This is a great scientific look at how light effects our lives and even our health. I enjoyed that it was from a scientific perspective and not just speculation. I found it very interesting.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

Karl makes a wonderful introduction by sharing his sensory perceptions about the light thought his life. Then, the book contains scientific facts and references about how the light interacts with human beings from nano level to macro levels. An excellent book to read this year.

A selection from Iphelia.com’s Editor’s Bookshelf review: Given my own affinity for light (and thus my love of campfires, starry skies, full moons, mirrors, and windows—the more the merrier!), I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read and review Karl Ryberg’s book Living Light.

While the title might sound a bit “out there,” Living Light is a book grounded in Ryberg’s research on the relationship between light and biology. It’s full of facts about how different light sources impact our health and the wellbeing of the planet, plus suggestions for leveraging light sources wisely to enhance our lives.

Ryberg, an architect and psychologist who founded the Monocrom institute for light research and treatments in Stockholm, writes in a way that’s both accessible and relatable while still keeping his passion for light front and center. He shares numerous anecdotes based on his experiences with Scandinavian winters but takes care to always remind the reader to be attentive to their unique geography, circumstances, and needs.

Some of the most exciting portions of this book include Ryberg’s support of safe sun exposure, his tips for choosing paint colors in homes and offices, and a section on eye yoga—physical exercises for eye health. His teaching on different types of artificial light is also intriguing, though if a reader wanted to overhaul the bulbs and fixtures they’re using in their home or workplace, they’d likely need to reread certain sections of Ryberg’s writing, consult an expert, and/or check out the numerous resources Ryberg suggests as further reading and cites in the book’s notes.

While I welcomed Ryberg’s idea of a “light diet”—i.e. a thoughtful consideration of the quality and quantity of light sources we’re consuming in a day, a week, etc.—I was a bit surprised that the book’s eighth and final chapter, “The Light Diet,” was actually about food sources. Ryberg makes numerous excellent points throughout the chapter, but as a reader, I found this less-novel information somewhat of a letdown as the book came to a close. From a flow perspective, I was also surprised that the very interesting “Light Throughout Your Life” section, which introduced non-food-related ideas on light for old age and fertility among other life stages, was situated in a seemingly food-related chapter.

Organizational critiques aside, Living Light is very easy to read and packs a lot of information into what feels like not so many pages. It will be especially welcome by those who are interested in environmental psychology, non-pharmaceutical interventions for various depressive states, including seasonal affective disorder, and interacting more healthfully with technology in everyday life.

The underlying point was driven home; the human race cannot survive without the god of natural light - our morning star. The cat's out of the bag. Artificial light, no matter the type or how it's implemented is no replacement for the life-sustaining rays of our sun. It's not even a close second. For one, our body cannot metabolize the important element of vitamin D from artificial light. That's only just for starters. Our sleep patterns, health, mood swings, awareness... are all governed by presence of the giant solar king.

Many suggestions and tips were offered by the author in this well-written tutorial for maintaining proper sun exposure regardless of skin type. Most importantly, Ryberg brings to light many of the avenues open to us for improving the quality of our life through light - the right light. The impact on our lives from the information contained in this book are worth taking a look at.

I extend my gratitude to NetGalley and a Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

A very well written book about the benefits of light on our health our minds.Written in an easy to read style The-author Karl Rysverg a reasercher and architect shows us the right and wrong ways of incorporating light in our lives.#betgalkey#livinglight #atriabooks.

3/5

Living Light is an easy and light read about the benefit of using some lights around us, e.g. the sun, outdoor lamps, and indoor lamp. Filled with how to and how not to, this book is an interesting read combining biology & psychology. I can see this book as a gateaway to a more in-depth topic of (maybe) biology, fashion (since author mentioned briefly about using black color, blue color, sunglasses, etc), and way of living.

Living Light is a very interesting book about the benefits of light on your health. Karl Ryberg is a researcher and architect who has spent several years on researching light for your health and happiness. It is written well and is easy to read.