Hotwired

A radical exploration of how our bodies can harness heat for optimum health by #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of Outlive

What if the key to thriving in a hotter world isn’t avoiding the heat – but harnessing it?

In Hotwired, bestselling co-author of Outlive and science editor Bill Gifford explores how heat can improve our performance and our health.

Combining cutting-edge science, personal discovery and practical insights, Gifford reveals how humans evolved to excel in sweltering conditions – and how we’ve lost touch with this ancient advantage. He plunges into the steamy world of Finnish saunas, serves as a test subject in heat labs and tackles a 100-mile bike ride under the blazing Texas sun to show how temperature extremes can expand our physical and mental limits. He even explores how infrared sauna therapy could fight depression more effectively than medication and how social saunas are reviving communal wellness.

Whether you want to perform better, extend your lifespan or adapt to a warming planet, Gifford shows you the incredible benefits of reawakening your body’s natural adaptability to heat and cold. Hotwired is a thrilling call to reimagine heat – not as a threat, but as a tool for strength, resilience and longevity.

Author Biography

Bill Gifford is a veteran magazine writer and editor who writes about extraordinary athletes and cutting-edge health science. He is co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Outlive, which has sold more than two million copies worldwide, as well as the New York Times bestseller Spring Chicken- Stay Young Forever (Or Die Trying). He is a longtime contributing editor at Outside, and his work has appeared in Wired, Bloomberg Businessweek, Men’s Health, Bicycling, Slate and Best American Sportswriting.