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This is not a book on Tibetan Buddhism for which you say you have the expertise. This is a book on the history and science related to BREATH. You say there is "flat out misinformation" but the only "evidence" you offer is one very small part of the book. Stating that Om Mani Padme Hum is six seconds long, one second per syllable is 'misinformation' to you because in all your 30 years of expertise you never learned the chant could be six seconds. I've been practicing yoga and pranayama since I was 14. I am now 60 years old. I never was taught that OM is one syllable or that any chant should take X amount of seconds. I was taught the deeper meanings of these chants and experienced how they resonated within me when chanted. I chanted them with others and alone. Is it valid to bash an author for saying something so obvious - that said slowly it takes 6 seconds - because you were never taught this? If you say OMPH slowly, it *is* five to six seconds long. The reference to six seconds for this chant is a only few lines of the book on page 82. It is part of a larger context noting that often many prayers from around the world take 5 or 6 seconds. A 5.5 seconds inhale and exhale cycle is a very good breath cycle to practice and coincidentally the same count of many prayers. You cherry picked a few lines of the book that disagree with you and declare that you are suspicious and doubt the entire book. This is an unfair review.

Breath is a well annotated book that took ten years of the author's personal practice and research. The lengthy Notes section, page 231 to 269, is available if you are doubtful or suspicious about anything in the book. Nestor even says at the beginning of Notes that there are extended notes on his website. I have respect and awe of Nestor. He bravely used his own body as a guinea pig in the ten day mouth breathing experiment while following a strict diet and routine, checking vitals and recording them. He did extensive travel, meeting with various pulmonary experts. He did extensive research of history, looking at skulls and talking to experts of ancient man's development. Nestor is an experienced science journalist and takes his research seriously. To say you question everything he has written based on something you did not learn in your 30 years of Buddhist training is harsh and baseless. Did your authentic teachers ever mention kindness and compassion? It's a long journey. Namaste.

Yikes, Barbara Ginsberg, being kind and compassionate to people does not mean you must approach a product uncritically. He clearly qualified his concern and I appreciate his input.

I thought the 6 seconds remark was writing style, not precision--another way to say they're not rushing through the chant or extending it abnormally. Declaring this "fake news" strikes me as missing the point more of Buddhism than of the book.

As a Buddhist who has studied in a Tibetan lineage, I also raised my eyebrows at the claim that Om Mani Padme Hung takes exactly 6 seconds to chant. I mean... it CAN? But no teacher I have encountered has ever said to do that. My biggest complaint about this book is that the author keeps being drawn to traditions of India and Tibet, but never actually goes to either of those places or talks with native experts about these techniques. It seems like a good-sized flaw in the book given how much prominence yogic practices and Tummo have in it.