PLAY FOREVER

A comprehensive guide focuses on physical injury and recovery.

Everyone gets hurt, Stone writes bluntly at the beginning of his book, and it’s possible to come back from an injury faster and fitter than ever. But to accomplish this, the injured “need information on how to do so, what can help them, and how they can motivate themselves,” he writes. “They need to recognize the recovery process as long, entwined with their habits and mindset, and affected by a large variety of factors.” For years, the author, a physician, has built a practice giving this help to everybody from professional athletes to older patients dealing with issues like arthritis. This manual is the distillation of all that he’s learned about both the physical and psychological dimensions of injuries. He thus mixes a lot of practical advice—about things like posture, nutrition, and exercise—with broader philosophical observations about the active lifestyle, urging his readers to attend to the little problems so as to head off the larger ones. Ignore those minor difficulties, he asserts, and issues will accumulate: “Pay attention, and you can live well until the day you die.” Stone’s writing displays a light, very engaging tone that’s partial to both attractive idealism and puckish humor (when advocating at least 30 minutes of sunlight exposure every day, for instance, he recommends skinny-dipping). And he wards off accusations that he’s enabling irresponsible thrill-seekers with neat bravado: “To live without any risk entirely is both impossible and foolish.” His counsel on everything from skiing to rock climbing is both informed and encouraging to readers of all ages. And the helpful tips are all delivered with a calm, confident optimism that will be uplifting, particularly to readers who think they may never bounce back from their latest injuries.

An upbeat, useful, and wide-ranging look at recovering from injuries—and preventing them.