Sample Saturday is when I wade through the eleventy billion samples I have downloaded on my Kindle. I’m slowly chipping away and deciding whether it’s buy or bye. This week, all three appeared on the Goodreads Choice Awards nonfiction list.

Outlive by Peter Attia

Summary: For all its successes, mainstream medicine has failed to make much progress against the diseases that kill most people: heart disease, cancer, dementia, and type II diabetes. Too often, it intervenes with treatments too late to help, prolonging lifespan at the expense of quality of life. Attia believes we must replace this outdated framework with a proactive strategy for longevity.

I’m thinking: Yes.

Ultra-Processed People by Chris Van Tulleken

Summary: For the first time in human history, most of our calories come from Ultra-Processed Food (basically, if it’s wrapped in plastic and has at least one ingredient that you wouldn’t find in your kitchen, it’s UPF). These products are specifically engineered to behave as addictive substances, driving excess consumption. They are now linked to the leading cause of early death globally and the number one cause of environmental destruction.

I’m thinking: Maybe.

Hidden Potential by Adam M. Grant

Summary: We live in a world that’s obsessed with talent. We celebrate gifted students, natural athletes, and child prodigies. But admiring people who start out with innate advantages leads us to overlook the distance we ourselves can travel. We can all improve at improving. Grant offers a new framework for raising aspirations and exceeding expectations.

I’m thinking: Maybe

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