The Joy of Sweat

Starred review from April 5, 2021
Everts, a professor of journalism at Carleton University, argues in her fascinating debut that “sweat may be sticky, stinky, and gross,” but it’s one of humans’ most crucial and least understood bodily functions. Blocking sweat and its “smelly consequences” is a big business, she writes: worldwide, $75 billion dollars is spent annually on antiperspirants. To bust sweat taboos, Everts unpacks the function and chemical makeup of sweat, explains that perspiration is “evolution’s special heat-loss solution for humans,” and takes readers on a globe-trotting tour of oddities; she participates in a smell-dating event in Moscow, and attends the world sauna theater championship in the Netherlands. Her tone is conversational and accessible, even as she describes cutting-edge science on pheromones in sweat, the potential for using perspiration as an early diagnostic tool for Parkinson’s, and the chemistry of antiperspirants. Everts has an easy hand with demystifying myths associated with sweat, such as the mistaken belief that it can be used as a detoxifying strategy or that sports drinks, such as Gatorade, are valuable aids to athletes looking to replenish salt levels. Packed full of information and unexpected tidbits, this is hard to put down.

June 1, 2021
A popular-science treatment of an overlooked area of study. Perspiration is neither a fashionable body secretion nor of much interest to publishers, so most readers have not encountered a book on the subject, but science writer and journalism instructor Everts fills that gap admirably. She begins with a few jolts. A resting human produces as much heat as a 60-watt light bulb, which is usually more than we need. Evaporating fluid consumes heat, a process that keeps us cool. Through several million tiny sweat glands, we extract fluid from the blood and spread it over the skin. Odorless until bacteria act on it, it develops a smell, unique to every individual. Though repulsive to most Americans, in other parts of the world it is considered unobjectionable and sometimes interesting. Few readers will skip the chapter on the history of deodorants, an American invention. Outside of humans, sweating is uncommon. Horses and most monkeys and apes sweat; other animals pant, roll in mud, stay in the shade, or work at night. The sole purpose of human sweat is to cool the body; despite the common belief, it doesn't remove waste or toxins, so excessive sweating has no health benefits. Throughout, Everts mixes facts with interviews and encounters with sweat-related activities across the world: Smell-dating is a real thing, as are sauna theaters, where several hundred naked spectators watch a performance in a 185-degree arena. Fingerprints are an impression left behind by sweat, and their chemical analysis may reveal other valuable forensic information. Everts interviewed a man who underwent surgery to treat massively excessive sweating, a fairly common medical condition. A rare genetic mutation produces children born without sweat glands; if not discovered early, they can die of heatstroke. The author's prose is sometimes flippant and dense with amusing asides, quips on stinkiness, and embarrassing encounters, but she delivers a solid education. Fascinating information for tolerant readers.

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June 1, 2021

Everts (journalism, Carleton Univ.) takes on the (almost) universal human attribute of sweat. Humans are nearly the only animal that sweats; it's the most efficient method of dispelling body heat in the animal kingdom. Yet many of us would rather hide our perspiration than revel in it. Everts dives into the science of sweat production and the workings of the human cooling system. She discusses the constituents of sweat and why, occasionally, people will sweat in color; and debunks the theory that sweating detoxifies the body. The author explains other animals' methods of cooling; seals urinate on themselves, while honeybees use their own vomit. Pigs wallow in mud to cool down (thus the inaccuracy of the phrase "sweating like a pig"). Everts visits a Russian "smell dating" event; relates the history of deodorants; immerses herself in Finnish sauna culture and discusses the possible benefits of sauna to cardiac health; and talks to textile conservators who have to decide whether and how to remove sweat stains from historical clothing destined for museum display. VERDICT Engaging popular science that will spark the interest of anyone curious about this unique bodily function.--Rachel Owens, Daytona State Coll. Lib., FL

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