The Fast

'Caloric restriction is one of the scientifically best-established ways to enhance longevity. A fascinating deep dive into the science and history of fasting.' - Steven M. Lipkin, MD, PhD; director, Adult and Cancer Genetics Clinic, Weill Cornell Medicine 'John Oakes takes us on an elegant and irresistible journey, all the while engaging us with personal experiences, scientific enlightenment, and the historical context of fasting. Beautifully written and meticulously researched, The Fast will stay with you long after you've read every word.' - Gilbert King, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Devil in the Grove We fast all the time, even when we're not conscious of doing so. A fast manifests the idea of holding back, resisting the primal impulse to charge ahead. Its flip side is similarly everywhere: call it splurging, self-indulgence or a variant of 'self-care'. Based on extensive historical, scientific and cultural research and reporting, The Fast illuminates the many facets of this act of self-deprivation. John Oakes interviews doctors, spiritual leaders, activists and others who guide him through this practice - and embarks on fasts of his own - to provide readers curious about fasting with profound new understanding, appreciation and inspiration. Fasting has become increasingly popular for a variety of reasons - from health advocates who see fasting as a method to lose weight or to detox, to the faithful who fast in prayer, to seekers pursuing mindfulness, to activists using hunger strikes as an effective means of peaceful protest. Whether for philosophical, political or health-related reasons, fasting marks a departure from daily routine and offers a chance to look at things anew. Fasting involves doing less but doing less in a radical way, reminding us that a slower, more intentional contemplative life can be more fulfilling. Ultimately, this book shows us that fasting is about much more than food: it is about reconsidering our place in the world.

John Oakes is publisher of The Evergreen Review. He is editor at large for OR Books, which he cofounded in 2009. Oakes has written for a variety of publications, among them The Oxford Handbook of Publishing, Publishers Weekly, the Review of Contemporary Fiction, Associated Press, and The Journal of Electronic Publishing. He was born and raised in New York City, where he lives, and is the father of three adult children. The Fast is his first book.

Introduction DAY 1, SUNDAY"Spaces Between": A Visit to the Quietest Place on Earth DAY 2, MONDAY Ascetic Roots 1: The Greeks, Buddha, and Their Legacies DAY 3, TUESDAY The Marvelous Machine: What Happens to Our Body When We Fast DAY 4, WEDNESDAY Ascetic Roots 2: The Abrahamic Traditions DAY 5, THURSDAY The River of Kings: Fasting as Protest DAY 6, FRIDAY Fasting, Frauds, and Faddism DAY 7, SATURDAY Self-Cancellation Epilogue Acknowledgments A Sampling of Famous Fasters Selected Books Related to Fasting Notes Bibliography Index Image Credits About the Author