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O libro trata desde unha perspectiva analítica a efectividade dos diferentes métodos de RECUPERACIÓN física/mental para persoas que fan deporte (analiza datos, os estudos dispoñibles no momento de escribilo) Ao pouco de comezar o libro xa tiven a sospeita de que ía ser «decepcionante», no sentido de que non había ningún método milagroso que acelerase.

Non trata sobre aumentar o rendemento (directamente), nin a resistencia, forza, etc., se non sobre asimilar o adestramento e recuperarse do esforzo.

Desde diferentes formas de crioterapia, pasando por formas de controlar a inflamación, aumentar o fluxo sanguíneo, infravermellos de diferente lonxitude de onda, ... non hai ningunha forma que de xeito concluínte demostre a súa efectividade de forma significativa como si o fai durmir.

Certo, todas elas teñen lexións de seguidoras e practicantes, pero parece existir un compoñente sicolóxico moi forte, en canto a adhesión á práctica como a sentir que funciona.

O libro está cheo de referencias personais da autora (ela experimentou con todo) así como a produtos que nos venden as estrelas publicitarias (atletas profesionais) máis famosas. Aquí está outro compoñente de todo o tema: o capitalismo. Non quero recurrir á broma clásica, e podería ser Yoko Ono, pero non cabe máis que chamalo polo seu nome.

Lese facilmente e aos poucos, pode ser entretido para persoas motivadas nestes temas.

¹ aquí a «fe» refírese a ter confianza no método que escollas para recuperarte, algo así como un efecto placebo, máis ou menos, porque hai detalles que importan, pero mentras che están dando unha masaxe, ou estás na sauna de infravermellos, polo menos estás quieta e relaxada. Ahí podería estar o asunto, que ven dar ao mesmo que: durmir máis e mellor.

I missed out on the opportunity to borrow this book, highly recommended by a beautiful friend, in its original publication a couple of years ago so almost-literally leapt at the chance to review a NetGalley copy of the new Penguin publication. I'm so glad that I did! Robin Wall Kimmerer's life philosophies and the way in which she looks to plant wisdom for answers to human social and environmental problems are exactly what we need to be exploring right now, especially as people want new lifestyle choices in the wake of the epidemic. I began reading Braiding Sweetgrass wondering if this might be too 'hippy' a book for me to really get into. Within a hundred pages I was totally engrossed in every word Kimmerer wrote and frequently found myself nodding in enthusiastic agreement with her.

Kimmerer discusses ancient Native American ideas and practices, showing how the ideas behind them result in a completely different mindset to that of contemporary capitalist Western culture. I loved how she explains the influence of such basic concepts as our origin myths and was reminded strongly of Nesrine Malik's arguments in We Need New Stories. For the Potawatomi tribe, human life on Earth began with a woman whose fall from the sky was cushioned by geese catching her in their soft feathers and with all the animals helping her to create a home for herself. The Christian story begins in anger with a woman being evicted from paradise to cope as best she can in a lesser place. Our language also makes a huge difference to our worldview. In English, it is acceptable to refer to any nonhuman as 'it', ie. as a thing. For Native Americans, all animals have person status as do plants, rocks, water flows. It's much harder emotionally to mistreat someOne than someThing.

The combination of Kimmerer's philosophical approach together with her scientific knowledge and engaging, chatty tone made Braiding Sweetgrass an amazing read for me. While I was eager to keep reading what Kimmerer has to say, I also found myself frequently setting the book aside to appreciate a beautiful concept or to consider how I could apply a suggestion to my own lifestyle. I think it is generally accepted that humans have to make drastic changes to how we live and consume resources or we soon won't have a planet that's capable of supporting us all. I would highly recommend Braiding Sweetgrass as the perfect guide.