Et is a balancing act that the science author and psychologist Bas Kast is attempting: in his books he combines his own experiences and subjective recommendations on how people can improve their lives with the claim of scientific objectivity. Ten years ago, Kast suffered a heart attack while jogging, after which he, according to his account, researched risk factors and wrote the book “The Nutrition Compass”. “The conclusion of all scientific studies on the subject of nutrition,” says the front page, with more than a million copies sold and translations into a good twenty languages, a mega bestseller.
For a few weeks now, his new guide “Compass for the Soul” has been at the top of the “Spiegel” bestseller list. According to Kast, the book has a similar genesis: the success of the “Nutrition Compass” not only led to the purchase of a Porsche, but also to a persistent depression. In fact, he had every reason to be happy with his family, instead he was desperate and wondered if he was suffering from depression. He then researched what could help. “What these means look like, that’s what this book is about,” writes Kast, this is “the conclusion of the latest studies on resilience and inner strength”.