Rating: 
Summary: An Extremely Important Book
Review: Their sure are some strange negative reviews and some very positive ones on this book. I am extremely positive on this book. Of course, the book is too wordy and has too many human interest stories for the accomplished reader. Have not these people learned to read more rapidly when they get it and more slowly when they don't? Look at what the author said and did. He said the subject needs to be understood by everybody--not just his professional colleagues. He selects a co-author that has the skills to make book accessible to the lay person.Why is sleep important? In this book you will learn that you are probably shortening your life span by poor sleep. Accidents from poor sleep are about as serious as drugs and alcohol. There are sleep diseases that MD's are doing a poor job on--particularly apnea. Most parents are failing to protect their teen age children from serious health problems and school performance problems through careless guidance on sleep. People are damaging their careers by poor sleep. How could this not be an important book for the average person. Their is no reason that MD's should not read this book. They ought to at least go far enough into the subject that they start reading professionally and stop letting their patients die from the doctors lack of knowledge about sleep. The lack of citations in the book is missed by the accomplished, interested reader. The discussion of chemical events that transpire during sleep helped me understand how to start managing my sleep problems. The detailed discussion about normal sleep is really excellent. He gives me a renewed understanding about learning how the healthy human body works by understanding disease. It so easy to forget that the study of disease is tightly related to understanding the healthy human. The paperback edition not only has an index it has two excellent appendix. One lists all the worthy sleep centers in the USA. This alone could save many lives as their are so many MD's that are failing to diagnose sleep problems. The appendix that summarizes the various sleep disorders is excellent. Don't let a few goofy reviews distract you from seriously considering this book. I have reread some parts of this book several times. I have given several speeches largely based on this book. This is one of the ten most important books in recent decades.
Rating:
Summary: Packed with life-saving information!
Review: When a friend of mine recommended that I read this book, I was slightly doubtful. I didn't really believe that a book about sleep could be all that interesting. When I did get around to reading The Promise of Sleep, however, I was really pleasantly surprised. Dr. William Dement wrote this book in a manner that neither condescends to the reader, nor confuses him or her with overly technical terms, as one might expect from the world-renowned expert on sleep. It is friendly and amusing with entertaining anecdotes form Dr. Dement's career. In this respect, the book has some autobiographical aspects to it, allowing the reader to take a look into this fascinating man's life and work. One gets the sense that this book is intended for everyone who can read it, not only for people who can't sleep at night. The sleep patterns of people of all ages are discussed: infants, children, adolescents, pregnant women, the middle-aged, and the elderly. Dr. Dement makes it clear that sleep affects every area of our lives, and he does this by providing us with fascinating, but little-known, information. For example, in spite of the fact that 9 out if 10 people are either sleep-deprived or have a sleep disorder, a large number of these cases remain undiagnosed, because most doctors are untrained in this area. And sleepy drivers have a part in about a third of traffic accidents, but few people are aware of this. It makes the reader indignant to find out about this, and the author's anger shows through as well. After all, people are dying from sleep disorders, car accidents, and industrial disasters because the public is ignorant about sleep. The Promise of Sleep serves as a self-help book as well. I did not realize that I was sleep-deprived, or that sleep debt accumulates, until I read this book. The book includes a three-week plan to improve one's sleep. I actually tried it, and now sleep is a priority for me. As a result, my days are much more productive. This book was excellent. I would unhesitatingly recommend it to anyone, on the basis that it will change, and even save, lives. It would serve as a good gift, as well.
Rating:
Summary: Lifesaving, Groundbreaking, Readable...buy it!
Review: Yes, it's too long; and the lack of an index is frustrating. But Dement presents ideas here that need to be heard, and haven't before. Sleep is not a simple process that can be distilled into a soundbyte - and his scientist's training won't let him devolve this into a mere list of "tips to sleep better". So, it it worth wading through 450 pages? A resounding yes. My own sleep problems were helped the very night I skipped ahead to the sleep hygeine chapter (the closest things to tips in the book). My understanding of jetlag and "prime time" for creative work will help me in the future. My respect for sleep has grown and will change my decisions. My realization of how close I have been to falling asleep at the wheel is terrifyingly clear. I am sending the book to one friend who I am sure suffers from a life threatening sleep lack. And unlike the reader who found Dement's career history self serving, I hear instead a plea for more research on this vitally important subject. Fascinating, readable, likeable, surprising, and worth every minute of your time to read. Although the writer's style is easy and readable, it alone would not rate five stars. But the content is five star plus. Buy it!
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