The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science Behind Perspiration

From the Show: HER
Summary: Let's talk about SWEAT baby! Something about sweating can be so embarrassing. And capitalism has birthed hundreds of products to keep it hidden at all costs.
Air Date: 9/23/21
Duration: 41:28
Host: Pam Peeke, MD
Guest Bio: Sarah Everts

Sarah Everts is an award-winning science journalist and speaker. She holds a master’s degree in chemistry and has written for Scientific American, Smithsonian, New Scientist, and The Economist. 

She teaches journalism at Carleton University and lives in Ottawa, Canada.


  • Book Title: The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science Behind Perspiration
  • Guest Twitter Account: @saraheverts
The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science Behind Perspiration

Let's talk about SWEAT baby! Something about sweating can be so embarrassing. And capitalism has birthed hundreds of products to keep it hidden at all costs.

When it comes down to it, sweating may be one of our weirdest biological functions, but it’s also one of our most vital and least understood. In her book The Joy of Sweat, Sarah Everts delves into its role in the body—and in human history.

Sarah Everts is an award-winning science journalist and speaker. She holds a master’s degree in chemistry and teaches journalism at Carleton University and lives in Ottawa, Canada.

In this episode, she dives into cultural rituals around sweating & saunas, myths and misunderstandings about sweat, the truth about sweating to detox your body, and your sweat's role in sexual attraction.