I’m an award-winning science journalist and journalism professor based in Ottawa, Canada.
My 2021 book THE JOY OF SWEAT: The Strange Science of Perspiration is a taboo-busting romp through the shame, stink, and science of sweating.
Here are a few reviews:
“An entertaining and illuminating guide to the necessity and virtues of perspiration…Everts is a crisp and lively writer.” — Jennifer Szalai, New York Times
“A glowing, revelatory account that belongs on the same shelf with works by Ed Yong and Carl Zimmer.” — Oprah Daily
“Everts’ plunge into sweat is full of energy, and her open curiosity about our much-maligned bodily secretion leaks onto every page.” — Bethany Brookshire, Science News
Here are a few excerpts and writing related to THE JOY OF SWEAT:
Wall Street Journal, “The Science Of Sweating It Out.”
Time, “What your body odor says about you.”
Walrus, “Smell you later: The weird science of how smell attracts.”
Lithub, “A Brief History Of Perfume: Visit To An Archive of Scent.”
NPR’s Science Friday, “The Hairy Origin Of Our Sweat Glands.”
Here are additional accolades and reviews:
The Joy of Sweat was put on the New York Times 2021 summer reading list, the “best of 2021” lists for Outside Magazine and Smithsonian, and it won an Audie Award.
“[A] well-researched, zesty study.”
— Andrew Robinson, Nature
“[A] whole lot of fun…[M]issing The Joy of Sweat would be the pits.”
— Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm Sez
“Entertaining.”
— Mary Elizabeth Williams, Salon
“Delightful.”
— Kerri Miller, Minnesota Public Radio
“A fascinating account of an involuntary bodily function that turns out to be as unique as a fingerprint.”
— Irina Dumitrescu, Times Literary Supplement (UK)
“Everts has charm and enthusiasm, writes breezily and, along the way, effectively debunks a number of enduring myths…[F]un, entertaining and full of interesting facts.”
— Simon Humphreys, The Mail on Sunday (UK)
“Entertaining…As she tackles a subject that some people deem taboo or even gross, Everts incorporates interesting historical facts, market research and scientific discoveries, skillfully turning science into poetry.”
— Bookpage (starred review)
“A witty, informative, and quirky consideration of this bodily fluid…Perspiration is cooler than you’d ever imagine.”
— Booklist
“Engaging popular science that will spark the interest of anyone curious about this unique bodily function.”
— Library Journal
“The Joy of Sweat is meticulously researched, delightfully told, and—whether we like it or not—universally relatable.”
— Alex Hutchinson, best-selling author of Endure
“Everts has an easy hand with demystifying myths associated with sweat…Packed full of information and unexpected tidbits, this is hard to put down.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Sweating makes us human and in The Joy of Sweat, Sarah Everts explains the fascinating science behind this remarkable physiological function. Perspiration doesn’t just keep us cool, it also reveals a lot about us — everything from the flavor of potato crisps we eat to the bugs in our microbiome. Everts debunks loads of sweat-related bunk and takes readers on fascinating adventures to explore how sweating helps us adapt to our environment and navigate our social networks. The Joy of Sweat provides riveting lessons about physiology, hormones, sociology, and even love.”
— Christie Aschwanden, best-selling author of Good to Go
“Fascinating.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“It makes us stink, it makes us stand out, it makes us shy — is there anything worth saying about sweat? Turns out, yes. Sarah Everts’ sensitive, clever, funny inquiry into perspiration leads us on a tour through privacy, technology, history, sexuality, and ultimately the mysteries of being human.”
— Maryn McKenna, author of Big Chicken
You can order it at these online booksellers or wherever books are sold.
Amazon (US)
Amazon (Canada)
Amazon UK (Europe)
Apple
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million
Bookshop
IndieBound
Penguin Random House (Canada)
Norton (UK & Europe)
Here’s a bit more about me:
I am the CTV Chair in Digital Science Journalism at Carleton University in the School of Journalism and Communication.
I was born and raised in Montreal, and spent eleven years (2007-2018) as a foreign correspondent in Berlin, Germany. I have also lived in Washington DC, Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Guelph, and Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Here’s my CV.
I also have a penchant for writing about art and artifacts, fake foods, chemical weapons, the history of chemistry and alchemy, pheromones, sweat, and frankly, anything unexpected or absurd. My work was chosen for the 2017 Best American Science and Nature Writing anthology.
I used to host quirky videos about chemistry.
I’ve been the journalist in residence at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science and a visiting scholar at the Science History Institute.
Find me on Twitter and Instagram: @saraheverts