Timothy Egan is one of the smartest — if not the best — columnists of the New York Times. He is pleasant to read, even when you do not agree with him completely. And his latest column, “The One-Minute Life,” is a subtle and well-written piece in support of Hillary Clinton and against Donald Trump. It is actually his first commentary on what this fall’s presidential race will look like. It is a biased prediction; and this is the only thing I do not like — or rather, disagree with — since I think that experience will not be the decisive factor in the final round of this presidential election. Perhaps it will be in future elections, but not this time.

But there is something else that Egan offers in his column this time. He links to a diary of Josh Helton, a multi-tasking young man who is also an avid runner. For 30 days, Helton fed himself only with Soylent, “the meal replacement beverage for those who think eating actual food is a time-wasting nuisance,” as Egan says. “A substitute for sleep cannot be far behind.”

The result? Yes, he farted more, went through different stages of sensation and fatigue, but in the end, the Soylent did what it was supposed to. Helton improved his performance and felt great, except for the food-related pleasure that he missed. You better read this piece before you grab something that will replace your sleep.

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Also published on Medium.