Book tip No. 46 (2021): Never sick again. Healthy, strong and efficient through the power of cold

7th edition 2020

By Hans-Christian Riekhof

It is not quite easy to approach a book like this appropriately. A rather sensational title: “Never sick again”. Can a guide fulfill such a promise? Hardly. Is the Wim-Hof-Method scientifically proven? Individual studies by scientists are presented that prove that Wim Hof can maintain his body temperature in a unique way in icy water through training and mental exercises for a long time at 37 degrees, while others would have frozen long ago. Does this go beyond anecdotal evidence?

These are certainly legitimate questions. But it is worth dealing with the “power of cold”. After all, it is about a topic that has not already been covered by hundreds of similar guides. And the biographical elements about Wim Hof are more than entertaining.

But what is really interesting about this book: there are many hints on techniques that can be easily and safely applied in everyday life in dealing with cold and the necessary mental training. Timothy Ferris had already reported in one of his bestsellers about his personal experiments with ice baths. However, he was more interested in the associated calorie consumption.

Wim Hof and Koe de Jong are about unusual insights that were gained in self-experiments. They provide exciting insights beyond mainstream research. Worth reading.