on New Year's Eve whoa she's a
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New Year's baby
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first baby born of the New Year in the
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hospital okay we were talking about my
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spreadsheet because I was curious as to
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what patterns would emerge do doctors
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sell more books than celebrities and
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internet influencers how about
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scientists I made columns for the
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background of the author their
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scientific stature if any the main
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message ratings on Amazon sales when I
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could get them whether they made the New
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York Times bestseller list what the
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author stood to gain and even whether
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any of the authors had descended into
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conspiracy territory as I believe a few
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have you're probably wondering how I
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judged their scientific stature if they
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were a journalist or an internet
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influencer without a scientific degree I
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gave them a low if they were a doctor I
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automatically gave them a medium unless
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they were involved in scientific studies
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and published papers and then I gave
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them a high if they were a scientist
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actually doing science and Publishing
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well-sided Publications then I gave them
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a high otherwise I gave them a medium
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and that's what I would give myself it's
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fascinating to see what patterns emerge
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but before we get to that we should see
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what best-selling authors and Publishers
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know about what makes a non-fiction book
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sell here are two Awesome books about
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that for example in every Thriller the
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protagonist must be at the complete
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mercy of the villain at some point in
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the story think of Indiana Jones also to
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completely win over an audience the
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protagonist must be willing to give up
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everything for the cause think of Matt
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Damon giving up his career for his kids
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in the movie We Bought a Zoo oh you
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don't think those story lines apply to
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nutrition books we'll see about that
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diet and nutrition books are often
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considered self-help books and the part
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I really don't understand if you're
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looking for self-help why would you read
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a book written by somebody else
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that's not self-help that's hell
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and one of the keys to self-help books
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is the promise and the second thing even
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a non-fiction book needs is suspense as
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a professional book editor my job is to
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help writers strengthen their stories
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actually most narratives of any kind
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fiction or non-fiction use suspense to
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engage the reader so this really is a
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key element of any type of narrative for
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example here are two unlikely best
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sellers with strong promises and a sense
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of suspense right on their covers
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scientists are notoriously weak
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storytellers with a few exceptions so
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they come out with covers like this
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that's from arguably one of the most
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credible sinus in my spreadsheet and
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gets great reviews from other scientists
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for how airtight its references are but
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it didn't sell well that's a promise
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used by many book skeletons passed by
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credible scientists that didn't sell
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well either and there's no suspense
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because I could tell from the cover you
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want me to eat broccoli same with Walter
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willett's book week promise low suspense
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if you are a liberal arts major with no
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nutritional Science Background you can
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still have a bestseller in America if
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you make extraordinary promises Tim
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ferriss's book makes promises like reach
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your genetic potential in six months
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sleep two hours per day and perform
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better lose more fat than a marathoner
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by binging best seller I wonder how many
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Americans found out sleeping two hours
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per night and binging didn't work for
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them and moved on to the next book with
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big promises although scientists can't
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write books like that without destroying
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their reputation they can get on the
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best seller list if they made genuine
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discoveries like Nobel Prize winner
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Elizabeth Blackburn made with telomeres
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or brain scientist Lisa mosconi did with
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how menopause increases Alzheimer's risk
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they both worked with co-authors which
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usually helps scientists who are usually
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storytelling impaired a great example of
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what a co-author can do is for the
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multi-million book seller how not to die
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co-author Jean Stone has a bachelor's in
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English from Stanford a masters from
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Harvard with an editor for Esquire and
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Simon and Schuster and the force behind
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many New York Times number one best
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sellers how they constructed that book
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reminds me how another great Storyteller
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who I used to work for Steve Jobs
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constructed Apple Stores Steve hired Ron
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Johnson from Target to help design the
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stores the initial thought was to design
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the stores around products so Macs and
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iPhones would have their own sections a
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traditional design but Ron suggested
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they organized them around the problems
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customers wanted to solve so the same
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products may appear in several sections
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of the store this story the store tells
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to customers as they walk in the store
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is we know what you're interested in and
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here's everything you need for that the
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book how not to die is organized around
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our leading diseases with a chapter for
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each the story it tells is we know it
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concerns you losing your mind getting a
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heart attack and here's what you can eat
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for those the same Foods appear across
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many diseases which brings up another
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mystery book how did The China Study
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become a multi-million book seller and
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stay on the Amazon top 200 list for
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almost a decade it's a vegan book and
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only three percent of Americans are
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vegans and from a minor publisher with
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no promotional budget and some pretty
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heavy science to understand that is to
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understand what makes great non-fiction
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who better to explain that than Rachel
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Aviv the celebrated non-fiction
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journalist for the New Yorker when I'm
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looking for a story I try to make sure
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that I have two strands that intersect
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the first is that I want to make sure
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I'm writing about an issue that has some
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social or political or cultural
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significance and relevance
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but that on its own is usually not
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enough in order to explore that issue or
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theme or Trend or dilemma I also need a
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second strand which is a character who
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can act as a kind of through line a
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guide who allows readers to care about a
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particular trend for me picking this
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guide or this character is one of the
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most important parts of writing the
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story I found that is often the
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difference between writing a story that
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someone will read and writing a story
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that someone won't read The China Study
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is told with sinus Colin Campbell as the
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protagonist it's the story of his
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adventure of Discovery his struggles
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with politics and the mean people who
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tried to thwart him here's what experts
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in non-fiction often say so the answer
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is to bring yourself and your story Into
278
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the book even if it is a non-fiction
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book on a topic that's meant to be quite
280
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serious when your heart bring your life
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Dr Bernstein did that masterfully with
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his low carb High meat diet books for
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type 1 diabetics and became a legend Dr
284
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Bolsa which did it for his best seller
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fiber fueled who knew that a guy who
286
00:10:19,919 --> 00:10:24,599
does colonoscopies for a living could
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write a bestseller building an honest
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narrative around human stories is called
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creative nonfiction and the name of one
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of its Godfathers is spelled gut kind
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I'm not making that up his name would be
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amazing for a gut health book and you
293
00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:41,399
can't make this stuff up as a complete
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guide to every aspect of creative
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nonfiction the traditional writer will
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just talk to you and tell you things and
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the fiction writer will tell you lots of
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stories but those stories could be made
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up or exaggerated but when you write
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creative nonfiction you are promising
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the reader that you're going to
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entertain them cinematically with
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stories but promising the reader at the
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same time that whatever you say is going
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to be accurate and true the trouble with
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creative nonfiction is when the
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characters aren't heroic or evil enough
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authors sometimes dramatize it into a
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00:11:14,820 --> 00:11:19,320
work of seminar fiction my co-workers
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from my Steve Jobs years were profiled
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00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:24,180
in a movie about Steve written by Aaron
312
00:11:21,419 --> 00:11:26,278
Sorkin they said Aaron could not resist
313
00:11:24,179 --> 00:11:27,899
embellishments so they said it was no
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longer the Steve they knew when the film
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00:11:27,899 --> 00:11:33,000
came out I agreed and that exactly
316
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explains the influential bestsellers
317
00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:37,679
from Gary taubs and Nino taishals both
318
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authors are very talented very well
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00:11:37,679 --> 00:11:41,458
trained journalists and great
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storytellers they have one of the most
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00:11:41,458 --> 00:11:45,958
powerful promises you can have in beef
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obsessed America meat and butter can be
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00:11:45,958 --> 00:11:50,278
part of a healthy diet and the suspense
324
00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:52,259
is over the top how can that be after
325
00:11:50,278 --> 00:11:54,778
all we've been told are sinus
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incompetent are they evil great stories
327
00:11:54,778 --> 00:11:58,919
like this require a great villain so
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they chose to semi-fictionalize the most
329
00:11:58,919 --> 00:12:03,120
influential nutrition scientist of all
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time and he was easily the most influent
331
00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:06,360
he still is the most influential
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nutrition scientist in the history of
333
00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:11,159
nutrition science they said it was all
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the things we love the hate a bully he
335
00:12:11,159 --> 00:12:17,578
was called arrogant and a bully even by
336
00:12:13,799 --> 00:12:19,078
his friends dishonest Keys did a lot of
337
00:12:17,578 --> 00:12:20,578
you know there's hardly a better word
338
00:12:19,078 --> 00:12:22,859
for it than kind of saying fudging the
339
00:12:20,578 --> 00:12:24,179
data incompetent I literally got off the
340
00:12:22,860 --> 00:12:26,459
phone with this guy and I called my
341
00:12:24,179 --> 00:12:27,659
editor at science and I said you know
342
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this is clearly one of the worst times
343
00:12:27,659 --> 00:12:30,838
you can tell a bad scientist I said one
344
00:12:29,820 --> 00:12:32,820
of the worst scientists I've ever
345
00:12:30,839 --> 00:12:35,399
interviewed I don't know what the story
346
00:12:32,820 --> 00:12:37,440
is but I'm going to pursue it because if
347
00:12:35,399 --> 00:12:40,639
this guy was involved in any substantial
348
00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:43,380
way I know there's a story there
349
00:12:40,639 --> 00:12:45,059
oh look grandkids and they all want me
350
00:12:43,379 --> 00:12:47,000
to play tag why aren't you dressed
351
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warmer
352
00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:52,679
and I forgot it oh and they implied he
353
00:12:50,820 --> 00:12:55,320
catalyzed the low-fat craze in America
354
00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:58,078
and made us all fat it started with
355
00:12:55,320 --> 00:13:00,720
Ansel Keys getting himself onto the
356
00:12:58,078 --> 00:13:04,078
nutrition panel at the American Heart
357
00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:06,360
Association in 1961. the problem they
358
00:13:04,078 --> 00:13:08,278
had is it is an obvious fiction because
359
00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:10,500
he popularized the Mediterranean diet
360
00:13:08,278 --> 00:13:12,360
which is not low fat and right on the
361
00:13:10,500 --> 00:13:14,458
cover of his best-selling book is olive
362
00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:16,740
oil fish and cheese none of which are
363
00:13:14,458 --> 00:13:18,899
low-fat but the Great Advantage they had
364
00:13:16,740 --> 00:13:20,759
is he has long gone and his best-selling
365
00:13:18,899 --> 00:13:22,980
book is long out of print who would even
366
00:13:20,759 --> 00:13:25,559
know about it anymore much less read it
367
00:13:22,980 --> 00:13:27,659
just me and nutrition scientists
368
00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:29,278
unfortunately I'm very familiar with
369
00:13:27,659 --> 00:13:30,958
books like this because before I moved
370
00:13:29,278 --> 00:13:33,360
to Silicon Valley to work in Tech in
371
00:13:30,958 --> 00:13:35,219
1990 when no less of a figure than the
372
00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:37,740
head of NASA Goddard space Studies
373
00:13:35,220 --> 00:13:39,480
Institute testified to Congress in 1988
374
00:13:37,740 --> 00:13:41,159
about the greenhouse effect which he
375
00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:43,019
understood better than anyone because he
376
00:13:41,159 --> 00:13:45,480
figured out that's why Venus was so hot
377
00:13:43,019 --> 00:13:47,240
we are sinus thought awesome now the
378
00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:49,440
public will finally know what we know
379
00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:51,778
what do I know
380
00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:53,639
that would cause me a reticent
381
00:13:51,778 --> 00:13:55,679
Midwestern scientist
382
00:13:53,639 --> 00:13:58,139
to get myself arrested
383
00:13:55,679 --> 00:14:01,138
in front of the White House protesting
384
00:13:58,139 --> 00:14:02,820
and what would you do if you knew what I
385
00:14:01,139 --> 00:14:05,039
know but the Koch brothers Rupert
386
00:14:02,820 --> 00:14:08,040
Murdoch and Exxon flooded The Zone with
387
00:14:05,039 --> 00:14:10,500
PR and semi-nonfiction books were part
388
00:14:08,039 --> 00:14:11,939
of the strategy David after Dr Hansen
389
00:14:10,500 --> 00:14:13,980
the scientist who had testified to
390
00:14:11,940 --> 00:14:16,079
Congress over the next three decades
391
00:14:13,980 --> 00:14:18,899
NASA and science lost the Koch brothers
392
00:14:16,078 --> 00:14:21,419
in Exxon 1 and science took a big hit to
393
00:14:18,899 --> 00:14:23,639
its reputation among the public 35 years
394
00:14:21,419 --> 00:14:25,979
later my perception is more people are
395
00:14:23,639 --> 00:14:28,320
seeing the fires and floods and thinking
396
00:14:25,980 --> 00:14:29,759
Hmm perhaps it really is true that all
397
00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:32,339
disaster movies begin with someone
398
00:14:29,759 --> 00:14:34,259
ignoring a scientist Dr Henson's
399
00:14:32,339 --> 00:14:35,880
testimony has stood the test of time and
400
00:14:34,259 --> 00:14:37,559
I'm not aware of any legit climate
401
00:14:35,879 --> 00:14:39,720
scientists who discount him like the
402
00:14:37,559 --> 00:14:41,638
internet does nor have they ever Nina
403
00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:43,019
and Gary have very convincing ways to
404
00:14:41,639 --> 00:14:45,419
make people believe their books are
405
00:14:43,019 --> 00:14:47,698
factual they flood the Zone with old
406
00:14:45,419 --> 00:14:49,620
obscure references that are very hard to
407
00:14:47,698 --> 00:14:52,019
fact check and they misrepresent them
408
00:14:49,620 --> 00:14:54,659
for example Gary often references Hilda
409
00:14:52,019 --> 00:14:56,578
Brook who wrote the 1957 book the
410
00:14:54,659 --> 00:14:59,159
importance of overweight try to find
411
00:14:56,578 --> 00:15:01,439
that at a rare Bookseller or scan copy
412
00:14:59,159 --> 00:15:04,259
anywhere but I know one person who has a
413
00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:06,600
copy me and it doesn't say what Gary
414
00:15:04,259 --> 00:15:08,519
says it does nor do many of his or
415
00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:10,740
Nina's references you don't have to
416
00:15:08,519 --> 00:15:12,778
believe me about their references Seth
417
00:15:10,740 --> 00:15:15,000
Yoder who has a master's degree in
418
00:15:12,778 --> 00:15:17,039
nutrition science posted exhaustive
419
00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:19,019
reference checks nutrition Professor
420
00:15:17,039 --> 00:15:21,599
Marion Nestle who is very reliable
421
00:15:19,019 --> 00:15:22,980
blogged about it Darius mozafarian the
422
00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:25,019
dean of tough School of nutrition
423
00:15:22,980 --> 00:15:27,000
tweeted about it the people who actually
424
00:15:25,019 --> 00:15:28,919
worked for answer keys for decades
425
00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:31,399
called Nina's references out in the
426
00:15:28,919 --> 00:15:31,399
Lancet
427
00:15:33,620 --> 00:15:38,039
so Gary and Nina pretty much won among
428
00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:39,839
consumers pretty much wrecking the
429
00:15:38,039 --> 00:15:41,879
reputation of the world's most prominent
430
00:15:39,839 --> 00:15:43,139
nutrition scientist and shaking the
431
00:15:41,879 --> 00:15:45,360
faith of the American public in
432
00:15:43,139 --> 00:15:46,980
nutrition science overall but answer key
433
00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:48,720
is one among nutrition scientists and
434
00:15:46,980 --> 00:15:50,519
the dietary pattern that he recommended
435
00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:52,800
the Mediterranean diet has become the
436
00:15:50,519 --> 00:15:54,299
most respected diet among them I'll get
437
00:15:52,799 --> 00:15:55,919
to what I think Gary and Nina's
438
00:15:54,299 --> 00:15:57,838
motivation may have been but first the
439
00:15:55,919 --> 00:16:00,120
story of the phenomenal bestseller the
440
00:15:57,839 --> 00:16:01,440
Obesity code is quite fascinating this
441
00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:03,899
episode is about the American book
442
00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:05,519
market and Dr Fung is Canadian but his
443
00:16:03,899 --> 00:16:07,980
books are very popular in America
444
00:16:05,519 --> 00:16:09,959
nutrition scientists often point to the
445
00:16:07,980 --> 00:16:12,120
Canadian food guide as less influenced
446
00:16:09,958 --> 00:16:14,219
by lobbyists and more akin to the Guides
447
00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:15,720
of the Nordic countries in Japan where
448
00:16:14,220 --> 00:16:17,399
men live more than four years longer
449
00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:19,800
than American men with half the health
450
00:16:17,399 --> 00:16:21,958
care costs like in Canada the Obesity
451
00:16:19,799 --> 00:16:23,399
code illustrates how doctors often speak
452
00:16:21,958 --> 00:16:25,500
to the public differently than
453
00:16:23,399 --> 00:16:27,480
scientists generally do for one thing
454
00:16:25,500 --> 00:16:29,879
doctors often speak with a great deal of
455
00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:32,759
certainty heart disease is an absolutely
456
00:16:29,879 --> 00:16:36,838
toothless paper tiger that need never
457
00:16:32,759 --> 00:16:39,120
ever exist if you suffer from anxiety or
458
00:16:36,839 --> 00:16:41,100
depression you have a leaky gut
459
00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:43,019
scientists are often more reserved and
460
00:16:41,100 --> 00:16:45,300
generally speak in terms of probability
461
00:16:43,019 --> 00:16:48,240
and risk and what we do see is about a
462
00:16:45,299 --> 00:16:50,159
50 lower risk of colorectal cancer for
463
00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:52,620
women with higher blood vitamin D levels
464
00:16:50,159 --> 00:16:54,539
we're not 100 sure that that's cause and
465
00:16:52,620 --> 00:16:55,799
effect as doctors know because they
466
00:16:54,539 --> 00:16:57,899
interact with patients every day
467
00:16:55,799 --> 00:16:59,879
patients generally like a confident
468
00:16:57,899 --> 00:17:01,559
demeanor the scientists in my
469
00:16:59,879 --> 00:17:04,679
spreadsheet seem more inclined to focus
470
00:17:01,559 --> 00:17:07,318
on one area like brain science Dr fungdo
471
00:17:04,679 --> 00:17:10,199
has books on fasting obesity diabetes
472
00:17:07,318 --> 00:17:12,178
and cancer at a pretty young age many
473
00:17:10,199 --> 00:17:14,279
consumers seem to take that as a sign
474
00:17:12,179 --> 00:17:16,380
that he's brilliant many scientists
475
00:17:14,279 --> 00:17:18,000
however tend to think really he's a
476
00:17:16,380 --> 00:17:19,980
kidney disease physician and he's a
477
00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:22,919
world Authority on cancer diabetes and
478
00:17:19,980 --> 00:17:24,660
obesity is that really possible what I
479
00:17:22,919 --> 00:17:26,939
think sells Dr Fung's books is he's
480
00:17:24,660 --> 00:17:29,100
adapted the storyline of Gary and Nina
481
00:17:26,939 --> 00:17:31,860
but he has the authority and confidence
482
00:17:29,099 --> 00:17:34,379
of an MD for example here's what he says
483
00:17:31,859 --> 00:17:36,418
about pencil keys so they said oh my God
484
00:17:34,380 --> 00:17:38,760
why are Americans having heart attacks
485
00:17:36,419 --> 00:17:41,280
must be the dietary fat right because it
486
00:17:38,759 --> 00:17:42,900
can't be the cigarettes the guy who
487
00:17:41,279 --> 00:17:44,940
really pushed that with a guy named
488
00:17:42,900 --> 00:17:46,620
Ansel Keys who is a very very prominent
489
00:17:44,940 --> 00:17:48,720
nutritionist he didn't actually look at
490
00:17:46,619 --> 00:17:50,639
every country that he had data on he
491
00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:52,259
actually just took the seven countries
492
00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:54,960
that best fit the line and sort of stuck
493
00:17:52,259 --> 00:17:57,480
them there so if you look at all 22
494
00:17:54,960 --> 00:18:00,000
countries that he had data on it it was
495
00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:01,679
a much less tight correlation so he sort
496
00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:04,440
of cherry-picked the data to make his
497
00:18:01,679 --> 00:18:06,240
point look better and just like that he
498
00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:08,100
dismisses the most influential nutrition
499
00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:09,900
scientist of all time and continues on
500
00:18:08,099 --> 00:18:12,178
with a fire hose of quick references
501
00:18:09,900 --> 00:18:14,640
like that if you're familiar with the
502
00:18:12,179 --> 00:18:16,080
studies he cites you die each time he
503
00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:18,780
glosses over one like this without
504
00:18:16,079 --> 00:18:21,960
understanding it for example this 22
505
00:18:18,779 --> 00:18:24,240
country chart comes from an obscure 1957
506
00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:26,940
paper that relies on United Nations food
507
00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:29,640
data and the authors describe as subject
508
00:18:26,940 --> 00:18:31,500
to severe limitations especially in
509
00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:34,140
countries like France Mexico and what's
510
00:18:31,500 --> 00:18:35,819
now called Sri Lanka the authors guessed
511
00:18:34,140 --> 00:18:37,440
it must have to do with how data is
512
00:18:35,819 --> 00:18:40,079
reported differently in different
513
00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:42,360
countries if Ansel Keys had relied on
514
00:18:40,079 --> 00:18:44,399
that data instead of launching a 50-year
515
00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:46,259
study to collect reliable data with
516
00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:48,480
blood samples and assays of actual food
517
00:18:46,259 --> 00:18:50,519
eaten I would have lost respect for
518
00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:52,200
Ansel but suppose for a minute that
519
00:18:50,519 --> 00:18:54,359
Jason is right and that data was
520
00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:56,220
reliable enough to be useful then you
521
00:18:54,359 --> 00:18:58,678
have to accept what the data so clearly
522
00:18:56,220 --> 00:19:00,779
shows in that paper that increases in
523
00:18:58,679 --> 00:19:03,419
animal food consumption causes a very
524
00:19:00,779 --> 00:19:05,399
sharp rise in mortality I have Jason's
525
00:19:03,419 --> 00:19:08,160
recipe book and it has many recipes with
526
00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:09,840
bacon and sausage so heat clearly does
527
00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:11,880
not actually believe that data is
528
00:19:09,839 --> 00:19:13,980
reliable I think the reason Jason
529
00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:15,539
doesn't show that graph is he's simply
530
00:19:13,980 --> 00:19:17,880
doing what a thousand other people have
531
00:19:15,538 --> 00:19:20,579
done before him and simply quoting Gary
532
00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:22,919
Tobbs without reading the paper Gary was
533
00:19:20,579 --> 00:19:25,199
simply doing what Gary does finding old
534
00:19:22,919 --> 00:19:27,299
obscure references and misrepresenting
535
00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:29,400
them which brings up another key to
536
00:19:27,298 --> 00:19:31,740
influential books if they can make the
537
00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:34,440
best seller list they get special fairy
538
00:19:31,740 --> 00:19:36,419
dust which I think explains why so many
539
00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:38,400
smart people will just accept Gary's
540
00:19:36,419 --> 00:19:40,259
references without checking them and use
541
00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:42,000
them in their own books and speeches for
542
00:19:40,259 --> 00:19:44,279
example here's Duke Professor Eric
543
00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:47,240
Westman himself a best-selling author
544
00:19:44,279 --> 00:19:50,879
one is the Banting diet book from
545
00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:53,099
1863. that was the first diet book ever
546
00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:56,520
it was a low carb diet the Banting diet
547
00:19:53,099 --> 00:19:58,259
that's an old obscure 14-page pamphlet
548
00:19:56,519 --> 00:20:00,240
written by an Undertaker whose only
549
00:19:58,259 --> 00:20:02,339
knowledge of nutrition is that his ear
550
00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:04,919
doctor advised him to avoid bread butter
551
00:20:02,339 --> 00:20:06,538
milk sugar beer and potatoes Gary
552
00:20:04,919 --> 00:20:08,340
eliminated the reference to butter and
553
00:20:06,538 --> 00:20:10,140
called it a low-carb diet even though
554
00:20:08,339 --> 00:20:12,720
toasted bread and fruit was on the menu
555
00:20:10,140 --> 00:20:15,000
Dr Westman is just repeating what Gary
556
00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:16,500
says about it and there were hundreds of
557
00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,960
diet and nutrition books before that
558
00:20:16,500 --> 00:20:22,019
written by actual doctors here's one of
559
00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:23,700
my favorites first published in 1653 the
560
00:20:22,019 --> 00:20:25,558
issues of the day were whether fish is
561
00:20:23,700 --> 00:20:27,720
healthier than meat Wild game healthier
562
00:20:25,558 --> 00:20:30,240
than tame and Orchard fruit healthier
563
00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:33,179
than Garden fruit even Banting said his
564
00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:35,460
advice was as old as the hill to be fair
565
00:20:33,179 --> 00:20:36,780
to Jason Fung the Obesity code does have
566
00:20:35,460 --> 00:20:38,700
some really good stuff in there about
567
00:20:36,779 --> 00:20:40,259
intermittent fasting and it encourages
568
00:20:38,700 --> 00:20:42,120
everyone to eliminate processed
569
00:20:40,259 --> 00:20:44,640
carbohydrate Foods although as recipes
570
00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:46,139
do include a lot of processed Meats it
571
00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:48,960
does have the same through line as Gary
572
00:20:46,140 --> 00:20:51,419
has in his books being overweight is not
573
00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:53,579
your fault the experts in quotes got it
574
00:20:51,419 --> 00:20:55,799
wrong he's emphatic that reducing
575
00:20:53,579 --> 00:20:58,678
calories does not work although he's all
576
00:20:55,798 --> 00:21:00,839
four time restricted feeding all my wild
577
00:20:58,679 --> 00:21:02,940
hats were stolen by Shameless thieves
578
00:21:00,839 --> 00:21:04,558
the Obesity code has a fascinating
579
00:21:02,940 --> 00:21:06,720
backstory the same year it was published
580
00:21:04,558 --> 00:21:08,339
Jason co-authored a book about fasting
581
00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:10,380
that was immensely popular with Jimmy
582
00:21:08,339 --> 00:21:12,359
Moore Jimmy was a super popular
583
00:21:10,380 --> 00:21:14,039
podcaster in the day who had written a
584
00:21:12,359 --> 00:21:16,319
best-selling book about the keto diet
585
00:21:14,038 --> 00:21:18,419
two years before Jimmy has a big
586
00:21:16,319 --> 00:21:20,460
personality and a great back story about
587
00:21:18,419 --> 00:21:22,799
losing 180 pounds in a year on the
588
00:21:20,460 --> 00:21:24,720
Atkins diet Jimmy kept podcasting and
589
00:21:22,798 --> 00:21:26,579
writing popular books like the ketogenic
590
00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:28,079
cookbook but if you've watched my
591
00:21:26,579 --> 00:21:30,119
previous episodes you know I've
592
00:21:28,079 --> 00:21:32,279
presented several studies showing keto
593
00:21:30,119 --> 00:21:34,019
diets are phenomenal for losing weight a
594
00:21:32,279 --> 00:21:36,298
year but don't do well for most people
595
00:21:34,019 --> 00:21:38,158
long term so I checked on Jimmy because
596
00:21:36,298 --> 00:21:40,500
he's doing all the things keto
597
00:21:38,159 --> 00:21:42,480
intermittent fasting ice baths and
598
00:21:40,500 --> 00:21:43,919
here's his recent message quite frankly
599
00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:47,220
I've been disappointed if I'm being
600
00:21:43,919 --> 00:21:49,200
truly honest which I always am
601
00:21:47,220 --> 00:21:51,179
I'm disappointed
602
00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:53,519
that I'm doing
603
00:21:51,179 --> 00:21:57,659
all of these things
604
00:21:53,519 --> 00:22:00,900
on a consistent basis 100 days in a row
605
00:21:57,659 --> 00:22:02,700
and I have not seen more physical
606
00:22:00,900 --> 00:22:05,220
results
607
00:22:02,700 --> 00:22:07,500
as hard as I'm working
608
00:22:05,220 --> 00:22:09,779
for the sustained period that I did I'm
609
00:22:07,500 --> 00:22:12,419
surprised it didn't continue in that
610
00:22:09,779 --> 00:22:14,099
trajectory Jason is adamant in his book
611
00:22:12,419 --> 00:22:16,200
that if you're overweight it's not your
612
00:22:14,099 --> 00:22:19,019
fault it's the experts who misled you
613
00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:21,179
but he is the expert for Jimmy Jimmy
614
00:22:19,019 --> 00:22:23,460
reminds me of another podcaster who lost
615
00:22:21,179 --> 00:22:25,259
even more weight Chuck Carroll but he
616
00:22:23,460 --> 00:22:27,538
landed on a plant-based message by
617
00:22:25,259 --> 00:22:30,179
another best-selling doctor Dr Barnard
618
00:22:27,538 --> 00:22:33,779
but I'm sitting across from Dr Barnard
619
00:22:30,179 --> 00:22:37,500
right now and my heaviest yeah I was 420
620
00:22:33,779 --> 00:22:38,759
pounds and I'm 5'6 on a good day if by
621
00:22:37,500 --> 00:22:40,859
this point in the episode you're
622
00:22:38,759 --> 00:22:42,419
thinking wait what's more important the
623
00:22:40,859 --> 00:22:44,579
way the book is written or the message
624
00:22:42,419 --> 00:22:46,559
that would be a good segue to my
625
00:22:44,579 --> 00:22:48,058
spreadsheet to make the list the book
626
00:22:46,558 --> 00:22:50,339
either had to make the New York Times
627
00:22:48,058 --> 00:22:52,859
bestseller list or get at least a
628
00:22:50,339 --> 00:22:54,599
thousand ratings on Amazon I made one
629
00:22:52,859 --> 00:22:57,298
exception for Walter willett's book
630
00:22:54,599 --> 00:23:00,058
which fell short at 834 ratings because
631
00:22:57,298 --> 00:23:02,940
he is so influential in nutrition I
632
00:23:00,058 --> 00:23:04,440
ended up with 104 people on the list at
633
00:23:02,940 --> 00:23:06,298
least one book was from a Canadian
634
00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:08,159
author and two from the the UK but I
635
00:23:06,298 --> 00:23:10,319
knew them to be on Amazon America's best
636
00:23:08,159 --> 00:23:12,000
seller lists these metrics are not
637
00:23:10,319 --> 00:23:13,500
perfect indicators of influence because
638
00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:15,298
some books have had more years to
639
00:23:13,500 --> 00:23:17,400
accumulate Amazon ratings for example
640
00:23:15,298 --> 00:23:19,440
but perhaps Amazon didn't have the
641
00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:21,419
traffic 10 years ago it has now who
642
00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:23,580
knows and the position on the New York
643
00:23:21,419 --> 00:23:25,200
Times list varied and so did the time on
644
00:23:23,579 --> 00:23:26,939
the list but they are the best
645
00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:29,880
indicators of influence I could think of
646
00:23:26,940 --> 00:23:31,500
if you had an MD without a PhD but your
647
00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:33,720
primary activity was research I
648
00:23:31,500 --> 00:23:35,220
classified you as a scientist if you
649
00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:37,440
weren't trained in a specialty I
650
00:23:35,220 --> 00:23:39,240
categorized you as an author celebs
651
00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:41,759
athletes and journalists got their own
652
00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:44,038
categories I categorize dietary plants
653
00:23:41,759 --> 00:23:46,619
which were omnivorous and favored plants
654
00:23:44,038 --> 00:23:48,419
as Mediterranean I combined keto books
655
00:23:46,619 --> 00:23:49,979
with other low-carb plans like Atkins
656
00:23:48,419 --> 00:23:52,200
I'll link the spreadsheet in the
657
00:23:49,980 --> 00:23:54,058
description and enable comments so you
658
00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:55,919
can suggest additions and Corrections
659
00:23:54,058 --> 00:23:58,139
the first thing that jumped out at me is
660
00:23:55,919 --> 00:23:59,940
there were almost as many scientists as
661
00:23:58,140 --> 00:24:02,460
doctors that was helped by me
662
00:23:59,940 --> 00:24:04,140
classifying some MDS as scientists like
663
00:24:02,460 --> 00:24:06,779
Dean ornish and Robert lustig because
664
00:24:04,140 --> 00:24:08,220
they do so much search I was afraid
665
00:24:06,779 --> 00:24:10,019
scientists would not do well on this
666
00:24:08,220 --> 00:24:12,000
list because they are not known for
667
00:24:10,019 --> 00:24:13,500
storytelling the second thing is the
668
00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:15,720
Mediterranean pattern owns the biggest
669
00:24:13,500 --> 00:24:17,640
slice with low carbon vegan duking it
670
00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:19,440
out for second the elimination books
671
00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:21,840
were ones like Wheat Belly grain brain
672
00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:23,519
and Dr gundry's lectin books one
673
00:24:21,839 --> 00:24:25,558
fascinating thing is scientists tend to
674
00:24:23,519 --> 00:24:27,720
Cluster around a few diets with the
675
00:24:25,558 --> 00:24:29,579
largest by far around the Mediterranean
676
00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:31,259
but with doctors it's much more
677
00:24:29,579 --> 00:24:33,298
scattered with low carb almost as
678
00:24:31,259 --> 00:24:34,679
popular as Mediterranean my
679
00:24:33,298 --> 00:24:36,298
interpretation is scientists are
680
00:24:34,679 --> 00:24:38,460
immersed in the latest research and
681
00:24:36,298 --> 00:24:40,558
doctors are face to face with patients
682
00:24:38,460 --> 00:24:42,240
giving two different perspectives what
683
00:24:40,558 --> 00:24:44,220
sinus see are the results finally
684
00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:46,798
rolling in from longer-term studies of
685
00:24:44,220 --> 00:24:48,298
people on keto diets what doctors see is
686
00:24:46,798 --> 00:24:50,279
some very impressive weight loss and
687
00:24:48,298 --> 00:24:52,079
blood glucose control quickly among
688
00:24:50,279 --> 00:24:54,418
their patients who start on a low carb
689
00:24:52,079 --> 00:24:57,000
diet and some very happy patients during
690
00:24:54,419 --> 00:24:58,799
their 6 and 12 month return visits if
691
00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:01,200
they ever do see long-term results like
692
00:24:58,798 --> 00:25:03,240
Jimmy Moore's they're naturally prone to
693
00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:05,038
write them off as a lack of adherence to
694
00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:07,679
the diet which works so well early on
695
00:25:05,038 --> 00:25:09,720
one final chart I flagged a few authors
696
00:25:07,679 --> 00:25:12,240
who have cashed in with big dollars Way
697
00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:14,579
Beyond book royalties and strangely they
698
00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:16,140
are skewed towards low carb diets for
699
00:25:14,579 --> 00:25:17,879
whatever reason it's the high meat
700
00:25:16,140 --> 00:25:20,220
low-carb crowd that buys a lot of
701
00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:22,500
supplements enabling Mark Sisson to sell
702
00:25:20,220 --> 00:25:24,659
his supplements company to craft for 200
703
00:25:22,500 --> 00:25:26,819
million dollars for Mercola to be Mega
704
00:25:24,659 --> 00:25:29,278
rich and liver King to sell 100 million
705
00:25:26,819 --> 00:25:31,200
in supplements just last year Mark Hyman
706
00:25:29,278 --> 00:25:33,240
and Paul saladino hopped on that gravy
707
00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:35,400
train as well as a few in the vegan and
708
00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:37,259
Mediterranean worlds too low carb
709
00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:39,179
scientist Finney and volac co-founded
710
00:25:37,259 --> 00:25:41,339
virta Health to sell keto dieting
711
00:25:39,179 --> 00:25:42,960
raising hundreds of millions in venture
712
00:25:41,339 --> 00:25:44,879
capital and making their company worth
713
00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:46,500
more than 2 billion despite the
714
00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:48,659
five-year data they collected on their
715
00:25:46,500 --> 00:25:50,640
customers which looks so good the first
716
00:25:48,659 --> 00:25:53,340
year but doesn't look good after two or
717
00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:55,440
more and finally Nina's book enabled her
718
00:25:53,339 --> 00:25:57,298
to secure a million a year in funding
719
00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:59,220
for what sure looks like a front group
720
00:25:57,298 --> 00:26:01,440
that lobbies and does PR for the beef
721
00:25:59,220 --> 00:26:03,778
industry her public appearances seem
722
00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:07,080
designed to cast doubt on science which
723
00:26:03,778 --> 00:26:09,599
is what front groups do so three big
724
00:26:07,079 --> 00:26:11,220
questions to end the episode first is
725
00:26:09,599 --> 00:26:13,199
the way the story told more important
726
00:26:11,220 --> 00:26:15,240
than the message in nutrition I heard
727
00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:17,159
that Robert Redford said story is more
728
00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:19,500
powerful than acting or cinematography
729
00:26:17,159 --> 00:26:21,659
in an independent film and here's what
730
00:26:19,500 --> 00:26:24,419
he said about the most powerful elements
731
00:26:21,659 --> 00:26:26,100
of story to me it's all about story it's
732
00:26:24,419 --> 00:26:27,720
like it was evidence in the deep throat
733
00:26:26,099 --> 00:26:28,740
scene but deep throat kept trying to say
734
00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:30,240
to Woodward
735
00:26:28,740 --> 00:26:32,579
find the story
736
00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:34,620
second step is who are the characters
737
00:26:32,579 --> 00:26:36,658
that embody the story
738
00:26:34,619 --> 00:26:39,119
and the third and most important is
739
00:26:36,659 --> 00:26:40,500
where's the emotion so it has to have
740
00:26:39,119 --> 00:26:42,058
those three steps what's the story one
741
00:26:40,500 --> 00:26:43,919
of the characters that embodied the
742
00:26:42,058 --> 00:26:46,079
story and then where's the emotion if it
743
00:26:43,919 --> 00:26:47,759
doesn't have all three then I probably
744
00:26:46,079 --> 00:26:50,038
would not be attracted to it which
745
00:26:47,759 --> 00:26:51,599
brings up question number two if you're
746
00:26:50,038 --> 00:26:53,640
an American and you're caught in this
747
00:26:51,599 --> 00:26:55,500
swirl of advice from various doctors and
748
00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:57,900
the internet each claiming one diet is
749
00:26:55,500 --> 00:27:00,000
superior to the others how do people end
750
00:26:57,900 --> 00:27:02,519
up choosing one over the other and get
751
00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:05,038
so emotional about it I think it's the
752
00:27:02,519 --> 00:27:06,658
story and how it resonates with you if
753
00:27:05,038 --> 00:27:08,480
you're a man you're much more likely to
754
00:27:06,659 --> 00:27:11,700
be drawn to appeals to masculinity
755
00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:13,620
mistake that's what a man eats that
756
00:27:11,700 --> 00:27:15,960
means shirtless men with six packs who
757
00:27:13,619 --> 00:27:17,278
claim meat gets you ripped if you're a
758
00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:19,140
woman you're much more likely to be
759
00:27:17,278 --> 00:27:22,339
drawn to a story that involves empathy
760
00:27:19,140 --> 00:27:22,340
and that means veganism
761
00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:27,119
foreign
762
00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:41,339
and that's why I think most carnivores
763
00:27:38,819 --> 00:27:43,558
are men and most vegans are women and
764
00:27:41,339 --> 00:27:45,178
yet each side believes their diet is the
765
00:27:43,558 --> 00:27:46,859
healthiest these stories have the
766
00:27:45,179 --> 00:27:49,860
characters and emotions that Robert
767
00:27:46,859 --> 00:27:51,058
Redford said was so powerful although
768
00:27:49,859 --> 00:27:54,058
you've called the Greta twinburg
769
00:27:51,058 --> 00:27:55,918
helpline if you're a grown adult who
770
00:27:54,058 --> 00:27:58,859
needs to yell at a child for some reason
771
00:27:55,919 --> 00:28:00,778
the Greta tuneburg helpline is here to
772
00:27:58,859 --> 00:28:03,538
tolerate you
773
00:28:00,778 --> 00:28:06,000
so before you go full caps lock in an
774
00:28:03,538 --> 00:28:09,179
article comment section let our expert
775
00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:11,640
counselors assess your situation we'll
776
00:28:09,179 --> 00:28:13,798
listen no matter how ridiculous you
777
00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:16,200
sound which brings up the last question
778
00:28:13,798 --> 00:28:18,778
most of my sinus friends believe that
779
00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:21,900
simple evidence-based science wins in
780
00:28:18,778 --> 00:28:24,179
the end is that true I say I don't think
781
00:28:21,900 --> 00:28:26,460
that's evidence-based I think powerful
782
00:28:24,179 --> 00:28:28,559
storytellers like Gary and Nina have far
783
00:28:26,460 --> 00:28:30,600
more influence over public opinion than
784
00:28:28,558 --> 00:28:32,819
almost any scientist I can think of at
785
00:28:30,599 --> 00:28:34,619
least in America and that brings me to
786
00:28:32,819 --> 00:28:36,960
the time a great scientist schooled me
787
00:28:34,619 --> 00:28:39,778
and I ran outside and burst into tears
788
00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:42,298
it was here at Stanford and it was my
789
00:28:39,778 --> 00:28:44,099
first day as a graduate student I was so
790
00:28:42,298 --> 00:28:46,740
nervous to meet my new advisor in that
791
00:28:44,099 --> 00:28:47,759
office my hands were cold he was one of
792
00:28:46,740 --> 00:28:49,200
the greatest scientists of this
793
00:28:47,759 --> 00:28:51,778
generation and the dean of Earth
794
00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:53,700
Sciences that's the Dean's office so I
795
00:28:51,778 --> 00:28:56,159
put my young son on my shoulders to calm
796
00:28:53,700 --> 00:28:58,440
myself and hopefully to disarm Dr Cox
797
00:28:56,159 --> 00:29:00,120
with cuteness overload he pulled out my
798
00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:02,759
file and asked a question and I could
799
00:29:00,119 --> 00:29:05,399
feel myself eye a little inside Chris
800
00:29:02,759 --> 00:29:07,679
you did so well on your entrance exams
801
00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:09,778
and anything quantitative why did you
802
00:29:07,679 --> 00:29:12,179
only score in the 33rd percentile in
803
00:29:09,778 --> 00:29:14,220
writing I nervously tried to laugh it
804
00:29:12,179 --> 00:29:16,559
off and said I don't do English
805
00:29:14,220 --> 00:29:18,480
sentences I do equations that's why I
806
00:29:16,558 --> 00:29:20,278
went into science I never want to take
807
00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:22,558
another English class as long as I live
808
00:29:20,278 --> 00:29:24,419
he set my file down and said that's the
809
00:29:22,558 --> 00:29:25,859
wrong answer in order to become a great
810
00:29:24,419 --> 00:29:28,320
scientist which is what you've come here
811
00:29:25,859 --> 00:29:30,959
to become you must become a great writer
812
00:29:28,319 --> 00:29:32,759
he said what good is great science if no
813
00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:34,558
one knows about it I'm going to grade
814
00:29:32,759 --> 00:29:36,720
your Master's thesis and if it's not
815
00:29:34,558 --> 00:29:38,460
good writing I won't pass you he must
816
00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:40,798
have known I was starting to fight back
817
00:29:38,460 --> 00:29:42,538
tears I thought I could never become a
818
00:29:40,798 --> 00:29:45,058
great writer and that I could never tell
819
00:29:42,538 --> 00:29:47,339
him why you can watch my tedx talk if
820
00:29:45,058 --> 00:29:49,319
you really want to know outside I burst
821
00:29:47,339 --> 00:29:51,240
into tears and walked around campus for
822
00:29:49,319 --> 00:29:53,639
probably an hour crying with Don on my
823
00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:55,740
shoulders poor kid I finally decided I
824
00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:58,259
had to get over myself and so I carved
825
00:29:55,740 --> 00:30:00,058
out at least an hour a day to do what I
826
00:29:58,259 --> 00:30:02,278
detested in the beginning which was to
827
00:30:00,058 --> 00:30:04,019
learn how to write non-fiction I read
828
00:30:02,278 --> 00:30:05,819
everything I could get my hands on from
829
00:30:04,019 --> 00:30:08,038
the three non-fiction writers I admired
830
00:30:05,819 --> 00:30:10,798
most Abraham Lincoln Winston Churchill
831
00:30:08,038 --> 00:30:12,839
and Mark Twain and thankfully Dr Cox
832
00:30:10,798 --> 00:30:14,460
noticed when Stanford held a banquet for
833
00:30:12,839 --> 00:30:16,079
one of its largest donors they lined up
834
00:30:14,460 --> 00:30:17,519
a who's who of speakers from the
835
00:30:16,079 --> 00:30:19,798
president of the university to the
836
00:30:17,519 --> 00:30:21,658
Secretary of State and they wanted a
837
00:30:19,798 --> 00:30:24,298
student to be the concluding speaker and
838
00:30:21,659 --> 00:30:26,340
they chose me I think Dr Cox put them up
839
00:30:24,298 --> 00:30:27,778
to it the traditional thing would have
840
00:30:26,339 --> 00:30:30,240
been to talk about how Stanford has
841
00:30:27,778 --> 00:30:31,798
great professors blah blah blah but I
842
00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:34,319
told the story of growing up on the
843
00:30:31,798 --> 00:30:36,538
streets with my mentally ill mom she had
844
00:30:34,319 --> 00:30:38,278
a masters in biochem from Cornell and
845
00:30:36,538 --> 00:30:40,679
said her greatest wish was for me to get
846
00:30:38,278 --> 00:30:42,538
a master's from a great University it
847
00:30:40,679 --> 00:30:44,700
was an Impossible Dream given our
848
00:30:42,538 --> 00:30:46,140
situation I told the audience I could
849
00:30:44,700 --> 00:30:47,819
never have been there were not for
850
00:30:46,140 --> 00:30:50,038
donors Who provided scholarships to
851
00:30:47,819 --> 00:30:51,658
people like me and for a university with
852
00:30:50,038 --> 00:30:54,298
an admissions policy that allowed for
853
00:30:51,659 --> 00:30:56,340
some a f students which I had been 12
854
00:30:54,298 --> 00:30:57,898
years later I thought of Alan Cox when
855
00:30:56,339 --> 00:31:00,359
Steve Jobs asked me to help with his
856
00:30:57,898 --> 00:31:02,339
Keynotes Steve could not understand why
857
00:31:00,359 --> 00:31:04,500
others CEOs did not obsess over
858
00:31:02,339 --> 00:31:06,240
storytelling like he did you can't
859
00:31:04,500 --> 00:31:08,159
imagine the effort he put into his
860
00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:11,399
appearances but his investment paid off
861
00:31:08,159 --> 00:31:13,140
and he changed the world Alan Cox sat in
862
00:31:11,398 --> 00:31:14,879
stunned silences I gave that talk
863
00:31:13,140 --> 00:31:17,220
because I don't think he had any idea
864
00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:19,740
because I didn't tell anybody because it
865
00:31:17,220 --> 00:31:21,720
was just too humiliating but wow that
866
00:31:19,740 --> 00:31:24,120
talk opened up opportunities for us and
867
00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:25,980
changed our lives tragically for
868
00:31:24,119 --> 00:31:27,898
Americans concerned about health some of
869
00:31:25,980 --> 00:31:29,759
the power of stories has gone to the
870
00:31:27,898 --> 00:31:32,099
dark side so the next time you get
871
00:31:29,759 --> 00:31:33,839
interested in cancer and wonder if a
872
00:31:32,099 --> 00:31:35,939
kidney disease doctor has really brought
873
00:31:33,839 --> 00:31:37,558
us a revolutionary new understanding of
874
00:31:35,940 --> 00:31:39,840
a medical mystery in his spare time
875
00:31:37,558 --> 00:31:41,278
claiming scientists are wrong and bacon
876
00:31:39,839 --> 00:31:43,019
and sausage will help prevent it
877
00:31:41,278 --> 00:31:45,119
consider if that story could have some
878
00:31:43,019 --> 00:31:47,278
fictional elements to work your emotions
879
00:31:45,119 --> 00:31:49,199
you could instead choose a book from a
880
00:31:47,278 --> 00:31:51,538
real scientist who is devoted to cancer
881
00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:54,419
he doesn't have the powerful story Jason
882
00:31:51,538 --> 00:31:56,700
has unless you consider optimizing your
883
00:31:54,419 --> 00:31:58,860
chances against cancer a powerful Story
884
00:31:56,700 --> 00:32:01,019
one thing I learned writing a book about
885
00:31:58,859 --> 00:32:04,019
pop culture hits and entertainment
886
00:32:01,019 --> 00:32:06,538
is that stories are weapons
887
00:32:04,019 --> 00:32:08,759
for good or ill which of your stories
888
00:32:06,538 --> 00:32:11,220
make people laugh I.E crate endorphins
889
00:32:08,759 --> 00:32:12,898
which makes people feel empathy I.E
890
00:32:11,220 --> 00:32:15,899
oxytocin
891
00:32:12,898 --> 00:32:17,939
and the next time you go into a meeting
892
00:32:15,898 --> 00:32:20,879
you've picked the story
893
00:32:17,940 --> 00:32:22,919
you want to release the hormone you wish
894
00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:25,200
in the person that you're talking to to
895
00:32:22,919 --> 00:32:27,000
get exactly the desired effects that you
896
00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:30,080
want
897
00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:30,079
and that's a beautiful thing
68604
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