Welcome to the world of balance!

If you’re searching for more details about the book Balance: In Search of the Lost Sense, by journalist Scott McCredie, then you’ve arrived. On this site you will learn more about the book and the scope of its subject, which is the physical sense of balance. I like to think of balance as the intricate and enormously complicated dance our bodies do to counteract the force of gravity as we navigate about (and sometimes above) the planet.

This book examines the subject of balance from many points of view, from the skills necessary to create a circus acrobat, to how balance is affected by riding in a car, boat, plane, or spaceship. Along the way I examine a lot of unusual areas, such as why gently rocking a baby in a crib has the same calming influence as an older person who rocks in a chair (it stimulates their vestibular apparatus, the body’s dedicated balance organ), why falling is about to become a major national health problem, and how the balance system contributed to the survival of Homo sapiens. I even delve into how the balance system might be linked with certain cognitive skills.

After reading the book you’ll have a good basic understanding of this recently “discovered” sense that few people ever pay attention to–until they lose it. Armed with this understanding (and after learning some of the movements and activities I describe to improve or maintain your own sense of balance), you’ll be able to continue your gravity dance–and stay on your feet–for as long as humanly possible. You’ll be able to improve your skills in various endeavors, from gardening and doing laundry to playing soccer or Zydeco dancing. And you’ll marvel at the wonders of the human body even more.