Count Down cover art

Count Down

How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development, and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race

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Count Down

By: Shanna H. Swan
Narrated by: Cynthia Farrell
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About this listen

 In the tradition of Silent Spring and The Sixth Extinction, an urgent, “disturbing, empowering, and essential” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) book about the ways in which chemicals in the modern environment are changing—and endangering—human sexuality and fertility on the grandest scale, from renowned epidemiologist Shanna Swan.

In 2017, author Shanna Swan and her team of researchers completed a major study. They found that over the past four decades, sperm levels among men in Western countries have dropped by more than 50 percent. They came to this conclusion after examining 185 studies involving close to 45,000 healthy men. The result sent shockwaves around the globe—but the story didn’t end there. It turns out our sexual development is changing in broader ways, for both men and women and even other species, and that the modern world is on pace to become an infertile one.

How and why could this happen? What is hijacking our fertility and our health? Count Down unpacks these questions, revealing what Swan and other researchers have learned about how both lifestyle and chemical exposures are affecting our fertility, sexual development—potentially including the increase in gender fluidity—and general health as a species. Engagingly explaining the science and repercussions of these worldwide threats and providing simple and practical guidelines for effectively avoiding chemical goods (from water bottles to shaving cream) both as individuals and societies, Count Down is “staggering in its findings” (Erin Brockovich, The Guardian) and “will serve as an awakening” (The New York Times Book Review). Biological Sciences Biology Environment Physical Illness & Disease Science Health Genetic disease Medicine Infertility Mental Health Human Behaviour
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Most relevant
Very hard to listen to the content, but really well written and narrated. Highly recommend! Definitely a must read in our current world.

Wow!

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This was an extremely thorough, yet accessible, book addressing a major health crisis. I would thoroughly encourage any health or science interested reader to read this book and spread its message.

Incredibly insightful and important read

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as the world seems to normalise mental health and gender issues. this book provides a lot of possible causes. the first step in change is to identify the problem and I hope this book can get that process started.

eye opening

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I first listened to Shona Swan on the JRE podcast and found that interview incredibly interesting and had to find out more.

Sections of the book was a little bit too statistical so someone with less stats based knowledge may not enjoy those bits as much.

The performance by Cynthia Farrell was up beat and kept me enaged the whole time.

Thank you to you both for bringing all of this incitefull information to light for someone like me who struggles to sit down and read but can binge an audiobook

A must listen

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This book contains highly valuable information to improve the chances of conceiving for men and women. The role and manufacture of healthy sperm is explained in detail, as well as the factors involved in growing a healthy baby to full-term. The impact of chemicals on the fertility of other species is also discussed, and some very thought provoking conclusions/hypotheses are drawn that have implications for all animals. Couldn’t stop listening to it, highly recommended.

Must-read for prospective parents and environmentalists!

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